Keep your home in excellent condition by following this log home maintenance checklist.
Log-Home Maintenance Checklist
The key to keeping your logs in tip-top shape is routine inspections. So, schedule some time to walk around your log home, at least every fall and spring, to check up on the condition of your logs. The
benefits of basic log home maintenance of seemingly endless! During these inspections, use the following checklist to make sure you’re covering all of the areas of concern.
Mold/Mildew
Possible causes: ______ 1. Sprinklers wetting your logs ______ 2. Gutters leaking (or no gutters at all) ______ 3. Spigots dripping or spraying the logs when the hose is in use ______ 4. Splashback from downspouts ______ 5. High humidity due to your geographic area ______ 6. Greenery too close to the home, holding water in ______ 7. Logs uncoated? (Uncoated logs collect mold and mildew easier)
Solution: First, adjust or move any hoses or sprinklers that may be wetting your logs on a regular basis. Also, install or repair gutters to keep water from running down your logs. Trim bushes and trees back from the home at least 18 inches. And finally, make sure to periodically clean your logs with appropriate treatments or a power washer.
Fading Stain
Possible causes: ______ 1. UV degradation
Solution: Clean your logs before applying a new coat of compatible stain. Also, consider more permanent protective measures like incorporating shade trees into your landscape, building porches and opting for wide roof overhangs.
Peeling Stain
Possible causes: ______ 1. Logs weren’t cleaned prior to staining, resulting in peeling stain ______ 2. Water entering checks (or cracks)
Solution: For this problem, you can either treat each specific area as it occurs, or start from scratch and re-apply a whole new stain. If you see checks, look to see if they’re large enough to be filled with caulk, which will seal them and keep water from seeping under the protective coating.
Possible causes: ______ 1. Applied to an incompatible stain surface ______ 2. Logs not cleaned prior to application ______ 3. Not tooled properly ______ 4. High percentage of log shrinkage/movement ______ 5. No backer rod or bond breaker installed
Solution: Remove the chinking where it’s no longer adhering to the logs, clean the logs, and reapply new chinking. If no bond breaker was installed during the first application, install backer rod prior to applying the chinking, which will help with adhesion in the future and keep the chinking/caulking from tearing.
Insects
Possible causes: ______ 1. The cause depends on the type of insect you’re dealing with, as some are nesting and some are feeding on your wood.
Solution: Feeding insects (carpenter ants, termites, post powder beetles) can be treated with borate products if there is no coating on the logs. Insecticide additives can be used to help ward off nesting insects.
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