Where to begin.

By Edward Yovich

Gran Cielo Log Home Renovation

Everyone who knows anything about log homes will tell you that you should have a maintenance plan in place and try your best to follow through with it. My first advice to my log home customers is to become acquainted with some experts who are always willing to answer any questions you might have and do their best to simplify the process for you. I have found one of the greatest resources for log homeowners is permachink.com. These folks have been around a long time, love their business and their customers, have everything you need to build and maintain your log home and offer free workshops that you can attend. The workshops are extremely educational and fun with local experts in attendance who will answer questions and demonstrate various maintenance products and techniques. The staff at Permachink are wonderful people who really like what they do.

Getting back to a maintenance program. The best place to start is the yearly inspection. Sounds easy huh? Well, often, by the time I’m called out to the scene, I find the barbeque pit grill is probably the only thing that has been inspected in years and that was only because one of the burners quit just before the family reunion picnic. I met a lovely woman at a Do-It -Yourself workshop who was asking me for advice about how to proceed with the myriad of maintenance issues she had going on with her log home. She even enlisted her two strapping sons for her renovation journey. I asked if she had a maintenance program in place and she said she was not really wasn’t “in to” maintenance. I must admit, I chuckled and told her the best advice I could give her was to sell her log home and buy a condo. Log homes are a work of art, a lifestyle. They demand attention. If you want to own a log home, there are certain things you just can’t ignore or leave to chance. The big one is moisture.

Why do log homes develop rot?

In a word – WATER. Moisture in the form of rain or snow is the reason for rot in wood. If your logs have rot – it is caused by water. The way to stop rot is to control the logs’ exposure to water.

Water splashing onto lower logs is the number one cause of log rot.

As a log home professional, I can tell you that every time I have looked at a rotten log, I can connect the issue to one of the three causes outlined below. But more important than knowing the root of the problem is knowing how to avoid it, or, if it’s too late for avoidance, fix it for good.

What are some of the causes of excessive moisture exposure to a log home?

The cause: Non-functioning gutter

Non-functioning gutters (or the lack of gutters altogether) causes nearly $1 billion worth of residential damage every year. When I first moved to Texas from Ohio. I was taken aback that many of the houses I worked on had no gutters. But then again, the majority of homes in Texas do not have basements either. As an Ohio boy, not having a basement was a rarity, even though, not having water in your basement was somewhat of a rarity too. Having gutters that are clogged is even worse than no gutters at all.   When gutters are clogged during a rainfall, merely an inch of water accumulation can cause the equivalent of a full season’s worth of rain to stream down your log walls.

How to avoid damage: Gutters clog. It’s a fact. The first sign of a clogged gutter is streaking on the visible face of the gutter caused by water spilling over the top. Also, a discoloration of the soffit material due to water overflowing on the back side of the gutters is an indication there’s a problem.

Clean them twice a year (spring and late fall) or install gutter guards (a perforated covering that allows water through, but blocks large debris). If you live in an area with lots of pine needles, Gutter Helmet-like gutter guards seem to be the best choice. Traditional screen style gutter covers do a great job of trapping the pine needles and creating a damn. The result is clogged gutters. Even with gutter guards, you should still inspect once a year to ensure they’re doing their job.

Plus, pay close attention to the north side of your house. It receives less sunlight and logs take longer to dry after it rains.

How to fix it: In this case, how to fix it is the same as how to avoid it. No one likes cleaning gutters, but it makes a world of difference. Instead of a downspout, you could opt for a rain chain. Their open design eliminates clogging.

The cause: Upward-facing checks

Checks are cracks in a log where the wood fibers have separated. On their own, checks are not a threat to the structural integrity of a log wall, however, checks that are on the upper curvature of a log and slant downward into the log can catch and hold water, possibly even transmitting moisture to the core.

How to avoid damage: Truth be told, there’s no way to avoid checking or control where or how deeply a log will check. The key to preventing damage is to pay attention and fix upward-facing checks as soon as you notice them. I’ll discuss how to properly repair a check in a future article.

How to fix it: Even if you used a topical borax or other treatment when you built your home, these checks must be re-treated with borax. This second application will prevent rot. Checks should then be sealed with a log home appropriate caulk or sealant to stop further water intrusion.

The cause: Poorly sealed windows and doors

When built, the window and door openings are sealed with various methods behind the window and door trim. These systems can fail — and they often do.

How to avoid damage: Look for checks in the logs that extend behind the trim. They can transmit water from the face of the log, into the check and then behind the trim.

How to fix it: The best and only sure-fire way to stop this water infiltration is to totally seal the window or door frame to the log walls using a quality caulking material. This system gives you a visible, flexible and repairable seal between the logs and the window or door unit.

 After addressing these obvious causes of log damage, you might be surprised at how much you can learn by taking a stroll around your home. Giving a knock on the logs in vulnerable areas can tell a lot. Solid wood rewards your knock with a solid report. Soft areas give a hollower, “thunk”. More of a plea really. Bugs leave telltale signs. It doesn’t take a trained eye to spot carpenter bees. They get right in your face and taunt you as they transform your logs in Swiss cheese. Termites and Carpenter ants can be a bit stealthier, however, termites leave visible “mud tubes” which are kind of like a termite subway system, apparently, they are very modest and wish to keep hidden from your view. The very presence of a Carpenter ant hanging out by your log home should give you pause. If they aren’t eating your neighbor’s house, they are very likely eating yours. Keeping a wood pile next to your log home is like a flashing, neon “Free Log Buffet” sign for critters.

Overflowing gutters, flashing askew, bug remnants are all things that simply don’t look right, even to the untrained eye. Of course, if the idea of a romantic, inspection stroll around your log home does not appeal to you, you can always hire someone to do that for you.

We look forward to working with you

Edward Yovich

(936) 499-4522

We service: New Mexico, Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Texas.

Contact Info: Ed Yovich, (936) 499-4522

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