Log home restorations can be a lot of work, but they are incredibly rewarding too. It’s a great feeling to live in a stunning looking, cozy and comfortable log home, and if you are proactive about your maintenance, then you’ll get to enjoy your beautiful abode for many years to come.
There are a lot of potential issues and hazards with log homes. Water damage is all too common, and carpenter bees can do a lot of damage also. Here are a few tips on how to prevent them, or repair the cost if you find yourself faced with such issues in your home.
Prevention is Better than Restoration
If you are a proud owner of a log home, then you should be proactive about taking good care of it. Perform a visual inspection of your home twice a year; once in the spring and once in the fall. Make sure that your gutters are clear and drain appropriately because clogged gutters can lead to damp problems. Also, check the external spigots to make sure that they are not leaking or dripping, because this will cause moisture on the walls as well. This primary, proactive housekeeping will help you to avoid a lot of issues.
It is also worth inspecting your dormers to make sure that they are properly sealed and that any caulking is intact. Check any upward facing to see if it has darkened because darkened wood is a warning sign of decay. If you have stain or paint, then make sure that you adhere to the producer’s guidelines regarding when it should be redone, protect your wood from damage.
What if You Find Signs of Damage?
If you spot signs of damage, whether that is mold, rot or water damage, then you will need to have restoration work done. What is log home restoration? Well, restoration services can vary massively and will depend on the type of damage that you have identified.
Call In The Experts
If you notice issues and they appear to be a bit more serious than just some damaged caulking, then you should call in an expert for a proper assessment. If, for example, wood is turning black, then it needs some attention to confirm that it is not the start of a serious issue, and to ensure that the wood is brought back to a sound state. If the wood has started to decay, then restorers will usually treat the wood with a solution of trisodium phosphate or a similar substance, and then follow that with a borate treatment, before applying a sealant that will prevent damage in the future.
This all sounds like something that you would be able to do yourself, and it’s true that you could, assuming that the damage is very minor. The time when restoration experts start to come in handy is if the rot is more than superficial surface decay. If the wood is spongy, cracked or crumbling, or the rot has gotten deep enough to cause the timber to start losing its strength, then this is a serious issue.
Mold and Water Damage
If your structure is severely damaged, then the restoration takes a bit more expertise. Sometimes the only way to save the wood is to cut away the face, shaving off about 1.5 inches, and then replace it with a similar type of wood. The new wood will be attached with wood epoxy and with countersunk, hidden screws that should not be noticeable. This can work for moderate rot, but if the rot runs deeper then even refacing will not be enough, and in that case, the rotten log will need to be cut away. This could mean that a through-=bolt or a screw in the corner system will need removing. This is unlikely to be an issue since the corner system will have already pulled the logs together, and the structure will be secure even with it slightly broken.
Insects and Other Pests
Insects and other pests, such as woodpeckers, can damage the wood. Some bugs will bore into the wood to live in it, and ones that will eat the wood. The ones that eat the wood can be killed off by applying a borate solution to the house, which will kill the insects when they eat it. For the creatures that want to make the wood their home, borate will not be enough to kill them because they do not actually eat the wood, they merely make holes and then lay eggs in them. You can kill termites with specific pest-control products, but carpenter bees are trickier to finish off. For those, you would need to treat each hole when you find it. This can be a long process, and it may require some expertise to see all the holes. Once you’ve gotten rid of the larvae and the bees, the holes will need to be filled in so that the insects cannot come back. If no insects are living in the gaps, this will mean that woodpeckers and other animals won’t be tempted either.
Very Old Properties
Log properties can actually last for a century or more if they are well taken care of. If you have purchased a period property and it’s in a state of disrepair, don’t despair. It should still be possible to revitalize it. The process might man removing some logs that are so decayed that they cannot be saved, but it’s usually possible to keep a lot of the structure. The wood that is still salvageable can be re-stained and sealed/chinked as appropriate.
Log restoration is something that may seem expensive at first glance, but it’s a lot cheaper than having almost to rebuild the property, and it will take the property looking stunning and being a beautiful place to live. Be proactive with your maintenance, and you will keep your property in tip-top condition, saved from having to worry about damage or decay. It’s much more cost effective to re-stain wood to stop the rot than it is to treat rot after it happens.