By log house maintenance, we mean the general maintenance required to ensure there is adequate protection against moisture, harmful UV radiation, air infiltration, and insect and rodent intrusion. Download the inspection checklist in PDF here. In recent years, we have discovered a lot about cleaning wood and existing finishes. First of all, chlorine bleach is not a good product to use.
In addition to its potential to damage the finish and bare wood fibers, its use and misuse contributes to a number of problems including loss of film adhesion, discolorations due to tannin extraction and the formation of iron tannates, streaks, stains and premature failure of the finishing system. We have also discovered that several wood and deck cleaners available at paint and hardware stores, home improvement centers, and do-it-yourself retail outlets contain components that interfere with the proper performance of our finishing systems. On a phone? Send LOGEXPERT to 22828. The natural beauty of log houses attracts many of us to build one, but they also require more maintenance than a typical house. When you know what's needed, there are ways to minimize maintenance.
Whatever You Do, Never Use A Pressure Washer On Log Cabin Walls. Almost all cabins are made of soft wood. It is very easy to damage the surface of the wood or accidentally drive water between the logs. Scrubbing with a soft brush and water from a garden hose cleans better than a pressure washer and is much safer for wood.
If you need restoration and staining services for your Ontario log home, or are considering the best way to realize your dream of a log house, call the experts Kealey Tackaberry Log Homes. After having visited hundreds of log houses and being lucky enough to have a log cabin, one of the most common questions I get asked is the maintenance of log houses, especially the exterior wood. The type of paint you choose will depend on the final finish you want and whether you want to maintain the typical look of logs or change the color. If you suspect that an area of your trunks has termites, you can touch the place with a hard object and hear an empty sound.
When inspecting the surroundings, make sure that plants and pots are at least 24 meters away from log walls, terraces and railings have no areas of erosion or leakage, drainage, and check for standing water. A little care and maintenance, along with the use of quality products designed specifically for log houses, will not only keep your home in good condition, but will also preserve the integrity of the logs and help avoid costly repairs. One way to remove stains and restore wood to its natural color is with a product such as Wood ReNew, a biodegradable percarbonate-based cleaner, after washing logs. Look closely and critically at areas where water may be a problem, such as around doors and windows, dormer connections, roof joints, chimney corner flashings, and logs at the ends of your log cabin.
Long-horned beetles, woodpecker bees, and termites love log houses, but bed bugs, flies, borers, spiders, squirrels, squirrels, and even woodpeckers can also leave their mark. If this were not a log house, the answer is quite simple: paint all the walls and ceilings with a sealing primer, and then finish painting. Remember that oil and water don't mix, so if you already have an oil-based stain on your logs, you should stick with an oil-based product. Murdock suggests installing a gravel path around your log house approximately 24 to 36 inches wide to provide a corridor.
However, modern chinking is acrylic-based and is more durable, say these experts, because it expands and contracts as logs or timbers move, but still adhere firmly. .
