Rot in log homes – What can I do to prevent log rot in my home?

While log rot is a common problem in log homes, it does not have to be. Unfortunately, many log home owners are unaware of the log rot in their structure until the damage is already done.

rotten logs are not aways obvious

At first glance, these look like solid logs.

The reality is that by the time you can see the decay in the wood – it is many times too late to do anything but replace a given log. For this reason, it is important to spend a little time getting to know your log home or cabin.

By this I mean looking for places on the home that could potentially be getting wet. It is really very simple. If an area (for example: log end, sill log, or perlin end) is getting significantly wet during a rainstorm… it is on its way to rotting.

rot is not always obvious

Upon closer inspection, there is rot. Click on photo to see how deep the knife sinks.

I want people to understand that rot is like a tide moving in slowly not an earthquake. Rot happens over a period of at least a few years and most times a decade or more.

So… grab an umbrella next time the clouds well up and take a walk around your log home looking for areas of concern. Make note of them so you know which ones to pay attention to when you do your routine checks. Click here for more information on how to tell if a log is rotten.

Related links:

Lower logs getting wet near a deck?
Maybe I need gutters?
Log extending out to long?

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Log home problems in “middle-aged” log homes

The following is an article written by Matt Edmunds. It first appeared in the magazine “Log Home Living” in their June 2012 issue.

Seal of excellence

We have restored log homes in the upper Midwest for over thirty years.  Our business started out of necessity back in 1978 when my father (former owner of Edmunds & Company) was looking to restore our family cabin in Northwestern Wisconsin.  Upon not finding anyone to do the work locally – he did the work himself.

After a decade or so of working on older places built between the 1880’s and 1950’s we started to see more “newer” homes that needed restoration. In the last 20 years, our work on log homes has shifted from almost exclusively working on homes built before 1950 to almost 60% of the homes we work on being built after 1950.

log home in WisconsinWhile the antique log home has its charm and many hold family memories and histories, this generation of log homes is not the focus of this article. Homes built since 1975 have their unique problems and I will go over some of these problems in detail to give the reader a road map for keeping them sound and livable for the next 40 years.  Many of these homes are used as year-round residences. This means that we want to be especially mindful about the necessity of maintaining them so that their owners may enjoy these beautiful structures for generations to come.

log ends are too long

This is a design flaw. The crowns stick out beyond the drip line, susceptible to rot.

Let me say that our fast-paced world has certainly affected the way log homes get built.  The statement that they “don’t build them like they used to” certainly holds true for many of these homes. Many were built with quickness in mind and constructed with cheap materials. If I could give one piece of advice going forward it is “do it right the first time”… it’s much easier than going back and fixing it later.  Investments in gutters and proper flashing, for example, can save thousands of dollars in repairs down the road.

Click here to view a PDF of  15 of the most common problems we see with middle-aged log homes and what can be done to remedy these issues.

If  you prefer to scroll down, here is the rest of the article.   Read more…

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Borate treatment on log buildings is important

Borate treatment being applied

Applying PeneTreat boron-based treatment

Question:  I am refinishing my log home this spring. I have stripped the logs down to bare wood again and I have heard about using borates on the bare wood before staining. Is this is a necessary part of the refinishing process?

Carpenter ants infesting log home

This is what you want to avoid, carpenter ants feeding on your decaying logs.

Answer:  Yes……. borates are a good assurance against rot. They have been around for years and should always be part of the process of finishing when the logs are raw. Borates work by penetrating into the surface of the wood and treating the log against insects but more importantly – against decay.  Borates actually raises the pH level of the moisture latent in the wood to the point that the rot organism and consequently, insects are both impeded.  By doing this treatment, the logs are better protected against future rot and decay.

Related links:

About the process we use: http://restorelogs.com/borate-treatment.htm

Why do logs rot?  http://www.restorelogs.com/blog/log-home-dry-rot-is-a-bit-of-a-misnomer

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Log home restoration projects come in all different shapes and sizes…

…and at one time or another most log homes need some sort of restoration.

In the course of our log restoration work in Minnesota and Wisconsin, we see many different types of log homes. I find it interesting to think about all the different types of homes and cabins that we call “log”:

From handcrafted and scribed massive white pine structures to those with 6″ log siding

log home repair

Large timbers

log home with log siding

Log home with log siding



 


 

 

From vertical log cabins at rural lake resorts to historic hand-hewn structures in the barren plains on Minnesota

vertical log home

Log home using vertical logs

Hand-hewn log home

Hand-hewn log home

 

 


 

 

 

From tiny log outhouses to 5000 sq. ft. log lodges

log home with large overhang

Notice the large overhang - a good thing

 


 

 

 

 

 

Log homes and the need for log home restoration can happen in all of these types of log homes. Click here for more photos of rot in log homes and cabins.

Contact us:  Log home restoration and repair is all we do, and all we have done for over 30 years!  Find us on the web at www.restorelogs.com or call us at 877-378-4403.

Let us take the worry out of restoring your log home or cabin.

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Log home chinking – then and now

By Blaise Sopiwnik

Chinking is what makes a primitive log structure into a place anyone would call home.  Early in human history, dwellings of all shapes and sizes had some sort of material stuffed in between logs, rocks, or framing.  The process of chinking (sealing) in warmth and sealing out cold, mice, bats and other vermin can be done in many ways.

mortar chinking

An example of using mortar chinking

Early log homes in America could have had anything from horsehair to moss from the forest floor. It usually consisted of any material that was inexpensive and easily attained, most often a dry fiber that had some insulation value.

chinking logs

Making sure that the bottom logs are carefully chinked.

On the chinking project we are working on this week near Duluth, MN the log lodge had oakum jammed in between the logs, which was very common for a turn-of-the-century structure. Oakum is usually long hemp fibers soaked in oil or a pine tar-like substance. When you look at the pictures, you will notice that the logs are already close together and some are scribed to each other leaving very little space for air in between the logs.

chinking log home

We have custom-made tools to do the job right.

When woodworkers took extra time and care in building the log walls, very little material was needed to seal the joint between the logs. I always appreciate their craftsmanship and imagine how patient and detail-oriented the person must have been.

Today, when chinking log buildings using latex-based chink, we use specific tools to speed up the application while making every effort to deliver the craftsmanship that has been shown as an example before us. After years of seeing different styles and methods of applying chink, I appreciate what practice can do to create a quality finished look.

log home that is chinked

A log home where the chinking is stained so that it blends in with the logs.

If you look at these pictures and have any questions on how we approached different aspects of this building, please post on our “Ask an Expert” link to the right.

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Log home repair – Rotting log ends are a real problem.

rotten log end

A crown extending out too far is susceptible to rotting.

Many times in the course of doing our log home repairs around Minnesota and Wisconsin, we run into logs ends (a.k.a. crowns) that are left too long. By this I mean they are so long that they stick out into the elements more than is necessary. Spring is a good time to think about keeping these logs dry and thus keeping them from rotting.

new crowns

Crowns are replaced and kept within the drip line of the roof.

Here is a link to a featured project we recently finished that shows what happens when logs are left too long:

http://www.restorelogs.com/log-home-replacing-crowns-rhinelander-wisconsin.htm

If you have logs that extend outside the drip line of the roof (getting rain on them when the wind is not blowing) they need to be trimmed off to get them within the drip edge.  This simple step – along with proper treatment – can save thousands of dollars in log home repair down the road.

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Log Home Restoration on the Family Summer Lodge by Blaise Sopiwnik

Starting a new log home restoration project can be an exploration of the past. As an interesting aside to all the hard work, dust and noise associated with the first week of a log project, I am looking for clues. Many times there are clues and evidence on the logs about what has been unfolding for years. How did this log building come to be in the condition where it needs restoration work? Most often I am drawn to the conclusion that diligent maintenance could have solved all the problems we uncover.

rotten base logs

Notice all the debris that has held moisture up against the logs causing them to rot.

While starting our first project of the year this past week, we had to make decisive assessments in order to extract the first rotten logs. While the first hints of spring rain clouds rolled in over the top of the old growth white pines, we needed to make sure the logs that were being extracted were kept out of the mud and rocks. Years of leaves and landscaping debris had filled in and completely engulfed the bottom logs on three sides of this building. Annual cleaning and raking could have prevented this from being an issue, but other factors were involved in this situation as well.  Read more…

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Log Homes Using Turned or Manufactured Logs

Every season starts with expectations of what style of log home will come first. The first home this year that needed our restoration experience happened to be a 1980’s turned log style resort lodge. The charm was evident, as it was located on Rice Lake in Northern Wisconsin. Every place that Edmunds and Company sets out to restore has a story worth telling but let’s focus on the actual construction of this building and why we were hired.

turned logs

Turned logs are uniform in size.

Turned log style (where every log is exactly the same in diameter) is a style of construction that took off in the United States about 30 years ago. Over the years, different companies have manufactured kits and marketed package deals. Typically there is a raw processing plant that can manufacture uniform logs – one after the other – in an assembly style. These logs can be made into several sizes specific to a customer’s specifications. The notching can vary widely depending on preference and budget. For manufacturers – the style has proven to be a good use of non-uniform wood sources and this has reduced the cost of these log homes as well.  Read more…

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Log Home Maintenance in Wisconsin and Minnesota — Mold on logs? What to do…

Question: I have mold on some of my logs where there used to be a stack of wood up against the house. Last year, I removed the stacked wood and tried bleaching the mold off of the logs and then stained them. I noticed this spring that the mold returned.

I want to know what type of product you recommend that I use to eliminate the mold. I was thinking about Oxi-Clean and Bora-Care but I wasn’t sure if there is a better solution. Please advise

Answer: Mold is the beginnings of decay or rot. When blackening or discoloration forms in this way, it is important to take action right away.

mold growing on logs

This is an extreme example of what can happen when logs have been exposed too long to moisture.

There are certainly a number of specific causes for mold growing on wood.  The one thing they all have in common is MOISTURE! If the log has mold — it is too wet or was too wet. What to do?

Sanding down the area in question is the first step.  When sanding, pay attention to whether or not the wood seems wet or dry. If it is wet and soft, you probably have a problem with rot. Click here for how to replace rotten logs.

After sanding, apply Bora-Care (a highly concentrated form of borates) at least three times in the space of a day or so.  Make sure the area dries out completely, keeping rain off it for at least a week.  Read more…

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Classic Log Buildings – WPA and CCC buildings of the 1930′s

Here in Minnesota and Wisconsin, the discussion of restoration and repair of log structures would not be complete without talking about the log homes and buildings built during the era of the great depression. The WPA (Works Progress Administration) and the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) had many far-reaching effects on our landscape that we can still see today.

Bemidji State Park log building

An example of this style of construction -- a picnic shelter at the Bemidji State Park, MN

Roosevelt’s New Deal is responsible for producing some of the most interesting and well-crafted log structures in this country. Many state parks in Minnesota and Wisconsin had their beginnings because of the public investments of the 1930′s.

When these parks were created, the states hired the unemployed to build mostly log structures with the idea of making buildings that could stand the test of time. The St. Croix State Park  in Hinckley, MN was one of the first state parks and the buildings there were later used as models to build parks in other states.

ely boy scouts log building

Good example of log work with stone foundation.

These log buildings were meant to last, unlike many of the settlers’ cabins or logging camp structures of earlier times. The state hired lead builders (many coming from Scandinavia and Germany), who had skilled crews of laborers to build the log buildings in the new parks. Most were built in what we today call a “round log scribe A/V” style of log construction. Many also incorporated stone quarried locally into the structures, creating some quite impressive stonework that is still around today.  Read more…

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