Posts Tagged ‘chinking log homes/cabins’

Log building with historic significance gets a new lease on life… by Matt Edmunds

log sauna

Oldest Finnish sauna in the U.S.

We worked on an historic Finnish-style log structure back in 2004 located near Cokato, MN. The log “savu”or “smoke” sauna at Temperance Corners is a prime example of the Finnish- style of log construction. Known as the “Savu Sauna”, this is the oldest Finnish sauna in the United States at the ripe old age of 140.  This type of sauna had an open fire that was built right in the sauna building. After heating it up for hours, the fire was put out and then water was poured over the pile of rocks that was in the sauna creating a piping hot steam sauna. Since those days, some things have improved with time when it comes to taking a sauna.

Click here for more on the Cakato Finnish American Historical group.

log sauna

Notice the lack of a foundation.

One thing we have found to be true with these turn-of-the-century log buildings is that in almost every case, they have marginal foundations. It is always important to consider this when assessing the structural integrity of an historic log building. Everything starts with a solid foundation, which keeps logs free of moisture from the ground. The Savu Sauna was a classic example of a building that had everything going for it except one thing – it needed a new foundation. (more…)

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Posted in Historic log buildings, Log Home Repair, Log Home Restoration |
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Log home maintenance you can do yourself – caulking cracks in your logs

Log home maintenance issues sometimes need to be resolved by experts. That is where we come in. But there are also things that the homeowners can do to insure that their logs stay “healthy”.

Up-facing check in log

Classic example of up-facing checks needing caulking.

Logs naturally do develop some cracks or checks. As wood dries, the difference in surface tension and moisture gradients between the inner and the outer parts of the logs cause checks. This is  part of the charm of the log home.

These cracks can face up or down, depending on where they are on a log. Logs with cracks that face upward can be susceptible to rot because they allow the water to travel deep into the logs, where rot starts. The more exterior areas of logs can usually dry out after a rain because of the wind and sun, but the more interior areas can remain wet longer. When this happens, they can reach the right moisture point that allows rot fungi to grow.

Here are the three criteria we generally use when determining if it is necessary to caulk checks on log homes:

  • Face upward
  • Are more than a ¼” in width at the surface of the log
  • Are in a vulnerable place in the wall  (i.e. the bottom courses of a log wall near the ground, an area that gets a significant amount of water splashing up from the ground

If all these criteria are met then the check needs to be filled.

Proper log home maintenance is your best insurance against needing more costly repairs down the road.

Related links:

Log home maintenance
Chinking and caulking
Log rot

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Posted in Log Home Maintenance, Log Homes and Rot |
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Chinking log homes – An important part of maintenance

The chinking and caulking in log homes should not be overlooked. Routine maintenance of your log home includes keeping an eye on sealing up the gaps between the logs.  The design of some log buildings requires chinking or caulking but for others, it becomes necessary to do this for various reasons.

chinkingBasically what we are doing when we chink or caulk is filling the gaps between the logs or between logs and windows, doors, foundations, roof lines and other areas where we want to prevent air and water from making its way into the log building or cabin.

While prevention of rot is always our primary concern, energy savings can be another big reason why people chink their log buildings. We have had customers tell us they were able to take advantage of tax credits related to energy savings based on chinking their homes.

Chinking and caulking both rely on latex polymers for adhesion.  The basic difference between caulk and chink is that chinking has fine sand particles added to it. This sand makes the appearance of the chinking dull or “flat” and in the same way that aggregate adds strength to a concrete slab – the sand adds strength to the chinking material. (more…)

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Posted in Log Home Maintenance, Log Home Repair, Log Home Restoration |
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Log home repairs – Cedar logs are the right choice

Log home repairs often includes replacing rotten logs. Many of the homes we work on have defects in their original design such as short overhangs, decks up against the home, or not much “freeboard” or exposed foundation.  Rot resistant cedar logs offer the best value as replacement logs, especially when the design of the home is not protecting the logs from exposure to excessive moisture.

cedar branchIn places on a log home where logs have rotted before, it is important to make sure it does not happen again. This is why we use dried Western Cedar logs and also why we can offer a warranty on our work.

When doing log home repairs the cost of the logs represents a relatively small portion of the cost of the job so it really does not even add that much to the job to replace the logs with Cedar.  Your log home is a major investment so it is important not to cut corners because you may just end up back where you started from if the replacement logs rot again. Cedar has a natural rot resistance and is the best choice.

Related links:

Our cedar logs
Why logs rot
What our customers say about us
Contact us about your log rot issue

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Logs homes made with “cabin logs”

Notice the flat surface on the up-side of the log.

Some of the worst log rot we have seen over the years is on homes made from “cabin logs”. These are round logs that are flattened on the top and bottom to allow them to be stacked easily on top of one another. While this is one of the fastest and least costly ways to build a log home, it can also be a recipe for decay down the road.

After repairing rotten logs in a home with cabin logs we often recommend chinking the home to prevent rot in the future.

What happens is that when it rains, the water running down the wall is allowed to sit on these “shelves” that are created by a smaller diameter log sitting on top of a larger one. Over time rot can occur in the log and eventually this log will need to be replaced. After repairing rotten logs in a home with cabin logs we often recommend chinking the home to prevent rot in the future.

Click here to see an example of a project where we repaired rotten “cabin logs” and chinked the entire home.

Other relevant links:

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Posted in Common Problems, Log Home Repair, Log Home Restoration |
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Leaking around windows – what’s the solution?

We regularly get inquiries about problems people have with their log home or cabin. We’ll post some of those questions on our blog in order to reach more people with solutions to problems.

Window where it has been leaking

Often these leaks cause discoloration of the wood on the interior.

Question: I have a problem with leaking around one of my windows. I have caulked all around it to prevent leading but nothing I have done has solved the problem. What am I missing?

Answer: Sometimes chinking or caulking just around the window is not enough to keep moisture out.  The leak could be coming from above the window and getting behind the trim or into the space between the outer caulking and the inside of the logs.

One solution we have found is to take off the exterior trim and in these cases, we caulk directly against the window jambs. If the leaking seems to be coming in at the top of the window, it is likely that the leak is originating in the logs above the unit.

With extreme situations, all the trim needs to be removed and the entire wall chinked or caulked in combination with flashing above the header trim of the window. Click here for more information about chinking and caulking.

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Posted in Common Problems, Log Home Repair, Questions and Answers |
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Stories from on the road

"Quality is an understatement with the Edmunds group and their high-quality restoration work. We had a plaque made stating 'This home restored with superior craftsmanship by Barb, Blaise, Daniel, Jared, Jed, Jesse and Matt'. (Notice it on the wall behind them.) We would also like to add that those named above are the most wonderful people personally. Our very highest compliments to Edmunds & Company." Ken and Kay Uecker, Janesville, WI

Log Home Restoration – Stories from our work on the road

Jesse Sopiwnik, one of our site supervisors, wrote this account about an incident that happened last year when he and his crew were on a job in Janesville, Wisconsin.

In our business, there can be basis for some unlikely situations. We rarely have problems with our customers, at least problems that we cannot solve. Because many of our projects are on log structures that are second homes, the customer is not there to witness our work.

On the other hand, sometimes we work on primary residences. The customers are there having to tolerate the roar of chainsaws, tools and equipment scattered everywhere, and the dust and devastation of removing rotten logs. It often gets uglier before it gets better. This is sometimes hard to explain to customers who have never seen this kind of work being done before. (more…)

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