Posts Tagged ‘log home maintenance’

Log home maintenance: Porcupines are chewing on my log home…

damage from porcupineLog home maintenance problems can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes but here is one that we hear about at least once every summer – porcupines chewing on the logs. In fact, three times over the last two months we have fielded calls from log home owners that have had this issue. This photo is a good example of the damage they can cause.

We asked Scott Cravin (Extension Wildlife Specialist and Professor of Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison) for an explanation. Here is what he said:

“Porcupines chew on all kinds of things…either to sharpen their teeth or because of some attraction in the glue, paint, sweat or whatever is on what they decide to chew on.

damage from porcupineSiding is usually attacked because of the bonding glue in plywood. Logs, as such, should not be much of an attraction unless whatever stain or preservative that is on them is attractive.

So….what to do? Corners and edges can be ‘armor-plated’ with angles of sheet metal, dry wall corners, hardware cloth, etc. but that may be unattractive. Repellents based on capsaicin (hot sauce is the active ingredient), thiram (a fungicide), or other mammal repellents could be applied. Even a small mesh bag of moth flakes/balls (napthalene) placed near damage may help. And there’s always the more direct approach of eliminating the offending animal. Good luck.” Scott Cravin

damage from porcupineIf your home is under attack by porcupines, you may want to consider following Scott’s advice, at least in the short run. If a porkie is gnawing off the finish on the logs, it is a good idea to take some measures to prevent it from continuing. At that point you will re-apply a good finish on your logs home.  To do this you will need to sand down the logs and reapply the stain.

RELATED LINKS AND TIPS FOR LOG HOME MAINTENANCE:

Finishing log homes
Blasting log homes
A refinishing job we did in Gordon, WI

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Log home maintenance tips for new homes – Cleaning exterior logs with bleach

Log home maintenance includes all sorts of aspects for insuring that your log home stays “healthy”.  It is important to start out the life of a log home the right way.  In the course of working with new log homeowners on getting their log homes refinished and stained, I have run into some consistent confusion when it comes to the use of chlorine bleach and preserving log homes.

Before finishing new log homes for the first time, some builders and homeowners are using a highly concentrated mix of chlorine bleach and water (more than 8oz. of bleach per gallon). This solution is used to remove discoloration or molds left from the time that the building was under construction or from when the logs sat out in the elements. The problem with this method is that it can leave a residue and impregnate the logs with bleach and moisture, especially if a power washer is used. If this residue is left and it is not rinsed completely away, the results can be a failing finish in less than a year.

blasting log homeMost of finish companies do not want this highly concentrated chlorine bleach mixture applied to the logs prior to the application of their stains. In my opinion, one should first should try dry methods of cleaning the logs such as corn or glass blasting and if that doesn’t take care of the discoloration, then try oxygen bleach. Finally as a last resort – chlorine bleaching may be used.

Note: Applying a neutralizer or oxygen bleach after chlorine bleach before staining can be an effective way to get rid of residue and help ensure that no interactions occur.  With any of the “wet” methods of cleaning logs, a moisture meter needs to be used to make sure that the moisture content is at or below the recommended levels for the finish being applied.

RELATED LINKS AND MORE TIPS ON LOG HOME MAINTENANCE:

Log Home Maintenance

Dry Method Blasting

Oxygen Bleaching

Problems with Powerwashing

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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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Log Home Maintenance – Proper uses for different types of Borates

Log home maintenance often includes the use of borates are a preservative for the logs. There are basically three forms of borates: liquids like PeneTreat, Bora-Care or Tim-bor; pure borate rods like Impel Rods; or mixed borate rods like Cobra Rods.

PeneTreat is a powered borate. The powder is mixed with water and applied to bare wood. It treats the wood in general for rot and also prevents infestations of wood boring insects.  Bora-Care is a highly concentrated borate where the borate is mixed with glycol to promote penetration into the wood.

We use and recommend PeneTreat where we want general protection for the wood.  It comes in the form of a powder and is typically mixed at one pound per gallon.  Bora-Care is a gel, which is also mixed with water, usually 1:1. This mixture is then applied to low, up-facing checks, lower logs that are getting wet all the time, window sills that need extra protection and crown or log ends. These borates offer good protection from rot when used in conjunction with a quality log home stain.

Borate rods or Crystalline Solid Borate Rods are either pure borates in rod form or borates mixed with copper hydroxide.

• Impel Rods are a pure borate rod in a solid form
• Cobra Rods are a mixture of borate and copper hydroxide

We generally do not  recommend the use of these rods for log home maintenance.  We have found that the drilling of holes into the logs to insert the rods promotes decay in itself and for this reason, do not recommend them.

This said, we see them used all the time.  Many times they are inserted too late in the rot process to do any good. In this situation, they do more damage by actually promoting decay rather than acting as a prevention for decay, as advertised.

In conclusion, borates in general are a good thing. Use the liquids such as PeneTreat, Bora-Care and Tim-bor and there are other brands. It’s all really the same stuff packaged in a different way. These are good ways to get borates into your logs to protect them.  Understand that borates are prevention… not repair.  Borates will not “re-solidify” your logs.  Rot is rot.  The wood will need to be replaced if it is rotten.  Maintenance of your log home depends on the wise use of borates.

Related links:

How we repair rotten wood
Contact us


 

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Log home refinishing: How to choose a stain – oil based vs. next generation latex stains

Log home refinishing has changed over the years because of the changes in the products used. We get asked at least a few times a month about the advantages of oil based vs. latex based stains on log homes. This seems to be the “age old debate” in the log home community.  In brief, we recommend the latex based stains when finishing your log home and here is why.

About ten years ago, the EPA made a set of rules that are effectively going to make oil stain a thing of the past. The rules have been phased in. The companies that make log home stain have been putting all their research and development efforts into the “next generation” latex stains. These are stains that contain latex based pigments.

build up of stain

Notice the contrast between the darkened logs and the crowns that had already been blasted to remove the built up finish.

The oil based stains are still around mainly because they continue to sell and many people still swear by them. The reality is that the stain companies will have to change them significantly to comply with current environmental law. Another drawback of the oil-based stains is that some oil stains have a problem with “buildup”. These film-building stains can build up to the point that they can cause problems with rotting logs.

The new latex stains are lasting longer and longer and they lack the buildup problems that oils have. These are two reasons why the scales have tipped for us to the side of the latex based stains. There is still no magic bullet for semi-transparent stains.  The reality is that you need to keep up with a re-coat schedule on your house.  It is our opinion that when it comes to log home refinishing… we recommend using latex stains.

Related links:

More on film building stains
Cob, sand or glass blasting
Replacing rotten logs
Selecting a finish

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Log home repair can be a major undertaking… so keep up with doing the routine maintenance and avoid costly repairs.

Log home repair in even newer log homes is more and more common. It is very important to keep up with the maintenance of your log home so that you do not need to do expensive repairs down the road.

rotten crowns before repairIn this situation, there were large checks (cracks) in the ends of the logs. Water got in and rot followed. Checks on the up-facing side of a log can be particularly problematic. Had the checks been caulked when they first got big enough (wider than ¼”), this customer may have been able to avoid needing log home repair vs. maintenance.

rotten crowns after repairOne thing we do quite a bit of in these situations is replacing the crowns. Click here to learn more about replacing crowns.

Below are more links about ways you can avoid repairs on your log home by staying up to date on the routine maintenance.

Give your log home a checkup
Chinking and caulking
Why do logs rot?

If you are in need of log repairs check out these links:

Finishing log homes
Sand, cob, or glass blasting
Cleaning the exterior logs

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Log Home Maintenance: What to do about logs that continue to seep out sap or pitch

Log home maintenance has some unique aspects to it compared to maintenance on other types of houses. One unique problem that log homes present is when the sap or pitch from the logs seeps out to the point where it is visible and unsightly.

We received the following question from our blog regarding this common problem with log home maintenance.

Question: Pitch or sap is leaking out from my logs.  I want to know if there is anything that can be done to keep this from happening.

Answer: We have seen a number of log-sided and full log homes that have real problems with pitch seeping out of the logs. Most are homes built within the past 20 years and all are made of some species of pine, be it eastern, white or Norway pine.  Most of the time pitch does stop coming out after about five years.  Often in these cases, the logs need to be blasted to remove the pitch and then the logs need to be re-stained.

In extreme cases, pitch can continue to seep out for many years. It is my opinion that this is happening because the stain on the logs is acting as a blocker and once the stain begins to get older, it starts to fail and break down and this “blocking” effect goes away.  When this happens, the sap is allowed to flow again. Here is an article entitled: “Effective Management of Resin Exudation from Eastern White and Red Pine” done by the University of Maine. Just in case you want more information on this and what resin blockers might be able to do, click here for a PDF of this study.

For more information on other log home maintenance issues, check out some links to our website:

Cracks or checks in logs
Epoxy not recommended for filling cracks
Frequently asked questions

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Log homes and wood boring insects

Here is a related question from our previous posting.

Question: I need to get wood-boring beetles and carpenter bees stopped. No serious structural damage yet but the insect problem needs to be addressed. I am the original owner of the home. It was built in 1985 out of southern yellow pine. It was a kit supplied by Real Log Homes out of North Carolina. It was last cob-blasted, borated and sealed in 2004. Borate applied at that time did not stop insects. Need help to get insect damage stopped and house resealed.

Notice the honey combing that the ants do as they "excavate the rot". Until you get rid of the rot, you can't control the population of boring insects.

Answer: What we know about carpenter bees and powder post beetles is that they feed on decaying wood. Therefore, they often are a sign that the logs are retaining moisture and that there is some rot. Borate treatment is not a guarantee against these insects. It isn’t a pesticide but more of a treatment for the logs to raise the PH level of the wood to the point where the rot organism is impeded, and subsequently the bugs are less able to attack it. Click here for more information about insects in log homes.

Sometimes it works to squirt some concentrated borate solution (Bora-Care) into the holes themselves. Other times, it is necessary to get an exterminator in to knock back the population of the pests so you can get ahead of them. Click here for more information about borate treatments.

In this example, the rot was in the middle of the log and you can clearly see where they were attacking.

My first concern is that you may have some rot issues. I would be curious to know what type of finish you have on at this time. Some finishes build up a “shell” over time that does not allow the logs to breath. Moisture gets trapped between the logs and the finish and rot can take hold.

Another situation we have seen with pine logs is that sometimes they were cut when they were standing dead trees. These tend to rot from the middle out and the rot is not readily evident from the outside of the log until it has advanced. Click  here for a link to our site that talks about lodge pole pine cabins. I am not sure if this is the same type of log you have but this information may be helpful.

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Log Home Maintenance – Give your log home a check up

check up drawingLog home maintenance is the cheapest insurance for the one place that brings your family together like nothing else. Maintaining your log home properly keeps your log home in the family for future generations. Don’t let dry rot, failing or graying finishes, or unprotected logs destroy your log home treasure…  We strongly recommend that log home owners give their homes a “check up” at least once a year. Spring is a GREAT time to do it!  (Click here to enlarge image.)

Here is a basic list of things to look for:

  • Keep trees trimmed and away from the logs.
  • Any leak you notice inside your house when it rains should be repaired.
  • Water splashing off decks will rot your logs, especially the bottom logs.
  • improper deck flashingImproper flashing between decks and walls allows debris to collect, which holds moisture up against the logs and eventually can cause rot. Click here for a PDF on the proper way to flash a deck to a wall.
  • leaves up against logsKeep plants at least two feet away from the logs and be sure to remove debris.
  • Watch for water splashing off objects stored near your house such as fuel tanks, wood piles, etc.
  • Eave troughs are necessary to keep logs dry – especially around roof valleys.
  • Windows and dormers should have flashing around them to prevent leaks.
  • rotten crownsNo log should project beyond the edge of the roof. Any crown (corner) or purlin that extends beyond the drip line of the roof should be trimmed and refinished to help prevent rot.
  • Re-stain  your house when water will not bead up when sprayed on a log surface. How often you need to finish varies. Click here for more information on refinishing.
  • Caulk around vents and pipes passing through logs.

Preserve & Maintain Log Structures
Prepared by the Technical Committee of the Log Homes Council, Building Systems Councils, and the NAHB, this 14-page document is a must if you are contemplating designing, building, and living in a log structure. It compiles features and methods that will ensure the permanent quality of the log structure. File download : Preservation of Log Structures.pdf

Some good advice: Keep a record of who did what and when to your house, including: any blue prints; what type of preservative was used; the brand and color of stain, caulk, or chink.

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Log Home Maintenance

The Advantages of Treating with Borates
by Matt Edmunds
Edmunds & Company Log Home Restorations,  LLC

Boron-based treatments are now an established part of log home maintenance. In the past,  the chemical Penta was used as a wood preservative from the 1950′s up until the 1980′s. Penta (pentachlorphenal and creosote) was outlawed in the 1980′s for public use because of its toxicity.  Many log homes here in the Midwest have had this chemical applied to the exterior over the years.  Now, many of these same log homes are turning black and the preservative effect of the chemical is wearing out.  Penta wood treatment tended to preserve the outer 1/2″ of the wood and if it did develop rot, the rot would take hold deeper into the log where the Penta had not penetrated.

Here is an example of a building that had Penta applied to it. Notice all the black discoloration on many of the logs.

Before blasting

Unfortunately, on most log homes, Penta is no longer an effective preservative because it leaves the logs vulnerable to the elements.  Modern exterior stains act in a different way to control rot than Penta did.  While the chemical reactions in the Penta prevented the rot from taking hold, today’s modern stains actually control moisture, which ultimately prevents decay.

Surface preparation is very important in order to control the surface moisture on the logs. On log homes that have been treated with a Penta preservative, it is necessary to remove the old preservative first. This prepares the outer surface of the logs to “accept” a new application of stain, which will better protect the logs from the elements.  In cases like these, we recommend sand, glass or cob blasting to remove the old finish.  This process takes off a layer of the wood and cleans up the logs, making them ready for staining. Click here for more information on blasting.

To learn more about why logs rot, click here.

After the building is protected with borates and stain

After blasting and before staining, we apply a preservative that contains borates – a natural preservative as opposed to Penta. The borate treatment raises the PH level in the logs to the point where they need a few higher percentage points of moisture before rot can get started.  The final step in the process is the application of a high quality exterior stain.  There are many options to choose from but protection, UV inhibitors, and breathability are all important factors to look for when selecting a stain.

Visit us at www.restorelogs.com for more info on our services
or email us and we will contact you : info@restorelogs.com.

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