Posts Tagged ‘log home maintenance’

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. (more…)

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Insects and Log Homes/Cabins, Questions and Answers |
Post a Comment»

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.

    • (more…)

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Common Problems, Log Home Maintenance |
Post a Comment»

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.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Blasting Log Homes, General, Log Home Maintenance, Refinishing Log Homes |
Post a Comment»

Happy Thanksgiving!

This time of year brings back many fond memories of time spent with family and friends. Up here in the north woods, it is the start of our “winter wonderland” with the trees being frosted with pure white snow. This is the middle of dear hunting week and I personally have been spending lots of time sitting in the woods waiting for a deer to come into view. In the morning, it is going out in the dark and watching the gradual change from dark to dawn. Other than this time of year, I miss out on being a part of this magical transformation. Then in the afternoons, it’s a walk into the woods to sit and patiently wait again, this time watching the sun gently set into the cold quiet that is a winter’s night. This time of year makes me very nostalgic.

Thursday is Thanksgiving Day and those of us at Edmunds & Company are celebrating the holiday with our various family and friends. It has been another excellent season for us, which we are thankful for, and we are now enjoying some well-earned time off. Working throughout the warm months on log homes is a special calling. Many of the log homes we work on have lots of memories attached to them. Some have been “in the family” for generations. Others have been recently purchased by new families who are looking forward to creating memories together under the roof top of  a uniquely wonderful log home. I don’t know about you, but I have maintained an image of the perfect holiday scene and it includes a bunch of people gathered around a crackling fireplace that is at the center of a home built out of logs. This, to me, says Happy Holidays!

Here is to a holiday season, in whatever type of cozy home you live in, that is filled with good food, friends, and family.

Susan Hall
Office Manager
Edmunds & Company

Tags: , , ,
Posted in General |
Post a Comment»

Log Homes with Cantilevered Decks

Cantilevered log decks are a potential area for problems with rotten logs. We run into this type of deck a number of times each year. A cantilever deck is a deck that is supported by a log that sticks through a wall (on the outside) and supports a deck. These decks are usually located on the second floor of a log home and most times are small in size.

The problem is that most of the time, they are constructed with pine logs that are designed or allowed to stick right out beyond the roof line where they are exposed to the weather. They take on so much moisture that they become susceptible to rot.   When these logs begin to rot, it often happens very fast.

This one was built right. Notice the drip edging around the perimeter. These logs underneath see very little water. Built to last.

In our assessment, there are basically three options for the home owner:

1) The deck can be removed. This is an option but leaves you with the problem of what to do with a “door to nowhere”

2) The length of the extending logs can be shortened enough to get them inside the drip line. This means cutting them back typically between 12″ and 24″, which eliminates the rotted portion of log. Usually with this option, the railings can be modified and used again.

3) Convert the deck into a roof. To do this, we take off the railings and decking, make a new platform and create a flat roof.

Here are some related links that may be of interest:

Replacing rotten logs
Replacing perlins
Borate as a preservative

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Log Home Restoration |
Post a Comment»

Log railings and posts – revisited

Earlier this summer, we posted something about the down side of using logs for posts and railings on decks. Click here to read more. In that posting, we talked about the reasons why log posts and railings are so vulnerable to rot. We also gave some suggestions about what you can do to prevent or slow down the decaying process.

This wasn't part of the plan when this deck was first built.

We were on a job where the rot in the railings had become a problem because of what it was going to cost to replace them. Even more important than cost, the rotten railings were a real safety problem, as this photo demonstrates. No one imagines that the beauty of the deck on their log home can become a hazard to children playing on the deck, as well as to anyone who may lean up against the railings. Not a pleasant thought, to say the least.

The end of the road for these railings. Next stop - the fire pit.

The fact is, many log railing systems end up in a pile like this photo shows. Here is a recap of what was on the earlier posting as a reminder of what you can do to prevent this. There are three things that I recommend log home owners do to extend the life of their log railings.

1. Use caps on the top of the posts. These are available from a number of different outlets on the web. The nicest ones I have seen are made of copper and fit snugly around the top of the post. It is important to glue them on rather than using screws. This helps insure that moisture can’t penetrate into the end grain around the screws.

(more…)

Tags: , ,
Posted in Common Problems, Log Home Maintenance, Log Homes and Rot |
Post a Comment»

Log home repair and WATER – what’s the connection?

In the simplest of terms – logs rot because of WATER! It seems like a simple concept but the solution to keep logs from getting too much moisture in them is anything but simple.

We spend a good deal of our time helping customers remedy problems they are having with rot that is directly caused by the fact that some of their logs have been allowed to stay too wet over time.

So what’s the big deal with too much moisture in the logs? In a word – ROT! The rot organism needs four ingredients to begin degrading wood.

It needs:

  1. Moisture content between 20% and 30% in the wood’s fiber. While this percentage varies from species to species, most wood will start to deteriorate at around 20% moisture.
  2. Temperatures between 60º and 90º. This is why most of the active rotting occurs during our hot, humid summers.
  3. Oxygen – rot needs it to get going. This is why wood that is underwater does not rot. There is not enough ‘free oxygen’ for the process to take place.
  4. A food source. This is what the rot organism eats – in this case the wood in your house.

Rot needs all these things to get established. If we can eliminate one of these ‘ingredients’ we can stop the rot process, which is easier said than done.

It is impossible to change the temperatures away from being 60-90° in the summer. As living organisms ourselves, we need oxygen too, just like rot. Rot eating wood is one of the laws of nature, so the only factor that we can control is the moisture content, i.e. WATER! (more…)

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Log Homes and Rot |
Post a Comment»

Log homes can have problems with wood boring insects

Carpenter ants present

We have been getting lots of calls from people who are concerned about the tiny holes they see in their logs. It’s that time of year when bugs can become a major concern for a log home owner. Boring insects are a common problem that we see in log homes and cabins. The boring insects that we have in the Midwest are commonly the carpenter ant/bee and the powderpost beetle. These insects bore into your home leaving in their path small holes in the logs and a bit of dust. They feed on deteriorating wood so this really makes them a symptom more than a problem in and of themselves.

The most common insect in log homes is the carpenter ant. The carpenter ant infests wood that is rotting, although they do not cause the rot. The holes these carpenter ants bore are about ¼” in diameter or the size of a pencil.

Powderpost beetle holes are smaller than those made by carpenter ants

Powderpost beetles are also common in log homes but they don’t generally do structural damage and are most times not the best indicator of rotting wood. Their holes are the size of a pencil lead. Neither of these insects do structural damage to the logs themselves but carpenter ants may be a warning sign to you that your logs are getting wet or have some rot in them. (more…)

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Insects and Log Homes/Cabins |
Post a Comment»

“Film-forming finishes” are not a good choice for log homes

Repair and restoration of log homes – In our 30 years in the log home restoration and repair business, we have seen many disastrous problems with rot in log homes. Some of the most tragic problems we have seen have been the result of having what I refer to as a “film-forming finish” on the logs.

up-facing cracks can lead to rot

Darkening logs is indicative of failing "film forming finish". This one had up-facing checks that caused some of the rot issues, as well.

When I say tragic I mean we have seen extensive rot in homes that are 10 years old or less. While the rotted logs cannot be blamed solely on these “film-forming finishes”, it is certainly a factor that adds significantly to their decay.

Let me take a minute to explain what I mean by “film-forming finishes” and what we expect from finishes in general and then get into how they can cause problems on log homes and cabins. (more…)

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Log Home Restoration |
2 Comments | Post a Comment»

Log Railings — they sure look good but there is a down side.

Log Home Restoration – Log railings are something we get asked about from time to time. To be honest, in the restoration business, we mostly hear about them when the railings are deteriorating. The main problem with log railings is that in most cases they are out in the weather, which can lead to wood rot. By being out in the weather (by this I mean rain), they are allowed to soak up a lot of moisture. High moisture is the key ingredient in rot and a recipe for disaster for any wood.
See Why Logs Rot

The crux of the problem is that it is incredibly difficult to keep the moisture in log railings at an acceptable level. The tops of posts are the most vulnerable place for rot on a set of log railings. These tops extremely vulnerable to rot because the end grain is facing up, which allows water to collect on top of the posts. On a micro-level, the structure of wood is a series of straws going from the top of the tree to the bottom. When placed in service as a log railing post, these ‘straws’ allow water to make its way down through the end grains at a much higher rate than through the cross grain. The ‘straws’ are standing straight up just sucking up the rain. (more…)

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Log Home Repair |
Post a Comment»

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »