Log Home Tips
Tips To Extend The Longevity Of Your Log Home
Wood is a robust natural material that despite its durability is subject to ongoing changes from external natural forces. The biggest threats affecting the beauty and endurance of log wood are the potent natural forces of moisture and sunlight. While these two natural elements do not affect the surface of your logs, they do create the right conditions for more destructive forces to be unleashed against your log wood home. Depending on the conditions faced by your log home, it is possible to take certain precautions to prolong the life and beauty of your home. Keep Logs Dry Many people mistakenly believe that using particular species of log wood that have natural decay resistance will help their log home last for decades without the need for any regular maintenance that comes with owning a log home. But it is not necessary that the resistant characteristic of the living tree also be the...
Questions You Should Ask Before A Log Home Restoration
- Who is the manufacturer of the log package?
- What species of log has been used?
- Have additions been made to the original structure?
- What materials have been used in maintenance applications so far?
- Who constructed the structure and how old is it?
- Are there any known problem areas? Any known coating or sealing failures?
- What should the structure look like when you’re done?
- What is your workable budget to restore my log home?
- Is there a priority list for the work?
- What methods are used to remove the existing finish?
- What is the estimated cost of a log home restoration?
- How long does it take to finish restoration work?
What Methods Are Used To Remove The Existing Finish?
- Ozzying (Sanding) uses an osborne brush or buffing pads at changing speeds of right angle grinder.
- Media Blasting is performed with corn cob granule, glass, walnut shells, or food grade baking soda.
- Chemical Strippers -This step of removing an existing finish from your log home requires the greatest amount of time in the restoration project. It is very important to get this right and strip off any existing finish completely so that you have a clean canvas to work on.
As a log home owner, do due diligence before selecting one of these methods. You will need to work out which method would suit your budget and needs best. When hiring a pro, do check out the contractors past work to get a clear picture of what the end result may look like.
Designing Ceilings For Log Homes
Log cabin interiors should exude a sense of luxury and a state-of-the-art finish ceiling can help it do just that. A unique and original ceiling design can give your living room or the dining area, the kitchen or the bedroom an individual character to impress one and all. The ceiling is unfortunately a sad afterthought in most log homes because most people think it does not require much attention. But ceilings massively influence the look and feel of a room. Wood ceilings may seem like a foregone conclusion in a log home but even drywall or plaster ceilings can dramatize the space in your home. Your ceilings have a big impact on your log home interiors, so do focus on the types of ceilings you can opt for. Your log home can really stand out with beautiful cathedral ceilings, exposed...
How To Manage Settling Problems In Log Homes
Settling from wood shrinkage is a natural characteristic that you should be prepared for in a log building. In fact, anticipating it and building for it during construction can help homeowners or builders tackle it well. Most wood shrinkage and settlement around doors, windows and vertical posts cause energy efficiency problems and take up time and expense in maintenance. There is cause for concern about construction quality rather than structural integrity with settling. What is Log Home Settling? The dynamics of a log home should allow for shrinkage of logs over time and it is not even unique to log homes, as this is common even among stick-built homes. The cylindrical shaped wood fibers often shrink in the radial direction as they dry out causing the logs to contract in radius,...