LOG HOME REPAIR How to & Do's & Dont's 10 years repair work

[keith0]

Anyone with log home repair or maintenance issues, I have done plenty of log replacements, caulking, staining & UV resistant finish application- Swedish cope-D-logs-Tongue & Grove, Slab. And corn stripping sandblast, cobbing we call it! Tornado alley!

 

[Adios Pantalones]

LOL- could have used your advice a few years ago.

I finally went around the downsatirs with backing rod, shoving it into any crevice to seal up drafts. Worked like a charm. I used a paint opened tool- has a curve that helps in weird spots.

Here's the other tip- Great Stuff. Friggin eh. And boron treatment.

 

[Dill]

I have to redo the backer rod in my house. Its probably time for a pressure wash and reseal also.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Dill- is yours chinked? I got someone to do the chinking and a full sealing (Sikkens), plus some rot replacement on a non-log dormer on my house for $5K. The chinking could have had a bit more attention, but overall a good job. A "log home" specific contractor that I had do an estimate said over $20K for the same work. Aye Carrumba! I would have done it all myself, but I hate ladders

 

[Dill]

I don't believe so. Mine was built in 88, its a cedar cabin from Maine, D-logs round outside, sqaure inside. They got the shell up and pretty much stopped. The upstairs was just studded when we bought it 5 years ago. I contacted the orginal builder and he dropped off a bunch of backer rod then I never saw him again. The only contracting that I've had done was Gooch's log homes in Nottingham installed 2 skylights a couple of years ago. That wasn't cheap. No chaulking has been done either. To my wife and I the insulation is amazing since we both grew up in 1700's farmhouses that you could feel the wind blow through.

 

[keith0]

Never much of a fan of SIKKENS, use to use Log oil but requires to many coats, STACKER for sealing with backer rod worked the best for me, Cascade water base 2 coat STAIN then Clear UV seems to been OK. I'm sure there are more out since I was really into it! Went through a lot of chains on my saws cutting rot out! BORATE & IMPELL RODS for BUGS & MOISTURE ( boron) A SCORPE sp? tool for shaveing leadges - checks is a must for every log home owner!!

 

[mikeathens]

I still have to hit three sill logs with impell rods. Man, soooooo freaking expensive. I spent $300 on the one most likely to be affected by moisture/bugs. Only $900 more to go. The house is coated with Wood Guard, dark walnut. 1870's log home. When I bought it, the chinking was about gone...I cut 1/4" plywood to fit in the gaps and covered with a layer of superchink, sand color. When I redid my woodguard last fall, I had to follow up with chink paint to cover up the runs from wood guard. I found that a heavy knapp roller is best for wood guard; brushing it wayyyyyyy too time consuming, and spraying is too messy. First coat went over baord-defense (borate). Interior is unfinished logs.

Yes, I like posting pictures of my house.

Edit: and no comments about the "door of death". It was like that when I bought it (I know, people are stupid, cutting logs like that). A deck outside that door is one of my next projects.

 

[loggie]

Big overhangs is the way to go, mine are from 3 to 5 feet on my handcrafted log home and the logs rarely even get wet,permachink products worked well for me.

 

[raybonz]

I still have to hit three sill logs with impell rods. Man, soooooo freaking expensive. I spent $300 on the one most likely to be affected by moisture/bugs. Only $900 more to go. The house is coated with Wood Guard, dark walnut. 1870's log home. When I bought it, the chinking was about gone...I cut 1/4" plywood to fit in the gaps and covered with a layer of superchink, sand color. When I redid my woodguard last fall, I had to follow up with chink paint to cover up the runs from wood guard. I found that a heavy knapp roller is best for wood guard; brushing it wayyyyyyy too time consuming, and spraying is too messy. First coat went over baord-defense (borate). Interior is unfinished logs.

Yes, I like posting pictures of my house.

Edit: and no comments about the "door of death". It was like that when I bought it (I know, people are stupid, cutting logs like that). A deck outside that door is one of my next projects.

Great house!

 

[keith0]

Neat that it's 130+ years old! Hate to say but most of the repairs we did were on Real Log Home Kits 20 some to 30 years old. I guess 80%. Most with very little overhang protection EVES, & some sold without caulking, save some $$ & pay a bunch later. Use of the wrong products- one home thought that Check Mate for Butt ends (corners) worked so great on the end gain sealing they put it on their walls it just held the moisture in & accelerated the rot! $20.000. Job ! Started out doing repalcement at $10 -15 per foot then up to $15-$20 per running ft. --Chain saw-Chisel-Sledge hammer -saws-all for spikes/bolts- & power planer.... Anyway good luck! & get that deck up!!

 

[MANIAC]

I have to redo the backer rod in my house. Its probably time for a pressure wash and reseal also.

Ok, likely a dumb question but since we will be living in our log home permenantly in a couple months I have to ask, what's "Backer Rod"?

Eric

 

[mikeathens]

It's just foam "rod" that you put in cracks and gaps to seal and stop air leaks. I've seen it round (different diameters) and a trapezoidal cross-section that you stick between logs prior to chinking with permachink or superchink or any of the other latex-based flexible chinking.

 

[keith0]

Backer rod provides 3 point adhesion, besides sealing, your caulking (I like stacker log builder) sticks to each log & the backer 1-2-3. Also if your putting 2 or more coats on I like to get a coat of finish then caulk & final coat, seems to stick a bit better. A good trick to smoothing caulking is to have a bucket of water & rags , use your fingers - thumbs to smooth out, a coat of finish help with clean-up also. Makes for a nice clean job! I like the big tubes & also had a re-loadable gun that filled from a 5 gal. bucket, small tubes = a lot of cases.. Make sure you get all the checks (cracks) that will catch water. butt joints & corners good where they don't catch water. I don't mind caulking these days, repairs are another story!! Good luck! Keith in Kansas