How To Repair Your Residential Log Cabin

Keep a regular maintenance schedule

The first step in repairing your residential log cabin is actually to keep a regular maintenance schedule. In fact, with regularly scheduled inspections that you can do on your own, you can detect any potential problems that need to be addressed by an experienced contractor.

You want to do this check at least once a year to ensure that no single issue will go on for too long without being detected and fixed. You need to take the necessary time to go over all the house from the roof all the way to the foundation. It might be a good idea to have a checklist so that you do not forget to look for anything of importance.

If there is anything that catches your attention even if you are not sure about whether it is a problem or not, you should make a note of it. Taking pictures or making a short video might also make it easier to show the problem to your contractor ahead of a future maintenance or repair visit.

Simple tasks such as keeping the wood clean and making sure that the coating is still effective at repelling water can be done routinely without any special equipment. Likewise, gutters and pipes should be cleared so that no water is accumulated or sent back towards the house.

How to keep the roof of your residential log cabin leak-free?

The roof is an important element for moisture control in your residential log cabin. If your roof is covered with shingles, each one needs to be inspected to make sure that none is damaged creating an opening in your roof. A properly maintained roof will not develop leaks and will be able to resist heavy rains, snow as well as excessive heat. Keeping the roof free from all sorts of damages protects your entire residential log cabin from the inside out.

Avoid future problems with proper sealing

The logs of your wall must be checked to find out if they are still properly sealed. The corner notches must be carefully inspected as they are a common place where leaks tend to occur. It is important that they are all properly sealed. If any leaks or cracks are detected between or in the logs, they need to be sealed otherwise they will cause the wood to rot by accumulating excess moisture.

It is best to leave the sealing to professionals. However, if you are adamant about doing it yourself, there are a few basic elements that you must consider. Most importantly, you should only use products that are meant to be used for log cabins. Opt for a product that is not a fad and is likely to be available for years to come because once you have made your choice you will need to keep using that same product over time. Indeed, there are different products that are not compatible with each other and require that the previous coat be removed before re-sealing.

Repairing and replacing damaged wood

If you notice that part of your logs is rotting, you need to intervene quickly. First, you need to find what caused the wood to rot. In most cases, the root cause is moisture. Fix that problem to make sure that you will not lose larger sections of your logs to rot. Then you need to remove the part of the wood that has rotted and replace it with a similar piece of wood preferably from the same supplier. Nail the new section of wood into the empty space. This type of repair requires special equipment and precision, it may be best to let a professional handle it and not attempt to do it on your own, unless it is something that you have successfully done before.

Repair damage caused by insects in untreated wood

If you used wood that was not properly treated or maintained to resist insects, your residential log cabin may fall victim to insect damage. In this case, you need to buy insecticide that you can use to plug the holes dug by these insects. In this way, you kill the insects and close the holes in the wood at the same time. This is an easy repair to do on your own. Nevertheless, to make sure that you will not have this problem in the future, you should consider having a professional inspect your home to make sure that all the logs have been properly treated and you should maintain the treatment up to date by following a strict schedule.

Common problems with windows and doors

Over time you may notice various problems in areas around your doors and windows. Leaks tend to occur there which is why you always need to pay special attention to them when inspecting your home. One of the reasons for this is the fact that large gaps tend to form in these areas. An easy way to solve this problem is with expanding foam which will fill in the gap and prevent water accumulation or heat loss in cold weather. With a can of foam and a foam gun, you can get this done with precision and in an economical manner.

A regular maintenance schedule where the exterior and interior of your log cabin is checked for any signs of cracks, leaks or any potential source of damage to the house is an important part of preventing serious damage to your residential log cabin.

Taking preventive action will eliminate the need to perform a complete restoration which can be costly, but necessary on poorly maintained cabins. Additionally, there are routine maintenance tasks that are very simple yet crucial and can be performed by any homeowner without the need to hire a professional. However, when it comes to actually repairing you residential log cabin, it is best that the work be done by a contractor who has a lot of experience and is knowledgeable.