| For many people, purchasing a log home or | | | | wood flashing as part of the |
| cabin is thesingle most rewarding investment | | | | constructionphase of your log home. |
| they'll ever make. | | | | |
| | | | Now, let's say you would like tohave |
| Regular care and maintenance are essential | | | | refinishing done on your log home. |
| for protectingthat investment and if it's a | | | | |
| log home that generallymeans finding ways to | | | | You should first determine if this is |
| control moisture. When leftunprotected wood | | | | actually necessary bysprinkling water in |
| surfaces will discolor and thendeteriorate | | | | different parts of your logs. |
| over time. So do yourself and your loghome a | | | | |
| favor by performing some routine maintenance | | | | A log that does not require finish will show |
| everyyear. | | | | beads of wateron its surface. When those |
| | | | water beads are absent, youshould apply a |
| One of the options you may have in log home | | | | protective coating to your log homestructure, |
| refinishingand restoration is to replace any | | | | or hire a professional log home |
| rotten logs immediatelyupon detection. Though | | | | refinishingcompany. If the logs also display |
| theoretically any rotten log canbe removed | | | | signs of flaking andpeeling,then you should |
| and eventually replaced with sound wooden | | | | immediately apply a proper coatof finish to |
| logs,the location of the rotten log will | | | | your log home surfaces. |
| determine how difficultextraction and | | | | |
| replacement will be. Another common | | | | For gaps seen between individual logs, you |
| problemthat is encountered with log homes is | | | | may opt to relyon synthetic chinking or |
| when rotting hitsthat part of the roof where | | | | siliconized latex caulk to fillthem in. Many |
| it meets the upper half of thelog wall. To | | | | log homes have a chimney made of |
| remedy this, the rotten part has to | | | | hardmaterials like rock integrated into the |
| becompletely removed, replaced with sound | | | | walls and roof ofthe log home. Leaks may be |
| wood, and thenflashed right way. This area of | | | | experienced at the base ofthe chimney where |
| your log home structureis vulnerable to roof | | | | the roof line and the flashing meet. |
| leaks, splashing due to snow or rain,and even | | | | |
| piling up of ice, so upon construction of | | | | You could also find that the rock or masonry |
| your loghome you ought to treat the wood so | | | | of yourchimney may not have been sealed |
| that it will beprotected from such | | | | properly, or have cracked,so that moisture is |
| weathering. This means doing verythorough | | | | allowed to enter. |