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