This old cabin you love, She is tired and needs some love and care.

Help Heal Your Memories

The family old cabin has been around since you were a child. You played and slept there. Your memories reside there. She is tired and drafty and you want to reverse the effects of time. After all, you want her to be part of your children’s life also. So it is time to restore her to glory. Log home restoration is in store..

Get Her Inspected

There are experts in log cabins who can inspect and give you recommendations on what to fix, what to replace and how to restore her.  You should also consider upgrading the electrical and plumbing systems. You want to keep the same feel of course.

For the DIY folks, it all starts with a slow walk around the cabin. Take a notebook and note everything you see. Take pictures it can also help you remember.

Check for insects. Be it termites, carpenter bees or carpenter ants, they all leave clues.

• Termites you need to check the foundations. If the cabin does not have a foundation it is quite possible you have termites. Have it inspected by a professional, which you should do anyway. But if you have at least 12 inches of foundation, look for pencil-sized tubes of mud going up the foundation.
• Carpenter ants and bees leave piles of sawdust.

Check for Rot.

• • • Older log homes have short overhangs so rot is common on the lower logs and ends. Check the rain gutters to make sure they are clean. Check dolmans for rot at the roofing edges. Also, check door and window frames.

Check the Stain.

• • • The stain is the first line of defense against moisture and carpenter bees and ants. The bees and ants do not like the stain. Check to see if water beads up and runs off the logs. The old stain will need to be removed by pressure washing at medium pressure or blasted off with sand or other abrasives.

Look for Holes.

• Carpenter bees leave ½ inch almost perfectly round holes in exposed wood and end of logs. They tend to excavate long tunnels in the wood. Woodpeckers are another major pest. They are looking for larvas and insects to eat or they are being territorial.

Look for Cracks and Gaps

• • Check all the calking and chinking for separation. The biggest problem for log homes is settling. The logs shrink from the loss of moisture.

Restoring Her Health And Beauty

Staining

• • • Most stains last from 2 to 5 years. Most likely it has signs of wear and aging. You will need to pressure wash or sand or glass blast the old stain off the logs. Pay close attention to the log ends. Looking for discolored or weak areas. Use a professional grade wood stain that will repel the moisture and insects.

Insects

• • • Depending on the type of infestation you will need to get a professional exterminator to help. If it is termites you will need to tent the home and look to repair or replace logs. For Carpenter Ants or Bees. use an insect repellant additive with your stain. Then fill the holes with caulk and steel wool to prevent them from coming back. The repellant does wear off after several years so replenish when you restain.

Wood Rot

• • • If you find wood rot you will need to replace the logs or resurface them. This is usually done by professionals. They need to determine how deep the rot is and if it can be repaired or replaced.

Chinking

• • The filler between the logs from the older days has mud cement and almost anything they could find to fill the space. It needs to be replaced by modern flexible chinking to create air tightness.  

Log Home Restoration Is Doable

Whether you are the handy do it yourself type or one who hires a professional to fix it right, you can make the old home look new. Maintaining the nostalgic feel of your memories. So your children can have the same great memories that you have.

Give us a call to have your cabin restored.