It might seem premature when you first hear us talking about preparing your log home for the cooler seasons. However, late Summer and early Fall are great times to go over the winter preparation checklist. It’s important to stay ahead of maintenance, because much log home maintenance and repairs would often be more difficult to take care of when the temperatures are cold. It’s no secret that log homes require more maintenance than a traditional home, so stay on top of winterizing and this will help keep your home in the best shape possible while enduring the cooler temps. Here is a list of a few things we would recommend doing sooner rather than later.
1. Inspect Chimney and Fireplace. Ideally this should be done yearly, before each winter season. You never know what could have gotten in there during the Summer. Plus, there could be debris leftover from last Winter. Another big reason to inspect and clean chimneys is to be on the safe side as far as fire prevention, especially being a log home owner. Cleaning and regular maintenance on your fireplace, will also help with the efficiency of heating home in those cooler temperatures.
2. Clean Rain Gutters and Downspouts. We’ve mentioned plenty of times that water is one of the worst enemies of a log home. It is essential to do all you can to keep water away from your home. During the winter months, especially if where you live comes with a lot of snow and ice, your gutters are going to see an increase in the flow of water. It’s important to make sure rain gutters are working efficiently and keeping water away from your home. You don’t want to find out come Spring time that you now have a log rot problem to deal with. This is a task that you will probably want to complete during the Fall, once most of the trees have lost all their leaves. Leaves fill up rain gutters and block them from collecting the water.
3. Check for Cracks and Inspect Roof. You definitely do not want it to be below freezing when you realize your roof is leaking and now you have to climb on top of the roof in order to fix it. Inspect your roof before the cold temps begin for any possible spots that could leak. Inspect everywhere else in the home for cracks, exposing the home to outdoor elements. This is important for pests as well, as they like to find hiding spots during the Winter. Seal any cracks that you find or reach out to a professional.
4. Trim Trees. It may not always be necessary to trim trees before Winter, but it would be especially smart to trim any that may have the possibility of losing limbs near your home if there was severe weather, like ice.
Overall, make sure to give your home a thorough walk through. Make a list of anything you find and if you start early enough, you could take your time completing the tasks. As always, we’d recommend contacting a professional if it is not something you prefer to tackle alone. The team at 888 Log Guys can add your home to our annual maintenance list, give us a call!
