Now that the ground has thawed and the rain is falling, it is time to prepare your log cabin for spring! Although this is the last thing most people want to do on the sprinkled in warm sunny days, it is absolutely necessary. A few years without proper seasonal maintenance and your log cabin may begin to fall apart. Trust us, taking care of problems early is much less painful than letting them fester. Here are some considerations in preparing your cabin for the hot summer days.
Visual Inspection of your Home’s Exterior
Check your logs for signs or rot (mold, dark spots, hollow sound when taped), pests, rodents, missing or cracked chinking and any flaking of the topcoat. Look at the roofing for missing/bent shingles, gutters for blockages and check water flow. Be sure to closely examine the flashing around your doors and windows as well. By keeping an eye on your log cabin exterior at least once a year you are being proactive.
Test the Finish
This step goes along with your initial visual inspection. This is a good time to easily test the finish of your log cabin exterior. All you have to do is get the logs wet in numerous different places. Is the water beading and running off? If so, your stain is still going strong. However, you will need to apply protection this spring if the water pools or sinks inside the wood.
Wash the Exterior
Sometimes is good to hold off on this step until all or most of the trees around your log home have bloomed. This is a step you probably don’t want to immediately repeat due to tree pollen.
Once the pollen and dirt have fully accumulated, it’s time to wash. Most times you will not need a pressure washer, they can cause more harm than good. Simply apply an approved cleaning solution and wash with your hose. It is important not to use anything with a high pH, like bleach. This will damage the wood and keep it from holding a stain.
Trim Vegetation
Trees, shrubs and other plants placed too close to your log home can become a nightmare for your home. Make sure bushes and flowers are planted well away from your home’s exterior walls, we recommend at least 18”, and that trees and shrubs are trimmed on a regular basis. This will ensure that moisture levels remain low and don’t splash up against the home.
Any limbs hanging over your log cabin should be trimmed back. Springtime usually means thunderstorms and strong gusts of wind, so if a limb would come crashing down this is the time it would likely be. Since cutting branches can be a dangerous task, make sure you are adequately trained/prepared or hire a professional.
Inspect the HVAC
If your cabin has an HVAC system, both Spring and Fall are appropriate times for an inspection. A professional inspection of the systems, duct cleaning and regular filter changes will keep your system operating at its optimal level. Many times little cracks or holes in the venting will steal your cold or warm air before it even reaches you.
Make this the year you begin doing routine maintenance on your log cabin. With spring on the horizon, now is the time to start. If you prefer to have this done for you, the team at 888 Log Guys offer several Log Home Maintenance options, so give us a call.
