A log home is a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing home style enjoyed by many British Columbians. Log home maintenance shares a lot of similarities with maintenance of traditionally built homes — but there are few differences to keep in mind. Log home construction specialists servicing the British Columbia region, like Nicola LogWorks in Merritt, often highlight some of these tips for log home maintenance.
Like any BC home, gutters redirect water to help prevent it from pooling around the house. However, with a log home, clogged gutters cause the water to run down the surface of the logs, which can wear down waterproofing, cause swelling, affect colour, and cause other damage to the logs. The need to keep your gutters clean is shared between traditional and log homes. Both types of homes need to prevent damage to the home by keeping gutters clear.
Log homes have a stain on them to protect the logs from the elements and add a beautiful, rich colour to the wood. It is imperative that the stain is checked whenever you’re washing the logs. Look for beading water — if you don’t see it then that may be a sign that the logs need another coat. The open ends of the logs should be checked for sealant as well. Cracks should have a liberal amount of caulk applied to fill them if they’re large. If the cracks are smaller, the stain will do just fine.
Before the snow and cold arrives in BC each winter, you should check your caulking. Caulk is a weathertight seal that prevents the chill and moisture from seeping into your living space. During the summer, caulk also works to keep your warm or cool air inside. Remove any cracked or peeling caulk and reapply as necessary to prevent increased heating or cooling bills.
Weather seals, also known as weather stripping, are the material placed to prevent wind, rain, snow, and critters from entering your home. Check your weather seals often and replace them as necessary. You will find faulty weather seals have an impact on the heating efficiency and draftiness of your log home.
An important part of weatherproofing your house is your roof, which is particularly susceptible to leaks. Inspect your roof seasonally, paying the most attention to valleys, chimneys, and other vent pipes. Trying to repair a roof in the wintertime when something goes wrong is a mess that no one should have to deal with. Instead of worrying about leaks and water damage, you should be able to sit back and enjoy your log home.
By following these tips, you should be able to keep your log home well maintained all year long. To learn more log home maintenance tips and tricks from professionals, reach out to a BC log builder like Nicola LogWorks. They know a ton about how wood works in all conditions and how to keep it maintained!
At ABDA.net, we write SEO-friendly content for websites. If you run a long home maintenance or log construction company and would like content like this on your website, contact us today!
November 3rd 2022