GENERAL LOG HOME MAINTENANCE CHECK LIST

1. Don’t stack firewood against or near home. Keep firewood 24”- 36” away from log walls to prevent bugs in the firewood from infesting the log walls.
2. Check for dirt and organic debris piled up against exterior log surfaces. Remove dirt 24” away from logs and dispose of debris.
3. Make sure plants & shrubs are not hugging the log wall. If plants are too close, transplant at least 2 feet from the log wall. Trim plant branches a minimum of 18” away from log walls to allow good air movement between the walls and the plants.
4. Check exterior water control systems such as downspouts, gutters, sprinklers, etc. They are often a source of damaging moisture problems for the log walls. Make necessary repairs.
5. Look for termite tubes under the house and/or up the foundation to the logs and look for small holes in logs with sawdust (frays) in the openings caused by boring beetles. Contact a pest control company and/or treat with a borate solution.
6. Look for wasp nests, under eaves, log ends, and nooks & crannies in the log corners.  Look for carpenter bee entry holes around trim and under eaves. Kill wasps with an insecticidal spray and remove nests. Treat bees locally with a powdered insecticide.

SURFACE MAINTENANCE AND SEALING

• First examine the south and west walls for wear since those sides are the most vulnerable to weather.
• Sprinkle water on the stained surfaces. If water absorbs into the stain, it indicates an absence of water-resistance. Pressure wash clean the affected side(s) of the house and apply new stain.
• Check the overall integrity of the stain with a simple adhesion test. Use strips of masking tape and press firmly over various areas on the log structure. Once pressed in place, quickly pull the tape off the log surface and check to see if any stain has been removed. If none removes then a simple cleaning (if dirty) is all that is usually required. If localized in areas, sanding, scraping, or pressure-wash will be sufficient. If there is evidence of widespread adhesion failure, then the stain needs to be completely removed
• If areas of stain are peeling, flaking, or blistering; scrape, sand, and/or remove loose stain with a pressure wash.
• Examine log ends with your fingers. Make sure they are not soft and spongy which would indicate wood decay. Probe logs for rot. Areas of rot need to be removed and either be partially replaced with new log sections or, if not too severe, fill the voids with a two component wood epoxy putty. 
• Look for black spotted mold, solid black molds, green slime molds, algae, water-stains etc, discoloring log surfaces and trim anywhere around the house. Determine the source of moisture causing the molds such as gutters, downspouts, sprinklers, leaky faucets, etc. Remove and sanitize mold and lighten water stains with a bleach solution of ½ cup TSP, 1 qt. bleach, 3 qts. water.
• Make sure not to confuse black mold with iron stains from nails. Black Iron stains originate from the nail and will follow a drip line downward from the nail. Clean with an Oxalic acid solution.
• Look for upward facing checks or cracks. Stuff cracks with Backer Rod and seal with a good latex or polyurethane caulk
• An obvious source of air and water infiltration is separation gaps between the logs caused by shrinking or uneven settling. Seal the separated log seams with a quality Acrylic or Polyurethane caulk. (Stuff the seams first with Backer Rod before sealing.)
• Dark water stains on inside of the home indicates water entry. Identify and remove water source and seal gaps to prevent water damage. Sand with orbital sander 60-80 grit.
• Windows are a common source of infiltration. Check the window trim, sashes and sills for signs of wood decay and breakage in the caulking compound, Also look for worn and flaking stain. Repair, clean, caulk and stain if necessary.
• Check roof line for signs of water wicking up under the shingles. Clean gutters if clogged.
• Color variations on the top and bottom curvature of the logs and uniform areas of light gray discoloration indicate wear and erosion of the stain due to time and weather. Pressure wash clean and stain.
• Check support beams inside the log home that pass through the log wall to the outside. That outside wall/beam juncture is particularly vulnerable to water and air infiltration. Look for water stains around the inside beam area and if stains are present caulk the beam from the OUTSIDE and NOT the inside. The idea is to eliminate the water source, which originates from the outside of the house. If caulked on the inside, water can still enter from the outside and accumulate and stagnate within without immediate signs of water entry. Such conditions could then lead to rot, decay and insect infestation.

• Check corners inside the log home and fireplaces.  Examine the periphery of the fireplace where the logs and fireplace meet.. Masonry and brick is stationary while logs will move. Until the logs have completed their shrinkage and settling, the possibility of cracks occurring between the logs and the mortar juncture at the fireplace is common. Probe the juncture of logs and mortar with a screw driver to identify loose mortar, or spongy, rotted wood. Check the inside corners for draft and water stains.

LOG HOME MAINTENANCE

There are very few residential homes built today that use wood siding as the protective siding of choice. Vinyl siding has practically eliminated wood siding as well as most other types of siding. A North American wood sided home built in the 21st Century is a rarity indeed. Because of the decline of wood siding as a building material in North America, the log home is an exclusive type of housing that truly separates itself from the mainstream. A log home also presents itself as one of the most natural, environmentally friendly type of housing in America.

Wood is the most versatile building material on the planet. Because it is derived from trees, it is also a renewable resource. As a plant material, wood is vulnerable to nature's elements of sun, moisture, temperature extremes, insects and microorganisms. When these elements are present under the right conditions and combinations and over an adequate length of time, wood deterioration can occur.  Unlike the siding on a house, a log home's structural integrity is dependent on sound maintenance practices because the logs themselves are what make up the structural soundness of the building.

The key to log home maintenance is in the understanding of the causes of wood degradation. Of all the factors that contribute to wood destruction (i.e., sunlight, temperature, moisture, and insects), moisture is the most significant because without moisture the other elements are rendered inconsequential. Consider the fact that in the absence of moisture, the destructive force of UV radiation on wood is only about 1/4" per century!  But add moisture to the mix and the destructive effect is dramatically increased. Moisture, in combination with sunlight (heat and UV) greatly intensifies and accelerates the damaging and discoloring effects of sunlight on certain components in the wood cells and will rapidly cause cracks to form on the wood surface. Specific levels of moisture also support wood-destroying rot fungus, mildew, sap stain and are a necessary requirement for most insect infestations.

Although moisture is the principal ingredient that supports wood deterioration, it is also the most controllable (outdoor temperature and sunlight are beyond our ability to regulate). That is why the primary goal in a sound maintenance program is finding ways to control moisture. How should this be accomplished?

KEEP THE LOGS DRY!
In order to keep the logs dry they need to be protected against Mother Nature. If a log surface is left unprotected for a prolonged period of time, the bare wood surface will quickly discolor and start to erode and decay, especially if the species of wood is more decay prone or has not been treated with preservative chemicals. To keep the log adequately protected, some type of water and weather resistant coating is needed to provide a barrier that will help shield the harmful outdoor elements from the wood surface.

CHOOSING A WOOD COATING
There are number of factors that play into choosing a particular wood finish for a log home exterior. Most homeowners have no idea where to begin when choosing a wood finish to protect their logs. Generally the homeowner will first turn to the log home company for advice. It is a good place to start. Many companies are very helpful and have experience with different types of log home coatings. Some log home companies, however, are non-committal or choose not to make a particular wood stain recommendation, in which case the choice is left fully to the new homeowner.

Under such circumstances, the homeowner can turn to a variety of log home maintenance supply companies that offer log home stains. These companies are usually an invaluable source of information on a whole host of log home-related maintenance issues. Most of these companies have web sites or can be found in the classified ad sections in log home magazines.

Another approach is to ask log homeowners in your area what type of stain or natural wood finish they use on their logs. It is a more intrusive approach for information, but often you will find that log homeowners are quite accommodating and love to discuss a variety of topics, including stains, that pertain to their log home. First hand experience is invaluable and what a better source than a log homeowner!

Finally, there are a number of paint companies that offer specialized stains for log homes. Generally you will find information about them through their advertisements in log home magazines or on their own web sites. Contact these companies and request actual liquid samples of their products. Most of these companies are equipped to send samples and it is part of the way they offer their product. Samples are a good way to at least get an idea of color and appearance and other characteristics of the coating. In addition to the paint manufacturers, Log Home Maintenance Supply Companies usually offer liquid samples of the stain products they carry.

But the question remains, which is the best stain? Ask a stain manufacturer that question and guess what the answer is? Ask a homeowner and you will get a variety of answers. Everyone will have an opinion. Generally if you choose a reputable stain company who has a history in the log home industry and you supplement your decision with feedback from sources that are familiar with the particular stain, your decision will be a sound one. 

LOCATION & DESIGN
Let's not forget design & location and it's relation to maintenance. There is a direct correlation to the cost and frequency of surface maintenance with the design of the house and how and where it is located. Southern climates, higher elevations, waterfront locations are a few examples of locations that will more quickly break down a protective coating on the log surface. Southern and western sides of a log building will always weather at a faster rate than the eastern and northern sides of the building. That is why design and landscape considerations, such as a porch on the southern side of the house or trees that serve as a natural shelter against the direct exposure of the sun and wind, are such an important factor in determining the overall frequency and cost of maintenance.

PERIODIC INSPECTIONS
Periodic outdoor inspections of your logs should be as automatic as changing the oil in your car. Yearly visual inspections of your log home are the best preventive measure you can use to insure the integrity and well-being of your log home. On newer logs that are in the process of losing their internal moisture and drying out, cracks (called checking) in the logs can occur. These types of cracks, caused by the natural drying process, cannot be prevented to any measurable degree by the protective coating that has been applied to your logs. Cracks in your logs serve as a water trap and it is around these checks that erosion of the wood stain first occurs as well as the potential for rot. Water finds its way into the checks and the moisture then begins to weaken the wood and the coating surrounding the crack. Cracks on the upper curvature of the logs are the most serious since they tend to accumulate and hold water more so than cracks on the bottom half of the logs where gravity serves to drain out any moisture that may have entered. Upward facing cracks should be caulked ASAP in order to prevent log damage and to extend the life of the coating. Southern and western sides of your home will weather more rapidly because those sides of the home receive more direct sunlight and weather. Consequently, a wood finish will fade and wear more quickly and lose its protective qualities faster than on the less weathered northern and eastern sides. Other types of exposure that tend to accelerate the weathering process are lakeside exposures, high mountainous elevations, treeless locations and sub-tropic/tropic environments. You will know it is time to clean and coat your logs when the wood stain starts to look drab, shows signs of fading and erosion and is obviously not providing a water or weather barrier. Also, be on the look out for any areas of your logs that are discolored due to water stains, fungus, etc. Search for signs of excess moisture (i.e., damp wood, black mold, flaking wood stain) and if found, try to eliminate or minimize the water source. Sources of excess moisture can include; leaky gutters or no gutters at all, poor drainage, inadequate overhangs, leaky plumbing, etc. Constant and excess moisture on your logs will cause maintenance problems.

Finally, insects can be a concern. Wood boring insects and termites cause the most damage. However, there are safe, chemical treatments on the market today to counteract and eliminate such insect problems. One of the best preventive measures for avoiding major insect problems is insecticide treatments (when necessary), as well as periodic inspections and keeping the log walls protected with a good quality water-resistant log home stain. NOTE: Timbor, an EPA registered sodium borate compound made by US BORAX is a very effective and safe chemical for use against wood-boring insects and termites.

FINAL THOUGHTS
In our 21st century fast food world of immediate gratification, the log home dwelling represents a natural alternative to the plastic facades of modern day housing. Log Homes are a symbol of our heritage and our intimate connection to the land. There is a reason that whenever a log home is seen from the highway or on some back road that most people slow down and even stop to admire it. It has something to do with roots, both ours and the trees

Michael McArthur
Sales & Marketing Director
The Continental Products Co.