Maintaining your log home

Very little maintenance will need to be done after your log cabin has been completed. All the wood in the kit comes untreated and must be protected before or during the build. As long as it received 3 coats of good quality wood stain when it was first built (we use Sadolin high performance wood stain) you should not need to repaint it for at least five years. Generally only the areas most affected by the weather will need re-touching. When it begins to look faded it’s time for another quick coat!

moisture

When a tree is felled, it has a moisture content of 30-60%. The moisture level begins to drop to equilibrium with the surrounding atmosphere; this can take many years if left to happen naturally, so the logs are kiln dried to speed up the process. As they dry, they shrink slightly. Most of the shrinkage happens before the logs are manufactured but once the log home has been built, the logs may continue to dry out a little bit more to match the humidity in your local climate. As the wood shrinks, this leads to settlement.

Log house under construction

settlement

In log homes, settlement occurs as wood dries as it shrinks, plus the incremental compression of seams and joints between the logs causes the exterior log walls to settle. This is not a problem. Our log homes are designed with this natural occurrence in mind, allowing the logs to settle without affecting the building.

Most settling happens in the first two years after construction, but a log building continues to adapt to the climate throughout its life. Settling affects massive round logs the most, and laminated log walls the least. Settling amounts to 2-3% of the log wall height. Dry indoor spaces settle more quickly than exterior walls. Settling should be taken into account when joining non-settling structure to log walls. e.g. an internal timber frame should connect to log walls with metal sliding brackets.

Log house on a private island

Durability of wood

When protected against moisture from the earth and direct rain, wood is a very durable material. The oldest log structures are hundreds of years old.

Mould formation is possible in circumstances where wood moisture stays steadily at more than 20% and temperature at more than +5°C. If the logs get dirty, the risk of mould grown increases.

Log walls should be treated externally as soon after they have been built as possible, following the instructions in the Artichouse Surface Treatment Guide.

Poor maintenance of a building can cause problems for a log building the same as it can for any other construction method. Ensuring any damage or leaks are repaired promptly, sufficient ventilation is provided internally, as well as under any suspended timber floors, and any roof cavities will minimise problems for all buildings, including log buildings.