Log Home Journal

Posts Tagged ‘log home’

It is almost certain that wooden house has specific aesthetic especially its rustic look. It brings warmth ambience and natural look surrounding the environment. Wooden house is built in many several types of home i.e. log home and timber frame home. At times, some people want to built their wooden house but wish its appearance were “not too much wood”. Timber frame home gave them a similar feel of rustic elegance but with a more varied, less monochromatic, palette on the inside as well as complete freedom on exterior finish. Different from log home, this looks heavier and less varied than timber frame home.

Timber frame house maintenance is easier than a traditionally constructed home. Log home is required particular maintenance, specifically, the exterior must be cleaned and treated on a frequent basis (usually every 2-3 years to maintain the manufacturer’s warranty) and the homeowner must cope with an unsettling degree of settling (as much as 6 inches a story) as the horizontal logs shrink over time. Otherwise, timber framing existed for millennia as a basic engineering method thus is proven for its longevity.

Today, wooden house with timber-frame construction is a relatively high-end option. It lets homebuilders create something more distinctive than conventional platform framing with 2 x 4s and other dimensional lumber. The difference between today’s timber framing and the way it was done 30 years ago comes down to the use of computer technology. Beautiful rustic elegance, little maintenance, the opportunity to leave a tangible legacy for your children and grandchildren, and sustainability are just a few of the differences between the building systems that account for the growing popularity of timber frame homes. Not only a building, it is a craft as well as a lifestyle.

So you are going to do some manly shopping , let’s think about the usually pit stops. We have B&Q and Homebase for your DIY needs, Curries, PC World and Maplins for electrical goods, and perhaps you grab a double decker ploughmans for lunch to refuel. But when you wander into unknown territory, such as buying firewood for your new chiminea that has made its home on your patio, as well as your newly built open fire in your living room, you may need some guidance about what to look for and where to buy firewood, as firewood for sale can come in a variety of forms.

A chiminea is a simple place to start for experimentation of which firewood you prefer. It does not take much firewood to get it started, the best way to do it is to use two pieces of seasoned firewood and combine this with some balls of newspaper, as well as some dry grass for kindling the fire. Light the newspaper and add more kindling to get things going, then you can add some more seasoned logs to sustain the fire. The best firewood for sale that you should buy for your chiminea is split seasoned logs that have been kiln dried to reduce moisture content. Other things to consider are outlets that will deliver the firewood for you. If you do not have the convenience of a car this firewood for sale would be a much better option for you.

You can use the same firewood for your chiminea and your open fire, however when lighting your open fire you will want the best quality logs as the quality will reflect in the atmosphere that it will create inside your home. The logs should be also be kiln dried and seasoned like your chiminea logs as this will mean there will be less spitting and tar build up. This will keep your chimney cleaner with less need for other services such as chimney sweepers.  Read more...

The debate among log home restoration contractors rages on as to the proper way to remove old finishes from a log surface. Use a chemical and blast it off with water pressure, or use crushed corn cob and blast it off with compressed air. Those are the choices.

The contractor that prefers chemicals and a pressure washer will tell you that cob blasting will pit the wood, create much unwanted dust inside and outside the home and cost twice as much as chemical stripping.

The contractor that prefers cob blasting will tell you the chemical and pressure washing process will make the wood “fuzzy” and the pressure of the water will shoot through the walls and get inside the house causing water damage and mildew problems. Both are legitimate concerns and although both statements are true to some degree, to the homeowner neither chemical nor cob blasting sounds like a viable option.

However, when properly executed, both have their place and are very effective methods for removing different types of finishes.

When improperly used, both can cause extensive damage not only to the logs, but also to metal trim, glass, vinyl as well as causing damage to the inside of your log home from excessive dust and or water. Needless to say, only the most experienced professional should be allowed to use either method on your log home.

Most log homes today still have oil based stains and sealers on them. In this case chemical stripping is the preferred method of removing these coatings.

There are however exceptions. Some of the harder “film forming” stains including linseed oil based stains and latex stains and paints may not respond well to chemical stripping and will have to be removed by cob blasting.  Read more...

Log Home Restoration is a matter of time. Time before that existing finish, caulking, chinking or other woodwork will need attention. Some of the problems that occur that require restoration could be avoided altogether if the potential log home owner knew what to look for before purchasing that dream home. Consider the following before building or buying your log home.

While water is a major issue with log homes, the sun is just as much a concern, if not more so than water. The sun (UV rays) can cause irreversible damage to the logs and any wood for that matter in a relatively short period of time. Wood before it is cut down and milled has moisture in the form of water, sap, oils, etc. in it. Once cut and milled it begins to dry out. As it dries, it will shrink and split causing “checks” or cracks.

This is where the trouble can start. Once the checks have opened up, water can get in and over a period of time mildew and mold will begin to grow and eventually the wood will rot.

Also, wet and rotting wood is food for insects. Rotten logs are the homeowner’s biggest problem and greatest expense. To avoid these problems, a few things should be considered when building or purchasing a log home.

Every log home, without exception should be built high enough off the ground so that water can not “splash back” onto the logs. A minimum of three feet from the logs to the ground should be sufficient. But, even higher is better. Next, roof over hangs (eves) should be no less than 24 inches to help keep rain water off the logs. The ideal log home would be one that had a wrap around porch on all four sides. This would keep the two biggest enemies, sun and water, away from the logs.  Read more...