There are many aspects to Log Home Restoration. Stains, sealers, caulking and chinking are all related to the preservation of your log home. Stains and sealers cover the surface of the logs and other wood to form a barrier from the harsh elements of rain, wind and UV damage. Caulking is used to make the home weather tight by filling gaps, checks, butt joints, window and door trim. Chinking is used to fill the large spaces between the logs themselves. All of these products are used in your log home restoration as a means to help preserve the wood from the elements.
Another means of log home preservation is applying a Borate treatment to the wood. This method of preservation not only protects the wood from weather related issues, but also fungal decay and probably more importantly, it is an excellent insecticide. Borate combined with zinc is also used as a flame retardant
Little known to most log home owners, Borate is one of the most effective means of persevering the log home. Borate is a chemical compound that contains Boron, a mixture of inorganic salts and other minerals. Mined from the earth, Borate comes in a crystallized / powder form. While it can be used as a dust for treating cracks and crevices, mixed with water, it is applied to larger areas by spray or brushing.
Borate has the ability to diffuse into the wood to various depths depending on the density of the wood and moisture content. While dry wood will accept more Borate, it will penetrate deeper into wet wood and in general, with soft woods, this can be as much as a half inch. It must be applied to bare wood, meaning any existing stains or sealers must be removed. Two spray applications are recommended with the first being allowed to dry before applying the second. After the solution has had ample drying time, a good quality sealer should be applied to prevent the borate from leaching back out of the wood. Therefore, during the log home restoration process; after the house has been stripped and neutralized to prepare for sealing, but before the actual sealing, the Borate is applied. Although, not necessarily a hard process, an experienced professional should be hired. They will have the knowledge to properly mix the solution and apply it according to industry standards as well as the application equipment to perform the job safely.
Although this process has been used for many years for commercial applications, (most notable with creosote in railroad ties.) Borate is becoming more popular as a safe and long-lasting method of protecting log homes and other wood structures by preventing fungal decay, wood rot and wood destroying Termites, Carpenter Ants, Old House Borers, Subterranean and Powder Post Beatles and other insects detrimental to wood.
While not a necessity, Borate treatments should be considered as an option to combat the constant attack from fungal decay, wood rot and insects preventing costly repairs. Used as another preventative maintenance tool, it provides another layer of protection in the preservation and restoration of your log home.
When choosing a log home restoration company, consider all the many options related to the maintenance of your home. An experienced and knowledgeable contractor can answer your questions, address any concerns and suggest ideas and options that can make your restoration project fun and exciting, not a headache.
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Do most log Cabin Republicans visit the George W Bush memorial Sewage Treatment plant when in San Francisco?I think it is so thoughtful of the people of SF to dedicate their STP to the President.
About Author
Earl D. Johnson is the owner of Taskmasters Wood Maintenance. Living in a log home that my wife and I renovated and built two addition rooms allowed us to deal with every aspect of log home maintenance. Our business is log and cedar home, deck and dock restoration. We enjoy sharing our knowledge to help educate the homeowner on proper maintenance techiques so they will have the ability to make informed decisions when planning for their home maintenance and restoration. http://www.taskmasters3.com
You’re really good man. You’ve got excellent talent.
Nice work, you did pretty good.
Read this completely because I intend on building my own very nice log home very cheaply but you have to know how to do it.
It is according to where you live, the type of log home you want, if you are going to have it built, if you are going to use a kit, how big the logs are you will use, and if you are going to work on it yourself.
You can build a brick home for less than most log kits cost.
Most the kits out there cost between $100 and $150 for each 16 foot log.
I bidded on several homes when I was contracting but they all, every single one of them ended up building brick homes because of the cost.
I built my on sawmill so I van cut all logs, flooring and roofing timbers, flooring, roofing sheathing, studs, wood for doors, windows, kitchen cabinets, and even the trim.
You can buy a new sawmill for a few thousand dollars to do the same or if you can weld as I do, build one for less than a grand.
If you use quarry rock for the basement walls or foundation, as I intend on doing, and do the work to cut all your own materials, you can build it for less than $50,000.
You are talking about a home that is close to 2,200 square feet.
If you have it built and buy a kit, you are talking well over a quarter million dollars.
If you do it all yourself "and do good work" you can have over $200,000 equity in it when you move in but you will have to have perfect credit or scratch build it.
If you buy the right land at a good price, you may be able to get a second morgage on it to help pay to build the house. It should also have standing timber on it to use for the home.
Several of the sawmill manufactors sell them on credit also.
And you will need a planer / molder and can also get them financed.
Both of these pieces of equipment is something you can resell after you have finished the home to regroup much of the cost and is figured into the $50,000 stated above.
It's not a small undertaking but it is well worth it in the long run. Any body can learn to build a nice one if they try. They were building them hundreds of years ago with axes and hand saws.
The only thing holding me up is the right land. I want a creek so I can make my own electricity also.
If you have any more questions, e-mail me. I'll be glad to help.
good luck man that sounds sweet.
Brilliant Willy, Just Brilliant =D
Depending how long the log is, I had one replaced last yr. It was 8 ft long and cost me $1200 to contract out. It took the contractor all day. Call in a few GCs and get three bids. That will give you a better idea. Yellow page it.
There are always Cabin rentals available at the various Illinois KOA's
Here's where in Illinois they have KOA cabin rentals.
Benton KOA
1 Room Kamping Kabins
Casey KOA
1 Room Kamping Kabins
Chicago Northwest KOA
1 Room Kamping Kabins
Kankakee South KOA
1 Room Kamping Kabins
LaSalle / Peru KOA
1 Room Kamping Kabins
Lena KOA
1 and 2 Room Kamping Kabins
Also: Deluxe Kamping Kottages, Kamping Lodges
Rock Island / Quad Cities KOA
1 and 2 Room Kamping Kabins
Springfield KOA
1 Room Kamping Kabins
Happy Travels!!!!!
woww that’s really relax and beatiful soung .good picture of jhony depp !
Log cabins are beautiful and homey to live in. However, they are high-maintenance and expensive. Because they are built of organic materials, it is almost like they are alive.
To keep a log home in top condition, requires the wood logs to be treated and maintained regularly year after year so the wood doesn't dry out and rot. Sometimes the logs can warp and need to be repaired or replaced, which is expensive. Also, weather wears out the weatherproofing material between the logs, and it will also eventually need to be maintained and repaired continuously over time.
If you are up to the regular high maintenance (either by doing it yourself or by paying someone else to do it), then a log cabin is a wonderful type of building that is well worth the investment.
amazing! Willy teach me how to paint like you!
Perfect.
I like the fact that answer number one is pretty OPEN in his statments. TO accurately define your prices/end costs, it seems to me (with all dur respect) you already have so much of what you need regarding resources, to get PRICES.
Without knowing at all,,,the "LAY OF THE LAND" I'd probably go with a "daylight" basement" AND honestly 2200 sq. ft. is hardly a CABIN. SIGH. I see and get in e mail Every day,,,BUILD TO SHELL…NC cabins for less that 100 K. I so want to assume you could double that to finish.
Another thing I might ask is WHY do you need a LOAN to finish? No offense to you certainly,,, OR the KIT provider, but you don't mention WHERE? IE: 35 miles East of Ashville? Etc,,, OR if you already OWN the land? IF you happened to own the land,,, the loan could be negotiated with it as collateral.
Once more, and with all due respect…FINISH might be relative, as it FITS some liveable plan you have, and could easily take 18 to 24 months?
Finally, and I hope I haven't offended you. ANYONE doing any work, and depending on zoning and code issues, better be ready to back up any liability "DADDY" or not.
No one here who answers can know your families commeitment, or a time frame for you
A_Lone.Wolf@yahoo.com
Steven Wolf
Just make some trusses and put them on 2 foot apart . Lay some 1×4s across the trusses 18 inch's apart then lay some tin on the roof overlapping each other. Then use the special tin to cap off the roof. Dont use logs too much weight. Use plywood and framing. Build it on skids. So you can pull it with snow mobile.
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how is this not a real photo?
Very nice!!
Nice… I think log cabin is perfect near the ocean. If you want some decor in it… you can try visit this site. http://www.kdloghomes.com/
No don't bother, Coke and Pepsi also contain huge quantities of corn syrup also and will work about as well.
hm i couldn’t tell the difference between photograph and painting comparing the final resault.
This is sick