Log Home Maintenance: 7 Tips To Give Your Beloved Cabin Much-Needed TLC

Scandinavian settlers built the first log homes in the 17th century, and today, these homes dot the landscape from New England to the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. But whether your log home has a lengthy history or was built relatively new, it won’t last long without meticulous TLC.

“A common misconception of log homebuyers is that log homes are impervious to the elements and are built to last forever with little maintenance,” writes Wayne Bell, owner of Log Home Care in Springboro, Ohio, and whose business provides maintenance to hundreds of log homes across various states each year.

While all homes need upkeep, log home maintenance goes beyond what you might encounter taking care of a home in the city or suburbs. A log home’s greatest enemies? Moisture, sun exposure, extreme temperatures, insects, and microorganisms.

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To protect your log home from various threats and keep it strong and beautiful year-round, here are a few tips to practice:

1. Inspect your log home once a year

A log home needs a visual inspection at least once a year, notes Kathy Murdock of Perma-Chink Systems, Inc., a manufacturer of log home cleaners, sealers, stains and finishes since 1981.

The sun’s UV rays break down the lignin in wood cells, weakening the fibers and causing cracks and weathering. You’ll want to check for signs of drying wood, aging, and any pests that might want to make your home a snug hideaway.

Watch out for these:

• Landscaping that’s too tall or too close to the home
• Faded, discolored, or damaged finish to your logs
• Stains or darker spots that may indicate mold or a fungus that uses living sapwood for nourishment
• Green moss or algae
• Damaged wood from hanging outdoor fixtures, such as a hook for a garden hose
• Mud tubes from termites
• Sawdust, pinholes, or frass from carpenter ants
• Gaps between the logs that allow water, air, bugs, mice, or bats to infiltrate
• Upward-facing cracks — called checks — in your logs (although part of the natural drying process, checks that aren’t sealed can trap water and cause rot)

Depending on where you live, you may be more likely to face certain log home maintenance issues than others. Wood decays faster in the Southeast and on the Northwestern coast than elsewhere because of high rainfall and warm, humid weather. However, all log homes eventually show signs of the elements and age.