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Log Home Inspections

 


When inspecting a log house, there are some special key characteristics that are unique to log houses that require close scrutiny. I have outlined some of them below to help on an initial visit when considering purchasing a log home:

1. What is the general condition of the logs? Deferred maintenance can lead to trouble for any home, but especially log homes.  Generally, log homes require staining frequently to prevent deterioration. The frequency is dependent on the quality of the stain and the exposure of the log walls.  Then there is the question of whether the stain on the logs is latex or oil based.  Oil based stains tend to last longer, but latex stains are being engineered better as time goes on.  The worst thing that anyone can do to a log wall is apply paint to the outside.  Solid color stains are difficult sometimes to tell from paint on the initial inspection.  The reason you want to avoid paint is that logs, being cellulose like cotton, have a natural “moisture regain”. This natural regain and loss of moisture with changes in seasons, will cause paint to peel and can result in wood rot.  Stain, on the other hand, will allow the moisture to pass without blocking it, preventing damage to the finish and logs. Think of stain as like Tyvek around a frame house, it resists water but allows moisture vapor to pass.

Caulking and proper flashing on the outside of a log home is also critical to the longevity of the log walls. If during your visit you notice staining on the inside of the log walls around door openings, window openings, in corners and around fireplace openings, you may have a caulking/flashing issue.  Prior to re-staining a log home, you should caulk a log home with a “log builder” type caulk.  Caulks designed for log homes are specially engineered to last longer on log homes given the unique movement issues related to moisture regain. 

2.   Are there sloping floors? This is very common in log houses.  It can be related to frame design, but can also be related to log shrinkage and associated settlement. Good log package framing designs can often overcome potential floor slope issues.

Often shrinkage is the culprit and does not show up until several years after the home is built.  Logs used to build log homes vary in moisture content or “greenness”.  Some log home package providers use “dead standing timber”, some use kiln dried logs and others use “air dried” logs.  Air dried logs tend to have the most moisture and therefore the most shrinkage issues.  Logs can shrink by as much or more than 1/8” per 8” logs.  Using 1/8” as an example, this can add up to 2” per wall as the number of logs on a typical 10’ ceiling height is 15 courses (15 x 1/8”=  1.9”).  This amount of shrinkage and resulting 2” of settlement, can put pressure on floor systems in some areas not designed for those loads leading to deflection and sloping. The good news is that most of this log shrinkage and settlement occurs the first 3 to 5 years of a log homes’ life. 

3.  Are there big overhangs or porches that surround the house.  Wider overhangs result in better protection from the elements for the log walls. Narrow overhangs result in over-exposure and potential damage.

4.  Are there cracks in the walls on the interior that line up with the exterior?  You want logs to be have the “heart” of the log visible on the outside corner ends.  That way, cracks, or “checking” as we call it in the log home trade, will stop at the heart and not go through the wall.  Cracks that go all the way through the wall can cause a lot of problems that are best avoided. 

These are just a few of the things to look for when buying a log home.  Of course, there are several other items we inspect when inspecting a log home including: electrical, plumbing, mechanical, structure, roof, crawl space, exterior, appliances, etc.

We have been building, selling and inspecting log homes for over 30 years.  If considering a log home purchase in the East Tennessee area, please call us to help you with the inspection process.  Our number is 865-453-9965.


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