Log home Maintenance and Preservation
A well-designed log home has a good foundation with at least 12'' clearance between the logs and the ground. The roof overhang should be 3' at the eaves and 4' on the gable end walls. With higher walls, wider overhangs are required to protect these walls. Eavestrough and downspouts will carry the water away from the building. This is especially important in areas subject to high winds and horizontal rains. Any log posts should have a moisture barrier between the wood and concrete support. The trick is to keep water moving away from the building from the time it lands on the roof until it drains from the site. This includes proper flashing at chimneys, windows, doors, gable end framing and between the sill logs and the foundation. The logs themselves should not have any flat areas where water can lay or flow into the building.
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Another source of moisture is the warm, moist air inside the home. Without a vapour barrier on the inside of most log home walls, the logs themselves absorb this moisture and it is important that the exterior finish allow this water to escape. A high quality, "breathable" finish will accomplish this. If the exterior logs are sealed with paint, varnish or other "nonbreathing" finish, this moisture will be trapped within the log and this can cause rot.
The life expectancy of log buildings is determined by many factors. These include site exposure, building design, log species, chosen preservatives and the effectiveness of their application. Most log homes will need more maintenance on the sides of the house that are most exposed to rainstorms and hot sun.