West Coast Woodcare Prep & Paint Restoration

12/02/2021

05/10/2021

YOUR OLD CABIN COULD USE SOME LOVE
August 9, 2019 General Log Home Info, Log Cabin Renovation

This Old Cabin You Love, She Is Tired And Needs Some Love And Care.
Help Heal Your Memories
old cabin

The family old cabin has been around since you were a child. You played and slept there. Your memories reside there. She is tired and drafty and you want to reverse the effects of time. After all, you want her to be part of your children’s life also. So it is time to restore her to glory. Log home restoration is in store..

GET HER INSPECTED
There are experts in log cabins who can inspect and give you recommendations on what to fix, what to replace and how to restore her. You should also consider upgrading the electrical and plumbing systems. You want to keep the same feel of course.

For the DIY folks, it all starts with a slow walk around the cabin. Take a notebook and note everything you see. Take pictures it can also help you remember.

CHECK FOR INSECTS. Be it termites, carpenter bees or carpenter ants, they all leave clues.

Termites you need to check the foundations. If the cabin does not have a foundation it is quite possible you have termites. Have it inspected by a professional, which you should do anyway. But if you have at least 12 inches of foundation, look for pencil-sized tubes of mud going up the foundation.
Carpenter ants and bees leave piles of sawdust.
Check for Rot.

Older log homes have short overhangs so rot is common on the lower logs and ends. Check the rain gutters to make sure they are clean. Check dolmans for rot at the roofing edges. Also, check door and window frames.
Check the Stain.

The stain is the first line of defense against moisture and carpenter bees and ants. The bees and ants do not like the stain. Check to see if water beads up and runs off the logs. The old stain will need to be removed by pressure washing at medium pressure or blasted off with sand or other abrasives.
Look for Holes.

Carpenter bees leave ½ inch almost perfectly round holes in exposed wood and end of logs. They tend to excavate long tunnels in the wood. Woodpeckers are another major pest. They are looking for larvas and insects to eat or they are being territorial.
Look for Cracks and Gaps

CHECK ALL THE CALKING AND CHINKING FOR SEPARATION. The biggest problem for log homes is settling. The logs shrink from the loss of moisture.
Restoring Her Health And Beauty
Staining

Most stains last from 2 to 5 years. Most likely it has signs of wear and aging. You will need to pressure wash or sand or glass blast the old stain off the logs. Pay close attention to the log ends. Looking for discolored or weak areas. Use a professional grade wood stain that will repel the moisture and insects.
Insects

Depending on the type of infestation you will need to get a professional exterminator to help. If it is termites you will need to tent the home and look to repair or replace logs. For Carpenter Ants or Bees. use an insect repellant additive with your stain. Then fill the holes with caulk and steel wool to prevent them from coming back. The repellant does wear off after several years so replenish when you restain.

WOOD ROT
If you find wood rot you will need to replace the logs or resurface them. This is usually done by professionals. They need to determine how deep the rot is and if it can be repaired or replaced.
Chinking

The filler between the logs from the older days has mud cement and almost anything they could find to fill the space. It needs to be replaced by modern flexible chinking to create air tightness.
Log Home Restoration Is Doable
Whether you are the handy do it yourself type or one who hires a professional to fix it right, you can make the old home look new. Maintaining the nostalgic feel of your memories. So your children can have the same great memories that you have.

Give us a call to have your cabin restored.

08/22/2020

There are a lot of misconceptions about log home maintenance. We debunk 10 of the most common log myths about maintaining a log home, and share what you need to know instead.

08/22/2020

WHY DO SOME LOGS HAVE CRACKS IN THEM

08/22/2020

Need a reason to own a log home? How about 5 reasons

08/17/2020

FIVE REASONS SOLID WOOD HOMES MAKE SENSE

Here are five reasons why a full log home is a smart decision and not just a pretty face.

1.Thermal Mass
A material’s ability to absorb, retain and release heat energy over an extended period of time is its thermal mass, and a solid log wall offers more thermal mass capabilities than other building components do. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) calls this the “natural property in the logs that helps keep inside temperatures of a home comfortable in all seasons.” So, while the R-value of an individual timber may not score as high as a piece of high-density insulation, like a structural insulated panel, its ability to store and disseminate heat is something no manmade insulation has. And, as part of a wall system, the thermal mass of a log gets stronger.

2. Energy Efficiency
Log homes that have been built with proper sealing methods and are well maintained from year to year can be highly energy efficient, resulting in lower heating and cooling costs. Beefing up insulation in the roof structure compounds the effect even more. So despite false rumors you may have heard that suggest log homes “leak like a sieve,” they can be built so tightly they meet the Department of Energy’s “Energy Star” standards, according to the NAHB.

3. Sustainability
If you’re interested in building “green,” solid logs (especially those that are handcrafted) are a minimally processed building material. Sourcing your home’s logs locally results in an even softer carbon footprint by decreasing the energy required to transport the logs to your site.

Wood is a naturally renewable material, too, and while some anti-log home activists will tell you that log home producers are decimating the forests, nothing could be further from the truth. Most log home producers practice reforestation or take their stock from managed stands of trees, while others harvest standing-dead timbers (those that have been killed by fire, disease or insects) as these trees have a negative effect on the overall health of the forest.

Want to kick your sustainability efforts up a notch? Look for environmentally friendly stains and finishes and choose salvaged wood for your home’s floors and trimwork.

4. Fire Resistance
Safety in a house fire depends on the ability of the home’s structure to stand long enough for evacuation; so, slowing the spread of the flames is essential. Compared to a stud-framed wall with interior cavities filled with artificial materials that can quickly add fuel to the fire, a solid log wall burns slowly. Add wood posts, beams and rafters to a log home and the results are even better. A report from the Log & Timber Homes Council of the NAHB states: “Combined with the selection of beam and deck second floor and roof options often incorporated into log buildings, log structures are a top choice for endurance and integrity in a fire.”

5. Durability
With log buildings lasting for hundreds of years in varying climates throughout the world, it’s clear that well-built, solid-log structures stand the test of time. Of course, when designing your log home, you should always follow local building codes designed to protect your family and prevent damage from natural disasters in your area.

While each of these reasons alone makes choosing a solid wood home a logical choice, it’s the undeniable natural beauty that comes in conjunction with these smart stats that makes log home living simply irresistible.

08/17/2020

How do you prevent major issues from occurring in the first place?

The initial steps any homeowner should take is to make a visual inspection of your home twice a year – in the spring and the fall. In both seasons, but especially in the spring, get on a ladder and check your gutters to make sure they aren’t clogged. If they are, water will run over and splash down on the logs. Check external spigots for leaks or drips, because again, this will create constant, undue moisture conditions on the walls. These are the normal housekeeping kind of things.

While you’ve got the ladder out, inspect your dormers, if you have them. For a lot of people, this area is kind of “out of sight, out of mind,” but in many cases, they don’t have gutters and water can soak the dormer, potentially causing rot. Then check the logs themselves. Look at the visible seals, like caulking and/or chinking. Look for cracks or separations in the material. Keep an eye out for dark spots. If you have an upward facing check that collected water, the wood will darken, indicating the early stages of mold or decay. It’s important that homeowners look for these signs in the spring and either repair any issues themselves or call us to take a look. If left unattended through summer or fall, it’s already too late in the season for most people to get a problem fixed, unless they live in a southern climate — not to mention the additional damage that exposure could cause. And finally, follow your stain manufacturer’s recommendations. If they say their product’s lifespan is three years or five years, be sure to reapply the stain according to their guidelines. Basic maintenance can save you thousands of dollars over a full restoration.

08/17/2020

4 SIGNS OF CARPENTER BEE'S

How do you know if your home is threatened by these irritating insects? Here’s what you should look for:

1. Erratic flying: Male carpenter bees are very territorial and fly erratically around humans to protect their nests.
2. Noise: They emit a sound similar to bumble bees.
3. Yellow/brown stains: Caused by excrement deposited below entry holes into wood.
4. Damaged wood: The appearance of nearly perfectly round half-inch holes, with piles of sawdust underneath the opening. Carpenter bees do not eat wood, they excavate it to build their nests.