Waterproofing your Log Home

Nov 25, 2008 Log home maintenance

Log Homes change as they get older. The process is slow, but steady. As time passes, the water inside the logs begins to dry up, shrinking the wood more and more until gaps start to appear. No matter what joints you use, after a few years, you will find that your log cabin protects you from the elements lesser and lesser.

Waterproofing your log home doesn’t just keep out water. It also ensures that your home remains insulated from the weather and your cabin doesn’t lose precious heat. In log cabin parlance, waterproofing goes by the name of caulking or chinking. The difference between the two, is that chinking is used for larger logs and larger gaps.

In the diagram above, we see the caulking material being applied using a caulking gun. The special property of caulk is that it can expand along with the wood. In fact, modern substances are designed to tolerate as much as 50% of the joint expansion. This is necessary because it can take upto 20 years for a log home to fully dry in Ohio. Having the caulk expand as necessary is important so that you don’t haveto have it redone every single year.

Caulking is a complex process and is best left to a professional. There are techniques that a first timer will not know and you risk ruining your beautiful log home. Contact a Professional to get your home waterproofed.

Tags: Log Cabin Caulking, Log Cabin Waterproofing, Log home caulking, Log home Waterproofing