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How to avoid log cabin problems

a wood post on a concrete surface

Building a log cabin or any timber structure, if done right, can give you a very special building, nice to look at, easy to heat, and long lasting. But if you don’t build correctly, you can encounter a number of different (and easily avoidable) log cabin problems. Watch the video then read on…

3 key tips to avoid log cabin problems

If I had to give three primary pointers for avoiding log cabin problems, the are as follows:

  • Get the foundations right
  • Treat the walls
  • Roof cover needs to last, and do its job!

There are a lot of things about log cabins that people in Ireland don’t know. This is understandable because we don’t have a history of building log cabins in Ireland. But I think it’s unforgivable that someone who sells a log cabins can make such fundamental mistakes as I have seen in this business over the last couple of decades.

I have seen I have seen single wall log cabins sold to people as residential units. This is unforgiveable and crazy. You need to have a double wall construction in order to ensure there is no dampness in the living space of the log cabin. I’ve also seen the same cabins with Rockwool insulation in the floors. Again, an unforgivable error. This rockwool insulation gets extremely damp and soaks up moisture, killing the insulation qualities and leading towards serious rot.

But log cabins and timber homes can last beautifully if they’re built properly and cared for. The timber home in the picture below is over 60 years old and is still lived in today. This is located not too far from our Boyle show house. It is the old Golf Club house and a fine example of how a well-treated timber home can last for decades.

60 year old timber home
Sixty year old timber home, properly cared for and lasting beautifully.

Get your log cabin foundations right.

Water is the main source of log cabin problems. It’s really important that you never have a log cabin or a timber structure sitting in a puddle. I know they build boats out of wood, but water is the log cabins chief foe. I’ve seen garden cabins built on patios for the walls are sitting in a pool of water half the year around and those walls will start to billow and bend and rot within a couple of years…

Here’s a link to our blog (log cabin foundations – what’s best) that explains how log cabin foundations are built.In the blog we specify log cabin foundations for single wall and double wall cabins. We also explain our process in delivering drawings to your builder and how we ensure that your builder builds the correct foundation for your log cabin.

The video below is an excellent explainer as to how a proper foundation or base for a log cabin should be built. Note that the base is actually 20 mil smaller then the log cabin so that the log cabin actually overhangs the base. The purpose of this is to ensure that there is no possibility that your luck happened will end up sitting in water. This is a key factor in ensuring the longevity of your log cabin.

Avoid log cabin problems with correct log cabin foundations

Proper treatment of all exterior wood

paint or stain a log cabin
Should I paint or stain my log cabin

If you want your log cabin to last and avoid common log home problems, it’s important to treat the exterior timber with the right materials. Two coats of a clear preservative initially and then a quality stain (NOT PAINT!). Sikkens Is our favoured product for this purpose. You can get a wide range of colours including natural oaks and Pines, blues graves and oranges – whatever you are looking for. Here is a blog post explaining the benefits of proper staining of your log cabin. https://timberliving.ie/how-to-paint-your-log-cabin/

Roof Cover

Of course, your roof cover is one of the most important elements of your log cabin. You need roof cover that is going to last for the duration. Using felt is a nonsense really in this country. Ten years, maybe 20 if you’re lucky and you will have to change it. Don’t waste your time or your money.

At timber living we use a pressed aluminium tile effect roof. This roof will last for the duration of your cabin. There is No Fear of it getting wind damaged. We have built a cabin on the Aran islands and it is still roofed after a decade of wild Atlantic winds!

Although you could buy tiles for cheaper than this roof cover, there is a cost in installing the tiles. While this cover is expensive, it is the best option for longevity.

OK, not technically a log cabin…

I came across this timber structure in the Netherlands last year. Although it is not technically a log cabin, it is a timber building and it illustrates the important elements God have been outlined above, namely walls not sitting in water, properly treated timber and decent roof cover.

dutch cabin
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