Maintaining Your Log Cabin
Maintaining your log cabin is essential for longevity. After you have spent your money buying one of these great buildings, it’s wise to make sure you properly look after it.
Here’ a guide to help you maintain your log cabin:
Firstly you need to consider the time of year it was erected. When you build your log cabin you need to make sure the bracing is not entirely tightened up as this will give the building room to swell during the winter and shrink during the summer.
With the moist air in winter, the permeable wood will swell with water causing the joints of the cabin to become swollen. In summer, the wood will dry causing the joints to shrink. If the joints aren’t completely tightened they’ll be able to swell and tighten as the seasons change. It is ideal to loosen them in the winter and tighten them again in the summer. However, it should only take about two years for the building to completely settle. After this time you can tighten the bolts and leave it as it should have become settled into its surroundings and got used to its climate.
Ensure that after heavy rain you clean any splash backs off the wood and that you dry the bottom of the building a little so it’s not sodden. This is especially true if you don’t have a lifted base for the building. If you have a lifted base rested on pea gravel etc. then this will definitely help to improve the drainage.
Another thing to bear in mind when you first get your log building is the importance of treatment. You should treat your garden building with a good quality timber preservative to make sure it is resistant to fungal corrosion and general wood rot. This will need to be applied according to the preservative manufacturer’s instructions and will help keep the wood in tip-top condition.
By following these simple maintenance tips, you will be able to keep your log cabin kit erected for years and years.