For those brave souls who buy a house that is deteriorating, they will need to have the dwelling restored. The building techniques used back in the day were very different from what builders are doing today. In order to succeed in a period-accurate restoration, they need to find professional log home restoration contractors who specialize in identifying and replicating the old style.
Many of these old houses have suffered extensive damage due to seasonal water intrusion or dry rot from the hot days under the sun. Sometimes they are filled with holes made by carpenter bees, and the logs must be filled in order to prevent further damage. In order to check for soft or rotting wood, one must penetrate the logs with an ice pick to feel for softness.
When rot is found, the logs must be either replaced or the problem remedied with a modern approach. There is epoxy which can be used as a filler for any soft or punky logs that are found. By filling these logs with this epoxy, the structure itself can be completely preserved, and the logs are successfully restored to better than their original strength.
If the structure is a century or more old, then keeping to the same materials and building techniques becomes even more important. The owner has a certain responsibility to keeping the structure as it was, as it becomes a living antique they are preserving. If their home utilized oak logs, then the contractor will want to find exactly the same kind of wood to use.
A great deal can be learned about the building style if one is familiar with the people who most likely built their cabin originally. Immigrants from different parts of Europe had their own building styles, and within a certain period they probably kept to it. In order to truly recreate the home as it was, the owner might want to find out who the original builders were and what style of structure they were most notable for.
Being able to identify what corner notching technique was utilized can assist the owner when determining the style of structure it was. Various techniques were utilized, and this can tell them a great deal about who built the house. Corner notching techniques can vary not only by ethnicity, but the time period of the original construction as well.
The chinking and daubing techniques used on the outside will probably not be preserved in most of these structures. Because it was made of mud, clay, lime, or animal dung, such outer weathering would have been the first part of the house to rot. Knowing what technique was used will require a solid understanding of who built the house, and what materials were available.
For the owner who really gets into discovering the dynamic history of their house and the property that surrounds it, they might want to visit a local historical society or join an Internet group that specializes in historical records for the area. If they are really lucky, they might even be able to find a photograph of their original structure, or some hand-drawn pictures and blue prints.
Many of these old houses have suffered extensive damage due to seasonal water intrusion or dry rot from the hot days under the sun. Sometimes they are filled with holes made by carpenter bees, and the logs must be filled in order to prevent further damage. In order to check for soft or rotting wood, one must penetrate the logs with an ice pick to feel for softness.
When rot is found, the logs must be either replaced or the problem remedied with a modern approach. There is epoxy which can be used as a filler for any soft or punky logs that are found. By filling these logs with this epoxy, the structure itself can be completely preserved, and the logs are successfully restored to better than their original strength.
If the structure is a century or more old, then keeping to the same materials and building techniques becomes even more important. The owner has a certain responsibility to keeping the structure as it was, as it becomes a living antique they are preserving. If their home utilized oak logs, then the contractor will want to find exactly the same kind of wood to use.
A great deal can be learned about the building style if one is familiar with the people who most likely built their cabin originally. Immigrants from different parts of Europe had their own building styles, and within a certain period they probably kept to it. In order to truly recreate the home as it was, the owner might want to find out who the original builders were and what style of structure they were most notable for.
Being able to identify what corner notching technique was utilized can assist the owner when determining the style of structure it was. Various techniques were utilized, and this can tell them a great deal about who built the house. Corner notching techniques can vary not only by ethnicity, but the time period of the original construction as well.
The chinking and daubing techniques used on the outside will probably not be preserved in most of these structures. Because it was made of mud, clay, lime, or animal dung, such outer weathering would have been the first part of the house to rot. Knowing what technique was used will require a solid understanding of who built the house, and what materials were available.
For the owner who really gets into discovering the dynamic history of their house and the property that surrounds it, they might want to visit a local historical society or join an Internet group that specializes in historical records for the area. If they are really lucky, they might even be able to find a photograph of their original structure, or some hand-drawn pictures and blue prints.
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You can get valuable tips for choosing log home restoration contractors and more information about a reputable contractor at http://www.loghomecare.com/restoration now.
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