5 Log Cabin Maintenance Tips for Your Home’s Design

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As you begin the process of designing and building your dream home, it's important that you factor proper log cabin maintenance into your design before you even begin construction. Doing so will allow you to spend much more time enjoying your beautiful home and less time on upkeep.

It's no secret that every home - no matter what it's made of - requires regular maintenance. But it's a common myth that log homes require more than their fair share. In fact, questions about long-term log cabin maintenance are among the most common we hear from future log home owners: "Is log home maintenance complicated?" "Does it take a lot of time?" The answer: "It depends."

Fortunately, there's a clear path to low-maintenance log home living, and it starts with good design. Without a proper log cabin design plan, your home will be vulnerable to the effects of the environment and require frequent upkeep, but with a strategic design and careful material selection, your logs can last a lifetime with minimal effort. Unlike surface protectants, like stain and sealants, good low-maintenance log home designs last forever and should always be your first line of defense against a log home's nemeses of moisture and UV rays.

Because the amount of hands-on log cabin upkeep your home needs after building is determined by the choices that you make during the planning process, it's essential that you work with a company that can help steer you towards the right design and materials for your dream home. If you choose well, your home will stand the test of time without taking up all of your time in the process.

"Think about it," says Jay Parmeter, co-owner of Golden Eagle Log and Timber Homes, "in some parts of the world, like Scandinavia, there are log homes that are more than 1,000 years old and still in excellent condition. If you are really into reducing maintenance, Golden Eagle has no shortage of ideas for helping do that."

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Consider what follows - a collection of five of those ideas - your "preventative maintenance primer." Keep these five log cabin maintenance measures in mind as you plan your dream house, and you'll create a space that's as easy to care for as it is to live in.

The log profile you choose - rectangular, round, square, or D-shaped - will have a major impact on the look of your log home. That's easy to see. But a lesser-known fact is that the shape you choose can also impact your log house maintenance needs in the future. Picture for a moment both a round log and a flat log sitting under the mid-day sun, suggests Jay. "Because the round log sticks out a bit further at the top, the sun hits the top of the log at an angle and wears the stain down more quickly," he explains.

Keep in mind that the further the corners extend beyond the home, the longer the overhang should be to protect them.

When it comes to settling on the best wood style, the bottom line is "you've got options." Golden Eagle alone, for example, manufactures over 400 choices of log and timber textures, shapes, and sizes. With a little research, you can find a look you love, paired with the log home maintenance requirements that best fit your lifestyle.

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Part of your log cabin maintenance is determined by the type of wood you choose. Building with high-quality wood ensures a sound structure that can withstand whatever nature throws its way, so knowing how a log company harvests and processes its logs is essential. If you're looking for the ultimate low-maintenance log, pay close attention to how logs are dried and milled.

Kiln-dried logs with flat contact points will experience less unpredictable settling, resulting in fewer small cracks across the surface of the log, known as "checking." Also, the stain will last longer with kiln-dried logs. Stain applied to dry wood fibers always lasts longer than stain applied to wood that still contains a high percentage of water within its fibers. During kiln drying, the heat of the kiln breaks open the cells of the wood, releasing the bound water that was trapped inside — a process that cannot happen only through air-drying. Because kiln drying creates a porous surface, the logs receive stain more easily, promoting a stronger, longer-lasting bond.

Additional benefits of kiln drying include preventing unpredictable settling, crystallizing the sap, and sanitizing the wood from microorganisms and insects.

There's nothing quite like sitting on a porch, coffee, tea, or lemonade in hand, and enjoying the views. Turns out, porches are as good for your logs as they are for your soul. "I always remind my customers that what's underneath a covered porch may never need staining again," says Jay.

Large eaves and overhangs, wraparound porches, and covered patios will protect wood from damaging sun exposure and inclement weather, including rain and snow. To ensure maximum protection, you'll need overhangs with ample depth - two feet minimum but "the longer the better," says Jay - and remember to focus especially on west- and south-facing sides to reduce UV exposure.

Creating a covered gathering area that invites you and your guests to sit a spell and protects your logs while you're at it? If you ask us, that's log home maintenance made in the shade.

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If your dream home vision includes a two-story design, you may assume that a precarious trek up a tall ladder will be a mandatory part of the log house maintenance drill, but with the right design, a small step ladder may be all you need.

"Reducing tall maintenance on your log home will go a long way towards making things easier," says Jay. To his clients, he suggests using maintenance-free stone or fade-resistant engineered wood siding or polymer shakes, high up in a home's gables and dormers. He also recommends paying special attention to your window choice. Look for aluminum-clad, fiberglass, or vinyl options versus old-fashioned windows that require painting.

The "once and done" application of log cabin maintenance-free materials isn't their only benefit. Available in an array of styles and colors, you can boost curb appeal by creating an additional layer of texture on your home's exterior, all while promoting less upkeep.
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Featured within these homes, you'll see both stone and gable accents and polymer material, which is maintenance-free.

While focusing on the major materials and elements in your low-maintenance log home's design plan is important, it's also smart to hone in on the details. "When people think about maintaining a home, they think about the log wall, but in reality, there are many other areas to consider," explains Jay. For starters, don't forget about installing gutters and downspouts that will whisk water away from your siding (and foundation). If you're worried the utilitarian powder-coated metal tubes will distract from the beauty of your log walls, consider downspout alternatives, like inverted bells and rain chains that perform the same task - directing water towards the ground - but in a more stylish way.

Next, opt for easy-to-clean, long-lasting aluminum soffit and steel fascia. Other log cabin exterior maintenance elements to consider that can significantly reduce your hands-on care time include porch railings and spindles made of metal and outside-the-box deck floor alternatives, like stone pavers.

Removable rails make for much easier re-staining down the road.

This low-maintenance log home features rain chains, which provide an attractive and effective alternative to downspouts.
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To keep your (well-designed!) log home in tip-top shape, once each year, perform a visual inspection of all aspects of your home, from the foundation to the roof. While you do, keep a spray bottle of water in hand. Spritz it on your walls at various points. If the water beads up on the surface, then your stain is still doing its job. If it soaks in, then it's time for a top coat on that wall. Otherwise, as you're walking around the home, do a visual check as you would on any other home.

Deck floors made of permeable pavers are virtually maintenance-free.

To keep your (well-designed!) log home in tip-top shape, once each year, perform a visual inspection of all aspects of your home, from the foundation to the roof. While you do, keep a spray bottle of water in hand. Spritz it on your walls at various points. If the water beads up on the surface, then your stain is still doing its job. If it soaks in, then it's time for a top coat on that wall. Otherwise, as you're walking around the home, do a visual check as you would on any other home.

Proper log home care and maintenance are key to the initial design phase to get the most out of your forever home. Choose the right log shape, size, and type, and design your home with covered areas to protect your maintenance-free log home materials from sun exposure and inclement weather. You can also design a low-maintenance timber frame home plan. See all of our timber frame and log home floor plans, and start designing your dream home today.