Friday, February 1, 2013

Maintenance for Log Siding

Side view of the cabin
(Photo credit: saidinjest)
Log siding is some of the best looking siding you can get for your house, not to mention the additional benefits which can include better insulation and improved dimensional stability (particularly if the siding in question is cedar). That said, there are quite a few things you need to realize as far as what comes after the siding gets installed. Of course, we're talking about long-term maintenance of log siding.

At a very basic level, log siding simply needs to be treated the same way you would treat actual logs. Some people might already know how to take care of logs that sit out in the environment, and those people are certainly at an advantage. That said, we refuse to leave those who have never dealt with logs behind in the dust, so it's time cover the basics.

Perhaps the most important thing when it comes to logs is that they have a natural tendency to soak up massive amounts of liquid. What this means in the real world is that log siding absolutely loves to get extremely wet, which can stain the log siding, and in extreme cases even rot it.

For now though, let's focus on the staining. For the log siding to rot, you would have to neglect doing any sort of maintenance for an extremely long time. With these tips, rot will never cause any problems. When log siding gets stained, the first step is to wash it down, ideally with some sort of power washer. If you've never used a power washer before, practice on some junk pieces of wood first, as you can do some serious damage if you're not careful. After thoroughly washing the log siding, give it a day or two to dry, and then re-stain the log siding.

Like anything else, you could certainly pay someone to take care of this for you, but prices are usually astronomical, thanks to the fact that it takes approximately 2 full days of work, not even counting the days that you allow the log siding to dry after you have power washed it. By doing it yourself, you can save anywhere from three thousand to four thousand dollars, and feel better about your Do-it-yourself abilities all in one fell swoop.
Allie Thompson is a guest contributor who works for Town & Country Cedar Products, a distributor of white cedar siding and paneling. Learn more at their website, www.michigancedarproducts.com.



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