- Do not plant shrubs near your log walls. This helps minimize the chance of water splashing off the leaves and onto your log wall.
- Stack firewood well away from the house. Stacking firewood near your home can attract wood boring insects like termites.
- Install gutters on your log home. This can help prevent splash back from hitting your lower logs and causing water damage. This is especially important if you have short overhangs.
- Spray borate on logs periodically (as per manufacturers instructions). Borate is a safe and effective wood preservative, you can find out more at the National Pesticide Information Center.
- If you don’t install gutters, avoid deck splash back by building a splash guard, or grate, or bench that blocks water from splashing off the deck and hitting your log wall.
- Place covers over any exposed log ends, specifically purlins, ridge pole, rafter Splash back from roof run-off can cause rot on your log walls. Installing gutters eliminates rainwater run-off ends. If you have any log ends that get wet every time it rains, then you’re asking for trouble — so put a ‘hat’ on those unprotected log ends.
- If water tends to collect near your home install drains to draw it away. This will help reduce the moisture level right near your home.
- Extend your gutter drains so water is deposited about 10′ away from your home. Again, this helps reduce moisture levels near your home.
- Clean off pollen, dust and dirt that accumulates on the exterior of your log walls. Over time such things can form a thin film on the logs, which can contribute to mildew and mold growth.