Friday, October 13, 2017

Professional Log Home Restoration Contractors

By Robert Johnson


Anyone intending to refurbish an old house has many elements to consider when choosing a contractor. Having these ancient dwellings returned to their original condition requires the builders to have a familiarity with the building styles used. If one needs them to use those old techniques, they need to find professional log home restoration contractors.

Many ancient structures are going to have suffered all the wear and tear that time can do. Water intrusion can create rot or black mold, and this is a serious matter to address before restoring the structure really begins. Carpenter bees can leave hundreds of holes on the surface of the logs, which allows water and mold to get into the interior of the logs.

When rain and sun cause mildew and dry rot, logs at the base may not be able to withstand the weight placed upon it once the structure is rebuilt. By filling the interior of the logs with an epoxy, the logs are saved and reinforced. This is most important when the logs are towards the bottom and will be responsible for upholding the entirety of the structure.

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.

Daubing and chinking were techniques used in much of the older construction to seal cracks on the outer walls. These materials were usually available in the direct vicinity, so knowing what materials are available in the way of mud, lime, or even moss can solve the puzzle. Also, certain ethnic groups might have been known to use specific materials, and this can help create a starting point.

For anyone who really goes out of their way to research the structure, they may be able to find drawings or an old photograph. Local historical society groups are an excellent way to find a photograph. Also, some Internet groups will have posted various photographs of towns the way they were the last century, so an extensive search online just might reveal how the houses looked.




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