Need some professional advice on this cabin/logs

[Swine]

Hi everyone, I'll try to keep this short but I can't promise ;) The lady and I are finally at a place where we have a bit of money, but don't want to have a mortgage (go figure, right?). Unfortunately, we don't have enough to keep paying rent and buy land and buy logs/materials et. al. We also have draconian HOA rules around these parts (Northern Utah) so putting up a yurt for a year or two on a lot while we get everything together is out of the question. I've come to the conclusion that the best thing might be to buy something that needs some fixing up, do that, and add a garage in the log home style to get my feet wet with the process. Hopefully flip it for a bit of profit and then go full bore on the "real" house. There is hardly anything around here that we can afford, but if we can we'll actually save money over the crazy high rent prices so it seems like a no-brainer to try and get out of throwing money away on rent and get into the above situation. With that in mind, I've been looking at a cabin. It's over 30 years old and while I don't love that it isn't built with Skip's method it's at least affordable and we could add a butt and pass built garage and it would go well and I think we could flip it for a decent profit. So, if anyone has any input, I'd love it based off of these pictures. I'm pretty sure it's a home done "double d" style. I don't know if that is good or bad. It has quite a bit of piecing in it. Not sure about that either. It has had a lot of caulking done recently, and it looks like some holes have been filled. Again, is that good or bad? I guess I'm worried about boring insects (they left some bark on, which I think is NOT GOOD). And I just don't know how well this thing was really built. Any input at all would be appreciated. The walls certainly aren't all square so there is that... Did they just not pin it at all? Is there a way to check without taking a metal detector out there? Again, I'd love any thoughts...

https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7584/28164959205_7060c3653a_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/JUQM7V)
Big cracks being filled?


https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7460/27549055164_0035fe7233_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/HYq7iJ)
Note the seam in between pieces...


https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7510/28164959685_3c9af79f29_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/JUQMgc)


https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7409/28130608526_fc1c0c47c8_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/JRNHRQ)


https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7431/28164959875_0d92917ca2_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/JUQMjt)


https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7440/28130608686_6ebb27d93c_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/JRNHUA)
Close up of some holes that were filled.

[loghousenut]

Pretty darned rustic. Any idea what kind of caulk they used to seal it up?

[Swine]

Pretty darned rustic. Any idea what kind of caulk they used to seal it up?

It's super rustic. Which is kind of cool but on the other hand I'm not sure if the person who built it had any clue what was really going on. I'm pretty sure they got everything from Home Depot. I'm not very familiar with caulking products... below is a shot of the interior, they used something that is super dark brown recently, the older caulking in between logs was more of a light brownish color - that could be older and not from HD. On the outside I have no idea what the grayish material is but again, I think they just went down to the local HD (which isn't confidence inspiring).

Bark is still on many of the interior logs. There is one kit home builder that started up in the 70's that seemed to make things pretty rustic but I really don't think this is one of those. That's neither good nor bad, but if I'm paying the inflated prices around these parts for something I could build cheaply myself I'd like it to be sturdy.

These are newer owners and apparently before all the caulking the place leaked like a sieve.


https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7305/28094756221_0902720bfb_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/JNCYdD)
Interior shot.

[rreidnauer]

That last sentence is not very encouraging. Nor is the caulking used. Only way to find out what you're getting yourself into, is the ice pick test, particularly in the lowest courses, below windows, and around corners.

Sent from my Galaxy Edge+ using Tapatalk

[Swine]

That last sentence is not very encouraging. Nor is the caulking used. Only way to find out what you're getting yourself into, is the ice pick test, particularly in the lowest courses, below windows, and around corners.

Sent from my Galaxy Edge+ using Tapatalk

Sorry, I wasn't very clear. Leaked air like a sieve, not water, with all the cracks presumably from shrinking. It was super drafty before they caulked it up.

[loghousenut]

Leaking air was a given. I think Rod is suggesting that there could easily be a bunch of water damage (rot).

[rreidnauer]

Tapatalk glitch. (move along. Nothing to see here)

[panderson03]

the down side to plugging holes with something that doesn't 'breath' is that it traps moisture and encourages rot.
I'd be afraid that if you purchased this project you'd need to invest more than you could sell it for. sorry about that

[Swine]

the down side to plugging holes with something that doesn't 'breath' is that it traps moisture and encourages rot.
I'd be afraid that if you purchased this project you'd need to invest more than you could sell it for. sorry about that

I'm afraid of that as well. I'm also wary that the new owners bought less than a year ago and are trying to get out now (and make a profit, I can see what they paid for it). They did do some work, obviously, but I don't want to step into a bad situation. It's tough around here, if I could just put up a yurt and work on a house it would be so much easier.

[ButteredBiscuit]

Dear Swine, (Don't you just love that!)

From your original post, here are some comments. If it 30 years old, I would assume it would still be standing in about 2 or 3 more years and that is your plan. If you can get it cheap, live in it cheap (or nothing) and sell for a profit, then grab it. However, I am not sure how the economy is going to going in a couple of years so there is that risk. Check to see if it is solid. Plan on maintenance that you wouldn't have with a proper cabin and then flip it. Of course, I am saying all this sight unseen and with no knowledge of your situation. So YMMV.

[Swine]

Dear Swine, (Don't you just love that!)

From your original post, here are some comments. If it 30 years old, I would assume it would still be standing in about 2 or 3 more years and that is your plan. If you can get it cheap, live in it cheap (or nothing) and sell for a profit, then grab it. However, I am not sure how the economy is going to going in a couple of years so there is that risk. Check to see if it is solid. Plan on maintenance that you wouldn't have with a proper cabin and then flip it. Of course, I am saying all this sight unseen and with no knowledge of your situation. So YMMV.

I have the same feeling, it's been there so it isn't going anywhere. But, that doesn't mean stuff isn't "going South" on it and I don't inherit those issues. It is far from a steal, just one of the cheapest options in my neck of the woods (it's insanely hard to find anything not falling down for under $250k). But, I'm also one of those people who discloses every little thing wrong with a vehicle when I sell it and if I get into this thing and find out it's a total POS I won't feel ok just flipping it.

[rckclmbr428]

before spending a lot of money it would be worth spending a little money and getting a professional familiar with log homes to inspect the home in person. They might not find anything or they may save you from a big financial mess. Find someone that does restoration work and have them come out. They will know what to look for

[allen84]

I snapped this pic today, of what appears to be "repaired" rot on an old notched building. I don't know the age of the building or type of wood used but looks like a pretty large portion of that lower row is pretty much gone and the lowest row looks to have been completely replaced or added at some point.
http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj546/wherethere42/Mobile%20Uploads/089F5365-389B-408B-9CA3-42AB6AAE1182.jpg (http://s1267.photobucket.com/user/wherethere42/media/Mobile%20Uploads/089F5365-389B-408B-9CA3-42AB6AAE1182.jpg.html)

[Swine]

I snapped this pic today, of what appears to be "repaired" rot on an old notched building. I don't know the age of the building or type of wood used but looks like a pretty large portion of that lower row is pretty much gone and the lowest row looks to have been completely replaced or added at some point.
http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj546/wherethere42/Mobile%20Uploads/089F5365-389B-408B-9CA3-42AB6AAE1182.jpg (http://s1267.photobucket.com/user/wherethere42/media/Mobile%20Uploads/089F5365-389B-408B-9CA3-42AB6AAE1182.jpg.html)

Thanks for this. As an update, spent some time on a forestry forum and members are saying the logs look really good, but the caulking job was terrible, especially because it looks so bad (my girlfriend posted more pictures than I did here). Recommendation was to rip it all out and re-chink properly, as well as sand the interior logs and remove bark. I still don't know if it's a good enough deal to really get me to bite on it but I may (in my opinion it's not really a good deal, it's just available).

[allen84]

I wouldn't worry about the wood on the inside so much as the outside. It's what's on the outside that is threatened more by the elements. Media blasting may be an option for you to clean it up nice.

[Swine]

Oh absolutely, I agree. I think they were talking from a purely pricing standpoint with the assumption that the logs are structurally sound. Getting the rest of that bark off and walnut shell blasting could do the trick.