Cabin Restoration?

[BamaOttawaNF]

I am in progress of restoring our 85 yr old cabin in Ottawa Forest. My grandfather bought it in 45 from a mountain man/lumberjack from Montenegro that built it with a double blade axe and work horse. I am crazy about going to your class and possbly making some log houses, lacking money and time at the moment.
My question is I used a lazer and determined my cabin has settled about 5 inches low front to back and about 3 inches east to west. Cabin is in great, great shape for age and made with white pine logs ~10-12 diam. Will I destroy the logs if I try to re-level the whole thing or should I just try to shore it up so it is stable the way it is? This is a true notched log cabin only chinked on the outside with custom wood chinks on the inside. Cabin is tight but some seperation in chinking at the worst settle point in the back. The cabin is on a gravel bank with only pier foundation (on the ground in the front).
The restoration I have done so far is; install a steel roof, cable the chimney so it doesn't fall in, spray several rounds of a borite solution to preserve the logs better, upgraded the wood stove and thermal protectors.
I know you don't have the time to help with my project, but I thought I would ask if anyone has any restoration experience, thanks
Danny

[Shark]

Welcome to the forums.
Your project sounds cool, nice you are trying to save a piece of history.
When you say settle, are you talking the logs themselves have 5", or is it the foundation that has sunk/moved?

I would be hesitant to try adjusting too much, you might really mess up some chinking joints etc if it's moved too much. Who knows, maybe it was built like that originally?? :)
Sorry not much help, good luck with your project.

[BamaOttawaNF]

Legend has it, it was hit by a tornado or wind shear at some point and pushed it back tilting the piers. I think it is somewhat due to the roots of the 140 ft white pine and 130 ft douglas fir directly in front of the cabin pushing against over the many years, I cannot cut those trees down as the white pine is close to a champion tree. Basically the pier foundation has tilted/sunk some. My father and grandfather had added some new piers of boxed concrete some years back. My idea was to start at the worst point in the back and bring it slowly up to close the chicking and then an extra 1/4 inch at a time using the front corner by the trees as finished grade. It also has a screened porch (rough cut stick built) attached to the east end that is built on the ground, I will have to bring that up with it.

[rreidnauer]

How serious are you willing to get?
I'd recommend having a house mover come out and discuss options. Nobody says you're commited to take them up on their services, but you will gain knowledge from them about exactly the best way to do it. I'm betting they'd want to dig a ditch and slide in a girder beam, then jack the beam to level the structure, set some temporary cribbing, and pour some concrete footers/piers to support it. Remove the cribbing and beam, and fill in the ditch.

[BamaOttawaNF]

I am serious long term. I wondered if I could DIY with some barn beams, my stress is, will the logs stay together and not harm the trees in front? I can't think of how to raise the corner nearest the trees so I am thinking of conceeding that to finish grade. Thanks for your response, I will pursue the house moving company to get the sticker shock figure estimate anyway, as I agree these are professionals, but I don't know if they are knowledgable of log structures. Digging a ditch in front would surely kill the two trees as they are very close? Maybe go under and set piers and use beams as a lever to bring up the back and side. I also thought of a beam diagonal under each corner to keep the corners together. thoughts?

[StressMan79]

it is indeed a challenge, and if it is still standing after 85 yrs, it was prolly not shottily constructed. (You can't polish a turd). Anyway, you'll need some pics to further explain it. use photobucket if you don't have another hosting website. It is free/easy.
-Peter

[BamaOttawaNF]

thanks for the response, it is remarkable shape for the age, I don't have good pictures of the piers as I need to pull away all the coverings still and get underneath to map it with photos and measurements. I have been focused on getting the steel roof on as everyone told me the way to lose a historic cabin is to lose the roof. Everything is original other than some replaced roof boards, the big windows even slide open easy. I will check back when I get some pics loaded to web. Last time I was there on the second night a deer or elk was snorting at us from the creek behind the cabin (strange sound like someone blowing their nose loud -cool). moose, elk, deer, wolf, coyote, black bear, ruffed grouse, snowshoe, chipmunk, skunk, cougar, lynx, native brook trout, native rainbow trout all confirmed in the area :)