Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 11 to 19 of 19

Thread: The maintenance line from Skip's class

  1. #11
    LHBA Member BoFuller's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Seligman, Arizona
    Posts
    3,955
    When you hammer on the log inside the house, it sounds solid. And when you hammer on the top of the outside it sounds solid. It’s just the bottom outside quarter that sounds bad.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

  2. #12
    LHBA Member loghousenut's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Grants Pass, Oregon.
    Posts
    14,668
    Blog Entries
    1
    I'd think those logs above that are all pinned together would support that cantilever... But I'm as good an engineer as my Yamaha is a dump truck.

    Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk
    Every time I have strayed from the teachings of Skip Ellsworth it has cost me money.

    I love the mask mandate. I hardly ever have to bruh my teeth anymore.

  3. #13
    Administrator
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    3,195
    Blog Entries
    2
    Respectful suggestion, cut a quarter round out of that log (if that will get all the rot).
    Fab up a quarter round replacement (which will be timberLOK-ed into place).
    If you need weight support, hide some short metal posts (with plates top and bottom for lag screws) behind the replacement cantilever.

    You'll probably find more rot than you anticipate, any pre-plan will likely require re-consideration, and it'll work out fine.

    I contemplate, how would this be in video versus text?
    But then, I'm a bit archaic.

    BTW, zero judgement from me. I've seen a lot of log rot progress unnoticed, and also progress noticed.
    Just tossing in some cobra rots and annual spraying with borate can really help slow the rot with absolutely minimal cost/expense.
    They are like the aspirin + bandaid fix, for an injury that eventually leads to real care.
    Last edited by Ellsworth; 08-04-2024 at 12:33 PM. Reason: No warm up- 1 edit

  4. #14
    LHBA Member BoFuller's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Seligman, Arizona
    Posts
    3,955

    The maintenance line from Skip's class

    1/4 round - Excellent idea.

    I do spray with borate every other year.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

  5. #15
    Administrator
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    3,195
    Blog Entries
    2
    Quote Originally Posted by BoFuller View Post
    1/4 round - Excellent idea.

    I do spray with borate every other year.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
    Questions:

    Was the glycol you sprayed water or glycol based?
    Is your home stained?
    If yes, do you think that interfered with the borate soaking in?
    If yes, did you ever (or would you please) talk to the stain manufacturer's scientific type division/support asking about spraying borate over their stain?

    Musing: On log ends that might need extra attention perhaps something like:
    Drill some 1/2" holes down the length of the log, angled down from the top, drill in about 1/4 to 1/3 toward the center of the log.
    Space the holes 14.75" on center.
    Take an empty bottle of hot sauce and cut the bottom out, insert the nozzle end into the hole (so that it will stay in place).
    Then fill the container with glycol borate and let is slowly soak in. Refill the container a few times.
    Maybe plumber's putty or clay to seal the hose in the hole.
    Lastly, plug the hole with a cobra rod.
    Repeat every year, or two, or 5?

    It's an idea in case the stain interferes with absorption, or if you want really be sure you attained deep penetration with the glycol.

    The same approach might work from underneath an overdangle if you used a liquid delivery hose that sealed fairly well and had just a bit of pressure to it (edited to add: gravity feed!).
    Why from underneath? Looks better. Water is less likely to wick into the hole compared to a hole on top (careful of snow in some areas).
    Last edited by Ellsworth; 08-06-2024 at 11:47 AM. Reason: No warm up, 6 edits. Have I ever done just 1 edit?

  6. #16
    LHBA Member BoFuller's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Seligman, Arizona
    Posts
    3,955
    Borate is a powder I mix with water. I never stained but I did do a coat of semi-gloss varathane at year 1 and year 4.

    Currently I’m experimenting with a diesel/motor oil mix - I did two logs on the back of the house. The used motor oil turns it darker than I like, but if it keeps the moisture out, I’m good.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

  7. #17
    Administrator
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    3,195
    Blog Entries
    2
    Quote Originally Posted by BoFuller View Post
    Borate is a powder I mix with water. I never stained but I did do a coat of semi-gloss varathane at year 1 and year 4.

    Currently I’m experimenting with a diesel/motor oil mix - I did two logs on the back of the house. The used motor oil turns it darker than I like, but if it keeps the moisture out, I’m good.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
    Glycol base soaks in deep, generally speaking, and water based is a surface treatment (that washes away with rain/moisture).

    YMMV:
    "Shake and shingle oil" is likely lighter, and usually sounds better. And serves as a reminder for the shingles vaccines.
    By sounds better, I mean if you sell the house. Because at least it's a product designed for homes.

  8. #18
    LHBA Member BoFuller's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Seligman, Arizona
    Posts
    3,955
    Quote Originally Posted by loghousenut View Post
    Those darned gutters and their downspouts. Probably metric.

    You know about the epoxy option. If you can open up the rotted hollow part by cutting out a door in the solid outer part of the log, the rotted part can be cleaned out, soaked with epoxy to solidify anything that is spongy, and then solid wood and epoxy\sawdust filled. The log can be stabilized and the "door" can be glued (epoxied) back in place.

    Maybe not the cheapest solution, but a solid and permanent solution. Whatever the epoxy touches will be permanent and, if done right, close to invisible.

    It worked for my "Dirty Rotten Ridgepole".

    I got the idea from the Smith's Rot Doctor website. Depending on your schedule, I might be able to stop in for a week to help.

    PS... It's not invisible, but it's easy to make it hard to see. I know it is "possible" to replace part of a log, but I know it is not fun.

    Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk
    With your experience with epoxy, how much will I need to replace a quarter round section about 8 ft long?

    I ordered the gallon package from the Rot Doctor. Will that be enough?


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

  9. #19
    LHBA Member loghousenut's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Grants Pass, Oregon.
    Posts
    14,668
    Blog Entries
    1
    Bo, you know better than to pretend that you think I'll have a clean answer to this. If you are sawing out a quarter of the log and God blessed you with no rot to follow, then the epoxy would mostly be glue and a gallon is a lot of glue.

    I suspect there's a chance that it won't be so cut and dried and the investigation will begin at that point. You may end up scraping out a garbage can full of dusty spongewood and then filling an oddly shaped cavity with hand shaped solid wood and sawdust mixed with epoxy.

    In either case I think you will want their CPES. It is thin enough to shoot through a garden sprayer and any nearly solid wood gets saturated until it does not soak in. That makes it all solid and forever rotproofs it all. It also acts as a primer so any epoxy then sticks to it.

    This epoxy is pretty nasty stuff and you don't want to breath it. It's nastier than Agent Orange. I always had a fan on it and wore a chemical facemask.

    As an interesting aside, the epoxy we used for our countertops was completely odorless with no hazard warnings. I love the stuff but suspect it is not suitable for the task at hand.

    Good luck. Wish I was there. Like most disagreeable tasks, I semi-enjoyed my foray into rotland and learned a lot. I guess I forgot a lot too.

    Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk
    Every time I have strayed from the teachings of Skip Ellsworth it has cost me money.

    I love the mask mandate. I hardly ever have to bruh my teeth anymore.

Similar Threads

  1. Scheduled maintenance
    By Admin in forum General discussion about log homes and log cabins
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 07-14-2010, 03:05 PM
  2. Scheduled maintenance - May 15
    By Admin in forum General discussion about log homes and log cabins
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 05-14-2009, 04:53 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •