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Log Cabin care
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Log Cabin care 
TreatmentDuring assembly, some of the pre-treated floor and foundation beams may need to be trimmed to length. Any freshly exposed timber should be re-treated using a suitable end grain treatment such as Ensele. Once the cabin is fully assembled it should be treated with a suitable exterior wood preserver, e.g. Sadolin, as soon as possible. The cabin should be inspected regularly and may need re-treating on a regular basis according to the treatment used Settling All log cabins settle within the first few months of installation. This means that the tongue and groove wall boards and corner joints will naturally become compressed under the weight of the roof section. The moisture content loss and gain within the timber from season to season will also affect the movement of the building. This will be reduced by the exterior coating applied. Nothing should be attached to the logs that will restrict the settling process. Waterproofing a Finnlife cabin Each cabin design incorporates a Windblock system. While this provides a great deal of protection against the elements, there are some things that can be done to protect the cabin even further. ● Damp Proof Membrane (D.P.M.). D.P.M. strips can be laid directly on the top of the floor beams and foundation beams to isolate any moisture soaked into the foundation ● Silicone sealant. To ensure the cabin is as weatherproof as possible, the following areas will need to be sealed after the cabin has been coated: Around the window/door frames From eaves to foundation at each corner (3 joints per corner) Any gaps visible on the log ends These sealants are widely available and easy to use, however they will need to be re-applied regularly throughout the life of the cabin. Internal storm battens Some cabins are fitted with internal storm battens (wooden battens, fixed to the interior of the cabin with coach bolts). It may be necessary to release the tension from the lower coach bolt to allow the storm batten to move freely and sit flush against the cabin wall. This should be checked regularly throughout the life of the cabin to prevent gaps opening up between the logs. Integral storm rods Some cabins are fitted with integral storm rods (threaded metal rods, running through the centre of the logs). When fitting integral storm rods, ensure that there is approximately 50mm of clearance between the bottom end of the storm rod and the base allowing the cabin to settle without the storm rod pushing upwards and damaging the cabin. This clearance should be checked regularly throughout the life of the cabin whilst also ensuring the fixings are kept tight. External storm rods Some cabins are fitted with external storm rods - threaded metal rods, fixed externally on the cabin with angle brackets. External storm rods are tensioned using a combination of a spring and nut. If the storm rods lose their tension due to settling, simply tighten the nut at the bottom of the storm rod against the spring until the storm rod is under tension. It is not necessary to tighten the nut so much that the spring becomes completely compressed. Please ensure that there is at least 50mm of clearance between the bottom end of the storm rod and your base allowing the cabin to settle without the storm rod pushing upwards and damaging the cabin. This clearance should be checked regularly throughout the life of your cabin. End profile may also vary - please check specific model. We stock a range of Sadolin and Ronseal products which penetrate into the timber to help preserve the timber and then provide a surface coating to minimise absorption of rainwater & moisture. These products will be added to the website during Spring 2009. |
