Any Log home owners here? Need advice
 

Braintrust,
Looking at buying a Log home in the northeast. Looking at some of the pluses everything looks rosy. Did some research on maintenance and scared the bejesus out of me.

Built 1978
Renovated 2006
Solar panels

Any real world experience you can share? In this market there is no time to lose unfortunately. By the same token, any input on how difficult it might be to sell one down the line?

Pluses: Eco friendly, Big space, High ceilings, good square footage, excellent land, big garage, Nice back deck and privacy.

Little devil on the other shoulder: maintenance, stripping and staining, caulking cracks, replacing rotted logs, insect infestation, water ingress, mold, finding an inspector with such a knowledge of Log homes, potential resale issues…

A lot of these issues are no different than any other house, I understand that.

Any advice appreciated.

check on insurance, some insurance companies dont like them.

What species of tree are the logs made from ? That will help understand bug infestation and maintenance .

I don't own one but I know two diff families that do.

Both are always complaining about the woodpeckers....almost impossible to keep them
away.

Woodpeckers also bang on metal siding during the mating seasons. I've had to slap the walls to drive them away. I've read fake owls and strips of rainbow mylar at the corners will scare them off. Also heard that they usually only peck at "bio-active" (ie rotting) wood for feeding where nice burrowing larva food can be found, so take that as nature's knock-knock warning to do some maintenance asap.

Interior finishes such as 15-min fire barrier (1/2"?) drywall inside might satisfy insurance requirements but change the look. Moisture meter's are great tools for finding potential water and moisture problems. Roof overhang and previous staining/repacking/etc will play a part in this. The first few feet where the snow builds up and at roof transition will probably be most critical. Might need a few bore samples with the current owner's permission. The uphill water channel slope and drainage around the foundation is the most important consideration to any foundation lifespan. Just wild guessing and have no experience here. Put on some carharts and start slithering.

Might need to call around and talk with their specialists and pick their brains. Inspection report will be the biggest factor. Maybe get two. Most home Inspectors are difficult to sue without gross negligence being involved. Nobody sells a nice place at a reasonable price without a reason and often those reasons are lies. The RE market might be at a high point right now, and although you fell in love(I would too givent eh description) you might not be able to afford it in the long term as a viable investment as a home.

I built one i bought as a kit from Katahdin Log Homes in Maine. The reason i chose them was the logs are made from white cedar. We've been living in it for 30 plus years and have not done anything to it.
No complaints, easy to heat.

Cedar logs are very nice. Maintenance isn't as bad as some make it--almost like caring for a deck--use quality finishes and products. There are a ton of variables with log homes--log type, (if a kit--quality of kit), what type of appearance are you going for--natural, stained, painted, etc. A lot of log homes do NOT have any ductwork and use base board heat. Pests are an issue around here it is wood bees. They bore a perfect circle into the wood--mainly soffit, make a 90 degree turn and lay their larvae, then woodpeckers come and try to get the larvae out. Metal flashing helps minimize this.

Carpenter bees look like very large bumbles bees, but their abdomens are shiny (instead of furry). They hover and buzz loud but don't sting usually.
Looks like vinegar and almond oil makes them stay away. Also Ozzy. https://www.rapidhomeremedies.com/get-rid-of-carpenter-bees.html

I've used lemon oil with complete success as well.

Like GwMac said - Insurance bills can be huge. Not cheap to rebuild after a fire.

We’ve owned 3 log homes over the last 25 years. All up in Valley County, ID. The last one was built by Pioneer Log Homes out of B.C. They build theirs out of western red cedar. The maintenance we had to have done every few years was restaining. No other issues and insurance wasn’t a problem.

Thank you for all the great replies. Very much appreciated.
Had a local builder friend of mine come look at it yesterday and gave some optimistic blessings.
Getting a expert in the field to look at it next. Cautiously optimistic. The location, land, surroundings could not be better. Hopeful the kit initially used was one of the better ones.

Curious what type of AC system some of you used.

Does the home have a crawl space or basement ? If it does I would think all HVAC ducts would be there with floor registers .

Yes, small attic - no ductwork. Unfinished basement with a wood burning stove only.

For those that lived in one, what’s the deal with insulation or lack thereof?

Ok then you can have a conventional HVAC system installed in the basement . Your duct runs/returns will be run in the basement and terminate in the floor . If it has a loft you either live with " heat rises " or maybe install a mini split . I don't think log homes are usually insulated , the insulation is the thermal mass of the logs . The exception is the roof , if you look up and see finished wood ceiling they usually install insulation between that finished ceiling and the roof deck .

When I was in the mortgage biz, mortgages were hard to get for log homes. I got one approved for a bank customer for whom I'd previously written a lot loan. He has an 800 FICO, $500k in the bank, etc. It was all done but the closing - loan approval, commitment letter, draw schedule, etc. Builder asked me for a copy before he could start on the driveway. I faxed it over, he started on the driveway and the next day the VP of the bank called me and said "We don't do log home loans, you'll need to refer this one out." I protested that everything had been disclosed in the application, it was approved and heading to closing. He said, "Have nice day." Click.