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Small Cabin Forum / Cabin Construction / Half log siding???
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LDamm
Member
# Posted: 9 Apr 2013 10:52
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Anyone have half log siding on their cabin? How much maintainence is needed to keep it looking nice? Would you use it again?

Thanks

I like this look.
3E53kf3G35Na5F85Jad2.jpg
3E53kf3G35Na5F85Jad2.jpg


GomerPile
Member
# Posted: 9 Apr 2013 15:55 - Edited by: GomerPile
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Owned and restored a log cabin. The lower half was siding the upper milled logs.

Lots of work to keep up. If the wood shrinks you end up with rain behind the siding. If you chink it and the chinking cracks even worse since the water has a hard time getting out. Nothing you can do about the wood shrinking seasonally...

Take a close look at the specs on chinking and you will discover that it is not easy to meet their spec (typically 3/8 on each side of chink joint) on how much log surface area is needed to make a proper joint. On 6 inch logs you end up with a 3/4 inch wide joint which looks pretty dumb IMO. You might pull it off with 8 inch logs and a favorable profile.

I had one "professional" log home contractor tell me to just chink it like you would caulk your bathtub (1/4" joint). I tried his method on a small section and it started cracking and pulling away in 2 years.

SubArcticGuy
Member
# Posted: 9 Apr 2013 21:56
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I have pine half log siding on my house that is milled and overlapping. It is in dire need of refinishing (I have only stained it once in about 8 years. The wood is still solid but this spring I will be trying to rejuvenate it and restain so that it matches new siding so we can put on an addition. I have my doubts as to how well it will work. It looks good though (or it would anyway if I had kept up with the stain).

evrmc1
Member
# Posted: 9 Apr 2013 21:58
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i have watched a lot f shows on log siding and it was a bunch of work all time. wood bees are very bad they bore and tunnel and will destroy your home. I would use hardi plank I have had it for 15 years on play house with no problem only painted it once when it was new still looks great

LDamm
Member
# Posted: 11 Apr 2013 06:50
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Seems like everyone I know says its to much upkeep. But what good is my dream cabin with vinyl siding.

Staining every 5 years doesn't seem to bad. Iwould use tongue and groove so no chinking.

OwenChristensen
Member
# Posted: 11 Apr 2013 07:42
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It looks good , but simple T1-11 is better and way cheaper.

GomerPile
Member
# Posted: 11 Apr 2013 09:32
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even the T&G stuff expands and contracts leaving gaps. Its lot like lap siding or cedar shakes that shed water naturally and you could end up with structural rot if you fail to maintain it.

Some alternatives:

+ LP Smartside: Engineered siding made from OSB (I am using on my new place) http://www.lpcorp.com/smartside/

+ Board and batten made from rough cut pine, nice rustic look.

+ Cedar shakes, very cost effective and looks nice, easy to install.

+ Cedar lap siding, pricey though.

OwenChristensen
Member
# Posted: 11 Apr 2013 18:53 - Edited by: OwenChristensen
Reply 


Well I've used it all on thousands of small buildings. T1-11 has vertical grain and sheds water better than any horizontal. grain lap siding. We've had very low warranty work and trust it for that reason. All seems are over framing, so it is very wind wash protected too. It also has great wind bracing strength. I'll admit that cedar lap siding looks great.
Oh yeah, I've used it for thirty five years and I have a warranty that long. If I had to redo 1% of my work I would be busy and I'm not. Heck my own cabin is twenty five years old and only stained once.

Owen
my cabin
my cabin


preventec47
Member
# Posted: 15 Apr 2013 14:54
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I have a 12 year old 12x16 garden shed made with pressure treated
T-111 It has held up perfectly and I have never put anything on it
but I think I might paint it in the next few years because the color
has gone all grey instead of the greenish brown when new.

You just have to choose between asthetics, cost, durability and ease
of installation etc. At the hi end is stone in terms of durability but
if it is mortared into steel lathe then you can have problems with the
lathe and of course the stone is HEAVY. That might be why Hardi Plank
and similar have become so popular. !5 yrs ago when Hardi Plank came out they had some with color embedded and you did not even have to paint. I gather the colors faded and they discontinued it.
ou

brokeneck
Member
# Posted: 22 Apr 2013 19:38
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Our yurbin uses t&g log siding. I'd like to keep it looking natural so I finished it with a clear water based sealer it when it was first built about 2 years ago. I'll clearcoat it again this year -- only takes 4 or 5 hours -- I'm sure if I wanted to add color I'd get 5 or 6 years of protection ..
rock2.jpg
rock2.jpg


Truecabin
Member
# Posted: 23 Apr 2013 10:33
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Quoting: preventec47
You just have to choose between asthetics, cost, durability and ease
of installation etc.


But you cant choose your age. If you are in your 30s you can build a cool cabin your still strong enough to bang your head against the wall and you want it to look cool but you cant afford it yet. If your too old then its all made of department store materials and your proud moment that you built it to code.

ICC
Member
# Posted: 23 Apr 2013 10:51
Reply 


love that hardie plank lap siding! Good paint sticks and lasts a long time, no blistering that i've ever seen. fire resistant rating too. those who use hardie get to do other relaxing stuff while those who use clear or stained real wood fret and refinish frequently.

i've seen too many stained and clear coated wood sided cabins where the owner just let it get away on them as they couldn't find their round tuits

preventec47
Member
# Posted: 23 Apr 2013 15:56
Reply 


Why the insistance on painting HardiPlank siding ? Just use
stainless steel nails and it should still last forever. Over time
I'd guess it would develop it's own cabin worthy patina from smog, dust,
pollen etc etc.

ICC
Member
# Posted: 23 Apr 2013 17:03
Reply 


They have a good warranty, if you follow all the installation directions. Paint is required unless it is the prefinished variety and then they call for painting cut ends. S?S nails are good but they are hidden under the laps anyways.

Vermonter
Member
# Posted: 24 Apr 2013 16:57
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You can get for free at most log milling places cedar slabs. It's what is left over from making lumber. It has the bark still on it and is cut smooth on the back side. They are about 2 inches thick and make great siding. It is what I am doing for my cabin.

preventec47
Member
# Posted: 24 Apr 2013 19:54
Reply 


I know it might look kind of strange but I think the cedar slabs would drain water better if installed vertically.

Ann
Member
# Posted: 26 Apr 2013 11:22
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Quoting: evrmc1
have watched a lot f shows on log siding and it was a bunch of work all time. wood bees are very bad they bore and tunnel and will destroy your home.


I have pine siding (stained) and have big problems for several months every year with damage from carpenter bees. This year I painted the highest areas, which the bees favor most. I used latex paint over the latex stain, which I hope holds up after a second coat.

I hope it deters the bees from those areas but doesn't just cause them drill lower spots. From what I have read, the only thing that deters them from destroying wood is paint. I chase/spray them whenever I see them, and I fill all holes but I can't be there all the time to stand guard. I will paint more of the trim etc. if needed but I hate to do it because the stained wood looks so much better.

KinAlberta
Member
# Posted: 7 May 2017 10:44
Reply 


Your thoughts or experiences on these:

Vertical applications?

Or mixed orientation applications with some vertical and some horizontal or half wall of log siding and half of board and batten or other?
... or top portion log with bottom of faux stone?..,

patty55
Member
# Posted: 16 Aug 2018 16:06
Reply 


I would not recommend this type of siding. Although it looks great, amazing really, it is so hard to up keep this siding. So much work in the future. Think about the long run and go with vinyl. I got a good quote from conservation contrustion of texas. I'm sure they could help you too.

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