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Smawgunner
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# Posted: 28 May 2013 20:08
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Our cabin is a tall 2 story (old original log cabin). It is in the middle of some very tall trees also. I'm contemplating putting gutters on but I fear they would get clogged (even with gutter guards), bent up by falling limbs and just be a maintenance nightmare....not to mention I don't do heights! The foundation is stone and I'm a bit nervous about the rushing water damaging it. I'm torn whether to put them on or not. Thoughts??
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CabinRookieWNY
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# Posted: 28 May 2013 20:26
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Any issues with the lack of water? If you have a water source, why bother right, but you did mention rushing water damaging the foundation.... get the water away from the foundation.
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Smawgunner
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# Posted: 28 May 2013 22:08
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It's in Ohio so it can be rainy at times. There isn't "rushing" water per se but if it's coming straight off the roof it can collect pretty quickly around the foundation if you know what I mean.
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Sustainusfarm
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# Posted: 28 May 2013 22:40
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You could did a trench about 18" wide right where the water falls off the roof and line it with plastic put in a 4" perforated drain pipe and top off with decorative gravel.Make sure the pipe slopes to allow drainage away from the house....
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 29 May 2013 08:44
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I understand your concern about gutter guards getting clogged. But there are superior gutter guards that don't. I have 'Gutter Glove' brand guards on my shed where I collect rain water, and have to have a gutter guard that works. It's an aluminum extrusion with a fine mesh stainless screen on top of it. You could walk on it if the gutter itself would support your weight. It self-cleans and certainly can't crunch into the gutter like cheap plastic or wire mesh gutter guards. Filters out all particulates so the water is clean in the downspout (except for soluble contaminates).
Now the down side- about $8 a lineal foot. Not real easy to install. But, once done, it's a real solution.
Gutters will definitely extend the life of your building in the long run, keeping splash off the lower siding and keeping excess water away from the foundation.
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GomerPile
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# Posted: 29 May 2013 09:24 - Edited by: GomerPile
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You MUST HAVE GUTTERS ON A LOG CABIN...I don't care how often you need to clean them out! Especially with a 2 story log home, you cant make the roof overhangs long enough to keep roof water from hitting the side of the house.
The #1 enemy of log cabins is water. The most vulnerable part is the 2-3 logs at the bottom of your wall because they get constant splash from rain water. You also have insects that are attracted to those nice moist logs, next thing you know you see holes, sawdust, mushrooms, etc.
You must do everything possible to manage rainwater and keep your logs dry. Trust me, you don't want to replace those bottom logs....even if you can do the work yourself its a real pain in the rear.
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ICC
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# Posted: 7 Jun 2013 23:19
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ditto gomerpile 
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BCcabin
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# Posted: 8 Jun 2013 03:53
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How does everyone deal with ice buildup on their gutters in the winter.
Mine jams up with ice when the heat from the cabin melts the snow on the roof to the point of ripping them off!
At the moment we have asphalt roofing. Would this problem be alleviated when I switch to a metal roof?
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ICC
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# Posted: 8 Jun 2013 09:27
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Quoting: BCcabin How does everyone deal with ice buildup on their gutters in the winter.
That can only ne alleviated by proper roof / attic insulation. Done right there is insufficient heat loss to melt the snow on the roof. It is a common problem on older buildings and especially ones with lofts / cathedral ceilings. we built with raised heel rafters which allow for r45 all the way out to the wall top with our flat ceiling and attic. no icing at all.
glad you mentioned metal roofing. snow slides off easier and the gutters will get ripped off. stop the sliding to solve that. we use a pipe along the eve edge as a snow slide stop. there are also screw on things that are placed all over the roof to stop sliding. google snow guards or snow birds.
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 8 Jun 2013 09:44
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ICC- i planned to locate gutters on my 8/12 pitch roof below the plane of the metal roofing, in the hopes that sliding snow will miss the gutters. Probably miss some of the water coming off the roof too, but not all. Think this will work, or will it still rip the gutters?
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ICC
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# Posted: 8 Jun 2013 14:27
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I have a roof on a building i do not collect rainwater from (too far away from tanks). It has a metal roof and the most wonderful snow curls that would most likely damage gutters. Depends on the luck of the draw.
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Borrego
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# Posted: 8 Jun 2013 22:23
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You can also use the gutters to collect graywater, right? Another reason to have them....
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 8 Jun 2013 23:05
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Until it is left to sit to let the dirt, etc settle and then filtered / purified somehow I guess the rainwater is a light shade of gray  We collect it during the rainy season (too brief these days) and then the snow melt. We don't want the snow sliding off to the ground, we want to save it as the snow can amount to half the yearly collection of water. It gets used for all our needs, no well, no water delivery, just rain and snow for washing, cooking, drinking, additional irrigation and a reserve for fire suppression. The real gray water is used for trees.
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BCcabin
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# Posted: 11 Jun 2013 01:36
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Quoting: ICC That can only ne alleviated by proper roof / attic insulation. Done right there is insufficient heat loss to melt the snow on the roof.
Well that settles that. I'll definitely be blowing in some insulation when I replace the trusses next year. Speaking of old.... Lol my cabin is at least 60 years old and the insulation in the roof is pretty suspect. Not to mention the pitch can't be more than 3/12.
Cheers!
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ICC
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# Posted: 13 Jun 2013 18:47
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Quoting: BCcabin replace the trusses
ask for raised heel trusses especially with such a low pitch. They provide space for full insulation depth in attics right out to the wall edge.
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BCcabin
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# Posted: 14 Jun 2013 00:44
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Thanks for that tip.
I'm hoping to increase that to at least a 5/12 if not more.
Would I still need that type of Truss if I increase he pitch?
Thanks again for your help ICC.
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ICC
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# Posted: 14 Jun 2013 10:10
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the shorter the truss span the greater the need for a raised heel truss, if getting maximum insukation into an attic floor / ceiling is the goal. Increased pitch helps solve that but I see raised heels in use on 30 and 40 foot span trusses in new construction even with 6/12 and greater pitch. Draw it out to scale to see.
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TheWildMan
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# Posted: 16 Jun 2013 11:49
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i would worry about errosion and soil compaction. the concentrated run off from an unguttered roof will create a packed trench along the foundation and dense soil prevents grass from growing and can create ponding and soil errosion. if you don't use gutters to cntrol run off you should use some medium to disapate the concentrated rain hitting the ground. gravel, wood chips or rocks will work to intercept and break up run off (the force of concentrated water is broken up at ground level rather than diverted). i used chopped up brush and small branches around my place where i dont have gutters. if you use woodchips they will break down into rich soil nutrients and you can plant shrubs around (I have wild currents and blueberries along my cabin)
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