WARNING: This is a vent/whine!
I am a bit of a tizzy. I live in a log home. I LOVE my house. However, it has not been given the external love it needs. We decided to hire someone to do it for us. It is worse than I expected. I seriously think I will have to take a second mortgage for this! I am really freaking out.
When we built the house we used pressure treated logs. We were told that stain was all they needed. That is all we did. Now I am being told we did that wrong and we needed to seal them, too. I am also being told we need to fill in the checks in the logs. That is NOT what I was being told 25 years ago. So...back to the research board.
I just have that sick feeling deep in the pit of my stomach. We could not have afforded a brick ranch (blech!) of the size we needed at the time we built. THAT is my husband's dream home. This is what I found that worked for us. I just need to find out how to make it keep working for us.
Cross your fingers that I am wrong and the estimate won't be in the $25K range.
Mary
Okay, 30 minutes of research refreshed my memory. I hate this getting old crap where I KNOW I know something but can't recall all the information. We did NOT do the wrong thing. For better or for worse, our logs were pressure treated when we bought them. We were not supposed to seal them with an air tight seal - and I am glad we didn't given what now know about CCA treatment. The inside of our home was sealed with polyurethane but the outside was let "breath" with water repellent sealant.
There are two schools of thought about checks in logs. I am not sure that I agree they should all be sealed up. That seems like a good way to lock in moisture.
I know none of this is of any interest to the quilters that read but it does help me to record my thought process here. I really liked the guy that came but I think we need to talk to some other folks, too. I still expect his bid to be in the $25,000 range. Did I mention we built this house with a $42,000 loan? I always compare everything to that. I am going to research some more and hopefully I have talked myself down before I freak out my husband, too.
Thanks for "listening"!
Crossing my fingers!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kristi! I need all the help I can get.
ReplyDeleteTelling someone else always helps me get my thoughts in order. A previous boss used to say all she had to do was listen--I would figure out for myself what I needed to do. She underestimated the value of the listening part. Explaining helps you marshal the facts and clarify the ones that are most important.
ReplyDeletePlease feel free to talk to us anytime--that is what friends are for.
And here's hoping things work out best.
Thanks, Sallie! They will work out fine. My husband came down and talked me "off the wall". We are not idiots. The logs are not rotten. He just hates heights. If we can't find anyone to do what we want we will do it ourselves. My sister did point out that just because my boys grew up did not mean I am without teenage boys to help with the process. My nephews will be more than happy to help - or so their parents say!
DeleteI'll send His Awesomeness if you need help but am keeping my fingers crossed, too.
ReplyDeleteHope it all works out for you. I think schools of thought change over the years. You did the best you could when you built your house. You'll be fine! I'm sure of it!
ReplyDelete