looking into buying a log home built in 1980 in southern maine what should i be looking at when i go for showing? should i bring a contracter with me to check for what i might not see?
You should take a hammer and walk around the house tapping on the logs. You will get to know the sound of good logs, when you get to any bad ones they will sound hollow or way different. Check along decks where water has been splashing, corners and along the bottoms of doors and windows. Also look for failing rain gutters where they may be allowing water to run down the logs and cause rot.
Look for faded or peeling in the stain. Also look closely to see if there are black spots of mold growing under the stain.
Watch for breaks in the chinking or caulk, and if it is not caulked or chinked it should be on a home of this age.