We are thinking about buying a log house in Magnolia, mississippi. Our home was damaged during hurricane Katrina, so we are moving out of the flood plain. I came across this two story log home it has been restained in the last two years. I know nothing about log homes so what should i look for when inspecting this home. It seems to be well kept. I would like any information you could supply.
Start by going around the house with a hammer and tap on the logs looking for rot. When you come to a rotten log you will here the difference in sound from the good ones. Decks where water has been splashing on the logs, corners and bottoms of doors and windows are high suspect areas. If the log ends are sticking out past any overhangs there is a real good chance of log rot in those corners. Make sure the caulk/chink is sealed good and does not have a lot of splitting or cracks in it.Be sure that the stain has a good look and is not fading or cracking.You should plan on budgeting $1500 to $2000 per year for maintenance on an average size log home.