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Are Log Homes High Maintenance?

A lot of prospective log home builders are first time log home or cabin owners, and they naturally have questions about maintenance. After all, it's a very different sort of building material. Are log homes high maintenance or are they comparable to traditional stick built homes? The goods news is that log homes are actually low maintenance in comparison to regular houses.

Construction with logs means there's no painting or papering to be done, no cracks to patch, and just generally less time needed for interior repairs.

It is important that you don't paint your log walls since ordinary house paints will crack and peel as the logs expand and shrink with the weather (a process that is completely natural). As the Complete Guide to Log and Cedar Homes states, "If you don't want to spend your life studying paint charts, an alternative might be to consider building a log house."

Instead of paint, you will want to use a stain or a transparent wood treatment to provide protection. These treatments only occasionally need cleaning and recoating.

Source: Complete Guide to Log and Cedar Homes