It's that ti,e of year again! With just a few weeks left in the school year, many families are already thinking about that first family camping trip!
SPRING CHECKUP FOR YOUR CABIN
Wood Exterior? 5 Quick Tips to Keep It Beautiful
If your favorite place is wood or log-sided, it might need a spring checkup.
1.Spray or splash a bit of water on your wood siding or logs. If the water beads up and rolls, you're good for another year. But if it soaks in, it's time to consider a new coat of stain. (If it's log, it's especially important to check the log ends as end grain tends to soak up more moisture.)
2.Check that your plants and trees around the perimeter of your place haven't grown too close to the siding. They can direct rain onto your cabin and block the sun & air circulation from drying any moisture in the area. You should have a good 2-3 feet of space between your cabin & any shrubbery.
3.Make sure the earth around your cabin isn't too close to the wood as well. You want a minimum of
6 inches between the bottom of the siding and the ground so that rain doesn't splash onto the wood.
4.Re-caulk any gaps in your windows, trim & butt joints of the wood. This helps with air infiltration into the house and keeps the moisture out as well. Latex caulk is easy to work with & cleans up with water, but because it's water-based, it shrinks more than other caulk & may need re-application more often.
5.By now it should be obvious that moisture control and water management are keys to the long-term longevity of your place. If you don't have gutters already installed, they can be a great investment. If you do, take the time to clean them out and make sure that the runoff drains away from your cabin.
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