Looking for and purchasing a home is quite exciting.  While going through plenty of listings, you are able to visit a wide variety of homes, compare features, and feel like royalty as real estate agents fight for your attention.

OK, maybe it’s not that glamorous, but you get the idea.

A log cabin, however, is quite different. Many people choose to buy log cabin kits online in order to have an ideal retreat for the winter or summer months. It’s a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of your regular life and relax far away from everything.

While you may be well-versed in taking care of other parts of your house, you might not know that log cabins have their own maintenance protocol. 

If you’re thinking about purchasing a log cabin or already have one on the way, we have some of the most important maintenance items that you should know. 

The Walls Need Sunblock

Yes, just as you should always be wearing sunblock when you go outside, so should your exterior walls. This doesn’t mean you need to run out and purchase SPF 1000, but invest in some pigmented stains or products that have UV combatants infused.

Having such stains is going to protect your log cabin from harmful UV rays. Purchasing mediocre stain or not staining at all means your log cabin is likely to experience discoloration and sun damage as the years pass by.

Keep Your Garden Far

A garden is something that really brings the whole look of a house together. Many may think that having a garden with your log cabin is perfectly fine. You have a green thumb and know which mistakes you have to avoid, so why not add one to your log cabin?

While there’s no problem with having a garden, you need to make sure that it’s at least three feet away from the walls. This way, you’re going to keep bugs, excess moisture, and other debris away from your walls.

While termites aren’t as much of a risk as years past, there are plenty of other critters (carpenter bees) that would love to ruin your cabin’s exterior.

Don’t Forget the Interior

While we’ll leave the decorating decisions up to you, it’s important that you remember to take care of your interior walls as well. 

To give your walls the ideal finish, we recommend using a sander and use a water-based acrylic stain which will allow your wood to breathe. This will give your walls the best look and care possible.

If you’ve heard that log cabins are more susceptible to mold and mildew, you’d be right. While proper care will keep the mold and mildew away, you still need to stay a bit more vigilant here.

When you spot mildew or mold, the best thing you can do is spray with hydrogen peroxide, let it sit for a few moments, and then lightly scrub with a soft-bristled brush. Once that is finished, you should sponge your wall with distilled white vinegar.

This is a much better option than bleach which stains wood and is very hard to remove.

Check Your Roof

Just like your roof at home, your log cabin roof is going to need quite a bit of checking and maintenance as well. 

When looking at your roof, you’re going to want to take an extra look where the roofline meets. This is often a place where moisture can collect and left unattended, can spell bad news for your log cabin as a whole.

While you’re up on the roof, it’s also worth checking out your gutters. They need to be covered at all times to keep any debris or branches away. Keeping this debris screened is going to keep moisture from pooling up on your roof.

Check for Cracks Inside and Out

The day you move into your log cabin, you’re probably going to notice a few cracks here and there. Tiny cracks are nothing to worry about but bigger cracks could be part of a larger issue.

Not only are they unsightly, but they can also be letting air and moisture into your home. Fixing these cracks isn’t too difficult, thankfully, and can be done with wood putty, filler sticks, glue and sawdust, or epoxy. 

Just make sure you’re doing a thorough check once every six months to check for any cracks along the walls.