Did this late 70’s log home today and found that on the interior only, at pretty much all walls inside…there were gaps around .25 inch or little more …the home is on a basement. No signs at the exterior of any movement. Is this just shrinking of the chink inside? Is this indicating movement? I dont inspect these old style log with chinking homes that often, but dont remember seeing this in the past…..Appreciate any insight !
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What kind of chinking?
Looks like wood shrinkage to me.
If you are able to measure the wood moisture content on the inside and then on the outside, I think you may find it is drier inside than outside.
InterNACHI has a good log home inspection course that you may enjoy.
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As a log home manufacturer turned home inspector; Typically, synthetic chink is used with foam behind as a backer for the chinking and as a bond break. The blue at the gap in your photo may be foam board or some sort of backer.
Synthetic chink is common for modern log homes because the chink stretches. The foam bond breaker allows the chink to stretch and not loose adhesion to the logs. If the chink adheres to the foam so it doesn’t act like a bond breaker, stretching chink can become detached at the log, like you reported.
In the end, you should recommend rechinking the gaps. Also, suggest the buyer review the historical heating cost. Good catch and good question.
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that makes a lot of sense…wood shrinkage is likely the culprit.
I will take that course again as its been years…
thanks for the input!
I will look into that…thanks!
Evening, Matt. Hope to find you well.
What was the style of log home?
Not all log homes are chinked.
Looks like dense XPS blue foam board insulation. Possibly DuPont but other manufacturers produce XPS foam board.
To me, rightly or wrongly, the log cabin/log home inside is finished with horizontal rough cross cut sawn fir or cedar lumber boards and batten finish. I can’t make out the batten material. MDL?
Shrinkage is common.
Refer to the vender/owner the style of log home.
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Interesting the regional differences. I’ve never seen that style of log home with the sawn flat faced logs.
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Definitely not the Proenneke style of cabin.
Afternoon, Matt. Thank you for the exterior image.
The logs are not thick by the looks of the dove tail grain end. I hope I explained that right. which leads me to believe there is an outer and inner section sandwiching insulation in-between like in manufactured log and timber homes.
The image is just a facsimile.
Were you able to approximate the overall thickness of the assembly?
First off I want to state I am not familiar with that style of dovetailed flat log cabin home, with dovetailed ends and intermediary material in between. Typically/usually the seam would be chinking. As well, been sometime since I inspected rural log cabins in my neck of the woods. Sometimes you run into a popular older popular mechanics log cabin style with this one being unusual to me. Its the intermediary material. It has vertical cracks in several places.
The intermediary looks like MDL. Did you use a awl to probe anyware as expected during a timber constructed structure? Or a pin moisture meter for readings?
If that is the case, sandwiched construction, that would explain why the interior logs are shrinking. Lower humidity from being heated to ><70° F then the outer timber shell in a forested rural area.
That is my interpretation. I recommend. Take it for what it is worth.
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Hello,
Yes this is not the common log home …and I agree it may be an inner and outer sandwiched.
I didnt do the penetration test that you mentioned, and it should be a disclaimer in my contract (internachi contract) that I dont do that level of testing.
I did tap around the home with my screwdriver, and it was all seemingly solid. Yes there were some small vertical cracks, but they seemed to be more shrinkage cracks, and there werent that many around the home.
thanks for all the insight
That’s locking dovetail corners. Stable corner notch with good rain drainage. Good system. You see this style in the Appalachian region and in old homesteads. Instead of hewing with a broad ax, the timbers on this one appear to be squared with a head saw or band saw.
Those are solid logs. The corner notching and offset of the courses tells me that.
That black wood can become a rot issue in moist climates east of the prairie region. It needs a cleanup and finish applied.
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We are definitely a wet environment. I had sent the report already, but will amend and resend with advice to clean and stain in order to prolong lifespan
thank you