Maintaining a residential cabin is not a tough task as many people assume it to be. If you are going to take care of the residential cabin on regular basis, then you can keep it in new condition all the time. As summers are here, it is the best time to have a maintenance check and see the areas that need repairs in the residential cabin. The most important area of the residential cabin that you need to take care of is the roof. As the surface of the roof is constantly exposed, it takes a lot of beating from the weather and you have to make sure that it is protected in a right manner, to increase the life of the wood that you have used for the construction. The woods of the residential cabin can last for years, if you are going to take right care of them. If you have used a treated wood for the construction of the residential cabin, then you have to coat it with a protective layer once in every three years to keep the surface in pristine condition. Here are some of the steps you can take for the maintenance of the roof.
Choosing The Correct Treatment
Before you start with the maintenance of the residential cabin roof, you have to make sure that you are using the right treatments. It is always recommended to call in the professional as they know their job fully and they also guide you in ways in which you can have the best products for the maintenance of the roof. There are various stain based treatments in the markets that you can choose from and they protect the wood from rain, dust, and snow. When you apply them on the surface of the wood, they form a protective layer that helps it to repel water. You don’t have to use primer with some of the products and they can be applied directly on the surface of the wood. Before you apply the treatment, make sure that the surface of the wood is dry and is free from dust and grimes. For best results, sand the surface of the wood to the direction of the grains as this will help the treatment to settle properly at the surface, giving it a right layer.
If you are going for solvent and spirit based treatments, then you will be having a benefit of added protection. They are far easier to apply and offer you a much lasting protection. The best way to get wood treated with solvent is to call a professional and get them applied evenly on the surface of the roof. As the roof is constantly exposed to harsh sun, the solvent coat also protects it from the harmful UV radiation. This saves the wood from developing cracks on the surface.
Another treatment option that you can go for is the oil based treatments. They provide through protection to the wood and leave enough room for wood to settle down. They provide much better UV protection and save the wood from the fungus formation too. They are also more durable and you have to get the wood retouched once in every 4-5 years if you are using oil based treatment. However, if your residential cabin is old, then it recommended that you are retouching the protection more frequently.
Last but not the least; you can also get the wood treated by a pressure treatment, where the preservatives are pressured deep into the core of the wood, giving them a better protection against the harsh weather conditions. Pressure-treating also allows for protection against fungal and insect attacks, but you need to make sure that you are getting the wood treated with a water repellent solution as pressure treating alone is not good enough to save the wood from water.
Re-Applying Treatment When Required
Re application of the treatment is a very crucial step in the maintenance of the wood on the roof. Whatever application that you have used for the treatment, tends to get deteriorated over the period of time. This exposes the wood to the harsh weather conditions and to make sure that your wood is protected in the best possible way, you need to make sure that you are getting it re applied once in every 2-3 years. The best way to get it done is by calling in the professionals. They give you lots of treatment options that you can choose from and they take a note when the application was done and when is the due date for the re application. This way, you don’t have to keep a track on the maintenance part, as it is recorded by the professionals and you get all the right protection.
Looking Out For Rain Damage And LeaksYou have to keep looking for any signs of the leaks on the roof. As all the walls of the log house is directly connected with the roof, if there is any leakage in the side walls, then the water will seep into the rest of the walls. To make sure that the roof has no sign of the leak, you need to get it checked before the rains. As July is already here, this is the best time to get the surface of the roof treated with water repellent solution.
Checking Unrestricted Contacts And Adding Shingles
Every contact in the roof must be unrestricted so that it allows proper flow of rain water and snow. If the water and snow is going to get collected on the roof, then the surface of the wood is going to absorb it, and the roof will start to leak. Make sure that the roof has a waterproof durable thick plastic membrane which provides extra protection. If there is too much of a snowfall in the area, then ensure that you are brushing off the excess snow from the roof and keeping the surface of the wood clean.
