The five details on a log home that always fail first

Log walls rarely fail evenly. They fail at the details, and always the same ones.

1. Log ends and corner notches

End grain absorbs water far faster than face grain. Corner notches and protruding log ends are the most exposed end grain on the building, and they are where rot starts.

2. Upward-facing checks

Checks are the natural splits that open as a log dries. Any check facing up is a channel that collects water and holds it against the interior of the log. Those want filling and sealing, not just coating over.

3. The first course

Splash-back off a deck or grade keeps the bottom log wet long after the rest of the wall has dried. It is the single most common location for serious decay.

4. Butt joints between logs

Where two logs meet in a run, movement opens the joint and the sealant works hardest. It is a small area doing a large job.

5. Under-eave transitions

The line where a protected wall meets an exposed one is where finish life changes abruptly, so failure shows as a hard edge rather than a gradual fade.

On the Cypress Hills cabins it is nearly always the corner notches and the south-facing log ends, because that is where snow sits longest into the spring and where the summer sun hits hardest once it has gone.