Most of the time vertical logs rot out at the bottom of the timber where the log transitions into the foundation, or in this case, lack of foundation!
We have fixed this problem a number of ways over the years, depending on the log home and available budget for repairs.
One technique we developed for fixing rot on vertical logs entails essentially cutting off the bottoms of the logs and putting in a log or cedar “lumber sill”. This does two things: First, it supports the wall and second, it gives the house a bit more “free-board”, i.e. gets it up off the ground.
Why this is important is that when water continually splashes off the ground or some other surface onto the the logs closest to the ground, it can lead to rot.
For details on the project in the photos above, click here to see how we replaced vertical logs in Balsam Lake, Wisconsin.
