A log home rewards attention. One careful walk-around a year, ideally in late spring after the snow is gone and before the summer staining season, catches almost every problem while it’s still small and cheap to fix.
This checklist takes about an hour. You’ll need a spray bottle of water, a screwdriver, binoculars or a ladder for upper courses, a notepad or your phone camera, and dry weather.
Want it on paper? Open the printable checklist and take it outside with you.
1. Finish and stain
Start with the south and west walls, which take the most sun, then do the rest of the house.
- Water bead test. Mist each wall, high and low. Water should bead and roll off. If it soaks in and darkens the wood, the finish has failed on that wall.
- Color. Look for fading, graying or one wall that looks noticeably lighter than the others.
- Surface. Check for peeling, flaking or blotchy areas.
- Mildew. Look for black spots or streaks, especially on north walls, under eaves and near the ground.
Take a photo of each wall from the same spot every year. Side-by-side photos make slow fading much easier to see.
2. Checks (cracks in the logs)
- Look at the top surface of logs for checks facing upward. Those collect water.
- Note any upward-facing check wider than about 1/4 inch. A coin is a handy gauge.
- Compare with last year’s photos. Checks that are getting longer or wider need sealing.
Checks on the sides or undersides of logs are normal and usually don’t need attention.
3. Chinking and caulking
- Run along every chinking line and caulk joint looking for cracks, gaps or sections pulling away from the log.
- Pay extra attention to corners, window and door trim, and any penetrations like pipes, wires, vents and lights.
- Press gently on suspect spots. Sound sealant is flexible and firmly attached. Failing sealant is hard, brittle, or lifts away.
- From inside, on a windy day, feel for drafts along walls and around windows.
4. Rot
Use the screwdriver test anywhere wood looks dark, stained or suspicious:
- Log ends at corners and under overhangs
- Bottom two or three courses, especially on walls without gutters
- Under windows and around door thresholds
- Where decks, porches or roofs meet the log wall
- Around dormers and roof valleys
Sound wood resists the screwdriver. If it sinks in easily or feels spongy, mark it and photograph it. Rot needs repair before it spreads, and it’s worth getting a professional look.
5. Insects
- Look for small round holes, about 1/2 inch across, on log ends, eaves and fascia. Those usually mean carpenter bees.
- Check decks, sills and the ground along walls for sawdust (frass) piles.
- Look for tiny pinholes with fine powder. Those can be beetles.
- Woodpecker damage often means there are insects in the wood.
- Watch for carpenter ants trailing in and out of the logs, especially around damp areas.
Insects go after bare, weathered or damp wood first. Finding them is often a sign the finish or water management needs work too.
6. Water management
Water is what causes nearly all log home damage, so follow where it goes:
- Gutters and downspouts: clean, attached, and draining well away from the house.
- Splashback: look for dirt splatter, darker color or wear on the lower logs.
- Grade: soil should slope away from the house, with the bottom log well clear of the ground.
- Landscaping: shrubs, mulch and firewood should be kept back from the walls so air can reach the logs.
- Sprinklers: make sure they don’t hit the logs.
7. Roof and overhangs
- Check that roof overhangs are protecting the walls below. Short overhangs mean more weather on the logs.
- Look for damaged flashing where roofs meet log walls.
- After winter, look for signs of ice dams: water staining near the top courses or damaged fascia.
- Note anywhere snow slides off the roof and piles against the walls.
8. Write it down
Make a simple note for each wall: north, south, east, west. What did you find, and is it better or worse than last year? Note the date and the weather.
Over a few years, these notes tell you exactly how your home ages and which walls need attention most often. That’s the same thing we record in a care plan.
What to do with what you find
| If you found… | Do this |
|---|---|
| Nothing of note | Great. Repeat next year. |
| Fading or slow water beading on one or two walls | Plan a maintenance coat on those walls. |
| Open upward checks or failing caulk | Seal them before next winter’s freeze-thaw. |
| Water soaking in, graying or peeling | Plan a strip and restain this season. |
| Soft wood or insect signs | Book an inspection soon. |
Prefer to have someone else do it?
Our Checkup care plan covers this whole list once a year, plus moisture readings on every wall and a written report with photos. See care plans or book a free first inspection.