In this blog series we will be providing you with top tips for looking after your Summerhouse. At Cabins Unlimited we make sure we supply all our amazing customers with all the information needed to look after their timber buildings.
Even though your new summerhouse may be enjoying its new, fancy location, work never ends here. To avoid difficulties, log cabins need routine care; if you keep up with the maintainance, your building will endure much longer than you anticipate! While a maintenance-free structure would be ideal, all the qualities of wood that we know and love would be lost.
Treating your Summerhouse:
This blog simply explains the measures we have taken to ensure that your building is well safeguarded if you have chosen to have one of our teams paint your Summerhouse. However, if you want to take care of the building yourself, we've outlined below every crucial consideration. Many of our clients additionally hire a nearby contractor to take care of the building; if this is the case, please pass this information along to them.
Please be aware that in moderate to heavy rainstorms, little water droplets may find their way through the knots of your log cabin until your structure is treated. Untreated wood will naturally exhibit this, and it will be more obvious on the wood of the windows and doors where water will drip from the glazing onto the threshold of the wood.
First, you must select a treatment that is appropriate and of good quality for your log cabin. A simple fence or shed paint will sadly not be sufficient to provide the greatest possible protection for your Summerhouse; both the interior and exterior of your building will need to be treated in various ways.
We advise using a solvent or water-based product with a lifespan of 8–10 years and many coats for the exterior of your building. Which product you choose will depend on the type of finish you prefer, a water-based paint like Sadolin Superdec can be combined to any solid colour to match your garden, but a solvent-based stain like Sadolin Classic will leave the knots and other natural features of the wood visible. Both products, in our opinion, will provide your building with the necessary protection. Years of experience have taught us that using a clear treatment on the outside of your building is not a good idea because it rarely provides much UV protection, will eventually cause the wood to turn grey, and water ingress will start to show. It is also very difficult for even the best decorators to see where you have been.
We advise applying a polyurethane coating to the interior of your building, which is also offered by Sadolin. If you spill any liquid, this coating acts as a barrier to stop it from leaving a mark and protecting the wood from decay and greying. Sadolin Superdec with a topcoat of polyurethane coating is what we advise using if you want to paint the interior of your building a certain colour.
Our teams often apply any treatment with a brush therefore we advise any customers to do the same as this will allow you to get into any small regions where any naked timber is exposed. The exterior of any log cabin needs to be covered as per the required coats listed on your tin of treatment. If the weather allows, try treating the structure during the first two weeks after your log cabin is put up. We advise protecting the doors and windows first to prevent warping that will only be brought on by the elements.
The facias surrounding the windows and doors must be removed and painted from behind when treating your building's interior and exterior. This makes sure that all untreated wood is preserved and prevents untreated lines of wood from appearing above and around windows and doors when the structure expands and contracts. We advise you NOT to cover over these screw holes because if the windows and doors ever need to be modified, it will prohibit us from being able to do so. All facias will be screwed so may be removed easily.
BE CAUTIOUS – As previously mentioned, our doors and windows are created with a floating frame system and are therefore not physically fixed to the building. We advise only removing one fascia at a time while painting to prevent your heavy windows and doors from falling out of place! For the lifespan of the structure, we have discovered that sealing behind the trimmings after they have been sealed with silicone or another alternative sealer is useful.
When you decide to treat the building, we advise removing the fascia boards that are attached to the roof and treating the building from both sides. Your cabin's roof will be subject to the full force of British weather, making it the area where any timber will be most at risk.
As the only portion of your log cabin that lacks any sort of tongue and groove, the corners can also be regarded as weak parts of the structure. These corners don't have water seeping through them. However, if they are not treated so that all exposed wood is covered, you might notice a few minor pockets of dampness. Once the building has received all necessary treatments, we further advise sealing each individual log ear with silicone sealant.
To prevent any water from rising through the base into the untreated Log Cabin walls, the factory will have previously pressure-treated the foundation floor bearers, as you can see from their predominantly green or brown colour. Although these bearers have previously undergone pressure treatment, we nevertheless advise treating them on the outside of your structure to assist the water content match that of the remainder of your log house.
All hardware, hinges, and draught excluders can be easily unscrewed or removed by hand and painted from behind in order to help your structure look its best. This will save the need for cutting in and treat the wood underneath the metalwork, adding an added layer of protection.
The exterior treatment you have selected for your structure will not be appropriate for this flat, horizontal timber, so if you have purchased a building with decks, we advise buying a separate little tin of decking oil for this region. With a natural timber product like this, it is normal to expect some splits or cracks in the wood. These can be covered with a natural wood filler for cosmetic purposes, sanded down, and painted if you so want.
KEEP IN MIND: If you would like a quote for our expert painting service, then do not hesitate to contact our offices! It is not too late for our teams to finish this work for you! We can also provide the treatment!