I bought a 413 sq ft house in the Rocky Mountains. I could have just left it alone, but thought I'd strip down to the framing to insulate. I torn down panelling and plasterboard to discover that there is a log cabin underneath. I was searching for the outerwall - imagine my surprise when I realized that the "2 x 6" I was trying to remove was part of a log wall. Oops!

So much for finding a frame - any suggestions as to how to insulate a log wall without making the room the size of a postage stamp?

Should I tear off the old siding and insulate on the outside? Should I just tear of the siding to reveal the timber for ambiance??

I can hear the cash register dinging in the background here.

Thanks!

Fifi in Canada

-- Fifi Heard (fifi67@telusplanet.net), September 02, 2001

Answers

what part of colorado? i live in oklahoma but have a lot of family in colorado and i love going to visit.

to each his own, but in light of all the forest fires everywhere, i'd be tempted to totally brick or native rock the outside and put on a new metal roof. not exactly rustic or scenic but my gosh all these fires are awful. between the exterior brick or stone and the log walls, i'd insulate the heck out of it and put in some really good insulated windows, yet providing for lots of natural ventilation when i'd choose it.

have a good one, i am trying not to be too jealous :)

gene

-- gene ward (gward34847@aol.com), September 02, 2001.

oops, pardon my faux pas. when i saw rocky mountain i assumed colorado, but of course the rocky mountains go much farther north. sorry about that

gene

-- gene ward (gward34847@aol.com), September 02, 2001.

hee hee hee - No problem, Gene. Not much risk of fire where it's located - in an old coal mining town. Incredible views. Someone else suggested a metal roof. Currently it has old cedar shingles. But you're right, I need to insulate the heck out of it. This year inside and the attic. Next year maybe I'll remove the siding, wrap it, and cover it with something.

Although I can hear the cash register cachinging - I'm fortunate in that it is only 413 sq ft.

Fifi

-- Fifi Heard (fifi67@telusplanet.net), September 02, 2001.

FiFi,

First, let me say that a small cabin in northern Rockies,in Canada! OOH, LA! LA! Will You Marry Me?

But anyways,the first question is, What do you want to do with it?, How much money do you have,how far do you want to take remodling it? Are you going to live there year round? I am sure that before you bought it while you were looking at it you had some ideas in the back of your mind about what you wanted to do. And if the money is there to do it go ahead with your plans. If not then you will have to make other plans.

As to insulating, there is probably a reason for the past owners to side over logs,either the chinking is bad and they didn't know how to do it,or bad maintenance/upkeep on the timbers causing them to rot,or maybe with 2 x 6 size timbers in the Rockies,it just might have gotten a little cold. To insulate that small of area best bet would be to do it on the outside and then go after the ambiance on the inside. Using styrofoam sheets,in between furring strips, behind the siding will probably be the most economial way.

-- TomK(mich) (tjk@cac.net), September 02, 2001.

This would depend on the siding attached to the exterior. Should the siding be poorly installed or in poor condition, it will probably be trapping moisture. Moisture and any type of structure made of wood do not mix. First make sure the roof is sound and you have no moisture problems.

-- Yup (Yup@nospam.com), September 02, 2001.

Hee hee hee - I knew there was a reason I bought this cabin!

Don't get too excited - well, I am! - it's in a little coal mining town chuck full of history. I bought it for a get-a-way - just want to go and rejuvinate myself.

The logs aren't exactly 2 x 6 - they are squared logs of mysterious dimensions - I just thought it was a plank. (Can you tell I'm new at this? :)) They have some sort of felt between each layer and are anchored with long spikes.

I think these old coal miner houses were built with the basics and then had things like siding and panelling and indoor plumbing added as they could afford it. The bathroom is as big as the kitchen and has a pantry off of it- they probably turned a bedroom into the bathroom.

It has 3 rooms: front room, kitchen, bathroom - and a lean-to entrance. Basically, I want to remove the wall between the front room and kitchen to make 1 larger (!) room, insulate, put in a gas stand-alone fireplace for heating, a garden door, replace windows, drywall, re-shingle, new siding, a little deck. Then go up there to do absolutely nothing!

But not all this year! This year the goal is to remove wall between frontroom and kitchen, insulate front room and 1 kitchen wall, put in fireplace, replace front window with a garden door, replace kitchen window, drywall and paint those walls.

There is also a really cool 12 x 12 framed cabin at the back of the property that someday will become a summer writing retreat / guest house.

Fifi

-- Fifi Heard (fifi67@telusplanet.net), September 02, 2001.

Hi Fifi. Sound like fun. To find out how thick your logs are take a measurement at window or door. Subtract siding and sheet rock. My guess is they are square. Personally I would remove siding and sheet rock and restore to original, Fill any air leaks and try that for a season. Your logs will be able to dry and any problems will be visible. 400 sq. ft. should be easy to heat. If you are sure roof is not leaking insulate attic and make sure it has ventilation to keep insulation dry. Wet insulation does not work. How are your windows? You can loose a lot of heat there. Hang some nice blankets or something on walls to help a little. Do you have plumbing and how do you keep that from freezing? The wall you want to take out might be load bearing, supporting some of your roof or ceiling rafters. It is also tying the two opposite walls together making them harder to fall over. This might not be a problem in your case but something to think about. Do not want your cabin falling over with heavy snow load and strong wind. If it is load bearing there are ways to remove a lot of it, installing a header or two to support the weight. Once you get to your logs poke them with a screw driver to find out where you have soft-rotten wood. Have fun and save the hard tasks for spring. Keep us informed

-- ed (edfrhes@aol.com), September 02, 2001.

Tom K and Yup give wise advise.

Insulate the outside walls OUT, with insulation board layers. Stagger the joints (make sure edge of insul. board DOES NOT line up with edges of insul. board beneath it), stucco or plaster and you are done. Down sides: Not too durable as far as impacts go. Do bears mark their "territories" where you live, or is there a chance of objects hitting the walls? If so, maybe better try another idea.

The vapor barrier is formed where condensation occurs with heat and cold meeting at a point. In this case, face of log cabin / insulation board. This area will be wet, especially in the winter with a heated interior, frigid exterior. Treat wood before covering, or wood will rot from terminal moisture.

Hope this helps some

-- j.r. guerra (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), September 04, 2001.