Are garden log cabins watertight is a question we got asked all the time here at View our products .
The short simple answer to your question is an unqualified yes!
Why would they not be?
Well,let’s take a look at some of the possible complications with a log cabin which would make the log cabin not watertight and fairly frankly not fit for purpose.The main thing to appear at as soon as possible is the roof,that’s where you would envision the main trouble would start (this is not always the case but that’s where we will start today). The main trouble with the roof would be to have the felt or shingling to not be installed appropriately. This is fairly easily done if this is something you have never done before and why it should always be undertaken by a qualified professional especially if you are spending a lot of your hard earned money on a log cabin.
• Make certain that the overlaps are overlapping in the right way. You should always start felting at the bottom of the building and felt upwards. By doing this you guarantee that the felt overlaps on top of the piece of felt that is further down the roof. This will guarantee there is a natural run off of the water,if you start felting at the top of the roof and you put the overlap from the bottom pieces over the top of the felt higher up when the rain operates off it will run underneath the felt and consequently cause a water leak. This is just exactly the same when doing shingles,make certain you place from bottom upwards.
• Make certain the overlaps of the felt/shingles are fairly generous. You don’t want them to be just barely overlapping because this could cause rainwater to get between the felt sheets and this will cause a water leak
.• Make certain you use enough felt nails. Ideally you want to be spacing the felt nails around 6 inches apart from each other. Always do this on both sides of the felt and dependent on the quality of the felt you are using possibly put another row of attach in the middle,possibly two rows but again this depends on the quality of the felt. Failure to put enough felt attach in there could result in the felt blowing off during a bad storm which would then leave your building subjected to leaks.
• It is also crucial that when you reach the overhang of the building with the felt you attach the felt to side of the roof but DO NOT tuck the felt underneath the overhang of the roof as this limits the natural run off of the water. This can cause early rotting of the building and in some scenarios cause the roof to water leak around the top corners of the building as water could build up.
• Make certain you use the right size fixings. If the roof boards on your building are let’s say 10mm,you don’t want felt nails of 16mm. Doing this would cause the felt nails to come completely through the roof. This would not appear cosmetically pleasing and would also be a real opportunity of a water leak in the building. They way felt is now designed,there should be a watertight seal around the nail but throughout the seasons with wear and tear this may fail resulting in a water leak.
• The most regularly neglected area on a log cabin building is the felt or shingles on the roof. This is normally because we can’t see it most of the time and it’s a lot more difficult to get up there and have a look,but this is just exactly what you should do and I would encourage at least once a year or if you notice a water leak. Because log cabins are not built as high as the typical house and the felt and shingles aren’t fairly as tough and resilient as a typical house tile they require a little more focus. They are subjected to more elements on a daily basis because they are lower,this can result in a number of things from falling debris from plants,or another good example would be a children’s toys getting thrown up there which would all cause damage to the felt/shingles. Not to mention lots of bird excrement can rot the felt if it is in an area where natural rainwater can not permeate it to create a natural run off and cleaning system (for good example if your log cabin sits under a tree).
timberdise garden log cabins place all of our log cabins,we do this because we know you are investing a lot of money into a log cabin and you want it to be around for a long period of time. So the best way we can guarantee this occurs is to take care of the installation and make certain it is installed appropriately. We’ve been out to repair log cabins in the past built by non-skilled people and if the building is not put together appropriately then number one it won’t be safe but also it could cause a failure in the building to be watertight.
A prime good example of this would be that the logs haven’t been assembled appropriately on the walls. This would then cause the log cabin to differ from the design as it was intended to be. At this point when the roof was installed there might be gaps between the roof and the wall. Voids could also appear on the walls of the log cabins themselves and in some situations if the initial build of the log cabin was so bad you would have no choice but to take down the log cabin and rebuild it.
This is why garden log cabins place all of our log cabins so you don’t have this to worry about. As you can envision if there is a space in the wall or a space between the roof and the wall this would leave the log cabin open and it would most definitely water leak which is what we want to avoid at all costs.
I also want to bring focus to the floor covering a second. Having your log cabin installed on a proper ground base is a must. That could be a Timberdise ground base,concrete base or a paved area. As long as they’re flat,level and solid you should be ok. Be mindful of where you put the log cabin,don’t put it anyplace that is at risk of flooding as just like the house that you live in. If the water level rises and there is no getaway for it then the log cabin will flood,that is regardless of how thick and tight your logs are.
Lastly let’s talk about sealants around the windows and doors. Make certain after you have treated your log cabin you fit the relevant sealants around the doors and the windows. The cabins don’t come with these fitted as standard,this is so you can treat the log cabin first and then apply the sealants afterwards. By not fitting the doors and windows with sealants then there’s a chance rainwater could permeate the inside of the log cabin,which again is easily fixed by applying sealants.
In addition,sometimes especially during the winter months,condensation can develop inside a log cabin. This is typical due to the cabins not having any insulation fitted,it is not a water leak and can be fairly typical. We recommend at Timberdise to get a dehumidifier if you have power access in there and leave it working during the colder months. This will help take moisture content out of the air and further increase the life-span of your log cabin.
If you adhere to all the above strategies you should have a water leak free log cabin for the duration of its life-span which can provide limitless fulfillment and relaxation.Remember prevention is far better than the treatment.
