What a week last week as the Weatherwize crew was on-site to begin removing the old stain and finish from the full pine logs. Remember, these logs are over 100 years old and solid pine. Nate and crew blasted them with some glass media to get them down to the original wood and then they treated some of the problem areas with their borate solution to prevent future rot.

Burning some of the wood, wood shavings, and other items in the foreground with the sun peering through the “Twin Pines.”

Stripping the Logs

So, at this point, the cabin is naked without any finish on the original logs or the new cedar siding.

The cabin stripped of all original stain/color back down to bare logs with the new Andersen windows installed (and moving toward the green, not white windows as well)

They also stained the soffits and fascia board with “Mission Brown” stain which matches the historical and original stain.

View of the back of the cabin with the stripped pine logs on left and the new white cedar siding on right with the stained fascia and soffit trim. Still awaiting the gable end vents to finish things off.

Siding the Garage

Meanwhile, Bob and crew were busy siding the garage with new LP Smartside lap siding and shakes, installing new garage windows, and installing new soffit venting and aluminum fascia trim on the garage.

Garage getting some new LP Smartside, aluminum fasica trim, new continuous aluminum soffit venting and fresh insulated casement windows. All other trim around the door and garage door and windows is also LP Smartside as well.

Installing the Windows

They also began removing the windows from the original cabin, adjusting the openings (which requires a chainsaw and some log “adjustments” and installing the new Andersen Woodwright windows.

Out with the old windows and ready to get framing for the new windows to go in.

Bob, Dan, and Matt also framed in the new basement entry door which went from a piece of plywood door, to a real insulated door. The logs in that area were in really good shape, for not having seen air or light for many years while under the deck(s).

Cleaning out the Attic and Crawl Space

I was also busy in the attic (ugh) getting rid of the last of the cellulose insulation which is now complete!

Attic before
Attic after removing the insulation…

I also began attacking the crawl space under the fireplace room, which was filled with over 3 feet of wood shavings above the ground. Not a fun place to be for someone over 6 feet, but need to clean it out so we can get plastic down and treat the logs under the floor boards with similar borate and other preservatives.

Why would someone just think, “What should I do with these wood shavings? I know, let me fill the crawl space with them…” Well, that is what happened with them being 3 feet deep in some spots. Sucking them right out to the fire pit area. The logs underneath are in good shape.

I also need to use caution as the ceiling for the root cellar is actually UNDER these as well and is made of logs, so I need to tread lightly to not fall through.

Old ductwork piping on top of, yes, 3 feet of wood shavings which basically fill the entire front half of the crawl space. Time to get out the insulation vac contraption for another round!

This week (August 3), we await the new gable vents to arrive from American Vent and Louver who was able to get the exact match of the Andersen Window Forest Green color for them. Once we receive those, we can frame them into the upper openings and get the log siding completed for the Weatherwize crew to return to begin their final prep, cleaning, staining, and sealing.