Subject: 10" log rotted away
Date: Mon, 21 May 2007Hi,
Just found your site and was reading the Q & A. I have a log about 7' up on my home that is rotted out. The inside of house looks good, no color or anything that would indicate the log is rotten. However I could see it was rotten on the outside. So, I cut a small piece out from the out side and MAN! The whole log is rotted out. I chiseled out (deep) into the log and I am very close to coming through to the inside of the house!
The whole log is about 10' long. So what I intend to do is put in 6"x 2" blocks every 2 foot or so, as I remove the rotten log and then use the (blocks) to nail a piece of wood siding to match the logs. The (blocks will serve to nail the siding, and also to keep the top logs from sagging. Does this sound ok to you?
Also, do I need the L&L if I use the epoxy that you sell to coat what is left of the original log before installing the wooden blocks? Thanks for any help or suggestions. Also, should one gallon be enough for coating the remainder of the log as I will be removing all but properly about a half inch of the log that faces the inside of the house?
Thanks,
R. H.
Yes, saturate the inside of the log with the CPES, and allow as much CPES as possible to soak into the log on each end. That will help insure that the rot continues no further. CPES will solidify soft wood. You may be surprised how much of the CPES the log absorbs, and I would say you will probably need the 2-gallon unit of the CPES.
It's possible that the CPES will penetrate through the remaining section of the log to the inside of the house, at least in spots. Be prepared for this possibility.
The wood going into the log should be CPES-treated as well, after it has been cut/trimmed, so that it too doesn't begin to rot. How you anchor the new wood is up to you, but we recommend that it be locked into place with a paste mix of our Layup & Laminating Resin and sawdust.
We also strongly suggest that you keep your eye on the rest of the structure. Wherever you see any sign of soft or discolored wood, use the CPES. It is also often useful to inject CPES into any upward-facing cracks. The CPES will run where the water runs, and significantly reduce the chances of the wood rotting. We like to follow this with some flexible polyurethane caulk such as 3M™ 4200. This keeps the water from pooling in the upward-facing cracks.
Feel free to come back if you have additional questions.
Doc