Is this log cabin worth fixing up?

[iceaxe]

Douglas fir. 50 yrs old. dry climate in quesnel bc. most of the foundation logs are not rotten. rotten at corners. most of the rot seems to be caused by lousy roof.

 

[N80]

"Is it worth it" is a loaded question. It is obviously going to need work. Will you be doing it or paying for it? Is this a place with which you have an emotional attachment?

Looks like you can count on an entirely new roof. Is there interior water damage?

As far as the foundation, if the rot is just at the corners you might could get by with just a little jacking and replacing the rotted segments. If rot is all the way around I'd guess you'd have to jack the whole thing up.

What type of foundation is it? Is it a slab? What are the foundation logs sitting on?

What is the status of the plumbing, septic and drain field?

 

[tmajor]

Absolutely!! If you don't mind spending some time and getting your hands dirty.

 

[iceaxe]

"Is it worth it" is a loaded question. It is obviously going to need work. Will you be doing it or paying for it? Is this a place with which you have an emotional attachment?

Looks like you can count on an entirely new roof. Is there interior water damage?

As far as the foundation, if the rot is just at the corners you might could get by with just a little jacking and replacing the rotted segments. If rot is all the way around I'd guess you'd have to jack the whole thing up.

What type of foundation is it? Is it a slab? What are the foundation logs sitting on?

What is the status of the plumbing, septic and drain field?

The appraiser without a building inspection placed a value of $35k for the building alone. I'd do the work myself and there are lots of suitable replacement logs on property. Interior and plumbing etc is good. Foundation Logs are on the ground have only rotted at corners.

Im not sure if jacking up is necessary if logs have lasted 50 yr on ground.
subsurface is clay/sand for 3 ft and then dirty gravel.

 

[smstonypoint]

Have you thought about obtaining the services of a reputable home inspector? That may be money well spent.

Steve

 

[WayneB]

Looks like a great project to me, depends upon what the over-all cost is and also your usage plans. From what I can see of the logs toward the roof line they seem to be good, and the over hang of the roof seems to be extreme, but hard to tell looking at the few pictures.

First thoughts are:

What is the foundation material?
Where is the damage, logs or roof rafters
How has the building settled?
Any inside water damage?
What is your usage plan, year around or hunting type camp

Cleaning up and sealing the logs is pretty much labor type work that can be accomplished by almost anyone. Might check with some log cabin builders in the area before you jump in with both feet though. Getting a building inspection isn't a bad idea either.

WB

 

[N80]

Im not sure if jacking up is necessary if logs have lasted 50 yr on ground. subsurface is clay/sand for 3 ft and then dirty gravel.

You had mentioned rotting in the corners. I assumed you meant the corners of the foundation. If so, you'll have to get the rotted log end out and a new piece of log in. Seems to me you'd have to jack up the logs on top of the rotted log ends to get them out since there will be a load on them.

But I might have misunderstood what you meant.

It seems strange to me, because of where I live I guess, that you can have a foundation of a log sitting on the ground. (We have termites and moisture here and even log cabins built 200 years ago were usually set on a stone foundation of some sort). But if the 50 year old foundation logs sitting on the ground are sound when you whack then with a hammer then I guess you're good to go.

 

[boggen]

there be a lot of cleaning of logs, and then apply sealants to get them logs back into shape.

i agree with others, see about a home inspection done. it can be well worth the money.

also get termite tests done and like.

it can all be costly for inspections. but can easily pay off long run.

 

[Carykong]

I would take a closer look at the rot you describe on the corners before launching major replacement of the lower logs.

A few bore tests to determine the depth of the rot and the length. You may discover that the logs may be OK after preservation. Get the roof repaired to slow further damage and you have saved lots of money and time.
In the south,where I live, generous roof overhang is the key to a long lasting long cabin. Keep us posted. Nice thread

 

[brin]

Unless you find very serious rot after probing....I would say I would definetly tackle that ..but that is just me..No way would I tear that down...too much still good...Like others have said..get the roof fixed and that does not have to be expensive with so many roofers out of work...that is after you have probed what looks to be rotten to find the extent..if it just corners or here and there..just replace or patch what is rotten ..then clean and stain or otherwise put a coating on the exterior...Too nice looking to tear down otherwise...

 

[boggen]

just caught eye, in last picture. were the i want to say "sun room"? extension is. in the corner were it L's it looks like you might have a low spot, but it hard to tell it might just be picture. or you might have water running back towards the house.

other pictures it looks like all the surrounding grass slopes away. just not in that last picture. *shrugs*

 

[creekbend]

Have you thought about obtaining the services of a reputable home inspector? That may be money well spent.

Steve

I totally agree. If it were me, that would be my first step. Compare it to having a trained mechanic check over a vehicle that you are wanting to purchase, before you put down money.

 

[iceaxe]

You had mentioned rotting in the corners. I assumed you meant the corners of the foundation. If so, you'll have to get the rotted log end out and a new piece of log in. Seems to me you'd have to jack up the logs on top of the rotted log ends to get them out since there will be a load on them.

But I might have misunderstood what you meant.

It seems strange to me, because of where I live I guess, that you can have a foundation of a log sitting on the ground. (We have termites and moisture here and even log cabins built 200 years ago were usually set on a stone foundation of some sort). But if the 50 year old foundation logs sitting on the ground are sound when you whack then with a hammer then I guess you're good to go.

Its a dry climate and I guess the roof kept them dry most of the time.
I can probably pound something in to replace the part of foundation logs that are rotten. They use a battery ram system to pound logs in.

 

[iceaxe]

I totally agree. If it were me, that would be my first step. Compare it to having a trained mechanic check over a vehicle that you are wanting to purchase, before you put down money.

For sure. Its just that it costs $400 and then seller likely wont negotiate lower price if problems are found. I already spent $500 on appraisal.

 

[robarosa]

By the looks of the pictures, I would take it over and fix it up in a minute.

 

[studor]

I think it is worth saving but it will be a lot of work. Some can be done over time, other items neeed attention right away. As others have said I would check the rot probelm first and go from there. When I re-did my cabin a number of "experts" said tear it down. I then proceeded to do work that I could never afford a contractor to do

 

[creekbend]

For sure. Its just that it costs $400 and then seller likely wont negotiate lower price if problems are found. I already spent $500 on appraisal.

Prices have really soared. I don't know what part of the Country you live in, but I hired an inspector that was also an appraiser and he charged me $175.00 total. But that was 6 years ago here in NC. The work was done on a mobile home with 1.87 acres that we bought for one of our Daughters'. The inspection and appraisal took around 4 1/2 hours to complete and we received the written papers the next day. By the way, I decided to pick up the paperwork at his office myself, because of the time issue. I was not aware of the increased prices involved in today's market. I sincerely wish you the best of luck in your endeavor and I hope that everything works out that is satisfactory for you.