I hope this post is in the right place...
We live in an old log house from the 1800s. By the kitchen door (an extension built in the 70s), there is a concrete stone staircase leading down to ground level, along the wall to the living room. Our carpenter, whom we usually hire, was helping us with something and discovered that the wall was letting in moisture from the stairs (which didn't have proper drainage). At first glance, he thought we should replace the large logs that were damaged, which is quite a major intervention. Another carpenter visited out of curiosity about the house and was told about the issue and didn't think it seemed necessary to replace the logs but could do something with just the drainage... That's where everything stalled two years ago, and the wall is only covered with temporary boards while we await our decision, I suppose. But how do we know who to listen to? Is there an independent consultant knowledgeable enough to assess the damage to the log so we can move forward? Of course, we hope we don't have to make a major intervention (there's enough work already... =).
What do you know, and who would you contact?
L
We live in an old log house from the 1800s. By the kitchen door (an extension built in the 70s), there is a concrete stone staircase leading down to ground level, along the wall to the living room. Our carpenter, whom we usually hire, was helping us with something and discovered that the wall was letting in moisture from the stairs (which didn't have proper drainage). At first glance, he thought we should replace the large logs that were damaged, which is quite a major intervention. Another carpenter visited out of curiosity about the house and was told about the issue and didn't think it seemed necessary to replace the logs but could do something with just the drainage... That's where everything stalled two years ago, and the wall is only covered with temporary boards while we await our decision, I suppose. But how do we know who to listen to? Is there an independent consultant knowledgeable enough to assess the damage to the log so we can move forward? Of course, we hope we don't have to make a major intervention (there's enough work already... =).
What do you know, and who would you contact?
L
Usually requires someone knowledgeable on-site to determine. Then any hidden damage is somewhat of a guess based on experience, and you can easily get different answers from different people.
Otherwise, I believe there are moisture meters that can penetrate deeper into the wood. Alternatively, one should be able to drill in with coarse drills and see, smell & feel with fingers. If everything is okay, just plug the hole again. It will indeed be visible if the timber logs are not/should not be panel-clad, but with paint/tar and some years of patina, it shouldn't be a problem on an older house that often has quite a few age-related blemishes/patina anyway.
I get a bit worried when you mention that the wall has been temporarily wrapped in plastic for two years. Enclosure of wood in an outdoor environment should preferably be avoided entirely, and otherwise, it's essential that it's indeed a very temporary measure. I recommend that you immediately ensure that the wrapping hasn't worsened the damage.
Otherwise, I believe there are moisture meters that can penetrate deeper into the wood. Alternatively, one should be able to drill in with coarse drills and see, smell & feel with fingers. If everything is okay, just plug the hole again. It will indeed be visible if the timber logs are not/should not be panel-clad, but with paint/tar and some years of patina, it shouldn't be a problem on an older house that often has quite a few age-related blemishes/patina anyway.
I get a bit worried when you mention that the wall has been temporarily wrapped in plastic for two years. Enclosure of wood in an outdoor environment should preferably be avoided entirely, and otherwise, it's essential that it's indeed a very temporary measure. I recommend that you immediately ensure that the wrapping hasn't worsened the damage.