A Buyers/Owners Guide to Leak Problems at Splines & Gaskets on Log Buildings

SPLINE GAPS & GASKET OMISSIONS - How to find and fix air or water leaks in log house walls: missing gaskets, splines, caulk, sealants
- Log T-jamb, caulk, spline, gasket, and coating product guide for log houses - where the leaks occur
- Guide to Diagnosing & Repairing Leaks & Other Problems on Modern Kit Log Homes
- Window & Door Installation Details for Log Homes can prevent later leaks & Damage
Questions & Answers about how to detect and correct missing splines and sealants in log home walls and at windows or doors
References

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Log home air & water leaks: Log home spline and sealant mistakes: here we dexplain methods to detect the omission of splines or gaskets during the construction of milled log or solid log houses, and we suggest repair methods to stop log house drafts and leaks.

Readers should also see Log House Leak Diagnosis & Cure. Our page top photo (discussed below) shows that without a doubt the butt joint of these two logs was not splined nor sealed against water leaks and air drafts. The stains on the log ends confirm that water has indeed leaked into the structure at this point.

This series of articles provides information on the inspection and diagnosis of damage to new and older log homes and includes description of log house and log siding insulation values and alternatives, and also a description of the characteristics of slab-sided log homes as well as all other types of log home construction. We include illustrations of log structures from several very different areas and climates in both the United States and Norway. Our page top photo shows a modern kit log home constructed in New York State.

For modern kit and factory-sourced log structures we include details of common construction and building defects that cause water and air leaks and ultimately rot damage and we point to key problem areas that need to be inspected carefully when buying or maintaining a log home.

Guide to Finding & Repairing Spline Gaps & Gasket Omissions in Log Home Walls

What goes wrong during construction of a log home wall? This article describes gasket and caulk omissions and failure to keep the wall plumb and true.

Rushing Log Set Crews Omit Sealants?

Log wall being framed (C) Daniel Friedman

In this photo of a log home kit wall being assembled you can see the ends of between-log gaskets protruding out between every log course - or can you? Count down from the fifth log from the top and the sixth log from the top of this wall at the right hand end - was this log gasket forgotten? (Maybe not, it may have been trimmed "short" - we can't see for sure in this photo.)

In the speed and excitement of constructing a modern milled-log home, we can testify from first-hand experience that it's embarrassingly easy to make a mistake or two. Working in the assembly of a beautiful manufactured-log home years ago we split into teams. Paul Galow and we did the layout on the newly-constructed first floor deck, making sure that our measurements were exact - because the logs were cut to within 1/16" of spec themselves.

A second log house construction crew, the log set gang, began carrying logs up from the log stack onto the first floor decking, placing each log in numbered sequence according to the manufacturer's plans and instructions. (Yes we read the instructions, and no, this photo is of a different log home construction project that did not go as well as ours.)

A third log construction crew had the job of placing gaskets and caulk as the specs called for on top of each log course before the next course of logs was placed.

We followed the log-set gang with our log drill and log spikes to secure each new log course in place.

The log placement crew excitedly set each new log in place - but on a few occasions they were ahead of the caulk, and gasket crew. Some logs were placed without the proper sealant between log courses - something that was virtually impossible to correct after more courses had been set and spiked in place. Later it was up to us to find and fix these construction snafus. The new log home owner, Jeff B. (my daughter Michelle's soccer coach) was working like mad carrying logs, but Jeff didn't bargain for leaks and drafts in his new home.

Air & Water Leaks at Log Home Corners

Log home corner with missing gaskets (C) Daniel Friedman

We couldn't see any sign of a gasket in this receiving groove at the corner of a log home where stains and draft complaints were traced to the building corners (photo above left). Often the builder will run the gasket wild past the end of the overlapping corner logs, then trim it off later, leaving a visible gasket end to confirm its presence. (Log home manufacturer instructions may vary on this detail.)

In our second photo (above right) the retrofit of caulk at the outside of the log home corners told us that someone had been trying to stop a draft.

Probing behind the caulk (photo above right), or where there was no caulk showing at other corners (above left), if your probe reaches into the mating log faces for a distance greater than the overlapping intersecting log without finding any obstruction, the corner was not sealed with a gasket or caulk during construction. (Use a ruler longer than our little 6" unit here if you don't want to lose it inside the log wall.)

Inside this home near one of the intersecting log corners we can observe several leak stains over the collection of Marilyn Monroe souvenirs. Monroe died in 1962. Given the leaks and drafts in this corner, if Ms. Monroe were alive and visiting this particular home in winter, the leaks and drafts would surely have discouraged the striking of a suggestive pose.

Omission of Splines or Gaskets on Log Homes at Log End Butt Joints in Log Houses

Splines, gaskets, or caulk are also specified between the ends of abutting logs. As you can see from our ruler in this photo, there was no obstruction between the indoor and outside surface of these butting logs in this leaky log home.

Without a doubt the butt joint of these two logs was not splined nor sealed against water leaks and air drafts. The stains on the log ends confirm that water has indeed leaked into the structure at this point.

Having worked on a log home construction crew we can testify that in the rush and excitement of keeping up with the crew setting logs around the building, the individual or crew whose job it is to place the caulk or gasket may fall behind. It's easy to place and fasten down a log without noticing that the spline or gasket was omitted.

Omission of T-jambs, Splines, Gaskets Causes of Leaks at Log House Windows

A little less common but still a problem among first-time log home builders is the omission of a T-jamb, splines or gaskets at window and door openings. Our ruler is being used to probe behind the window jamb to see if there was a spline or T-jamb used. (There was none.)

It is inherently tricky to mate a flat or rectangular window frame into a scalloped-surfaced log wall without leaks. Our photo shows use of a flat steel ruler as a probe to demonstrate that a flange, gasket, or even caulk were all omitted between this log wall window frame and the butt ends of the logs at the window rough opening.

But like most construction problems, the solution is well-known and at hand. Traditional log home windows and doors in Norway, for example, are constructed by placing a let-in rectangular board against the butt-ends of the logs at the window sides.

In the U.S. kit homes and manufactured milled log home designs typically include a "T-jamb" using a spline and rabbet grooved window jamb (or frame) to provide a positive seal (along with gaskets or caulk) between the window frame and the sides of the window opening where the butt ends of logs are exposed. Head flashing kits and sill flashing kits may also be provided by the manufacturer.

An outdoor view of the leaky log building wall at this window can be seen at Log Checking or Splitting.

Where the window side splines are omitted, such as at this New York log home, the window will leak air and water around its frame. A retrofit project using caulk and custom window head and sill flashings might avoid having to completely remove every window and reinstall them with correct seals.

Probing horizontally into the openings cut for log splines you should be able to feel the presence of a gasket or caulk along-side or atop the spline openings.

From inside a building if you see daylight between logs of an exterior wall, or if you feel drafts during windy weather, or if you can probe all the way through the wall such as in our photo above, splines and/or gaskets may have been omitted.

Keeping Log Home Walls Plumb During Construction

Another detail about log home construction is worth mentioning, though it's not a spline or sealing defect.

Paul and we also used vertical braces nailed back to the floor deck and huge C-clamps along with levels, tape measures, eyes, string, other methods to keep our rapidly-rising log walls plumb and square. Log houses go up fast once everything is ready at the site.

If you do not keep an eye on your log walls during erection, unlike a platform-built wall that is constructed flat and lifted into place, it's possible for log walls to curve or lean out of plumb.

Our photo (left) shows a wall that was 7/8" out of plumb over 6'8 in height at a log home inspection (not one we built).

Out of plumb log walls on a home may also mean hard to seal intersecting building surfaces.

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Technical Reviewers & References

Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.

Additional technical contributors & reference sources for this article are listed below.
Thanks to Arlene Puentes for the photograph of a checked log in a log home exterior. Arlene Puentes, a licensed home inspector, educator, and building failures researcher in Kingston, NY. Photographs © Arlene Puentes 2006 All Rights Reserved. Text © Daniel Friedman Arlene Puentes 2008 All Rights Reserved.
"The Logless Log Home," Jim Robbins, New York Times, 05/05/2010 Home section, p. D1 & D6.
"Shop Talk," Martin Mintz, AIA, Builder Magazine, April 1986, detailed solutions for log shrinkage movement by using a "T" jamb at windows and doors. A January 1986 Builder Magazine article shows window installation details in 8" thick log walls.
"Caulking, Chinking, Insulators, Sealants - which System works Best," Log Home and Alternative Housing Builder, Nov-Dec 1983.
Insulating Characteristics of log homes were neatly summarized by Roger Rawlings in "Log Homes in a New Light," Rodale's New Shelter, April 1983, p. 28
Lincoln Log Homes Marketing, Inc., 6000 Lumber Lane, Kannapolis NC 28081 704-932-6151
Merrimac Log Homes, Henniker, NH, sells log home products, milled log home kits, log siding, and log home plans and log home construction accessories. 866-637-7462 or logs@mlhnh.com - merrimacloghomes.com

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.

The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.

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Building inspection education & report writing systems from Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd

Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss. John Wiley & Sons, 2006. ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, Hardcover: 320 pages, available from Amazon.com and also Wiley.com. See our book review of this publication.
Decks and Porches, the JLC Guide to, Best Practices for Outdoor Spaces, Steve Bliss (Editor), The Journal of Light Construction, Williston VT, 2010 ISBN 10: 1-928580-42-4, ISBN 13: 978-1-928580-42-3, available from Amazon.com
The Journal of Light Construction has generously given reprint permission to InspectAPedia.com for certain articles found at this website. All rights and contents to those materials are ©Journal of Light Construction and may not be reproduced in any form.
Appliances and Home Electronics, - energy savings, U.S. Department of Energy
Avongard foundation crack progress chart for structural crack monitoring
Basement Moisture Control, U.S. Department of Energy
Building Failures, Diagnosis & Avoidance, 2d Ed., W.H. Ransom, E.& F. Spon, New York, 1987 ISBN 0-419-14270-3
Building Pathology, Deterioration, Diagnostics, and Intervention, Samuel Y. Harris, P.E., AIA, Esq., ISBN 0-471-33172-4, John Wiley & Sons, 2001 [General building science-DF] ISBN-10: 0471331724 ISBN-13: 978-0471331728
Building Pathology: Principles and Practice, David Watt, Wiley-Blackwell; 2 edition (March 7, 2008) ISBN-10: 1405161035 ISBN-13: 978-1405161039
The Circular Staircase, Mary Roberts Rinehart
Construction Drawings and Details, Rosemary Kilmer
Crawl Space Moisture Control, U.S. Department of Energy
Design of Wood Structures - ASD, Donald E. Breyer, Kenneth Fridley, Kelly Cobeen, David Pollock, McGraw Hill, 2003, ISBN-10: 0071379320, ISBN-13: 978-0071379328
This book is an update of a long-established text dating from at least 1988 (DJF); Quoting:
This book is gives a good grasp of seismic design for wood structures. Many of the examples especially near the end are good practice for the California PE Special Seismic Exam design questions. It gives a good grasp of how seismic forces move through a building and how to calculate those forces at various locations. THE CLASSIC TEXT ON WOOD DESIGN UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE LATEST CODES AND DATA. Reflects the most recent provisions of the 2003 International Building Code and 2001 National Design Specification for Wood Construction. Continuing the sterling standard set by earlier editions, this indispensable reference clearly explains the best wood design techniques for the safe handling of gravity and lateral loads. Carefully revised and updated to include the new 2003 International Building Code, ASCE 7-02 Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, the 2001 National Design Specification for Wood Construction, and the most recent Allowable Stress Design.
Diagnosing & Repairing House Structure Problems, Edgar O. Seaquist, McGraw Hill, 1980 ISBN 0-07-056013-7 (obsolete, incomplete, missing most diagnosis steps, but very good reading; out of print but used copies are available at Amazon.com, and reprints are available from some inspection tool suppliers). Ed Seaquist was among the first speakers invited to a series of educational conferences organized by D Friedman for ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors, where the topic of inspecting the in-service condition of building structures was first addressed.
Domestic Building Surveys, Andrew R. Williams, Kindle book, Amazon.com
Defects and Deterioration in Buildings: A Practical Guide to the Science and Technology of Material Failure, Barry Richardson, Spon Press; 2d Ed (2001), ISBN-10: 041925210X, ISBN-13: 978-0419252108. Quoting:
A professional reference designed to assist surveyors, engineers, architects and contractors in diagnosing existing problems and avoiding them in new buildings. Fully revised and updated, this edition, in new clearer format, covers developments in building defects, and problems such as sick building syndrome. Well liked for its mixture of theory and practice the new edition will complement Hinks and Cook's student textbook on defects at the practitioner level.
Guide to Domestic Building Surveys, Jack Bower, Butterworth Architecture, London, 1988, ISBN 0-408-50000 X
"Avoiding Foundation Failures," Robert Marshall, Journal of Light Construction, July, 1996 (Highly recommend this article-DF)
"A Foundation for Unstable Soils," Harris Hyman, P.E., Journal of Light Construction, May 1995
"Backfilling Basics," Buck Bartley, Journal of Light Construction, October 1994
"Inspecting Block Foundations," Donald V. Cohen, P.E., ASHI Reporter, December 1998. This article in turn cites the Fine Homebuilding article noted below.
"When Block Foundations go Bad," Fine Homebuilding, June/July 1998
Historic Preservation Technology: A Primer, Robert A. Young, Wiley (March 21, 2008) ISBN-10: 0471788368 ISBN-13: 978-0471788362
Log Homes: Minimizing Air Leakage in Log Homes, U.S. Department of Energy
Manual for the Inspection of Residential Wood Decks and Balconies, by Cheryl Anderson, Frank Woeste (Forest Products Society), & Joseph Loferski, October 2003, ISBN-13: 978-1892529343, $39.00 at Amazon.com or at the InspectAPediaBookstore
Masonry structures: The Masonry House, Home Inspection of a Masonry Building & Systems, Stephen Showalter (director, actor), DVD, Quoting:
Movie Guide Experienced home inspectors and new home inspectors alike are sure to learn invaluable tips in this release designed to take viewers step-by-step through the home inspection process. In addition to being the former president of the National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI), a longstanding member of the NAHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), and the Environmental Standard Organization (IESO), host Stephen Showalter has performed over 8000 building inspections - including environmental assessments. Now, the founder of a national home inspection school and inspection training curriculum shares his extensive experience in the inspection industry with everyday viewers looking to learn more about the process of evaluating homes. Topics covered in this release include: evaluation of masonry walls; detection of spalling from rebar failure; inspection of air conditioning systems; grounds and landscaping; electric systems and panel; plumbing supply and distribution; plumbing fixtures; electric furnaces; appliances; evaluation of electric water heaters; and safety techniques. Jason Buchanan --Jason Buchanan, All Movie Review
Masonry Design for Engineers and Architects, M. Hatzinikolas, Y. Korany, Canadian Masonry (2005), ISBN-10: 0978006100, ISBN-13: 978-0978006105
Masonry Structures: Behavior and Design, Robert G. Drysdale, Ahmid A. Hamid, Lawrie R. Baker, The Masonry Society; 2nd edition (1999), ISBN-10: 1929081014, ISBN-13: 978-1929081011
Masonry, Engineered: Using the Canadian Code, J. I. Gainville, Cantext publications (1983), ASIN: B0007C37PG
Masonry, Non-reinforced masonry design tables, Hans J. Schultz, National Concrete Producers Association and the Canadian Masonry Contractors Association (1976), ASIN: B0007C2LQM
Moisture Control in Buildings, U.S. Department of Energy
Moisture Control in Walls, U.S. Department of Energy
Quality Standards for the Professional Remodeling Industry, National Association of Home Builders Remodelers Council, NAHB Research Foundation, 1987.
Quality Standards for the Professional Remodeler, N.U. Ahmed, # Home Builder Pr (February 1991), ISBN-10: 0867183594, ISBN-13: 978-0867183597
R-Value of Wood, U.S. Department of Energy
Slab on Grade Foundation Moisture and Air Leakage, U.S. Department of Energy
Straw Bale Home Design, U.S. Department of Energy provides information on strawbale home construction - original source at http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/designing_remodeling/index.cfm/mytopic=10350
More Straw Bale Building: A Complete Guide to Designing and Building with Straw (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series), Chris Magwood, Peter Mack, New Society Publishers (February 1, 2005), ISBN-10: 0865715181 ISBN-13: 978-0865715189 - Quoting:
Straw bale houses are easy to build, affordable, super energy efficient, environmentally friendly, attractive, and can be designed to match the builder’s personal space needs, esthetics and budget. Despite mushrooming interest in the technique, however, most straw bale books focus on “selling” the dream of straw bale building, but don’t adequately address the most critical issues faced by bale house builders. Moreover, since many developments in this field are recent, few books are completely up to date with the latest techniques.
More Straw Bale Building is designed to fill this gap. A completely rewritten edition of the 20,000-copy best--selling original, it leads the potential builder through the entire process of building a bale structure, tackling all the practical issues: finding and choosing bales; developing sound building plans; roofing; electrical, plumbing, and heating systems; building code compliance; and special concerns for builders in northern climates.
"Vapor Barriers or Vapor Diffusion Retarders", U.S. DOE: how vapor barriers work, types of vapor diffusion barriers, installing vapor barrier
Ventilation for energy efficient buildings, Purpose, Strategies, etc.,
...

Log Home Design, Inspection, Maintenance, Repair References & Product Sources

Log Homes: Minimizing Air Leakage in Log Homes, U.S. Department of Energy
Log Homes: Controlling Moisture in Log Homes, U.S. Department of Energy
Log Homes: Log Home Design, U.S. Department of Energy
Lincoln Log Homes Marketing, Inc., 6000 Lumber Lane, Kannapolis NC 28081 704-932-6151
Merrimac Log Homes, Henniker, NH, sells log home products, milled log home kits, log siding, and log home plans and log home construction accessories. 866-637-7462 or logs@mlhnh.com - merrimacloghomes.com
PermaChink Systems, Knoxville TN 800-548-1231 provides a range of log chinking products, coatings, and sealants for log and other wood buildings.


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