Malamute
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2018 08:21pm - Edited by: Malamute
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I dont agree with the tight rebar concept, or keeping the logs from settling, most log builders want to allow settling.
If you use tightly driven rebar, when the logs shrink, the joints will open up and can cause leaks of air and water. I understand theres a particular school of log building that encourages this practice, but its not accepted by the vast majority of quality log builders.
I use smooth steel rods around doors and windows, about a foot out from the opening, slightly undersize rods for the holes bored, drilled down past the joint below the window, or as far down as you can drill around the door. I made up to 6 ft drill extensions for that purpose. I also all-threaded beside the corners down through the walls, and checked and snugged them a year later, then chinked over the nuts on the inside. Splining the logs where you make a door or window opening with a 2x4 inlet into the ends of the logs and allowing for settling is also common, the door and window frames are screwed into the 2x4.
The all-thread may be overdoing it, however, Ive seen a log barn that had the roof anf top 3 rows of logs taken off in high winds. They ended up nailing in angle iron on the inside corners when they put it back together. There are 130+mph winds in the areas occasionally. None of the things ive built there in the past nearly 30 yards has come apart so far.
On that small of a cabin, you can ignore many of the settling precautions, but they arent hard to do. Ive just spiked in 3x10 planks as door and window frames and chinked it all to seal, but if the logs arent dry, it could cause problems at times. Mines were cut as dead standing in a very dry area and were in the yard quite a while before it was finally built and chinked, at least a year I believe.
If you do drill down through the walls, I strongly encourage the use of auger type bits, the paddle type can load up and get stuck much easier. Having a bit come out of the extension several feet down in a wall is a rather big nuisance and hard to get out. Id also forget the set screw extension socket type and just have steel rod welded on to the shank of an auger bit. The socket hinders the chips cleaning out well and makes the assembly stick sometimes. A 5/8" hole for 1/2" steel rod or all-thread works well. Use a quality 1/2" drill, the lighter ones will get cooked running them that hard.
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