Preparing Your Cabin for Winter

So far this autumn, we have experienced some pretty foul weather - persistent rain, strong winds and temperatures dropping below zero. If your cabin is not properly prepared to cope with these conditions, there may be trouble ahead. Here is a quick checklist to make sure your cabin can stand up to whatever nature decides to throw at it :

• Roof - Assuming you have felt shingles, make sure none have slipped out of position or indeed gone astray. If so, repair the offending items. You may need to use a heat gun to release a tile if the bitumen has adhered to its underside in the wrong position. If you don't have a spare shingle, cut a piece of ordinary shed felt to affect the repair, leaving an area exposed will allow water ingress damaging the wooden roof beneath.
• External Timbers - A job that is best done during the warmer months is re-treating the timbers, but if the lifetime of the treatment used is nearing its end, then re-treatment will be required in order to not compromise its effectiveness. This time frame will depend on what treatment has been used, it will vary between 2 and 5 years. All exposed timbers should go into the winter with a healthy dose to ensure moisture is kept out and no other fungus or insect attack makes in roads to damaging the wood.
• Log Walls - Make sure there is sufficient air circulation around the walls to prevent moisture build up. If you have positioned additional storage against the wall, make sure there is at least a 100mm (4") gap between the cabin wall and whatever you have positioned against it. I have witnessed severe moisture ingress where this advise wasn't taken. The moisture levels of the wall logs built up to such an extent that it got through to the internal side and a mould growth took hold, permanently discolouring the timber something that should have been easily avoided.
• Doors and Windows - Check all beads are in place and no sun damage has caused frame members to move out of position. If this is the case, replace with new, or fill any gaps with a silicone sealer to prevent water ingress.

By following these little small pieces of advise, your cabin should be in a position to cope with the ensuing winter months.