almost ready to build walls, what to use for fasteners?

[sbishop]

Hi, I will be starting the logs on my log cabin soon (3-4weeks) and was looking for some input on what to use for hold the walls into place. I will have one row of 6" logs, 3-4 rows of 5" and the rest 4" and the gable ends in 3" logs.

what would you recommend I use? oly screws seems expensive.

If I was to use spikes, what length would you recommend? should I counter sink them?

What about rebar and predrill?

THANKS for any suggestions!
Sbishop

[dovetails]

When I built my log house about 20 years ago, I drilled thru top log  and half way into one under it, then drove 1/2 " rebar into it. When I cut out part of wall to put windows in, it came out as a solid block, 4 logs high, and had to split the logs to get the rebar out of it.The logs shrink,and lock the rebar tight!  A tip, I used an electric jack hammer to drive the rebar pins in,the sledge hammer was woopin me fast!
My foundation is cement block, and I put the rebar pins down into them, then filled with cement, so whole building is locked together to foundation. My roof "might" take off in a storm someday, but them walls are there till the wood rots away!

[sbishop]

Thanks for the reply Dovetails.

What size was your drill bit for 1/2" rebar? did you use a 1/2" drill or a little bit smaller?

Was it hard with sledge hammer to drive or just hard on the arms?  :D

Sbishop

[TW]

Some other people on this forum strongly adviced me to not use reinforcement bar, because they said the wood around it tends to rot, caused by condensing moist on the iron. As the logs schrink gaps will develop if the logs are prevented from settling, if the pegs carry the weight. I do not remember which tread it was.

Why not do it the traditional way and use wooden pegs? Strong and cheap and no risk for condensing water.  I have repaired old huses with wooden pegs, and used wooden pegs and they seem to work well. The first 200 years should be no problem. After that I cannot guarantee anything ;D Your thin logs may be a problem though. There may simply not be room enough for the big holes needed.
We need an oppinion from some expert

[dovetails]

Thanks for the reply Dovetails.

What size was your drill bit for 1/2" rebar? did you use a 1/2" drill or a little bit smaller?

Was it hard with sledge hammer to drive or just hard on the arms?  :D

Sbishop

Used a 1/2 drill bit,about 2 ft long, in a heavy duty 1/2in drill. They drove in ok with a 8lb sledge, but the electric jack hammer would put them down fast and easy to about the last 2-3 inches, then just a couple wacks with hammer to put them flush.

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Some other people on this forum strongly adviced me to not use reinforcement bar, because they said the wood around it tends to rot, caused by condensing moist on the iron. As the logs schrink gaps will develop if the logs are prevented from settling, if the pegs carry the weight. I do not remember which tread it was.

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I live on the coast area of NC, very humid around here.House has been in use for about 18 years now,an no sign of rot yet!  A note on construction, I notched and set the logs,leaving from 1-3 inch spaces between the logs, just depending on how they stacked up, then stapled  chicken wire between the logs, and used mortor mix to fill the gaps. So the rebar is inside the logs and covered with mortor .Yes the logs did shrink some over the years,I have about 1/8 gaps where the mortor mix meets the logs. To stop drafts, I just went along each seam with caulking. Plan on chipping edges off, and then reseal with loose mix of mortor to fill all gaps. My house don't look like a kit house with all the same size and shape logs, each log is different from the one above and below it. And the cracks add charector to it!

[sbishop]

Thanks Dovetail. I think I will go with rebar. I do not have far to drill has my biggest logs are 6" thick. I will only have to drill no longer then 9".

Sbishop

[dovetails]

Thanks Dovetail. I think I will go with rebar. I do not have far to drill has my biggest logs are 6" thick. I will only have to drill no longer then 9".

Sbishop

Just be SURE when you put rebar in, that it's where you want it! ain't no pulling it out and moving it over! Another note about settleing, my logs have shrunk a little over the years, as expected,when building with green logs, but as far as I can tell, nothing has settled down anywhere.My picture window in living room has not cracked, and it is mortored into the front wall of house. Doors are framed with logs,so no change there either. I heat with wood in winter, and use AC in summer,so temp stays about the same,but big changes in humidity from outside to inside. BTY, logs are all pine, full round,just peeled the bark off them,coated with  boiled linseed oil.

Looked in your album,  NICE stack of logs, will make a great looking cabin when your done.Looks like flat on 2 sides? putting anything between them to seal them? if you stack tight together, useing rebar, and they shrink a little, the rebar will hold them in position, and you will get a little gap between each log. I like the look of the mortor between the logs, like the old timey cabins used mud to seal the  gaps.

[1938farmall]

Dovetails,  I was also planning to build like you did leaving a 1"-3" gap between logs but how does one keep the upper log from sliding down the rebar and closing the gap?  Do you put a permanent spacer between each course to hold the weight of all the logs stacked above?  Thanks, Al

[dovetails]

how does one keep the upper log from sliding down the rebar and closing the gap?

1/2" hole, 1/2" rebar, ain't gonna slide no where, you'll have to drive the rebar thru! Then if the log srinks any at all, it will be locked so tight you have to split the log to get rebar out! The ridges on rebar work sort of like a big screw would,as far as holding goes.

[dovetails]

Dovetails,  I was also planning to build like you did leaving a 1"-3" gap between logs but how does one keep the upper log from sliding down the rebar and closing the gap?  Do you put a permanent spacer between each course to hold the weight of all the logs stacked above?  Thanks, Al

I just looked up the post&past method you mentioned ,looks like an easy way to build,but it also looks like you need to have all logs the same size to get them to stack flat and level as they showed in photos. From what I saw, you would need to cut flats on top and bottom og each log to make it come out equal on all four walls. Mine, I just changed size of notch to get ends close to level with each opisite wall,filled the gaps with mortor,and let it ride! Now that I have the mill, I can see where it would have been nice to make like big landscape timbers to build it with,for a closer fit between logs, but then I wouldn't have a home made, old style log house either.......I hate kit built log houses, too much $$$ and all look like kits!  My walls are pine logs,cut from a lot up the street from me, the floors are popular boards from trees the storms blew down, the roof and inside walls are from old tobaco barns I tore down for the wood.Some of it is over 100 yrs old,and stained dark brown from the heaters that dryed the tobaco.Roof rafters are 4-5 " pine logs.

[Don P]

The ILBA has some standards written for chinked construction. You can download a copy here, chinked starts on pg 18;

http://www.logassociation.org/resources/standards.php

[1938farmall]

Dovetails,  Who'da thunk a whole log wall would stand on just those skinny #4 rebar pegs?  I figured on reversing the logs as I went up the wall to maintain level.  Thanks for the info. Al

[dovetails]

Dovetails,  Who'da thunk a whole log wall would stand on just those skinny #4 rebar pegs?  I figured on reversing the logs as I went up the wall to maintain level.  Thanks for the info. Al

try to bend a piece`of 1/2" rebar thats about 6" long! need a lot of leverage to do it!