All types of houses require custom maintenance and preservation to make them last. Concrete dwellings, for instance, need proper curing, winter care, and regular upkeep to stay in their tip-top shape for as long as possible. Structures that are mainly made with steel, on the other hand, need regular cleaning both in their interior and exterior aspects, among other essential care and maintenance tips.
Then there are wooden houses beautifully standing with their rustic appeal and natural charm. Looking at one makes you want to go inside and be comfy in a corner while reading a book or cuddling with a special someone. Without a doubt, a house made of wood is something that can only be a dream for many. Having one is indeed a dream come true, and if you’re one of the lucky ones to be living in a wooden home, well, you’re quite a lucky fellow. If you’re in the market for a timber home, you must check out Hamill Creek timber frame kits; they boast gorgeous designs with plenty of reading nooks and pantry space!
But as with all other materials of a house, wood also needs some love and care to keep it looking its best and prevent problems down the line. Read on to learn how to take care of your wooden home.
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Making your wooden home last
With all the glory you’re enjoying because of your beautiful home, you shouldn’t get lost along the way and forget that having such a delightful home comes with serious responsibilities. Of course, there are particular care and maintenance aspects that apply strictly to wooden houses. Make sure that you consider the following elements as they can go a long way in preserving your wooden home so you can continue enjoying it for many more years to come.
Additionally, you have the option to choose Cocobolo when it comes to crafting top-of-the-line furniture. Just picture furnishing your home office with a lavish cocobolo desk crafted to the highest standard. Its remarkable reddish-brown colour and intricate, captivating grain patterns are sure to create an impression. Cocobolo is visually stunning, highly durable, and resistant to decay, ensuring that your furniture will endure for many years.
Whether you’re a new owner of a house made essentially of wood or you’ve been living in one for years now, there’s no harm in keeping a list of some tips to make your humble and beautiful abode last for as long as possible. If you’re interested to find out about such tips, look no further. The list below can help you out:
Protect your home from pests
There’s nothing worse than having your wooden home being attacked by pests, and you don’t even have any idea at all. Before you built your house, you should have known that wood is highly susceptible to wood-destroying pests and insects. As such, you should be prepared and aware of how you can protect your wooden property.
Termites are probably the most notorious for destroying wood structures, and if you’re not careful, your home could be their next target. If you don’t want this to happen, you might want to consider having a reliable pest control service that’s within your reach when you need them. If you don’t have one yet, you can visit this site and learn more about pest control and how you can best choose the right service for your property.
Termites are difficult to detect and even more challenging to deal with. They spread fast, and as such, you need to have a professional handling them. To protect your wooden house from these wood destroyers, you can perform regular inspections of your property so you can detect right away if there are pests trying to invade your wooden structure.
Invest in durable wood varieties
Even when you already have your wooden house built long before you can think of ways to preserve it, it’s not yet too late. You can still do a lot in preserving and maintaining the quality of your residence. One way to do so is by investing in solid or durable wood varieties if you plan to remodel or renovate some parts of the house.
If you’re going for the hardest and strongest type of wood, oak would be your best bet. It features tough characteristics that make it the apple of the eye for most builders and contractors. Aside from its high quality, oak is also known for its resistance to moisture, which is something that you’ll appreciate as your wooden home spends more years in your care. To add, oak also has quite a unique appearance that makes it one of the ultimate choices among homeowners. It’s cosy and warm and looks great!
So, if you are to renovate or remodel your wooden home, consider using oak as a replacement for what you’ll be tearing down. That way, you’re able to protect the different parts of your house little by little. For example, you can use this strategy for the kitchen when you’re remodelling it by adding oak kitchen worktops or kitchen units. The next time you think of having a minor renovation, you can consider replacing wooden materials in your living room or bedrooms so you can keep up with the oak replacement, such as a real oak fireplace beam, shelving or even an oak windowsill. Slowly you will replace any weaker wood in your home for something that will last years to come.
Choose your paint or stain smartly
Stained or painted wood is quite a trend these days, particularly in wooden structures. You’ll be glad to know that staining or painting your wooden property isn’t only for aesthetic appeal. Essentially, doing so can significantly help waterproof the material to stay protected despite the harsh elements it may encounter indoors and outdoors.
Proper finish and treatment of the wood can also make a difference in ensuring that the material will age durably and beautifully. From the wooden frame of your home to its solid wood floors and ceilings, you have to regularly use treatment products that can help preserve your prized property. Reapplication should be done at least every two years, including stain and paint.
You may have heard that wood is versatile enough to quickly adapt to either oil-based or water-based paint, as long as you apply primer before painting. However, it can still get tricky to know which colour to use specifically because there are plenty of options within the oil and water-based categories in the market. To make your selection easier, you can consider using high-gloss or semi-gloss paint sheens for your home. These sheens aren’t only smooth to the touch, but they’re also easy to maintain and clean.
Protect the house from harsh outside elements
While it’s impossible for your house not to make contact with outside elements, you can still do something to enhance its protection from anything that can be harsh to its surface and exterior characteristics. For terraces and facades, for example, you can use varnishing to protect them from frost, wind, rain, and excessive sunlight. If you have exotic woods outside of your home, such as cocobolo from central America or padauk from Africa, make sure you look for special oils made especially for these rare wood species.
Wood panels and sidings in all parts of the house should be repainted at least every two years to maintain their beautiful appearance. Doing so will help make the timber look naturally stunning as the material ages with time.
Take care of your wooden floor
Wooden flooring is a popular option among homeowners, not only for those who own a wooden house. There’s something about its natural appeal that makes any living space look and feel homey. Carpeted or not, a wooden floor is a beauty on its own, and you need to do several maintenance steps if you want to preserve its glory and charm.
To start, you can prevent the floor from getting dirty all the time by placing doormats in entryways. You may ask everyone in the household to remove their shoes before entering the house to prevent the dirt from being carried throughout the floor. Other wooden floor maintenance tips you can consider are as follows:
- Use stoppers and felt pads on your furniture legs. Doing so will prevent the floor from getting scratches.
- Clean the floor regularly. If anything spills, make sure to wipe it immediately to avoid the spilled substance from damaging the wood finish.
- Avoid using cleaning products or materials that contain oil soaps, polish, wax, vinegar, or ammonia. These substances can etch or dull the top coating of your wooden floor.
Additionally, if you have pets at home, don’t forget that no matter how adorable they may be, they can cause the floor’s surface to get scratches and dents whenever they’re playing or roaming around. To limit such negative impacts, you can lay out rugs and mats in areas where your pets usually rest or hang out. Remember to clip their nails and claws regularly to prevent them from damaging the wooden material of your floor.
Get professional inspections regularly
You may already be aware of how to check and inspect your wooden home, but it doesn’t mean it no longer needs a professional look-over. It’ll greatly help preserve the property if a professional will come by regularly, maybe once a year, to make sure everything is alright with regards to the structure, frames, flooring, and other components of your wooden sanctuary.
A professional inspector will know what key areas to check in your property. They’ll also learn the signs of wood damage that may not be easily recognisable by your regular checking. Identifying such signs is crucial in taking the necessary steps to protect your home from further damage.
As you have your wooden house checked, you may also want to include other vital components of the property that need regular inspections as well, such as plumbing, heating and cooling systems, ventilation, and insulation. Taking such preemptive measures can go a long way in maintaining the household as a whole.
Don’t forget to preserve your wooden furniture
Preserving your wooden home doesn’t just involve the structure, exterior, frame, and floors. You also need to think about the furniture you have inside and outside your house. Since you have a rustic wooden home, for sure, you want the furniture to match, and you’ll most likely pick raw pieces to complement the aesthetic appeal of your timber-made property.
To maintain your wooden furniture better, remember to clean them well regularly. Using a dry and soft cotton cloth should be enough to wipe off the dust on your furniture’s surfaces, especially if you’ve committed to cleaning them at least twice a month. Ensure that your wooden tables, chairs, and other types of furniture aren’t overly exposed to sunlight because that may cause spotting on the material. Such an occurrence is typical in outdoor wooden furniture, so make sure you learn how to preserve your wooden garden furniture too.
You should also prevent any sharp objects from scratching the furniture. Wax and oil the timber regularly to give it shiny and durable protection. And should you need to clean the pieces deeply, you can use mild dish soap and warm water but make it a point not to soak the furniture for long periods to prevent moisture buildup, warping and other damage.
Repair damaged parts as soon as possible
One problem with wood is that when a part of it gets damaged, there’s a tendency that the damage will spread fast, and before you know it, the material is already decaying. Before you can even do something about it, it may no longer be salvageable, mainly if you used a not-so high-quality type of timber, to begin with.
Some of the common issues that may occur in your wooden home involve parts like the wall, doors, windows, and attic. Doors made of wood tend to get squeaky, loose, swollen, or warped. On the other hand, Windows are prone to rotting, particularly if they’re often exposed to moisture, mould, and fungus.
The best way to address such an issue is to prevent the problem from getting worse at the get-go. As soon as you spot any issue or damage with any parts of your wooden home, make it a point to repair it right away to prevent a domino effect. The best way to get it done is to call in a professional to assess the damage, may it be caused by poor insulation, moisture, leaking water, or moulds. After the assessment, the inspector will recommend the next best step to avoid further damage.
Final words
Preserving a wooden home isn’t an easy task, but it indeed is worth every effort and elbow grease. You’ve invested so much in such a beautiful property, and it’s only fitting to do your best in maintaining and protecting it. So, make sure it’s always protected from pests, harsh elements, dents, scratches, and other potential damages. When renovating, invest in high-quality timber to make the structure last for many more years to come.
Get professional inspections and maintenance regularly. Don’t forget to include interior aspects of your home when thinking about preserving it, such as the flooring and furniture. Reapply coating, varnish, or stain regularly to age the wood more beautifully and durably. Lastly, make sure to repair damaged parts of your wooden home right away to prevent further problems.