Log Burning for Dry Rot

Starting the burn with a propane torch.

If you own a house, you know how bad dry rot can be for the integrity of your structure. Imagine you live in a cabin built on a float of cedar logs. Cedar is the most durable wood for construction. It is slow to saturate, making it a perfect choice for float structures.

But all wood deteriorates over time, even cedar. On a cabin’s float, the most exposed logs are the ends of the brow logs. They are the cross members on top of the float logs which are partially submerged. If you lose a brow log, you weaken the steel cables that tie all of the logs together. So goes the foundation, so goes the home.

Monitoring the burn with water buckets and extinguisher handy.

Pinpointing the burn sites to remove all dry rot.

One end of our central brow log has been subject to dry rot. We need to catch it before it becomes too advanced. The solution is burning. It seems like an extremely dangerous solution, but it’s very effective. You burn out the rot much like a dentist drills out a cavity. Once you get down to good wood, you stop the burn. You can tell how much based on the intensity of the flame. The charred wood then acts like a natural sealant, protecting the good wood from further rot.

Our good friend John is what we call an “aquatic engineer.” He’s well versed in these things. John brought his propane torch up to the cabin ready for some log dentistry. Wayne readied buckets of water and a fire extinguisher, just like a good dental assistant.

Extinguishing the flames and watching for flare ups.

It was really scary to watch the flames lick high under the deck and for such a long time, but a combination of torch application and water splashing controlled the burn. Finally, it was done. Whew! Several applications of water and careful monitoring throughout the day allayed my fears of my home going up in smoke.

While he was at it, John took the torch to the ends of the other two brow logs as a preventive treatment. They are even more critical to the integrity of our foundation.

It’s always nice having John’s expertise to help us learn the skills needed for off-the-grid living. He’s been a great friend and mentor.

Wayne has written several books about our off-the-grid life in a float cabin. They are available in both print and e-book formats from most online booksellers.

Up the Lake – Our discovery of float cabin living.
Farther Up the Lake – More cabin life stories.
Off the Grid – How we live in a remote water access cabin.

If you have any questions, we invite you to leave a comment or use the email link in the profile. It’s not the life for everyone, but it isn’t as hard as you might think. -- Margy