But you don’t have to rent a ski cabin to get that feeling. You can find it in your own log cabin, a gorgeous and valuable bit of real estate that is perfect for anyone who wants that serenity and calm all year long.

Wooden houses take a bit more care through the year. So here is what you need to know before you buy your own log cabin, so it will be ready once the weather turns cold.

Take Local Weather Into Account

Not everyone has extreme weather where they live. If your Winters aren’t especially harsh then you can probably get away with minimal preparation and be fine. But if you live in an area that gets very wet or cold you will have to take extra care so you don’t damage the lumber, something that is very easy to do without proper wood treatment.

Heat is another factor, so if you live in a very hot climate make sure you are taking the same precautions every year. The sun can be just as damaging as the damp.

Don’t worry, even extreme weather can’t break down the strength and beauty of wood, as long as you take care of it. With proper intervention a wooden house can be passed down for generations.

Make Sure That Fireplace Works

That roaring fire in the image above? That can be your reality but you have to make sure you fireplace is in tip top order. Any improperly maintained fireplace is, of course, a risk. But in a wooden house you have an additional threat if sparks catch, so don’t skimp out!

Make sure your home is zoned for a fireplace. Keep the chimney cleaned and sweep it every year before the cold months when you are going to be using it most. Put a good dampener on that can be opened and closed easily. That will let you open it for use, but keep it closed when not in use so air doesn’t leap out. It also stops critters like birds, bats, arachnids, insects and small mammals from wandering inside and causing a major headache.

Be Ready To Stain and Seal

A log cabin has to be restained every three to five years to keep the wood in good condition. This is well worth the cost as your home is an investment that is worth a great deal more than what you put into the upkeep.

Failing to restain your house will lead to cracks in the wood, warping and even rot. Replacing logs is expensive and difficult, usually requiring a contractor experienced in woodwork to come and do it for you. The staining, on the other hand, is a DIY job most people can complete on their own. It can run you anywhere between $1500 and $5000 depending on the size of the house and any extensions (such as wooden garages), but for an expense every few years it is relatively low.

Weatherstripping Is Your Best Friend

Even without any gaps in the wood, leaks can happen in log cabins. Like any dwelling there are drafts around windows and doors, or in attics and basements. This can be frustrating for homeowners who want to keep the chill away from their abode, but worry about the high energy costs needed to do it. Some turn to firewood to keep the warmth up, but that does nothing if it is escaping through the cracks.

Weatherstripping is inexpensive and easy to do yourself. You can seal the windows and doors to keep air from leaking and keep that warmth in with your family. Most hardware stores have kits with full instructions and YouTube has great information videos showing the process.

It even helps once Summer comes, keeping that cool air inside!

Extra Insulation Makes For a Cozy Cottage

If you don’t mind a heavier project that takes a bit more time and expertise, you may want to consider adding some extra insulation to your home. Insulation helps to keep from air escaping the way weatherstripping does. It is especially helpful in wooden homes because of drafts pushing through the logs.

The attic is one particular area where extra insulation can completely change the way your house conserves energy. Warm air tends to move upward, so if you have a drafty attic space, even if it is a small crawlspace, it can let out a lot of it. Adding in some insulation will keep it trapped inside from the leakiest part of the house, which keeps it down in the rooms where you and your family live.

Heavy Curtains Make a Big Difference

If insulation isn’t possible, or if you just want an additional tool to keep your house warm, heavy curtains can do the trick. Thick enough to block out the light, these babies also keep heat from going through the window. The heavier the fabric, the better the warm air will remain where it is meant to be, in your house.

You can use a lighter weight curtain if you worry about reinforcing the rods enough to keep something heavier in place. Just make sure you add a layer or two to give the highest possible barrier around your windows.

Keep Those Critters Out

Finally, you have the critter problem. Insects, arachnids, small mammals like rats, mice and even raccoons… these are all possible hazards to your wooden home. Termites can eat right through the wood and other creatures might claw and gnaw in through the lumber.

Be prepared to seal your house every Winter and consider spraying for pests before the first snow hits. That will keep the problem at bay before it ever gets out of hand.

I was inspecting a large vacation home north of Cashiers, North Carolina, on a fast running creek. It was full of boulders, twists and turns, and waterfalls. The drive to the home was narrow and steep, leading to a heavy gate. The remote the agent gave me worked, and the gates slowly opened on complaining hinges.

The house was beautifully built into the side of the granite ledges, with stunning floor to ceiling windows. Although the home had a small footprint – perhaps 1500 square feet – two stories towered upwards, taking advantage of the very steep lot. The home had been foreclosed on, and was now vacant.

The first part of the inspection on the first floor revealed no anomalies. I started up the stairs to move upwards and noticed a closet door with a deadbolt lock. When you see something like this, owners are usually trying to protect something. Normally I note in the report that I could not access the closet or room, but in this case the bank was the owner and I doubted that they knew anything about this locked door.

I quickly got on the phone to the real estate agent.

“I’ll call the bank,” she said.

Three minutes later the phone rang.

“No one has a key to that door. If we did I’d say enter and report what you find. Can you pick it?”

“I’m no locksmith. No problem, I’ll put it in my report,” I said and hung up.

But I was curious.

I ran my hand across the top of the door trim which is where I “hide” a key. My fingers encountered an object with Velcro stuck to the trim. A key! I put the key in the lock and tried rotating it. It worked! Leaving the key in the tumbler, I turned the knob and opened the door.

A black void.

I pulled out my flashlight and aimed it into the area. A black metal circular staircase came into view. Now I felt like Nancy Drew. I started slowly down the narrow stairs and began to hear the sound of water. When I reached the bottom, my feet were on an uneven stone floor and I was in a room about six by six feet with two more doors in the walls. I looked around for a switch. I found it on the opposite wall. I flipped the switch and light filled the room. I was amazed to see that the walls were carved into the cliff.

One closet was a tiny space with an electrical box. The other door was locked with a deadbolt like the one upstairs.

“Oh! I left the key upstairs,” I said to myself. “Shoot, I’ll have to go back up and get it.”

I went back up the circular staircase to retrieve it. I moved back down the stairs to the locked door. The key worked, and I opened the door. I was in a very narrow passageway. The walls were solid rock and I could see the furrows where blasting caps had been used. I was feeling a little claustrophobic. Should I keep going?

The sound of water grew stronger as I moved slowly down the cavern path. After traveling 12 feet, I was suddenly outside! The waterfall that was visible from inside the home was directly in front of me.

As an interior designer, you need to know exactly what colours, shapes and styles go together when it comes to the walls, floors and furniture.

Contrast is important if your main focus is on aesthetics. A monotone room is difficult to enjoy because the room has one solid look in terms of the colour. Once upon a time it would have been the stylish and proper thing to do, but now it’s just boring.

Mismatching is okay. You wouldn’t put a blue throw on a blue couch. The two blues might not match. Just like you wouldn’t put a mustard coloured cardigan over a sunshine yellow shirt. Have fun when combining different patterns. The key is to make sure that the colours complement each other. For example, a mustard coloured throw over a navy blue couch creates some interest.

Odd ones out are also a must in the modern day lounge. An armchair does not need to match the style, shape or colour of the current couches and lounge suites. You could have a pink patterned fabric armchair matched with grey cushioned couches.

Carpets are great for any lounge. There is one factor that will need consideration first. Not every colour carpet will suit any lounge. You will need to consider the colours of the floors, walls and surrounding furniture. This item needs to follow a specific colour pattern that is already in the room.

Don’t use more than two different types of wood. Keep the wood colours to a maximum of two so that you don’t overdo the theme of the room. One of the woods should be for the legs of the couches and chairs and the other wood should be for the coffee table and entertainment stand if you didn’t find pieces that match.

The coffee table should be the piece that matches the entertainment stand. This flow ties the room together and adds elegance to the environment. The coffee table can also have a small decorative tablecloth and a vase of flowers placed on it for a homely touch.

The lounge is where you can have fun with the different colours so play around with furniture upholstery ideas. As the interior designer you have to make sure that the client agrees with the décor and lounge suite you intend to use in the room.

Customer Service

Many people rely on their gut feelings when getting an idea of the customer service quality of the service provider. Aside from relying on your own feelings, we suggest that you consider the following pointers.

What type of communication means do they offer?
Do they update their website on a regular basis?
Can they offer a flexible work schedule?

These points can help you find out if a company cares about their customers.

Equipment

Trucks are the most important equipment a junk removal company uses. So, what you need to do is find out the number and sizes of the trucks they have in their powerful fleet. Actually, the purpose of this research is to find out if the company is a suitable choice for your job.

Pricing

As they say, you get what you pay for. Although you should try to avoid being overcharged, know that the price tags are set at that level for a reason. All you need to do is compare the prices of different providers and then make a choice.

You can give a call to each provider for an estimate on the basis of the cubic yardage of the rubbish you want them to remove.

Insurance Protection

It goes without saying that the company should be insured. In other words, hiring a provider that is not insured is a big mistake. This way you can claim compensation in case something goes wrong during the job.

Recycling Policy

Unlike what most people believe, your junk won’t just disappear into the thin air after it has been removed from your property. Make sure you are aware of the recycling practice of the rubbish removal service you want to hire. Actually, some providers are in touch with many recycling facilities, scrappers and donation centers. Ideally, you want your rubbish to be recycled so it can be used once again. We all should work together to save your environment from junk.

Track Record

Find out if the provider has a good track record. There is an easy way to find that information. All you need to do is check out case studies, blog posts, reviews, and before-and-after pictures. This will give a deeper insight into the processes they use for the types of project you want them to work on.

Aside from this, you can check out the testimonials on their websites. If you can’t find any of these details, you should consider a different service provider.

The Takeaway

So, these are a few important pointers that can help you hire the right service provider. Make sure you consider your budget as well. After all, you don’t want to spend all your money on your junk removal service.

Hardness Can Happen Temporarily

Some people assume they have soft water, as others tell them, until they notice that the shampoos, soaps and detergents they use do not lather very well. When this happens, they may be experiencing temporary water hardening. Water often becomes hard due to the bicarbonate minerals in it. You can make your water soft by boiling or just letting the minerals go through your water system.

Reasons Why People do not Like Hard Water

When your water contains minerals, this can bring about problems in your home. It may be fine to drink hard water, but generally, it does not make your skin and hair healthy. Though some issues may not pose any serious risks, others may need the help of professional plumbers:

Hair:

Can lose its shine;

Easily gets dry and develop dandruff;

Never looks clean.

Skin:

Always feels sticky;

Quickly dries out;

May cause eczema to develop in children.

When you use hard water in washing clothes, this can eventually ruin the fabric by breaking it down. When you wash them in soft water, it may leave traces of detergent in the fibers. It is therefore important to find a compromise if you want clean clothes without the damage.

Hard water can cause minerals to build-up in your pipes, and this may go unnoticed until they start to clog. A skilled plumber should flush out these mineral deposits to prevent them from damaging your pipes.

It is unfortunate, though, that most homeowners are not aware of this build up until serious problems happen. Installing a water softening system will remove scale build up and minimize the negative effects of hard water.

How to Treat Hard Water

If your water is too hard or too soft, this can be regulated by means of a treatment system, making it best for your family. When a treatment system is installed in your home by a professional, you water will become safe to drink, and will be good to use for washing.