Very old log buildings

[TW]

I am searching the internet for information about the oldest logbuildings still in existence. Maybe some others are interrested in seeing the links too.

I will edit this tread and add more links as I find them

Raulandstua from Ulvdal,Numedal, Norway. Built sometimes around year 1300.
http://home.no.net/gunnarxx/raulandstua.htm

Stokkastóvan in Kirkjubøur, Faroe Islands
http://www.psp-info.dk/faroe/KIRKJU.HTM
http://www.patursson.com/

[Riles]

Must be too cold for termites in your neck of the woods. On the other hand, the Vikings were know to be tough on buildings...

[Don P]

I've stumbled across a few pics of log construction in the Archangel province in Russia from around that period on the net. The ones I saw were scanned from "The Wooden Architecture of Russia".

The log building beside the Magnus Cathedral in the Faroe Island set has a shiny black finish, can you identify it TW? I did come across a supplier of swedish pine resin and a finish recipe while looking for Falun Red last night. It was resin, turps and boiled linseed oil. Sounds sticky but might be worth trying a small batch next time I hit a real sappy tree. The simple carving on the beam in the folkmuseum looks really sharp, I like that.

Thanks for the pics, I'm ready to move if I can leave before winter 

[TW]

 
Don P
I have red that the black finsh is pine tar, but I doubt that is true after studying the picture more thoroughly. To me it looks more like coal tar, but using coal tar does not make sence to me. Honestly I do not know.

Pine tar mixed with turpentine (not mineral spirit) and either raw or usually boiled linseed oil is a commonly used mixture on many kinds of wooden things. I have used it on the topsides of my boat with good result, for two years until the boat became to rotten because of other reasons.
Pine tar can be used as it is, heated for better penetration or mixed with turpentine.
It is even possible to mix pine tar with red or black pigment in order to get better UV-protection.
It will stay sticky about a year or two, if pine tar is involved in any kind.

Riksantrikvaren (norwegian board of antiques)har an a very practical minded artickle online about use of pine tar on old buildings. It is written in Norwegian, sadly for you Don.

Some more links

Look at the two at the top and the one at the bottom of the page. The dates can be understood even if you do not know Swedish.
http://www.svenskatimmerhus.com/new/tradition.asp?Btn=timmer&SType=main&PageID=historiska

Blannesladu. A hay barn, formerly food storehouse built in the 1290ies
It is in Övre Gärdsjö in Dalarna in Sweden.
http://www.gardsjokultur.se/blannes.html


Two storehouses by the church in Älvdalen, Dalarna, Sweden
On the uppermost picure the noe to the left is built in the 1280-ies and the right one in 1577.
http://www.w.lst.se/template/NewsPage.aspx?id=2476


The entrance hall from the old church in Rödön, Sweden. When the old church was torn down the entrance hall was moved and reused as a shed. It was originally built in medieval times.
http://www.timmerdraget.org/  click on "Norrlands märkligarte byggnad"

Lagmannsstova, Aga, Hordaland,Norway. Half the upper storey and the stone basement are from the 13th century
http://nn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aga
look at the pictures of lagmannsstova http://www.touristphoto.no/ullensv6.htm

[metalspinner]

I like the grass roof's.  Do you know anything about that?  I bet the insulation value is high.

[TW]

I know almost nothing about grass roofs.
Traditionally there is many layers of birchbark underneath with two layers of turf on top. The bottom layer of turf has the grass downwards and trhe tp layer has the grass upwards. Nowadays there are artificial substitutes for birchbark.

Grass roofs have never been common in my home area and they have not been used at all in the last 200 years or so.

[Housewright]

Hello TW;

Thank you for sharing the photos of very old log structures. I am amazed how good condition they seem to be in for there age. I imagine they have been repaired every 100 years or so! Is there a progression over time of how log structures were built? I mean the type of notcches, rafters etc.

I have a timber frame question for you, if you do not mind. Are there any traditional timber frames in Finland which have five-sided ridge beams (or diamond shaped ridge beams) where the rafters are tenoned into the ridge and there is usually "wind bracing" from the ridge to the rafters? There appears to be nothing written about the origin of the five-sided ridge in North America so I am curious where else in the world they occure.

 Thanks;
Jim on the Atlantic

[Dave Shepard]

Welcome to the forum, Housewright!


Dave

[TW]

Housewright

That type of roof structure is unknown to me.

[woodlandia.ca]

Hello everybody.

TW, I like your passion about log homes :-). Thank you for such good information.

I read all messages here and many questions have aroused. Let me to list few of them here. I hope it will be not too much for first time :-)

1.   Why round logs were “squared” to bevel edge profile? I’ve read somewhere and I was convinced that Vikings build structures from bevel edged logs because they used cut boards (sides of logs) for floor or other things, but now I am confused…

2.   Looking on pictures you posted I don’t see that those traditional Swedish log homes have big overhang. And looking at sealing logs I don’t see evidence of rottenness or some structural harm… Any ideas why?

3.   Did Swedish log home builder employ any check control method? Did they seal log ends?

4.   Did they season logs before of building? Did they let log shell to stay for a year or two before to finish the house?
 
Thank you in advance.

Andrew M.

[TW]

I will try to answer your questions in the "Finnish log building" thread. I think they fit in better there as that is the method I know.

This attempt at keeping good order may keep Jim a little happier