This square beam cabin, built in the early 1900’s, was joined from two separate builds that were disassembled and relocated to this spot in Christiana, Tennessee. This job has been an exciting challenge for a few reasons. As you can see below, the concrete was originally installed past the surface of the beams, covering a lot of beautiful character.
First, we wanted to remove all the old concrete-chink to reposition where the chink line would be. But as we removed the concrete, we quickly realized the cabin was far too old to beat with a sledge hammer. Going in with Plan B, we carefully chiseled the concrete until enough was removed for the new layer of Log Jam Chink.
As we continued at a smooth pace, we faced one more challenge. As the concrete-chink chiseled away, we exposed a rotten beam on the right side of the cabin. It was in need of a replacement ASAP.
Homeowner, Tom, was ready to replace it, and by God’s grace we found a new Cedar beam only 20 Miles away! We got a precise cut, 8ft—4” x 10”. We brought it back, cut a half Dove-Tail notch and put a hand hewn finish on to match the original beams.
When restoring a hand-hewn cabin this old, being patient and careful is one of the best skills you can have on the job. We’re excited to beautify this home’s rich history by accentuating it’s character with fresh stain, clean chink, and a strong, durable finish.
