You may have seen our Summer of 2010 front page poll question asking what you're planning for your outdoor project over the summer. One of the poll questions suggests installing an outdoor water feature as a possible project. If you're like me you probably thought that a water feature takes too much time and maintenance to bother with. That's what I thought until we walked through a local home show a year ago.

Ok, this is the time of year you should be thinking about sealing up the outside of your log home to keep things cozy for the winter. Here are three huge differences between your log home and the neighbors' siding-clad white and beige homes stretching down the street (other than the fact that your log home has much more character!). The exterior of your log home needs to be protected from the elements, from air penetration, and from insect infestation. With a little work, these issues won't get out of hand.