Evaluation of a technical survey and the renovation needs of old rural wooden houses in Estonia

Wooden detached houses represent the majority of buildings in rural areas in Estonia. The design service life of these rural wooden building is nearing its end. Before starting major renovation of these houses, a comprehensive survey of the buildings is required in order to determine all the visible and hidden damage of constructions. A renovation plan may be composed after the houses’ technical condition has been examined completely. This paper provides a description of the issues that need to be reported in a technical survey of an old log house. The relevant survey method was tested on 50 houses in Estonia. Besides describing survey components and methods, detailed information is given about building envelope elements and possible variations. All detected damage is described and illustrated with drawings and photographs. Every envelope component of a house should be checked for possible damage during an inspection. There are hidden components, especially below the floor where opening the construction or using a flexible camera is needed for an inspection. Most often, rot damage was found in foundation wall and log wall joints, the main reasons for it being broken or missing rain protection or waterproofing for the edge of the foundation. Often damage was identified in crawl spaces (floor beams) and near water leaks in the roof.