Silverton Log HomeRestoration Experts

Silverton is one of Colorado's great historic mining towns, its downtown a National Historic Landmark district of buildings from the 1870s and 1880s, set in a high basin ringed by San Juan peaks. Caring for log structures here is fundamentally a preservation effort: the wood is old and often soft, the original finishes are long gone, and joints have settled over well more than a century. The goal is to keep these historic cabins sound and weathertight without stripping away the authenticity that earned the town its landmark status.

We approach Silverton projects by carefully sorting sound wood from logs that need splicing, then re-chinking settled joints and applying breathable finishes that protect the timber while preserving its history.

Silverton's basin collects enormous snowfall, and snow banked against cabins for many months creates a persistent band of meltwater along the snow line that works into checks, joints, and the lowest log courses. The bottom few feet of a wall live an entirely different life than the wood above, and that snow-contact zone is where the real battle against moisture and rot is fought. We focus intently on keeping that zone tight and sealed, so a winter's worth of deep snow contact does not quietly hollow out the base of a historic wall.

The same high basin that traps snow also holds deep, sustained cold that turns rigid chinking brittle and cracks it, so we rely on sealants rated to stay flexible at extreme low temperatures. Just as challenging is the calendar: with snow lingering into late spring and returning early, the window for blasting, repair, and finishing is short, and every coat needs time to cure before the cold returns. We plan Silverton work well ahead, sequencing the season carefully so the brief warm window is used to full advantage.