Log Home Restoration in Mayo, FL

Log Homes in Mayo and Lafayette County

Lafayette County was created on December 23, 1856, from part of Madison County, and the Suwannee River forms its entire eastern border. According to a 1939 WPA history of the county, "a log house was built for the Court House" at Old Troy, the first county seat, the following year. Troy sat so close to the river that the courthouse later had to be moved because of flooding. After the courthouse at New Troy burned on New Year's Eve 1892, voters in 1893 chose Mayo as the new county seat. John B. Whitfield had settled the town in 1874 and named it for Col. James M. Mayo.

The WPA writers called this "some of the best timbered pine lands in the State." After farming and stock raising, turpentine and lumber were the county's biggest industries. The Drew brothers built a large sawmill at Alton in 1906, the Standard Lumber Company ran it from 1910 until 1928, and the Live Oak, Perry & Gulf Railroad was built the same year the mill opened. Today's log homes around Mayo, Branford, Day and Perry sit in that same pine country, near the same river, and they get the same weather.

What Mayo's Climate Does to a Log Home

• Rain in every season. Mayo averages about 55½ inches of rain a year. August is the wettest month at just over 8 inches. December through February still bring about 11 inches, so the logs rarely get a long dry spell.
• Heat. About 100 days a year reach 90°F or more, and July highs average about 92°F.
• Freezes. About 27 nights a year drop to freezing, more than most of Florida. Water that soaks into open checks and joints expands when it freezes and widens them.
• Hurricanes. Idalia (2023) came ashore near Keaton Beach in Taylor County as a major hurricane. A weather station at Lafayette High School in Mayo recorded gusts of about 72 mph.
• Flooding rain. A year later, Debby (2024) made landfall near Steinhatchee. Gusts near 70 mph hit much of Lafayette and Dixie counties, and there was widespread flooding in Madison, Lafayette and Dixie counties.
• Termites. Native subterranean termites are found statewide. They need moisture and forage in the soil, so damp wood near the ground draws them in.

What That Means for Your Log Home

With rain in every season and more freezes than most of the state, a Mayo-area log home is most vulnerable at open checks, worn chinking and the bottom courses. Keep chinking and caulking tight so rain can't get in and freeze. Keep the ground sloping away from the walls and the bottom logs dry and clear of the soil, and pull mulch and plants back from the walls. The yearly routine is an annual log wash with soft brushes and a low-pressure rinse, never a pressure washer, and a UV protective coat every third year, as appropriate. After a storm like Idalia or Debby, walk around the house and look for impact damage, wet lower logs and open joints.

Related services: Chinking & Caulking · Maintenance Plans · Log Home Inspections

Climate figures: NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Mayo station. Storm details: National Hurricane Center, NWS Tallahassee. History: WPA Historical Records Survey (1939).