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Well, I can tell you from a former Paint salesman's perspective that when it comes to outdoor wood treatment, you have many choices, but only a few that will prevent you from having to spend every year refinishing the outside. First of all, if you're doing the log home yourself and use high-quality, naturally rot resistant wood like cedar, then you won't necessarily have to finish it at all.Some of the old cabins are still around and they were never painted or stained. A really old-fashioned method if you did was to use a creosote stain. But the stuff smells and can burn your skin.
If you are building a cabin that basically has a modern stick frame with log-looking siding, then you probably should finish it since the siding will likely warp. Many people like stains because it shows the natural wood. But stains will last maybe 2-3 years max then you have to do it all over again. Unless you strip all of the old stain, the new will make the wood look splotchy.
A much more permanent solution is to use something called a solid stain. This is basically a very thin penetrating paint that will make a opaque finish but still shows the texture of the wood underneath. So you get the longevity of paint, but the textured appearance of a stain. If you choose a color that is close enough to the wood color, the appearance will look almost like the wood itself. It is also much better to go for a latex solid stain because oil based stains will more easily crack and peel. Latex will expand and contract with the weather. A solid stain can last as long as typical house paint.
For decks, TN at least for now, has less strict regulations for pressure treated wood. So you can still get the clear pressure treated stuff and make a deck that doesn't require a finish for years.It will grey with age, but a quick cleaning with a pressure washer will remove the oxidation. Many people like the idea of finishing a deck, but once you do this be prepared to refinish it almost every year. TN weather is very diverse and wreaks havoc on outdoor finishes. Decks will suffer the worst because they get full sun and rain.
Carpenter bees are actually much less destructive than people claim.
From Wikipedia:"Since the tunnels are near the surface, structural damage is generally minor or nonexistent. A building at Cornell University possibly containing nests since the early-1930s, with very heavy nesting between 1966 and 1995, is still sound in 2006"
A bigger concern would be termites. It is very important that when building a wooden home to keep the foundation elevated above the ground at least 8 inches. That goes for anything else, like siding, etc etc. Either that or used pressure treated wood for the lower areas. That way they can't build their tunnels and tubes high enough to get at the wood. I've seen many an old home in TN that got eaten alive with termites. me and my dad had to knock down 3 walls on one rental house that was totally rotted.
Roofs... well the cheapest will be a metal roof. Some of the newer ones are kind of fancy and cost more, but they'll last forever. Some come with a lifetime coating. The old fashioned zinc coated barn sheet metal roofs are dirt cheap. But the coating wears off and you'll have to go up and repaint the roof once every 3-5 years, which is pretty easy. An aluminum coating is popular. Wooden ones can be very costly because if you want the traditional stuff, you'll need to find a craftsman. A good wooden shingle roof can last 50 years or more.
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Tennessee Log Homes
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