I have a problem with adjusting the screwjacks on a log cabin I'm building.
I checked the wall heights on recently and they are down by 1" from the last time the screwjacks were adjusted. There are five screwjacks. One in the middle of the front wall, which has a 12' opening for 2 patio doors. Two screwjacks on either side, supporting outrigger beams.
My problem is that the screwjacks are getting hung up. The center screwjack lowered by 5/8" and then stopped, the nut moves freely. Only one of the four outrigger screwjacks actually lower, the rest were hung up from the get go.
Looking at the holes, they look like they are smaller than the screw. I was present for the drilling of the holes, and at time of drilling the screws fit just snugly. Is it possible for the hole to have become smaller?
I have reasonable knowledge on how wood reacts to moisture change, but my opinion had always been that a hole would become larger when the log shrank. Is this incorrect?
I hope someone can offer some advice on how to remedy this. Presently I have the nuts backed off 1/4". I left them that way over the weekend, hoping that they would settle over the weekend.
Any thoughts would be much appreciated.
Craig Goodman, Falcon Lake, Manitoba
