Log homes.

[Lagrue]

I have a question for any of you that own or have owned log homes. I am going to build a new house one of these days. I have been saying this for yrs, but I will,unlike alot of people have done, wait untill I have the money.

How well do they retain heat or how hard are they to heat and cool? I suspect that you can insulate the attic as well as you can. Are the logs themselves the only insulation the walls have? I currently live in old drafty house that is not insulated well. I want my next house to be very effecient.

 

[fify59thatsit]

I have a question for any of you that own or have owned log homes. I am going to build a new house one of these days. I have been saying this for yrs, but I will,unlike alot of people have done, wait untill I have the money.

How well do they retain heat or how hard are they to heat and cool? I suspect that you can insulate the attic as well as you can. Are the logs themselves the only insulation the walls have? I currently live in old drafty house that is not insulated well. I want my next house to be very effecient.

Do not believe the hype from dealers. Ask some log homeowners who will tell the truth about heating and cooling .Look at conventional framed houses with log siding if you want affordable heat and a/c bills.

 

[barkeatr]

LOG homes are terribly inefficient, the air infiltration makes them in many cases very difficult to heat. the fact that there is a horizontal joint every eight to twelve inches no matter how ingenious the connection, means that you loose a lot of heat. There is talk of the thermal mass of the logs...but without a continuous thermal envelope of insulation...the mass will simply get cold and want to stay that way..a person that lives four miles from me, a builder, just built one and could not keep his OWB humping fast enought to heat it and it was a small house. He sold the OWB...

finally, the seasonal size changes of the logs makes it difficult to seal those joints...

 

[Hlakegollum]

My friends have one and you can see daylight thru the corners, not good. That place is always freezing, even with a fire blazing.

 

[Richard_]

timber frame with SIP walls and roof

 

[jdew1920]

I personally would love to have a timber frame with SIP panels, but also love the look of logs. I would think the manufactured logs (machined) provide for a better sealed system vs traditional log construction.

 

[ktm rider]

LOG homes are terribly inefficient, the air infiltration makes them in many cases very difficult to heat. the fact that there is a horizontal joint every eight to twelve inches no matter how ingenious the connection, means that you loose a lot of heat. ..

I have a 3,500 Sq ft. log home and this couldn't be any further from the truth.. Actually log homes are MORE efficient than stick built homes when properly constructed and quality logs are used. . A dried 8 inch thick log is super efficient. the small spores where moisture used to be now acts as an insulater. Almost like styro foam.

Hlakegollum,
Log homes are like buying cars, you need to do your research. if you want a quality car you gotta pay for it. The same with log homes. Sounds to me likeyou buddy cheaped out and went with air dried logs ( huge mistake) they looked tight when built and then shrank after a year or so and then the corners started leaking, doors started to not open and windows are buckling,.. all because they didn't want to spend the extra 10k for goos quality kiln dried logs...

If you want a log home buy one that is KILN DRIED or you will have issues. Kildn dried logs will NOT shrink and will NOT leak air if properly constructed. That is why they have lifetime warranties. Air dried logs will only have a 20 yr warranty at best.. Mine is 8 yrs old now and I have ZERO air leaks in my logs..
I love my log home and wouldn't ever go back to a stick built cookie cutter house. One of the best parts is the Appraisal value. I built mine for 175K and is appraised for 290K... can't beat that...

 

[wdchuck]

Straw bale house, with log siding on the inside and out. R-45 walls do have advantages.
A guy down the road built one a while back, southern exposure, just the sun coming through the windows gets it up too hot in december, has to open a window. Only heats with wood for two months. No modern heating system in the house, just a woodburner.

My dad lived in a log home in Northern Wisconsin for 10yrs, heated with a little woodfurnace, was always toasty too. He loved it, no complaints whatsoever, and it was old when he moved in.

 

[pyromaniac guy]

I have a 3,500 Sq ft. log home and this couldn't be any further from the truth.. Actually log homes are MORE efficient than stick built homes when properly constructed and quality logs are used. . A dried 8 inch thick log is super efficient. the small spores where moisture used to be now acts as an insulater. Almost like styro foam.

Hlakegollum,
Log homes are like buying cars, you need to do your research. if you want a quality car you gotta pay for it. The same with log homes. Sounds to me likeyou buddy cheaped out and went with air dried logs ( huge mistake) they looked tight when built and then shrank after a year or so and then the corners started leaking, doors started to not open and windows are buckling,.. all because they didn't want to spend the extra 10k for goos quality kiln dried logs...

If you want a log home buy one that is KILN DRIED or you will have issues. Kildn dried logs will NOT shrink and will NOT leak air if properly constructed. That is why they have lifetime warranties. Air dried logs will only have a 20 yr warranty at best.. Mine is 8 yrs old now and I have ZERO air leaks in my logs..
I love my log home and wouldn't ever go back to a stick built cookie cutter house. One of the best parts is the Appraisal value. I built mine for 175K and is appraised for 290K... can't beat that...

so wait, i have a question for you:

given that R-values are estimated as follows : 1R= 1" of wood, let's say you have logs that are 8" thick in your walls. now, i'm not talking abo9ut daylighting or horizontal joints or anything like that, i'm taking the thisckest part of the wall. 8" thick log wall would equal 8R, correct?

well, in my "cookie-cutter" stick frame home which was just built, we used 2"x6" walls, and the insulation value in the walls is an R-23. the ceiling is 24" of blown insulation with an R-value of 49. does your log cabin have insulation like that?

i'm not talking about stylish differences here, just insulation like the OP was asking about...

 

[ktm rider]

so wait, i have a question for you:

given that R-values are estimated as follows : 1R= 1" of wood, let's say you have logs that are 8" thick in your walls. now, i'm not talking abo9ut daylighting or horizontal joints or anything like that, i'm taking the thisckest part of the wall. 8" thick log wall would equal 8R, correct?

well, in my "cookie-cutter" stick frame home which was just built, we used 2"x6" walls, and the insulation value in the walls is an R-23. the ceiling is 24" of blown insulation with an R-value of 49. does your log cabin have insulation like that?

i'm not talking about stylish differences here, just insulation like the OP was asking about...

The R-value of a log home is not very high - a 6 inch thick log wall will generally yield a formal R-value below R-10. However, the technique used to evaluate the R-value is based on measuring the heat transfer through a material. Solid wood literally absorbs heat within its cellular structure, so it should be apparent that its performance in such tests would be low.

However, wood has one major benefit that affects its energy efficiency that is not accounted for using the standard R-value rating system- thermal mass. In a sense, a solid log wall acts like a thermal battery, storing heat and slowly releasing it over time as temperatures drop. The thicker the log wall, the bigger this battery effect will be.

This is an oversimplified view of things, but it may explain why, for decades, log home owners have reported low heating and cooling bills, and good air quality. The fact that wood has this thermal storage capability must be considered when evaluating the energy efficiency of a log wall system, not just its R-value.

 

[Bl8tant]

Ours is Log

Our log home is about 20 years old. The windows are the biggest source of heat loss (I think). Second difficulty with heating is the ceiling height in the "Living Room".....it's about 16 feet high and loves to leak heat out the skylights. I don't really notice any issue with the horizontal joints or corners.

All that said....It takes a LOT of wood to heat this place. When temps get below 25, I have to run both stoves (Buck Insert upstairs and a Heartwood downstairs in the unfinished basement). The wood is free minus my labor, so I don't mind it too bad.

Personally, I will never own another log home:
1) Exterior maintenance is constant
2) Lack of ductwork and no practical way to install it...so no central air or heat.
3) Find a good exterminator to keep the exterior sprayed or else Carpenter bees, woodpeckers, and wasps will drive you crazy.
4) The house readily gets cold in the winter and hot in the summer.
5) Every floor will eventually squeak and creak.
6) EVERYTHING is harder to do....remodeling, electrical, plumbing...all of it.

If the economy ever rebounds and home prices start to climb, we are going to unload this place on the next couple who "thinks" they want a log home.

Sorry to sound so discouraging, but unless you are really in love with the idea of a log home.....steer clear.

 

[ktm rider]

Personally, I will never own another log home:
1) Exterior maintenance is constant
2) Lack of ductwork and no practical way to install it...so no central air or heat.
3) Find a good exterminator to keep the exterior sprayed or else Carpenter bees, woodpeckers, and wasps will drive you crazy.
4) The house readily gets cold in the winter and hot in the summer.
5) Every floor will eventually squeak and creak.
6) EVERYTHING is harder to do....remodeling, electrical, plumbing...all of it.
.

I am willing to bet your logs were air dried...

1.) I stain my house once every 4 years. that is all I need. No Borax or anything
2.) sounds like you didn't design your home for duct work. I have forced air and you can't see any of my duct work anywhere and it is a two story with a full basement

3.) Again, this is due to air dried logs. Bugs ( ants termites, etc..) eat the moist wood in the air dried logs. That is one of the major reasons for kiln dried logs. No need to use borax of worry about insects. except lady bugs, they seem to love my house. especially the windows

4.) I have zero air conditioning, I don't need it. It always stays cool. But, I do live in a cool climate
5.) can't comment on this, mine don't squeak but some do I guess...
6.) once again, you have to design you home properly from to get go. Electrical needs to be thought out before you build. Outlets are a ##### to put in after the fact.


Log homes are ALOT less forgiving in the building phase. If you do not build it tight and build it right with the correct methods and material, you will pay for years to come. But if you do it correctly they are a wonderful place to call home.

I researched log homes for 3 yrs before I decided on what I wanted and it seemed to have paid off...

 

[Bl8tant]

KTM,

We didn't design the home (we are the 2nd owner). I can see how it's possible to design in some features (ductwork, etc), but if you ever want to change anything it sure is a bear.

To me...staining every 4 years is a lot of maintenance. I was spoiled by growing up in a vinyl sided home

The insect issue is due more to our climate, and location (we are "in the woods"). Even traditional construction homes with exterior wood surfaces have issues with Carpenter Bees here.

Actually I'm sure that the logs were kiln dried. Whick is probably why I've never noticed the "shrink/swell" and the joints always seem tight.

I have to say...I like the look of the house, I like the "atmosphere" of the house, I don't mind the other issues.............BUT I'll never own another. Give me brick or plastic anyday

 

[Bl8tant]

KTM,

I meant to ask....are any of your halwways or rooms drywalled? 99% of our walls are log "showing", but a couple rooms and one hallway wall has drywall. It actually looks good despite the contrast, and it really helped to brighten up the rooms and entry hallway. I SWEAR it does not clash.

Just curious...

 

[ktm rider]

KTM,

I meant to ask....are any of your halwways or rooms drywalled? 99% of our walls are log "showing", but a couple rooms and one hallway wall has drywall. It actually looks good despite the contrast, and it really helped to brighten up the rooms and entry hallway. I SWEAR it does not clash.

Just curious...

Yes, I have a few walls dry walled. None of the exterior walls though. That would kind of defeat the purpose of the log home I would think. the interior walls in the hallway, a few walls in dfferent bedrooms. It does blend in alot better than most would think.

I also live smack in the middle of the woods. I don't have an insect problem but a contributing factor to your insect issue could be regional I guess. Compare to vinyl siding there is some maintenance but then again there is pretty much zero maint. with vinyl. You should make a killing on the resale value if you ever sell.

 

[sloth9669]

pics

I want pics of the homestead. I love wood in a house. Being burt, furniture, or building materials. If I ever build it would me wood frame. Best of both worlds

 

[biggboy]

My dad, built a log house, with red pine. That house is just as effficent as my newer house with 6" walls. The log house is about 30 years old too! It keeps the heat in well, no gaps any-where.
The biggest thing is too have nice big straight ties, I beleive the logs are 10 or 12 inch diameter. You should also have someone who actually knows how to build one, to start you out.

 

[savageactor7]

Log homes are a big pita...if you build one you'll remember it as one of the biggest mistakes of your life.

My opinion is in no way a disparagement to present log home owners.

 

[November Wolf]

I was going to build a log home but instead built a cape cod with cedar siding. We really like our home but I do not like the maintenance on the siding (staining, caulking,). Also cedar siding is a magnet for wasps ( I don't know why). We were going to get vinyl siding that looked like cedar but we could not find any that we liked back in 1994. I would say just get what you want but plan every aspect of the home because no matter what you build you will have wished you did something different somewhere.

 

[Burvol]

Our family built a three story log home when I was a kid. My Dad high graded nice Doug Fir from work for two years, then started building. The comfort of my parent's home is down right relaxing. We dug a daylight basement for the living room poored concrete for the first floor and put a deck around the second story. Downstairs is very cool in the summer and upstairs is not too bad. They insulated the roof with panels on the inside and covered with stained waynescot. I have noticed that they are very quiet and comfortable homes.