| While a log home may not be the first type of home | | | | placement of the home should also be in harmony |
| you think of when you think of a green home, the | | | | with the existing land and environment. |
| fact is log homes are naturally more eco-friendly than | | | | Building Materials |
| traditionally built homes. | | | | Other than the logs, the other materials used in a log |
| The Logs and Wood | | | | home are also essential to the eco-friendliness of the |
| The first consideration for any log home to be | | | | space. Carpets, fixtures, flooring, cabinets, appliances, |
| eco-friendly is the logs that are used. The main factor | | | | windows, every aspect is important to making a log |
| for logs to be considered eco-friendly is that the logs | | | | home green. Some materials, such as carpeting, can |
| should be from a sustainable source. Sustainable | | | | give off what are called VOC's or Volatile Organic |
| sources would include reclaimed wood from other | | | | Compounds when they are installed. These |
| homes and buildings that have been demolished or | | | | compounds are from the manufacturing of the |
| remodeled, logs that come from a tree farm or other | | | | product and the use of various solvents and glues in |
| managed forest, logs from burnt out or diseased | | | | the process. These compounds take time to dissipate |
| trees and wood reclaimed from rivers such as old | | | | and can be harmful to chemically sensitive people. |
| pilings and piers. These types of wood are excellent | | | | This is why the selection of the materials for the |
| choices to use in building a log home. The idea is to | | | | home is so important. Nearly every element of a log |
| make sure that your source of logs is sustainable and | | | | home can be eco-friendly, you just need to opt for |
| definitely not from old growth forests or sensitive | | | | the more organic and eco-friendly choices available. |
| forest lands. | | | | Energy and Electricity |
| Size and Layout | | | | Like other homes, a log home can be powered by |
| Another consideration is the size and layout of a log | | | | alternative energies that can either comprise the |
| home. The larger the home, the more logs and | | | | entire energy system of the home or act as an |
| materials that will be required. In addition, the layout is | | | | adjunct to a traditional power supply. Solar panels are |
| crucial to a log home's eco-friendliness. The layout | | | | a popular accessory for log homes, especially those in |
| should minimize energy usage for heating and cooling, | | | | an area with excellent sun exposure. |
| maximize outdoor sources of light with strategic | | | | When taking these aspects into account, a log home |
| placement of windows and maximize the sun's rays | | | | can be one of the most environmentally sound |
| at different times of the day. The layout and | | | | choices when building a new home. |