Things to Think About Log House Plans

Log cabin house plans were the earliest structureshomes offer energy efficiency which is comparable
which settlers from Europe built when they arrived into or superior than conventional framed bungalow
America in the early seventeenth century. Thehouse plans. Many independent studies prove that log
abundance of virgin forests in the New World andwalls are especially high in thermal mass, which means
the utilitarian design made the early log homesthey are as energy-efficient as any well-insulated
functional and practical, even if they weren'tframe wall, and in fact are superior to most of them.
particularly commodious or comfortable. Nonetheless,As many owners of log homes have known for
even today these primitive homes of logs are popularyears, a log home is cooler in the summer and
housing options for millions of Americans, althoughwarmer in the winter.
modern log houses are much more efficient andWhen considering log house packages, it should be
structurally superior to the originals upon which theborne in mind that different manufacturers' log home
concept is based.packages differ considerably in the completeness of
Modern log home owners have two types of logthe materials and components included; therefore it
houses to choose from - handcrafted or milled logcan be difficult to compare the different
houses. Handcrafted log houses are constructed usingmanufacturers' offerings. For example, the choice of
the same time-honored techniques of log smiths oftree species to be used may depend upon structural
previous centuries. Using mainly hand tools, logs arerequirements, environmental conditions, availability and
cut and shaped by log smiths from trees which havecost, as well as homeowner preference. Although
been carefully selected so that each log makes alogs of different species of trees dry at different
perfect fit with the log beneath it. As a result, therates, the logs of all tree species shrink as the wood
logs in handcrafted log houses retain the individualdries and the use of logs which are not fully dry can
characteristics of the trees which they once were,pose serious structural problems in log house plans,
and give a more rustic look than do milled logs. Asuch as settling over time. Therefore, kiln dried or
milled log house is made of logs which have beenlong-dead standing logs are usually used in preference
milled to the same profiles and dimensions, with anto newly-cut logs. Also, different species of trees
interlocking mechanism which lets manufactured logsyield logs with differing susceptibilities to insects,
fit together snugly. Besides handcrafted and milled logdecay, and weathering. Modern wood preservatives
homes, it is possible to sheath a conventionalhelp to extend the lifespan of most logs for well
stud-framed and insulated house with log siding, whichover a century, so treated logs are definitely
gives the look and feel of a log house without usingpreferable to untreated ones.
logs. If they are correctly manufactured and built, log