Things to Think About Log House Plans

Log cabin house plans were the earliest structuresmanufactured and built, log homes offer energy
which settlers from Europe built when theyefficiency which is comparable to or superior than
arrived in America in the early seventeenthconventional framed bungalow house plans. Many
century. The abundance of virgin forests in theindependent studies prove that log walls are
New World and the utilitarian design made theespecially high in thermal mass, which means they
early log homes functional and practical, even ifare as energy-efficient as any well-insulated frame
they weren't particularly commodious orwall, and in fact are superior to most of them. As
comfortable. Nonetheless, even today thesemany owners of log homes have known for
primitive homes of logs are popular housingyears, a log home is cooler in the summer and
options for millions of Americans, although modernwarmer in the winter.
log houses are much more efficient andWhen considering log house packages, it should be
structurally superior to the originals upon whichborne in mind that different manufacturers' log
the concept is based.home packages differ considerably in the
Modern log home owners have two types of logcompleteness of the materials and components
houses to choose from - handcrafted or milled logincluded; therefore it can be difficult to compare
houses. Handcrafted log houses are constructedthe different manufacturers' offerings. For
using the same time-honored techniques of logexample, the choice of tree species to be used
smiths of previous centuries. Using mainly handmay depend upon structural requirements,
tools, logs are cut and shaped by log smiths fromenvironmental conditions, availability and cost, as
trees which have been carefully selected so thatwell as homeowner preference. Although logs of
each log makes a perfect fit with the log beneathdifferent species of trees dry at different rates,
it. As a result, the logs in handcrafted log housesthe logs of all tree species shrink as the wood
retain the individual characteristics of the treesdries and the use of logs which are not fully dry
which they once were, and give a more rusticcan pose serious structural problems in log house
look than do milled logs. A milled log house is madeplans, such as settling over time. Therefore, kiln
of logs which have been milled to the samedried or long-dead standing logs are usually used in
profiles and dimensions, with an interlockingpreference to newly-cut logs. Also, different
mechanism which lets manufactured logs fitspecies of trees yield logs with differing
together snugly. Besides handcrafted and milled logsusceptibilities to insects, decay, and weathering.
homes, it is possible to sheath a conventionalModern wood preservatives help to extend the
stud-framed and insulated house with log siding,lifespan of most logs for well over a century, so
which gives the look and feel of a log housetreated logs are definitely preferable to untreated
without using logs. If they are correctlyones.