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STRUCTURAL INSPECTIONS & DEFECTS

ADVANCED INSPECTION METHODS
AIR BYPASS LEAKS
AIR CHANGE RATE ACH HEAT SAVINGS
AIR CLEANER PURIFIER TYPES
AIR FILTER EFFECTIVENESS
AIR FILTERS for HVAC SYSTEMS
AIR FILTERS, OPTIMUM INDOOR
AIR FILTERS, SOURCES FOR
AIR FILTERING STRATEGIES
AIR FILTERING CONTINUOUS FAN OPERATION
AIR HANDLER / BLOWER UNITS
AIR LEAK DETECTION TOOLS
AIR LEAK MINIMIZATION
AIR LEAK SEALING PROCEDURE
AIR POLLUTANTS, COMMON INDOOR
AIR SEALING STRATEGIES

BEST CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES GUIDE
BUILDING SAFETY HAZARDS GUIDE

CHIMNEY INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS REPAIR

CONDENSATION or SWEATING PIPES, TANKS
COOLING LOAD REDUCTION by ROOF VENTS
CRAWL SPACES

DECK & PORCH CONSTRUCTION
DECK COLLAPSE Case Study
DECK FINISHES COATINGS PRESERVATIVES
DECK FLASHING LEAKS, ROT Case Study
DISASTER BUILDING INSPECTION & REPAIR SAFEY

DEHUMIDIFICATION PROBLEMS
DEW POINT CALCULATION for WALLS
DEW POINT TABLE - CONDENSATION POINT GUIDE

EARTHQUAKE DAMAGED FOUNDATIONS

ENERGY SAVINGS in buildings
  AFUE DEFINITION, RATINGS
  AIR BYPASS LEAKS
  AIR CHANGE RATE ACH HEAT SAVINGS
  AIR CONDITIONING HEAT PUMP SAVINGS
  AIR LEAK SEALING PROCEDURE
  APPLIANCE EFFICIENCY RATINGS
  ATTIC LEAKS, CONDENSATION & MOLD
  COOLING LOAD REDUCTION by ROOF VENTS
  DRYER VENTING
  ENERGY AUDIT - How to Use a Free One
  ENERGY SAVINGS MAXIMIZE RETURNS ON
  ENERGY SAVINGS PRIORITIES
  ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT CASE STUDY
  ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT LEAK SEALING GUIDE
  ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT OPTIONS
  ENERGY STAR PROGRAM
  ENERGY USE MONITORING
  GLASS vs HEAT MIRROR SOLAR GAIN/Loss
  HEAT LOSS in buildings
  HEATING COST SAVINGS METHODS
  HIGH MASS TRADEOFFS, HEATING vs COOLING
  HOUSE DOCTOR, how-to be
  INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT
  INSULATION LOCATION - WHERE TO PUT IT
  RADIANT BARRIERS
  REFLECTIVE INSULATION
  ROOF COLOR RECOMMENDATIONS
  Skylight Energy Efficiency
  SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS
  THERMAL MASS in buildings
  TIMERS for ELECTRIC WATER HEATERS
  VENTILATION, BALANCED HEAT COST SAVINGS
  WIND ENERGY SYSTEMS
  WINDOW EFFICIENCY Features & Ratings
  WOOD, COAL STOVES & FIREPLACES

EXTERIOR WALL SIDING TRIM & FINISHES

FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP
FLOODS IN buildings-mold
FLOOR, ENGINEERED WOOD & LAMINATES
FLOOR FRAMING & SUBFLOOR for TILE
FLOOR TYPES & DEFECTS
FLOOR TILE ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION
FLOOR TILE HISTORY & INGREDIENTS
FOOTING & FOUNDATION DRAINS
FOUNDATION BULGE or LEAN MEASUREMENTS
FOUNDATION CRACKS & DAMAGE GUIDE
FRAMING DAMAGE, INSPECTION, REPAIR
FRAMING DETAILS for BETTER INSULATION
FRAMING DETAILS for DOUBLE WALL HOUSES
FRAMING CONNECTORS & JOIST HANGERS
FRAMING FASTENERS, NAILS, SCREWS, & HIDDEN
FRAMING & SUBFLOOR for TILE
FRAMING MATERIALS, Age, Types
FRAMING METAL STUD PERFORMANCE
FRAMING METHODS, Age, Types
FRAMING SIZE & Spacing, Age, Types
FRAMING TABLES, SPANS for DECKS
FRENCH DRAINS
FROST HEAVES, FOUNDATION, SLAB
FRT PLYWOOD

ICE DAM PREVENTION
INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS
INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE
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Insulation Air & Heat Leaks
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INSULATION IDENTIFICATION GUIDE
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INSULATION LOCATION - WHERE TO PUT IT
INSULATION MOLD
INSULATION R-Values & Properties

LEED GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION
LOG HOME ENERGY EFFICIENCY
LOG HOME GUIDE
  Antique & Old Log Cabins
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  Condensation & Moisture in Log Homes
  Energy Efficiency of Log Homes
  Leak Diagnosis & Cure for Log Houses
  Log Wall Height Changes
  R-VALUES & THERMAL MASS in LOG HOMES
  Sealants, Caulks, & Coatings for Log Homes
  Shrinkage In Log Home Walls
  Slab Log Cabin Siding
  Spline & Gasket Designs for Log buildings
  Spline Gaps & Gasket Omissions
  Types of Log Houses - Log Choices
  Vertical Log Walls on Cabins & Homes
  Wall Insulation Values in Log Homes
LOG HOME WALL INSULATION VALUES

ROT, FUNGUS, TERMITES
ROT, TIMBER FRAME

SEARS KIT HOUSES
SHEATHING, Gypsum board
SHEATHING Homasote & Other Board
SHEATHING, OSB
SHEATHING, Plywood
SHEATHING, FOIL FACED - VENTS
SINKHOLES, WARNING SIGNS
SINKING BUILDINGS
SLAB CRACK EVALUATION
STAIRS, RAILINGS, LANDINGS, RAMPS
STONE CLEANING METHODS
STRESS SKIN INSULATED PANELS

STRUCTURAL INSPECTIONS & DEFECTS
STUCCO WALL METHODS & INSTALLATION
STUCCO OVER FOAM INSULATION
STUCCO PAINT FAILURES
SUMP PUMPS GUIDE
SWEATING (CONDENSATION) on PIPES, TANKS

More Information

Ice dams on a log home (C) Daniel Friedman What is the Energy Efficiency of Log Homes?
InspectAPedia®  -      

  • Log home energy efficiency, log wall insulating and R-value properties
  • Evaluation of the effect of thermal mass of log homes on energy costs
  • Impact of air leaks on log home energy efficiency
  • Comparison of the insulating and thermal properties of solid log homes with other structures
  • Questions & answers about the energy efficiency and heating or cooling costs of solid log home walls.

Log home & log wall insulating properties: This article describes the insulating and heating properties of log homes, comparing solid log structures, slab-sided log homes, and conventionally framed homes. This series of articles provides information on the inspection and diagnosis of damage to new and older log homes and includes description of log house and log siding insulation values and alternatives, and also a description of the characteristics of slab-sided log homes as well as all other types of log home construction. We include illustrations of log structures from several very different areas and climates in both the United States and Norway. Our page top photo shows a modern kit log home constructed in New York State.

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers nor with topics or services discussed at this website.

© Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website.

What is the Energy Efficiency of Log Homes?

The question-and-answer article below paraphrases, quotes-from, updates, and comments an original article from Solar Age Magazine and written by Steven Bliss.

Question and Answer: Comparison of Energy Efficiency of Log Homes with Wood Framed Homes

Question: Log Homes, All Bark?

We are planning to build a new home in several years and want our project to be totally successful and energy efficient. We have always had leanings towards rustic structures and have almost settled on a log building. All the manufacturers of log buildings stress their tremendous energy efficiency.

Confused about log home energy efficiency would be describing our state lightly. Have you ever done a study of the energy efficiency of log structures or compared a log home's energy costs with a conventional, highly-insulated structure?

Answer:

Although log home manufacturers would like the public to believe that log homes are highly energy-efficient, they have not yet impressed us. While any home can be made energy efficient with enough insulation and tightening up the building envelope, log houses have some built-in energy inefficiencies.

Questionable Log Wall R-Values

First, wood by itself is a poor insulator, at about R-8 for a 6-inch-thick (average) cedar log wall. [Have you noticed that the thickness of a curved round-log wall or a half-curved D-log wall is not uniform in thickness? A nominal 8-inch solid log wall made of rounded logs has an average 6-inch thickness.] Insulation must be added to such a solid log wall even to bring it up to the R-11 insulation value of a standard 2x4 wood framed stud wall insulated with fiberglass batts.

Of course you can't add insulation to a solid log home without diminishing some of the log house's original rustic appeal on the inside or outside. Also, adding insulation inside will lose the comfort benefit of thermal mass of the logs. We discuss these factors in detail at LOG HOME WALL INSULATION VALUES.

Log Home Wall Air Leaks

Second, log houses invite air infiltration because they have many yards of between-log gap. It is true that log home manufacturers have come up with ingenious log wall gasketing that should stop air infiltration leaks between logs, but if you are looking for energy-efficiency, why not choose a design that does not have such a large air infiltration problem to be solved in the first place.

[DJF Note: our experience with both building and inspecting/diagnosing log homes indicates that too often, especially with owner-built kit log homes, errors and omissions in the gasketing system are responsible for serious air and sometimes water leaks in the log home's walls. Similar problems occur around windows if they are not properly installed and sealed. See Leak Diagnosis & Cure for Log Houses for details. If your home, log or otherwise, is drafty, see: AIR BYPASS LEAKS, AIR LEAK MINIMIZATION, and AIR SEALING STRATEGIES.]

Log Homes Have Thermal Mass

Solid log homes are more massive than lightweight wood-frame insulated structures, but a National Bureau of Standards study found that the energy that a log home saves in the swing seasons (spring and fall) through added mass (and comfort for occupants by heating or cooling systems needing to cycle on or off less often) does not amount to much on an annual basis.

A slab-log sided home (see our photographs just below) looks like a log home on its exterior, but is built with conventional wood framing that permits high wall insulation values; this design also avoids the log home wall air leak problem. This highly-insulated log home alternative gives up the interior beauty of solid log walls, gives up the comfort of thermal mass, but gains high energy-efficiency and low heating costs. See Slab Log Cabin Siding for details.

Conventionally insulated modern long cabin renovation (C) Daniel Friedman Conventionally insulated modern long cabin renovation (C) Daniel Friedman

The above question-and-answer article about the energy efficiency and comparative heating and cooling cost of log homes compared with conventional wood frame structures, quotes-from, updates, and comments an original article from Solar Age Magazine and written by Steven Bliss.

Here we include solar energy, solar heating, solar hot water, and related building energy efficiency improvement articles reprinted/adapted/excerpted with permission from Solar Age Magazine - editor Steven Bliss.

Overcoming drafts and un-wanted air leaks is the first priority for making a building comfortable and for reducing heating or cooling costs in cold climates. INSULATION R-Values & Properties provides detailed estimates of the insulating values and properties of various insulating materials.

Readers should see R-VALUES & THERMAL MASS in LOG HOMES, and see LOG HOME WALL INSULATION VALUES where we compare the typical insulation values of a log home with a conventional wood framed structure, and where we include a discussion of the effects of thermal mass of log homes, providing also typical solid log wall home R-values.

That article also explains the insulation and energy efficiency character of log-slab-sided conventional wood-framed homes. Readers whose homes are drafty, leaky, or otherwise too cold and who have high heating bills should also see these air leak articles: AIR BYPASS LEAKS, AIR LEAK DETECTION TOOLS, AIR LEAK MINIMIZATION, and AIR SEALING STRATEGIES.

Original article

The link to the original Q&A article in PDF form immediately below is preceded by an expanded/updated online version of this article.

  • Q&A on the energy efficiency of log homes: Log Homes: All Bark? - PDF version, Use your browser's back button to return to this page

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Questions & answers about the energy efficiency and heating or cooling costs of solid log home walls.

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LOG HOME ENERGY EFFICIENCY

LOG HOME WALL INSULATION VALUES

  • "The Logless Log Home," Jim Robbins, New York Times, 01/22/2009 Home section, p. D1 & D6.
  • "Shop Talk," Martin Mintz, AIA, Builder Magazine, April 1986, detailed solutions for log shrinkage movement by using a "T" jamb at windows and doors. A January 1986 Builder Magazine article shows window installation details in 8" thick log walls.
  • "Caulking, Chinking, Insulators, Sealants - which System works Best," Log Home and Alternative Housing Builder, Nov-Dec 1983.
  • Lincoln Log Homes Marketing, Inc., 6000 Lumber Lane, Kannapolis NC 28081 704-932-6151
  • Insulating Characteristics of log homes were neatly summarized by Roger Rawlings in "Log Homes in a New Light," Rodale's New Shelter, April 1983, p. 28
  • Merrimac Log Homes, Henniker, NH, sells log home products, milled log home kits, log siding, and log home plans and log home construction accessories. 866-637-7462 or logs@mlhnh.com - merrimacloghomes.com
  • PermaChink Systems, Knoxville TN 800-548-1231 provides a range of log chinking products, coatings, and sealants for log and other wood buildings.
  • Q&A on the Energy Efficiency fo Log Homes - PDF version, discusses the R-values of log home walls. Use your browser's back button to return to this page

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