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Home Buyers/Owners Guide to Log Homes
- POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about log homes: construction, inspection, troubleshooting, maintenance and repair guides for log homes and log home troubles
Log Home Guide:
Here we provide a detailed buyers' and owners' guide to log home construction, inspection, diagnosis, and maintenance or repair.
If you are buying a log constructed building or if you already own one, here you will find important information about the construction, maintenance, and energy costs or savings in log construction.
We illustrate log buildings from around the world and both new and antique or historic structures.
InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.
- Daniel Friedman, Publisher/Editor/Author - See WHO ARE WE?
Log Home Inspection, Diagnosis, Repairs
This series of log home construction & troubleshooting 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 an antique log cabin, built of cedar logs and located at Elk Lake Michigan, was constructed by the Bosworth / Church family circa 1935, using local materials.
Our log cabin photo at left is a modern kit log home constructed in New York State.
For modern kit and factory-sourced log structures we include details of common construction and building defects that cause water and air leaks and ultimately rot damage and we point to key problem areas that need to be inspected carefully when buying or maintaining a log home.
Also see LOG HOME CONSTRUCTION (in our article on building age determination) for a brief description of this building construction method and
see LOG HOME DESIGNB, [PDF] a U.S. Department of Energy guide to log homes and energy savings.
Precision in manufacturing and assembly, combined with new sealants, gasket materials, and special wiring and other fixtures have reduced many of the complications present in traditional rough-hewn log homes.
However even using the most carefully-engineered kit-type long construction methods, care and detailing during construction are important for durability and comfort in these structures.
Log homes sold as kits may have been constructed with varying levels of expert supervision. Examination by an inspector who is experienced in log construction can find some (not all) indications of the care that was taken during construction.
A Brief Catalog of Types of Log Homes and Log House Construction Methods for Modern & Antique Log Homes
As we introduced in our discussion of log house framing methods
at FRAMING METHODS as INDICATORS of BUILDING AGE
log building construction is a very old construction method that remains in popular use today in the form of both traditional rough log house construction and in the use of manufactured log and kit log homes.
Recent substitutes for solid rough logs and manufactured logs even include "logless" log homes made of concrete logs and fiberglass logs.
As InspectAPedia focuses on the diagnosis and repair of buildings we refrain from aesthetic remarks about these alternative materials, though there are certainly practical considerations of cost, weight, durability, ecology, and availability of alternative log house and meta-log houses.
The author's opinions in this series of articles on the inspection, diagnosis, and repair of log homes, both antique and new, comes from having constructed, demolished, and repaired both antique log homes and new kit homes as well as from having inspected and diagnosed log home leaks, window installation, and structural concerns for owners and builders.
We love log homes, but because these articles are designed to find and reduce problems in log buildings, our focus is on issues, not on the beauty, aesthetics, and comfort that can be found in log construction.
- Traditional solid log homes built of individually-cut (each unique) logs, originally set on or close to ground level or placed on stone foundations, later on concrete block foundations. Log homes (1640 - est U.S.) using solid logs were usually felled and prepared at or close to the building site, set on ground level, on flat stones on ground, or on a stone foundation, corners joined using various notch and overlap methods.
Log homes were first constructed in North America by Swedes who had immigrated to Pennsylvania in the 1640's. Photographs and construction details of traditional solid log homes in the U.S. and in Europe are
at ANTIQUE & OLD LOG CABINS - Manufactured solid log homes, built of machined logs or milled logs that are consistent in shape, diameter, straightness, and that typically incorporate a spline and gasket design between logs.
After 1970 most log homes constructed in the U.S. used factory-cut and milled logs and log kit homes. Kit home logs, unlike their more rough ancestors, are milled to consistent diameters and use various spline and gasket methods to seal joints between horizontal and vertical members.
Our photo at the top of this page s an example of a milled-log home that we inspected in New York. - Manufactured slab-log siding homes, built as traditionally stick-built 2x stud walls (insulated), having on their exterior half log or thinner rounded siding either cut from rough logs (rare in modern construction) or cut and planed from heavy lumber.
Slab-sided log look-alike homes combine the appearance of a log home with conventional wood framed structures, making the installation of wiring, piping, and insulation a bit easier.
See SLAB LOG CABIN SIDINGfor an example of a slab-sided log cabin we put up on Lake Superior. - Alternative-product log homes, constructed using logs cast in solid concrete (100 pounds per linear foot), hollow insulated fiberglass logs (one pound per foot), wood veneer on hardboard backer over foam core logs, or log-lookalike siding using pre-formed log-shaped styrofoam panels nailed to a building exterior and sprayed with concrete into which log-forming molds are pressed.
For a recent news report of these new alternative "logless log homes" see the New York Times article we cite below.
Each of these design approaches has its fans and its detractors, and each approach has its own unique aesthetic, practical, cost, and maintenance qualities. We are collecting material for a table comparing the cost, weight, materials, durability, insulation R-values, and other considerations for each of these materials. Contact Us with any suggestions.
Quick Guide to Log Sealants, Log Chinking Products & Log Home Log Wall Coatings
For details about log home chinking, coating, and sealant products, please
see SEALANTS, CAULKS & COATINGS for LOG HOMES.
A traditional log home constructed of individually-cut rough (and varying-in size and shape) logs is shown in our photo at left. Concrete chinking was used, here painted white, to fill in the irregularities between the mating horizontal logs to stop drafts and water from entering the structure.
Some of the really unfortunate disasters we've seen on log home exteriors were caused by use of a log coating or sealant which was not recommended by the log manufacturer. Use of the wrong sealant can lead to peeling and ugly surfaces that can be very costly to correct.
Here are some Log Home special sealants and caulking or chinking products. But before applying anything to the logs on your home, inside or out, find out what products your log manufacturer recommends.
- Geocel Caulk or other GETM caulking products specifically designed for log buildings
- CompribandTM, an impenetrable sealant made by Secoa Corporation, Warminster PA
- Log Home FoamTM, Norton Sealant Operations, Granville, NY
- Perma-Chink™, a flexible log chinking material that looks just like concrete, remains flexible, from PermaChink Systems, Knoxville TN 800-548-1231 (Photo at left was taken by the author of a sample provided courtesy of Perma-Chink) permachink.com. Our sample has remained flexible and un-damaged since PermaChink sent it to us more than 20 years ago.
- LifelineTM Natural Wood Finish (acrylic polymer) from Perma-Chink Corp.
- PR-5636TM, poltyurethane sealant, Products Rersearch & Chemical Corp., Glendale CA
- Traditional mortar log chinking (we do not recommend this approach as it falls out, leaks, requires frequent repair)
- Preservative stains, pigmented, penetrating type: we've used these with success on slab log siding on log homes; a good practice for maximum durability and insect resistance of slab log siding is to seal all surfaces of the log siding before it is installed.
- A special protective coating for log homes is Lifeline™ Natural Wood Finish, an acrylic polymer from Perma-Chink Corporation.
Producers of products for the construction, maintenance, repair or protection of log homes are welcome to submit product data for inclusion; there is no fee; our website has no financial relationship with any of the products or materials discussed here.
Log Home Design, Inspection, Maintenance, Repair References & Product Sources
- Buchanan, Andy, and Daniel Moroder. "Log house performance in the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake." Bulletin of the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering 50, no. 2 (2017): 225-236.
- Durham County Historic Architecture Inventory, Southwest Durham Quadrant
Contents [PDF] retrieved 2021/12/06 original source: http://preservationdurham.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/DCAHI-Southwest-Quadrant.pdf
includes descriptions of pre-1900 log homes including a log tobacco barn, log potato house, log smokehouse, numerous other log outbuildings and special-purpose buildings, and the
Leigh Farm, ca 1934, incluging log structures, p. SW-17 and the
Wiley Markham House, ca. 1840 p. SW-19, begun as a one-pen log structure (dovetailed logs) - Houdek, Dalibor, and Vladimir Bahyl. "Fire resistance of handcrafted log walls." Journal of fire protection engineering 11, no. 3 (2001): 131-150.
- Hrčka, Richard, and Marián Babiak. "Wood thermal properties." Wood in Civil Engineering (2017): 25.
- Ivanova, Polina. "The Design, Construction and Maintenance of the Honka Log Houses. Guidelines for Russian Customers." (2010).
- LOG HOMES: LOG HOME DESIGN [PDF] U.S. Department of Energy guide to log homes and energy savings
(at www.energysavers.gov/your_home/designing_remodeling/index.cfm/mytopic=10350 ) includes these interesting sub-sections:
- THE R-VALUE OF WOOD [PDF] for log constructed homes
- MINIMIZING AIR LEAKAGE IN LOG HOMES [PDF]
- CONTROLLING MOISTURE IN LOG HOMES [PDF] and the more general (but brief) DOE article series on moisture control:
- MOISTURE CONTROL [PDF] U.S. DOE
- MOISTURE CONTROL IN BASEMENTS [PDF] U.S. DOE
- CRAWL SPACE MOISTURE CONTROL [PDF] U.S. DOE
- SLAB-ON-GRADE FOUNDATION MOISTURE AND AIR LEAKAGE CONTROL [PDF] U.S. DOE
- MOISTURE CONTROL IN WALLS [PDF] U.S. DOE
- VENTILATION [PDF], U.S. DOE, describes the purpose of building ventilation and three basic ventilation strategies:
- NATURAL HOUSE VENTILATION METHODS [PDF]
- WHOLE HOUSE VENTILATION METHODS [PDF] including these specialty topics
EXHAUST VENTILATION METHODS [PDF]
SUPPLY VENTILATION OF BUILDINGS [PDF]
BALANCED BUILDING VENTILATION [PDF]
ENERGY RECOVERY (HEAT EXCHANGER) VENTILATION SYSTEMS [PDF] - SPOT VENTILATION IN BUILDINGS [PDF]
- LOG HOMES: MINIMIZING AIR LEAKAGE IN LOG HOMES [PDF] U.S. Department of Energy
- LOG HOMES: CONTROLLING MOISTURE IN LOG HOMES [PDF] U.S. Department of Energy
- LOG HOMES: LOG HOME DESIGN, [PDF] U.S. Department of Energy
- "The Logless Log Home," Jim Robbins, New York Times, 05/05/2010 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.
- Kuznetsova, Anna Olegovna, Maksim Dmitrievich Novikov, and Ruslan Adilovich Kuliev. BENEFITS OF HOUSES FROM ROUND LOG [PDF] Stroitel'stvo Unikal'nyh Zdanij i Sooruzenij 3 (2015): 175.
- 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.
- Hermann Phleps, The Craft of Log Building, rev. ed. (1950; repr. Ottawa: Lee Valley Tools, Ltd., 1982)
- See additional sources at the end of this page atReferences or Citations
...
Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above
Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.
Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs
Comment:
(Mar 23, 2015) doublecheck said:
Old Home inspections Ottawa Valley
The title given by you truly
justify this article.
thank you for this
information.
Reply:
Thanks Double. We also welcome critique and content suggestions.
...
Continue reading at ANTIQUE & OLD LOG CABINS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.
Or see these
Log Home Articles
- LOG HOME GUIDE
- AIR LEAK DETECTION TOOLS
- ANTIQUE & OLD LOG CABINS
- CRACKS CHECKS SPLITS in BEAMS, LOGS & POSTS
- DIAMOND WEDGE CUT LOG CABIN
- ENERGY EFFICIENCY of LOG HOMES
- INSULATION R-VALUE, SOLID LOG WALL
- KIT HOMES, Aladdin, Sears, Wards, Others
- LEAK DIAGNOSIS & CURE in LOG HOMES
- LOG HOME CONSTRUCTION
- R-VALUES & THERMAL MASS in LOG HOMES
- ROT, TIMBER ASSESSMENT
- SEALANTS CAULKS COATINGS for LOG HOMES
- SHRINKAGE & HEIGHT CHANGES, LOG WALL
- SLAB SIDING LOG HOMES
- SPLINE & GASKET DESIGNS for LOG HOMES
- SPLINE GAPS & GASKET OMISSIONS
- THERMAL MASS in BUILDINGS
- VERTICAL LOG WALL CABINS
Suggested citation for this web page
LOG HOME GUIDE at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.
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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to BUILDING STRUCTURES
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Citations & References
In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.
- Carson, Alan & Friedman, Daniel, "Log Home Tips for Home Buyers", (1991) [PDF]
- A Field Study of the Effect on Wall Mass on the Heating and Cooling Loads of Residential Buildings. (local copy), D.M. Burch, W.E. Remmert, D.F. Krintz,
and C.S. Barnes,
National Bureau of Standards,
Washington, D.C. 20234, Proceedings of the Building Thermal Mass Seminar,
Knoxville, TN; 6/2-3/82,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge, TN, - availble from U.S. Department of Commerce, National Bureau of Standards, Center for Building Technology, Building 226, Room Bl 14, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.
original source - http://fire.nist.gov/bfrlpubs/build82/PDF/b82001.pdf
This study was presented before the "Thermal Mass Effects in Buildings" seminar held in Knoxville, Tennessee, on June 2-3, 1982, Oakridge National Laboratory, Oakridge, Tennessee. - BASEMENT MOISTURE CONTROL [PDF] U.S. Department of Energy
- Building Failures, Diagnosis & Avoidance, 2d Ed., W.H. Ransom, E.& F. Spon, New York, 1987 ISBN 0-419-14270-3
- Building Pathology, Deterioration, Diagnostics, and Intervention, Samuel Y. Harris, P.E., AIA, Esq., ISBN 0-471-33172-4, John Wiley & Sons, 2001 [General building science-DF] ISBN-10: 0471331724 ISBN-13: 978-0471331728
- Building Pathology: Principles and Practice, David Watt, Wiley-Blackwell; 2 edition (March 7, 2008) ISBN-10: 1405161035 ISBN-13: 978-1405161039
- CRAWL SPACE MOISTURE CONTROL [PDF] U.S. Department of Energy
- Design of Wood Structures - ASD, Donald E. Breyer, Kenneth Fridley, Kelly Cobeen, David Pollock, McGraw Hill, 2003, ISBN-10: 0071379320, ISBN-13: 978-0071379328
This book is an update of a long-established text dating from at least 1988 (DJF); Quoting:
This book is gives a good grasp of seismic design for wood structures. Many of the examples especially near the end are good practice for the California PE Special Seismic Exam design questions. It gives a good grasp of how seismic forces move through a building and how to calculate those forces at various locations. THE CLASSIC TEXT ON WOOD DESIGN UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE LATEST CODES AND DATA.
Reflects the most recent provisions of the 2003 International Building Code and 2001 National Design Specification for Wood Construction. Continuing the sterling standard set by earlier editions, this indispensable reference clearly explains the best wood design techniques for the safe handling of gravity and lateral loads. Carefully revised and updated to include the new 2003 International Building Code, ASCE 7-02 Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, the 2001 National Design Specification for Wood Construction, and the most recent Allowable Stress Design. - Diagnosing & Repairing House Structure Problems, Edgar O. Seaquist, McGraw Hill, 1980 ISBN 0-07-056013-7 (obsolete, incomplete, missing most diagnosis steps, but very good reading; out of print but used copies are available at Amazon.com, and reprints are available from some inspection tool suppliers). Ed Seaquist was among the first speakers invited to a series of educational conferences organized by D Friedman for ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors, where the topic of inspecting the in-service condition of building structures was first addressed.
- Domestic Building Surveys, Andrew R. Williams, Kindle book, Amazon.com
- Defects and Deterioration in Buildings: A Practical Guide to the Science and Technology of Material Failure, Barry Richardson, Spon Press; 2d Ed (2001), ISBN-10: 041925210X, ISBN-13: 978-0419252108. Quoting:
A professional reference designed to assist surveyors, engineers, architects and contractors in diagnosing existing problems and avoiding them in new buildings. Fully revised and updated, this edition, in new clearer format, covers developments in building defects, and problems such as sick building syndrome. Well liked for its mixture of theory and practice the new edition will complement Hinks and Cook's student textbook on defects at the practitioner level. - Guide to Domestic Building Surveys, Jack Bower, Butterworth Architecture, London, 1988, ISBN 0-408-50000 X
- Historic Preservation Technology: A Primer, Robert A. Young, Wiley (March 21, 2008) ISBN-10: 0471788368 ISBN-13: 978-0471788362
- MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS [PDF] U.S. Department of Energy
- MOISTURE CONTROL in WALLS [PDF] U.S. Department of Energy
- Slab on Grade Foundation Moisture and Air Leakage, U.S. Department of Energy
- VAPOR BARRIERS or VAPOR DIFFUSION RETARDERS [PDF] U.S. DOE - how vapor barriers work, types of vapor diffusion barriers, installing vapor barrier
- In addition to citations & references found in this article, see the research citations given at the end of the related articles found at our suggested
CONTINUE READING or RECOMMENDED ARTICLES.
- Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. Tel: (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 Email: info@carsondunlop.com. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, for permission for InspectAPedia to use text excerpts from The HOME REFERENCE BOOK - the Encyclopedia of Homes and to use illustrations from The ILLUSTRATED HOME .
Carson Dunlop Associates provides extensive home inspection education and report writing material. In gratitude we provide links to tsome Carson Dunlop Associates products and services.
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