- Sep 21, 2001
- 18,447
- 133
- 106
Anybody ever live in a log home?
- Thread starter AreaCode707
- Start date
- Sep 21, 2001
- 18,447
- 133
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HomeBrewerDude
Lifer
- Jan 18, 2001
- 14,465
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Drakkon
Diamond Member
- Aug 14, 2001
- 8,401
- 1
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i did for a little while (1.5 years)...it really gets cold in the winter and really hot in the summer (of course depends on how hot the weather is outside though) Theres really not much in the way of insulation (or at least not in the one i was in) so a good pot belly stove stocked with logs to keep ya warm is defiantely a must have. Also you have to constantly be on the lookout for bugs and birds...bugs will love to burrow in and birds will peck it to pieces. The wood will be treated but termites just dont care and neither do woodpeckers. Every year you have to retreat the wood for water/bugs whcih is a choore depending on how big it is. Can't have anything isnide thats too steamy. anything youd expect from wood i guess.
All that being said I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Its like living in a friggin tree house. Really if i was able to build my own all i would put in is running water (im not that crazy). no electricity, no phone, no gas. no distractions.
All that being said I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Its like living in a friggin tree house. Really if i was able to build my own all i would put in is running water (im not that crazy). no electricity, no phone, no gas. no distractions.
I have friends that have lived in their log home in Steamboat Springs, Colorado for five years. They always make a point of showing us where the logs are moving and the repairs they have done.
Their house has expensive windows, good insulation, and modern heating yet you can hear the wind whistling and creaking sounds. They are thinking of putting it up for sale and moving into a conventional home.
Their house has expensive windows, good insulation, and modern heating yet you can hear the wind whistling and creaking sounds. They are thinking of putting it up for sale and moving into a conventional home.
Triumph
Lifer
- Oct 9, 1999
- 15,031
- 14
- 81
My best friend in HS lived in a log home, and I basically lived there, so... I loved that house. It was a 3 bedroom ranch with a fairly large sized living area, seperated from the bedrooms by the foyer. I never remember it being hotter or colder than any other house in the summer/winter. It was actually very cozy in the winter. They had a very dark finish on the wood, making it pretty dark in there at all times, but I guess that isn't true for all log homes. One thing I do remember is how absolutely sound-proof that place was. We would close the wooden double doors to the foyer, set up the guitars and drums in the living room, and play until 4 in the morning while his parents slept on the other side of the house. You couldn't hear a thing.
That's about the extent of my knowledge, I think for me something like a log house would be worth any downsides that come with it.
That's about the extent of my knowledge, I think for me something like a log house would be worth any downsides that come with it.
- Oct 28, 1999
- 62,484
- 8,344
- 126
Absolute maintenance nightmare for many of them. There's just a *A LOT* of work that you have to do on the outside too keep it in good shape...staining....refilling the gaps....treating for bugs...ect.
Plus many of them have terrible layouts in terms of space and HVAC efficiency.
I had some neighbors in high school that built one from scratch and they constantly updated us with their woes. Plus my wife is from the Black Hills of SD and is fairly familiar with a lot of them up that way too.
They are just much more attention demanding than brick or vinyl sided houses.
Plus many of them have terrible layouts in terms of space and HVAC efficiency.
I had some neighbors in high school that built one from scratch and they constantly updated us with their woes. Plus my wife is from the Black Hills of SD and is fairly familiar with a lot of them up that way too.
They are just much more attention demanding than brick or vinyl sided houses.
I had a dream last night where one of the wooden floors of my house had a crack in it. I checked it out and there were ants, termites, and bees. I think it means to stay away from log houses.
- Sep 21, 2001
- 18,447
- 133
- 106
Is it for a vacation home? I'd only have one for a vacation home. That way it gives you more of a feel of getting away from it all and a nice change of pace. For full time living no way.
- Sep 21, 2001
- 18,447
- 133
- 106
Nope, not a vacation home. It would be about 40 mins from where we work, our regular living spot.
SagaLore
Elite Member
- Dec 18, 2001
- 24,036
- 21
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Consider this...
Put the log home on a solid and insulated basement. In the middle of the basement, put in a wood or gas stove, with the pipe going straight up through the house inside some ductwork and branch off ducts and vents to heat the house.
In your bedrooms and bathrooms, put up your standard insulation and drywall. And like someone else said, put in some nice insulated windows. You should look into this insulating paint additive and see if it can be added to wood stain or transparent glaze. You might be able to coat both sides of the wood logs with this stuff.
And someone else pointed out wind still creeping through - one good building strategy is to plant wind supressing trees on the windy side of the house.
Put the log home on a solid and insulated basement. In the middle of the basement, put in a wood or gas stove, with the pipe going straight up through the house inside some ductwork and branch off ducts and vents to heat the house.
In your bedrooms and bathrooms, put up your standard insulation and drywall. And like someone else said, put in some nice insulated windows. You should look into this insulating paint additive and see if it can be added to wood stain or transparent glaze. You might be able to coat both sides of the wood logs with this stuff.
And someone else pointed out wind still creeping through - one good building strategy is to plant wind supressing trees on the windy side of the house.
As far as insulation, while log homes may have a simple R-value of 8 to 10, as compared to R-14 or more for a conventionally built framed house, testing by the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Energy (DOE) was conducted to determine the effects of thermal mass (the bulk of solid wood log walls, or brick and block walls) on a building's energy consumption. For the test, six 20'x20' test buildings were built on the grounds of the National Bureau of Standards, 20 miles north of Washington, DC, in the fall of 1980. Each structure was identical except for construction of its exterior walls. The buildings were maintained at the same temperature levels throughout the 28-week test period between 1981 and 1982. NBS technicians precisely recorded energy consumption of each structure during this entire period.
During the three-week spring heating period, the log building used 46% less heating energy than the insulated wood frame building.
During the eleven-week summer cooling period, the log building used 24% less cooling energy than the insulated wood frame building.
During the fourteen-week winter heating period, the log building and the insulated wood frame building used virtually the same amounts of heating energy.
The National Bureau of Standards technicians conducting the test calculated the R-value of the log building, which was constructed with a 7" solid square log, at a nominal R-10. It rates the insulated wood frame building, with its 2'x4' wall and 3-1/2" of fiberglass insulation, at a nominal R-12, thus giving the wood frame structure a 17% higher R-value. Yet during the entire 28 week, three season test cycle, both buildings used virtually identical amounts of energy. This led the National Bureau of Standards to conclude that the thermal mass of log walls is an energy-conserving feature in residential construction.
Description of Test Buildings
Six 20' wide and 20' long one room test buildings with a 7-1/2" high ceiling were constructed outdoors at the National Bureau of Standards facility located in Gaithersburg, Maryland (20 miles north of Washington, DC).
Construction Details of Walls
Building #1
An insulated wood frame home, nominal R-12 (without mass) with 5/8" exterior wood siding, 2x4" stud wall, 3-1/2" fiberglass insulation, plastic vapor barrier, and 1/2" gypsum drywall.
Building #2
An un-insulated wood frame home, nominal R-4 (without mass) with same detail as above, but without the fiberglass insulation.
Building #3
An insulated masonry home, nominal R-14 (with exterior mass) with 4" brick, 4" block, 2" polystyrene insulation, plastic vapor barrier, furring strips and 1/2" gypsum drywall.
Building #4
An un-insulated masonry home, nominal R-5 (with exterior mass) with 8" block, furring strips, vapor barrier, 1/2" gypsum drywall, and no polystyrene insulation.
Building #5
A log home, nominal R-10 (with inherent mass) with 7" solid square wood logs with tongue and groove mating system, no additional insulation, no vapor barrier, and no interior drywall.
Building #6
An insulated masonry home, nominal R-12 (with interior mass) with 4" brick, 3-1/2" loose fill perlite insulation, 8" block and 1/2" interior plaster walls.
In the first extensive field testing of its kind, researchers at the Commerce Department's National Bureau of Standards (NBS) have confirmed that walls of heavyweight construction (such as those built with solid wood logs, concrete block or brick) exhibit an energy conserving "mass effect" in residential buildings during the summer and the intermediate heating season representative of fall or spring in a moderate climate. However, no mass effect was observed during the winter heating season.
According to NBS researchers, these extensive field tests should help resolve a controversy over whether residences having heavyweight walls consume less energy for space heating and cooling than buildings having lightweight walls of equivalent thermal resistance.
The National Bureau of Standards research team found that the heavyweight walls (including building number 5, the log structure) "did exhibit a thermal mass effect and thus save significant amounts of energy both in the summer cooling season and the intermediate heating season representative of fall or spring in this (Washington, DC) area."
According to NBS researchers, "the mass effect relates to the phenomenon in which heat transfer through the walls of a building is delayed by the high heat (retention) capacity of the wall mass. Consequently, the demand for heating or cooling energy to maintain indoor temperature may, under some circumstances, be pushed back until a time when wall heat transfer and equipment operating conditions are most favorable." This heat retention phenomenon is also referred to as "thermal capacitance" or time lag--the resistance of a material (such as solid wood walls) over time to allow a change in temperature to go from one side to the other.
NBS researchers explained the energy saving effect of mass during the summer cooling season this way: "In an insulated wood frame building, which is considered to have low mass, the maximum wall heat gain rate during this season is operating most often and working the hardest. In a heavy walled building (such as the log building), however, the heat transfer lag means the maximum wall heat gain rate general during the cool night period when the cooling plant is operating least often or not at all. Consequently, the cooling energy requirement is reduced."
The NBS test showed that the log structure performed better than the insulated wood building in the intermediate heating season and the summer cooling season; however, there was no appreciable difference during the winter heating season. During the winter heating season, no effect of mass was noted since all insulated buildings and the log building required comparable amounts of heating energy each hour to maintain their predetermined indoor temperatures.
As far as insects, cedar is one of the best defenses against insects because of, in the case of Western Red Cedar, it contains Thujic acid, a natural oil that acts as a natural preservative and instect barrier. Also, it's best to ensure the logs do not rest on the ground but are instead on a proper foundation. And one of the best things one can do is have the home built by an builder with lots of log building experience so the maintenance problems are minimized......for instance, an experienced builder will understand that log homes settle more over the years (from the logs drying, etc.) as they stand as compared to a standard home, and will build accordingly.
During the three-week spring heating period, the log building used 46% less heating energy than the insulated wood frame building.
During the eleven-week summer cooling period, the log building used 24% less cooling energy than the insulated wood frame building.
During the fourteen-week winter heating period, the log building and the insulated wood frame building used virtually the same amounts of heating energy.
The National Bureau of Standards technicians conducting the test calculated the R-value of the log building, which was constructed with a 7" solid square log, at a nominal R-10. It rates the insulated wood frame building, with its 2'x4' wall and 3-1/2" of fiberglass insulation, at a nominal R-12, thus giving the wood frame structure a 17% higher R-value. Yet during the entire 28 week, three season test cycle, both buildings used virtually identical amounts of energy. This led the National Bureau of Standards to conclude that the thermal mass of log walls is an energy-conserving feature in residential construction.
Description of Test Buildings
Six 20' wide and 20' long one room test buildings with a 7-1/2" high ceiling were constructed outdoors at the National Bureau of Standards facility located in Gaithersburg, Maryland (20 miles north of Washington, DC).
Construction Details of Walls
Building #1
An insulated wood frame home, nominal R-12 (without mass) with 5/8" exterior wood siding, 2x4" stud wall, 3-1/2" fiberglass insulation, plastic vapor barrier, and 1/2" gypsum drywall.
Building #2
An un-insulated wood frame home, nominal R-4 (without mass) with same detail as above, but without the fiberglass insulation.
Building #3
An insulated masonry home, nominal R-14 (with exterior mass) with 4" brick, 4" block, 2" polystyrene insulation, plastic vapor barrier, furring strips and 1/2" gypsum drywall.
Building #4
An un-insulated masonry home, nominal R-5 (with exterior mass) with 8" block, furring strips, vapor barrier, 1/2" gypsum drywall, and no polystyrene insulation.
Building #5
A log home, nominal R-10 (with inherent mass) with 7" solid square wood logs with tongue and groove mating system, no additional insulation, no vapor barrier, and no interior drywall.
Building #6
An insulated masonry home, nominal R-12 (with interior mass) with 4" brick, 3-1/2" loose fill perlite insulation, 8" block and 1/2" interior plaster walls.
In the first extensive field testing of its kind, researchers at the Commerce Department's National Bureau of Standards (NBS) have confirmed that walls of heavyweight construction (such as those built with solid wood logs, concrete block or brick) exhibit an energy conserving "mass effect" in residential buildings during the summer and the intermediate heating season representative of fall or spring in a moderate climate. However, no mass effect was observed during the winter heating season.
According to NBS researchers, these extensive field tests should help resolve a controversy over whether residences having heavyweight walls consume less energy for space heating and cooling than buildings having lightweight walls of equivalent thermal resistance.
The National Bureau of Standards research team found that the heavyweight walls (including building number 5, the log structure) "did exhibit a thermal mass effect and thus save significant amounts of energy both in the summer cooling season and the intermediate heating season representative of fall or spring in this (Washington, DC) area."
According to NBS researchers, "the mass effect relates to the phenomenon in which heat transfer through the walls of a building is delayed by the high heat (retention) capacity of the wall mass. Consequently, the demand for heating or cooling energy to maintain indoor temperature may, under some circumstances, be pushed back until a time when wall heat transfer and equipment operating conditions are most favorable." This heat retention phenomenon is also referred to as "thermal capacitance" or time lag--the resistance of a material (such as solid wood walls) over time to allow a change in temperature to go from one side to the other.
NBS researchers explained the energy saving effect of mass during the summer cooling season this way: "In an insulated wood frame building, which is considered to have low mass, the maximum wall heat gain rate during this season is operating most often and working the hardest. In a heavy walled building (such as the log building), however, the heat transfer lag means the maximum wall heat gain rate general during the cool night period when the cooling plant is operating least often or not at all. Consequently, the cooling energy requirement is reduced."
The NBS test showed that the log structure performed better than the insulated wood building in the intermediate heating season and the summer cooling season; however, there was no appreciable difference during the winter heating season. During the winter heating season, no effect of mass was noted since all insulated buildings and the log building required comparable amounts of heating energy each hour to maintain their predetermined indoor temperatures.
As far as insects, cedar is one of the best defenses against insects because of, in the case of Western Red Cedar, it contains Thujic acid, a natural oil that acts as a natural preservative and instect barrier. Also, it's best to ensure the logs do not rest on the ground but are instead on a proper foundation. And one of the best things one can do is have the home built by an builder with lots of log building experience so the maintenance problems are minimized......for instance, an experienced builder will understand that log homes settle more over the years (from the logs drying, etc.) as they stand as compared to a standard home, and will build accordingly.
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