The highest quality Log Home Materials and Services You Can Buy

Educational Information on the Products and Services Offered By Log Home Companies

Most log homes look alike, but the quality can vary greatly, how can you determine the difference?

The following information is presented to you as an educational tool or resource you may use to compare the products and services offered by different log home companies. My thirty plus years of log home experience, travels to different log home communities, visits to log home mills and producers, in the United States and Canada, and a personal passion for log homes is the primary source for the information you are reading.  Please call or e-mail with any questions on any of the log home information.

A quick over view, when you build a log home the log walls, roof system, second floor, gables, and dormers are different from a conventionally built log home. The other components of the log home are the same as the components in a conventionally framed home; the footing, foundation, sub-floor, interior framing, doors and windows, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, finished roofing, interior and exterior trim are essentially the same as a conventional home.

Our educational information will focus on the log walls, floor joists and roof systems because these are the heart of any log home structure.

Log Wall Grading Systems

There are Four Log Grading Systems used for Logs and Beams

The First System Timber Products Institute (TPI) Grading System

TPI has a long history of wood grading for log walls, beams and other log home and wood products. TPI is the industry standard used by log home companies for wood products in log homes and commercial buildings.

Summit Handcrafted Homes materials (Logs and Beams) are graded Premium on the TPI grading system. Select grade is an option.

 

Highest Level of Grading	Premium - Summit Handcrafted Products Select Rustic Log Wall 40
Lowest Level of Grading	Log Wall 30
Not Graded	Is considered to be cull wood or fire wood. A Non graded wood is considered to be cull wood or fire wood grade material and is not suit able for construction.

 

Summit Handcrafted walls and beams are graded as premium, the highest quality level, most log home producers sell log wall 40 as there highest grade product. If you ask your sales representative they will tell the grade of materials there company sells.

 

The Second System The Log Home Council Grading System for Log Walls

The Log Home Council has two levels of grading for logs and beams as shown below.

Graded for log wall use (pass or fail grading only)
Graded for header use (Logs used above windows and doors)

Non graded wood which is cull or fire wood

The Log Home Council has a short history in grading wood products when compared to TPI.  The Log Home Council has only two grades of quality for log walls, the logs either pass or fail for log home wall use.

 

The Third System Grading Standards for Log Walls as Set by the Log Home Producer

Since the log home producer offers no data or measurable standards these grading systems have little merit.

Log Walls that are not Graded

There are several log home companies that do not grade the log walls or the beams that they sell to the public. These include log home companies that advertise in the national log home magazines and are regularly at major log home shows. These log home companies usually have no written warranty. The grading of the wood is the key element of the quality of your new log home. Always ask the log home company if the wood is graded, by which grading system, and to what level of quality. If the wood is not graded ask why. Ask how the log home company determined the quality of the wood if it is not graded.

 

Kiln Dried Logs Compared to Air Dried Logs

Air dried and kin dried materials are suitable for log home construction. As a consumer you need to ask how log wall settling is managed in the log home you are going to build.

Log home companies dry their wood using either the air drying or kiln drying process to remove the water content from the wood. Regardless of the drying process logs and beam (used in log and timber frame homes) will have additional moisture in the logs and beams. Over time the wood will continue to dry in most climates, and the materials will reduce in size.

One concern for log the home consumer is buying from a company that states there homes have no shrinkage in the log wall, due to the kiln dry process. These companies will also inform that you (if you ask) that there logs and beams will have 15% to 20% water content at the edge or center of the wood. The water content will be much higher at the center of the wood. The bottom line is the wood will reduce in size.

You can expect smaller logs and beams (6 to 8 inches thick) to reduce in size over time. Due to the corner design there is less wood in the corner in the 6 and 8 inch logs and the corners can dry faster than the full size log or beam. The logs, and corners will reduce in size and leaks are not uncommon in these log wall systems especially in the corner of the log wall.

Can this problem be solved, YES. There are two corner designs that do not have leaks in the corner. They are the diamond notch and a handcrafted or precision milled saddle notched corner, coupled with the use of thru bolts to keep constant pressure on the log wall system. The saddle notch corner cut has been in use since the inception of log homes. Summit Handcrafted uses these corner systems and spring loaded thru bolts in all of the log homes they produce.

 

Kerf Cutting Logs and Beams

The kerf cut is a straight saw cut in the top of the log or beam.
This cut in the wood improves the drying process, and removes more water from the wood during any drying process and most importantly, it reduces cracks or checking on the outside layer of the wood. All Summit Handcrafted homes have kerf cuts for drying the logs and beams.

 

Wood Shrinkage in Log Walls

All homes (Log Homes and Framed Homes) have shrinkage and settling during and after the construction process process.  Shrinkage and settling is not a problem because it is a manageable part of the building process.

When a live tree is cut it has high moisture. Over time the diameter of the tree will over time shrink or reduces in size.  Some log home companies allow for shrinkage by putting gaps above doors, windows and interior frame walls.  Some log home companies used adjustable screws on posts to control shrinkage. Some woods (dead standing trees, or laminated beams cut to look like logs) have little or no shrinkage. Dead standing logs could actually increase in size in a damp humid environment. Usually these trees are dry at one end of the log and have higher moisture content at the other end of the log. These trees remain standing (dead standing timber) after being killed by fire or insects. The trees remain standing and may be thirty years old or older before they are harvested. The top of the tree has had more sun and heat and becomes much drier than the bottom of the tree. The logs may shrink on one end and have no shrinkage on the other end. This may lead to uneven shrinkage in the log wall system. There are varying opinions for using dead standing timber in log homes. For additional information on dead standing timber please call or e-mail.

All homes, both log homes and frame or brick homes, have some shrinkage and settling over time due to drying and the home settling in the ground.   Ask your log home dealer how these concerns are addressed.  Settling is not a problem when properly controlled.

Summit Handcrafted homes use the thru bolt fastening system with a spring at top of the log wall or gable. The 1000 pounds of pressure from the spring on the log wall keeps the log wall system tight and energy efficient.

 

Log Wall Fasteners

There are four primary products used to fasten log walls together.  They are Thru-Bolts that are spring loaded, Lag screws, Olympic or Oly fasteners and spikes.

They all work but the Spring Loaded Thru Bolt is the only system that maintains constant pressure on the log walls and the only system that can be manually tightened after the log wall is built.  The spring loaded thru bolt is the best fastening system for all log homes. Many log home companies have switched to this system in recent years. Summit Handcrafted has always used the thru bolt with a spring rated at 1,000 pounds of pressure in the log wall system.

 

Precision Fit of Logs and Beams

Summit Handcrafted Log Homes uses precision milling and Handcrafting for the log wall, gables, (see our on line videos) roof system and floor joists to create an absolute air seal in our log and timber frame homes.  The walls and corners will not leak air or water which may occur in many other log wall systems.

 

Sizes of Logs and Beams

The size and shape of the log walls and beams in your home can vary greatly.  The size and shape of the logs and beams, when using graded logs, and the spring loaded thru bolt log wall system are not a quality issue in the construction of new log home. Larger log walls and gables increase the R-value of the log walls and gables. Summit Handcrafted offers 10, 12 and 15 inch wide logs for your log home. Logs are up to 32 feet in length.

 

Log Wall Shapes

There are two very popular shapes for the logs used in log walls. They are the round and the D shaped log.  Summit Handcrafted Log Homes offers both styles and other options. CLHVA offers other log home shapes as an option, call or e-mail for more information.

NOTE: Summit Handcrafted Log Homes is one of the few Log Home Companies that allows you have a round log and then change to the D log style at the corner of the log wall. Many customers desire this option but can not find it available from other log home companies.

 

Types of Wood

There is no wood that has been proven to be the best wood for log homes. There are many excellent wood types that are selected by log home buyers year in and year out to build their home. Most Log home companies will tell you that Western Red Cedar is the best wood, but that it is expensive. I agree with this information. This is a list of the most popular wood types for log home construction.  Summit Handcrafted Log Homes offers; Western Red Cedar, Douglas Fir, Spruce and other woods. Custom Log Homes of Virginia offer others additional types of wood call for more information.

NOTE: The grade of the wood is more important than the type of wood.

 

Timber and Wood Treating Systems

Timbor is an effective and safe wood preservative and is used by many log home companies. Timbor is not a poison but will kill insects that eat wood by destroying their digestive system. Custom Log homes of Virginia includes Timbor treatment as part of every wood package. NOTE: All wood products; logs, beams, joists and other components, are treated with Timbor.  Many of the other log home companies that treat with Timbor only treat the logs.

 

Caulking, Log Home Foam and other Log Wall Sealants

CLHVA includes any necessary materials needed to create an air and water seal in your new log home.

Professional Membership

When shopping for a high quality product most log home publications, builders, and architects recommend that you purchase your log home from a member of the International Log Builders Association, ILBA. Summit is a member of the ILBA.

 

Lifetime Warranty

CLHVA provides a lifetime warranty on all of its wood products stating the product is free of any manufacturing defects for the life of the building with a ten year transfer of the warranty to a new owner.