Warranties are very important. If a manufacturer has less than a 25 year warranty you must ask yourself why. Take a considerable amount of time to read any warranty several times and write down any questions you might have and have the salesperson answer your questions to your satisfaction. If they are willing to verbally make exceptions to the written warranty, then the should be willing to put it down in writing and have the corporate office sign and approve before you sign a contract.

Some manufacturers bury known problems in their contracts nullifying sections of the written warranty. They learn how to do this through past history of problems that have cost them money.

For example: some manufacturers know their logs will bow, twist and warp within a certain amount of time and only give you 6 weeks to have the logs stacked from the date it is cut or your warranty is void. States it right in the contract and most consumers over look it. If you have any delays after the package is cut and ready to ship the clock is ticking. Ask any manufacturer what would happen to the warranty if your builder delayed your project for 6 months and get it in writing because what you sign in a contract is binding.

Do your homework.

3 kinds of logs are primarily used in the log home industry.

1) Green trees

2)  Dry “Dead Standing” trees

3)  Cants (a bi-product)

Green trees- only a couple of milled log home manufacturers that harvest their own tree straight from the forest. Green trees are healthy live trees that are disease and insect free. Manufacturers work directly with the United States Forest Service and State Department of Lands to selectively harvest in areas with high density to help create open space between trees to create a healthy forest. With space in-between trees it slows the spread of disease and insect infestation. On of the best reasons for thinning our forests is to help eliminate wild fires that have consumed millions of acres of land over the past several years costing tax payers hundreds of millions of dollars.

With green trees you receive logs with a straight grain and no spiral checks (cracks). You have no disease that may jeopardize the fibers and best of all if the forester is responsible…no insect infestation where larva in the logs can stay dormant for 5 years before hatching. *note see section on Insects*  If the logs are not kiln dried to the core at a temperature of 180 degrees for 7 days the larva will not be killed. *note see section on Timber Products Inspection Agency (TPI).

Dry “Dead Standing” trees- is just what it says. A majority of log home Manufacturers are using this lower quality grade product because it offers customers an inexpensive product, but the home owner will end up paying more in the future for maintenance and repairs. You will hear manufacturers say this product is the best because it is air dried and kiln dried. To you the consumer this sounds good, but what they are not telling you is that this product will only grade in the bottom 2 grades on the Timber Products Inspection Agencies grading scale. *note see section on Timber Products Inspection Agency Grading* Very little “Dry Dead Standing” will grade over Wall log 40 on the TPI scale.

The big question is what killed the trees being used in your home. Disease will effect the fibers and insect infestation could have an effect up to 5 years after insects laid their eggs 1-4 inches deep in the tree. Larva can stay dormant up to 5 years before hatching and surface kiln drying will not kill all the larva unless the logs say in the kiln for 7 days and at a temperature of 180 degrees. If the trees died of forest fire or old age then they become susceptible to disease and insect infestation. If the bark did not come off then it becomes a moisture barrier and decay will begin on the fibers in 30 days which is just a natural process in nature to deteriorate waste in the forest.

When a tree dies in the forest the grain will twist and depending on how long the tree stood in the forest will determine the severity of the twist. Remember the time you walked through the forest and you looked at the dead trees noticing the big spiral crack that twisted around the tree from bottom to top. This is what you will see in your home depending on when the tree was harvested. Dry dead standing trees usually remain standing for years before being harvested.

These spiral cracks, also referred to as “checking” become pathways for bees, flies and other insects to continuously get into your home. No matter how much caulking or chinking you fill the checks with, these insects will find a way through to get inside.

I remember a home owner telling me about a log home he once owned and had to sell it. He and his wife built a beautiful home in the Northwest out of dry dead standing trees. The house logs had spiral checks and he put enough caulking in the checks to choke a herd elephants and still had bees in his home. They had their first child and before they would use the home had to go in and use a bug bomb to kill the bees because they were afraid of their child being stung. They did not know if the child was allergic to bee stings and did not want to find out the hard way. He said the bees would get in and go to the ceiling where it was warm and when the home cooled the bees would go dormant while on the ceiling. When a fire was made the heat goes up and warms the bees and they would drop down from the ceiling into their lap as thy sat on the couch and yes they would get stung. He said one time there were at least 20 bees on them and the couch. They sold their log home and rebuilt being very specific to choose a manufacturer with Timber Products Inspection Agency graded logs of Select or Premium with no spiral checking. He also had the log home manufacturer sign an agreement that there would be no spiral checks in his wall logs. *note see section on Timber Products Inspection grading*

Log home manufacturers using dry dead standing trees are now running in to a shortage. The Federal government started on the West coast and moved East clearing stands of dead trees in the forests. This inventory has been depleted and manufacturers are buying what every they can get their hands on and where ever they can. They are now starting to mix tree species and grades in their wall logs. When you look at a home with 3 different species in one wall it looks like a butcher block and you will never stain the home to look good. You would have to paint your home a dark color to hide the different grain coloring from each different species. The painting is your least worries. Each species has a different cell and fiber structure and mixing species will cause structural problems as each log species dries at different rates. You will have gaps between your logs and you will have to apply expensive chinking losing the beauty of your log walls and now having to look at horizontal pin striping.

Cants- are a bi-product used in the log home industry. Cants are brokered in from mills that cut the round off a log and make a dimensional timber 4×4, 6×6 to custom sizes. Manufacturers using cants take the square timbers and try to make them into a round log. They try to take off the bare minimum due to the cost so their logs end up being oval shaped. If you have an eight foot high wall and selected 8” diameter wall logs a true round log will stack 13 logs high. With cants they will have to stack 15 logs high costing you more money. When manufacturers turn the cants into oval shaped logs an 8” diameter is really only 7 ½” thus cause of being smaller and effect you pay more.

Have you ever built a fence with 4” x 4” posts? Notice how they were bowed, twisted and wrapped. The same happens when cants are used for log homes. When dimensional timbers are cut they destroy the natural growth ring promoting bowing, twisting and warping. You can take a 4”x4” post from the lumber store and set it out in the sun and watch it twist in one day. At log home shows manufacturers that use cants select the very best logs for show, but in reality what they are showing in not necessarily what you will get. The majority of logs made from cants will not have heartwood or the heart is located off to one side or the other. Look very closely at the photographs displayed. Most photos will be at a distance so you can not tell if there is heartwood or not. Most manufacturers also take photographs long before the home is chinked. Ask if they have a customer that has lived in one of their homes for more than 10 years that you could call and see what they have to say.

Now if you selected a manufacturer that uses cants you have logs with a minimum growth ring and stand a chance of having the pitch ring popping. When this pops can you fix it, the answer is it will not be very pretty. The warranties I have read give you a very short period of time to have the logs stacked before your warranty becomes void. Some manufacturers give you 6 weeks. If you have any logs that have become bowed, warped or twisted most manufacturers will not replace them. They make your contractor screw the log down at one end and work down the log to straighten it on the wall. This becomes timely and will cost you more money for the excessive amount of additional labor from our contractor. A log home contractor working with cants told me that he had one 10’ log that took a full day to set and guess who paid for that day.

You must put any manufacturer using cants under a microscope. You the customer must become educated on product and spend as much time as possible reviewing contracts and warranties at home and with the salesperson. I can not stress enough to not give any manufacturer at a log home show a check. They might be offering what looks like a great discount to get your money, but these companies will not give you a refund. You need to walk away and go research on the internet more about any manufacturer you are considering. By not giving them money or signing any contracts allows you to check references with the Log Homes Council. *note see section on Log Homes Council* Do a Dunn and Bradstreet credit report to know their financial stability. Both of these organizations are your best free insurance.

This is a buyer beware industry. Know what you are buying. If you want cheap, you will get cheap on the front end purchase, but will end up paying more in the future for excessive maintenance and fixing problems that could have been avoided by paying a little more for a better grade product.

There are 3 primary corners used in the log homes.

1)      Saddle notched

2)      Butt and pass

3)      Dovetail

Other corners exist, but are considered non-traditional

Saddle notched corners seen to be the most structurally stable for log home construction when used in a “stockade corner” application. This corner also if done correct gives you the very best seal in the corners of your home when machined. Most handcrafted saddle notched corners will have gaps that need chinked.

Butt and pass corners are your least stable corners used in the log home industry. Most consumers chose this style for the look not knowing or considering the lack of stability. You have one log pass while the next butts in to it and then is screwed in fastening logs together. This creates a weak corner that works but has its inefficiencies for stability and could promote decay in logs.

The University of Georgia preformed a 2 ½ year study on the butt and pass corner and discovered that rain or snow would sit on the extensions flat surface and even though the logs were stained the water would still get down in to the fibers and decay began.

Dovetail corners give you a nice flat corner and ascetic design. If you look at a dovetail corner you will see that the log is cut down on 2 sides where you have only a couple of inches of log overlapping. When a screw or spick is set through this area is weakens and could possibly weaken the corner.

How much does a log home cost?

There is no magic bullet! Any log home manufacturer or log cabin dealer that can tell you exactly how much your log home will cost is just picking a number out of thin air and you need to be concerned. Until you meet with a log home builder and have a full set of log home construction plans that he can take to his sub-contractors and suppliers no one will know the cost. The log home builder needs to know what you want in cabinets, plumbing, floor coverings, heating system, etc. When the log home contractor receives all the estimates back then and only then will you know the cost of your home. If a contractor tosses out a random number make sure you document it and have it signed at the time you sit down to sign a contract. What he has promised, you need to see in writing. Any changes during construction should be noted and signed by both parties. Change orders are protection for you and your builder. Always make 2 copies and do not leave until both are signed. Leave one copy with your log home builder and place your copy in a home construction file.

Any log home manufacturer that can give you a firm contract price without knowing all the door and window openings in your log home is selling you a random length log package and you will end up paying for logs you will not be using. Most manufacturers sell you the total linear length of log for the entire wall. When openings for doors and windows are cut out with a chain saw you have just purchased expensive firewood. You need to find a log home manufacturer that credits you back for these openings. Why should you pay for this? This is why you should look at a manufacturer that will not give you a firm contract price until you have a full set of log home drawings they can accurately calculate the linear used in your home. **Note see section on random length log packages.

If a contractor comes back to you at the end of the project wanting more money for additional services, he now has to prove to you that they were first approved and cost accrued or you will owe him nothing. Also have a builder sign a no-lien agreement so your home will be free of liens from any other sub-contractor your builder hired and is to pay.

Is my log home deposit refundable?

Most of the log home manufacturers (over 90%) do not and will not refund your deposit. Often a small deposit can get them ‘working for you’ – plans etc. But no large 50% deposits should be made until ALL aspects of the process are in order.

Is there any source for references other than satisfied customers provided by log home manufacturers?

Yes. You should check with the Log Homes Council. This agency is the Better Business Bureau of the log home industry. Log home manufacturers have to be in good standing and comply to standards set by the LHC. If they have  excessive complaints or not keeping the standards they are kicked out and cannot come back until they have taken care of complaints to the LHC standards. You can contact the Log Homes Council through their web site www.loghomes.org  or 1-800-368-5242, Ext. 8357. This is free insurance for you.

Dunn and Bradstreet Credit report. In today’s economy you never know which manufacturer is in financial trouble. Doing a Dunn and Bradstreet credit report will give you peace of mind. They run from $9.95 to $29.95. You cannot beat the cost of doing your homework  with this credit report.

You should ask any log home manufacturer if they would reimburse you for the cost of the credit report if you go with their company. The manufacturers that will should be higher up on your selection list because they know their credibility and financial’s.

What are log home transportation costs?

Due to the daily change of fuel costs it is very difficult for any log home manufacturer to give an actual cost of shipping until the day it ships.

Any log home manufacturer that tells you that the cost of shipping is free is not telling you the truth. They bury the cost of shipping in the cost of not just your log home package, but in every package they send around the country. They average in a base cost to every package and the closer you live to the log home manufacturer the more you will pay for the package. For example, if a manufacturer builds in a cost for shipping and let’s say $2,000.00 to every package and the actual cost 100 miles from the manufacturer is $400.00 the manufacturer makes $1,600.00. Now if you are 1,600 miles from the manufacturer and the cost is $2,000 they break even. The farther away from the log home manufacturer the more cost and the base paid by the closer customer helps subsidize for the farthest customer.

Just remember that nothing is for FREE any more. You will pay for it somewhere in your package. Manufacturers are in business to make money not give it away. Do your homework!

What about log home INSECTS?

Today most sealant manufacturers have an additive that can be mixed into the product before application to repel pine beetles, flathead bores, ants, termites and other insects. You should always ask if to make sure that this chemical is standard in the sealant or should it be requested as an upgrade for a cost.

Manufacturers that claim they treat every log in borate at their facility is actually costing you more money. Why do this process and charge the consumer 3 times what it would cost for an additive in the log sealant. You do not need to have your package treated in borate with the new technology today. All of the additives are EPA approved for consumer protection. It only has to be  reapplied when a new sealant is applied to your home in future years. Remember the 20 mule team borax in a box? You can treat your log home with this product just before staining and get better protection. Log home manufacturer’s that pre-treat log packages do not tell you that if the pre-treated logs get wet “IT WASHES OFF”. It is a water base product and if it rains and the logs are not protected you just spent money on nothing. You can go purchase a 1 gallon weed sprayer and mix the 20 mule team and spray your logs a couple days before staining and have better protection and save a lot of money.

Will a log home burn quicker than a conventionally built home?

NO! A conventionally framed home will burn 10 times faster than a log home. What burns in any home is the interior furnishings and then the walls ignite. Tests over the years have proven that a round log will ignite very slowly if at all. The exterior of a log might get charred, but is easily removed to restore a log homes beauty and original color.

Logs have less air mass in-between the fibers and without oxygen they cannot burn. With a conventionally framed home you have lots of air in-between the studs to feed the fuel (studs) and allows for quicker ignition.

It is the old test where you can take a phone book and stand on it then try to light on fore. It will not burn. Now take the pages and crinkle a few in the phone book allowing air in-between and see how quickly the pages burn.

There are products on the market today that take the fuel away from the fire. This product can be applied before or after the exterior sealants on log homes. When flames hit the logs the additive bubbles not allowing the log to ignite. There have been documented cases where the product actually put out fires saving the homes. Insurance companies are also giving homeowners up to a 15% discount on their log homes if a certified applicator signs off on the home. Go to www.noburn.com and see the videos they have demonstrating the product.

Will I ever have to chink my log home?

Chinking is not a necessity anymore. You must ask the manufacturer if this will ever need to be done on your home. Again if you do not ask they are not obligated to tell you. Chinking cost around $6,000 per 1,000 square foot of home. So if you have a 2,000 square foot home you need to be saving $12,000-$14,000 every 5-6 years to replace the chinking. It is not cheap and you the consumer will have to pay for this as you first move in to your new home or shortly after and then every 5-6 years. It is not fair for any log home manufacturer to not disclose this to you. Most will bury this in their contracts under “General Maintenance” and when you go back to them, they look at you and say you should have read your contract. Any contract you sign is binding and you are liable to read and understand before signing.

How energy efficient is a log home?

Depending on the species a log home manufacturer uses for your log walls determines how energy efficient your home will be. The very best is Cedar, but cedar costs 5 times more than pine. When you look at the pine family the very best is Western White pine and this is due the amount of Thermal Mass in the cells of the fiber.

What is “Thermal mass” it is the amount of air in the cells in the fiber. These air cells resist the transformation of the heat from the heated side to the cooler side. So in the winter months using the right species with high thermal mass the logs will absorb the heat from the interior and not allow the heat transfer through the walls. The logs will store the heat and continue to radiate the stored heat back into the log home.

What is the best pine species? Western White pine. When you get into Douglas Fir, Alpine fir, Spruce, Hemlock or hardwoods like Cypress or Oak they are very dense and little or no thermal mass allowing heat loss transfer through the walls. The harder woods take forever to heat up and will cool off quickly.

You will hear from one log home manufacturer to another that species does not matter, this only shows their lack of knowledge and education of wood. The Log Homes Council is now performing a “Hot-Box” test to finally prove the thermal mass performance of many different species of wood used in log homes. Only a few log home manufacturers have participated in this study and will have results to show, while the manufacturers that did not want to participate will not have this information and they do not want it because what they are telling you discredits their product with the test.

Also beware of log home manufacturers mixing species and grade of wall logs in their homes. You will have variable thermal mass, structural problems and a butcher block look on your log home.

So in short, log homes are more energy efficient than conventionally framed homes. You do not have the heat loss transfer through the walls (if the right species is used) like a conventionally framed home. You can walk up to a log wall in the winter time and feel how warm it is then feel the wall of a conventionally framed home and see how cold it is. Cold pulls heat from the interior and if the walls are cold you are experiencing heat loss transfer.

Will it take longer to build a log home?

No, when you put up a log wall it is only one step compared to a conventionally framed home that takes 5 steps.

1. framing

2. insulation

3. sheet rock

4. exterior OSB

5. exterior siding.

Now you hope all sub-contractors show up on time to do each job and not start the domino effect that happens too often. After the walls are up the interior framing is just like a conventionally framed home. The roof system may take a little longer due to complexity.

Most log home manufacturers are suppliers of log components for your log home. Some log home manufacturers offer complete log home packages with windows, doors, cabinets etc. The reality of optioning a complete package is you are paying more for shipping. You have to remember that nothing is free. Some log home manufacturers make bold statements that shipping is free, but you are paying for it somewhere with-in your package. Log home manufacturers are in the business to make money…not give it away.

If you select a complete log home package you must be ready to accept all material when 4-5 trucks show up at your property. You must have a containment area so items do not walk away from the job site and hope that vandals do not come by and throw rocks through your windows. You now have agreed to pay more for your package in the long run. If a manufacturer ships you 6 bunks of plywood cross country and you could have had a local building supply company deliver it free…where is the value. Help support your local economy. If your log home builder purchases materials locally and has a problem it can be taken care of immediately. No phone calls back to the manufacturer who gives the contractor the run-around trying to find phone numbers of who to call. If your contractor can not take action and his workers have to stop working who do you think pays for them to sit around.

When the trucks are unloaded at your property you assume all liability. The log home manufacturers require that the enclosed shipping inventory list be checked and returned back to them with-in a couple of weeks after delivery. If it is not returned they will not be responsible for any items that come up missing. *note see types of packages*

Logs are made of cells bound together to make the fibers of a tree that run longitudinal (the length of the tree). These fibers pull nutrients up from the base to feed the tree. The water in the cells is called “Bound Cell Water” and is one major cause of log homes settling and should be a very high concern when selecting a log home manufacturer.

Trees die in the forest from disease, insect infestation, forest fires and old age. If the tree dies of forest fires or old age they become prone to disease and insects. If the bark doesn’t come off the trees after they die the bark becomes a moisture barrier and in 30 days decay will begin on the fibers. It is a natural process that nature uses to clean up waste.

As a log loses the bound cell water it will shrink only in diameter. The fibers are like straws and as the water dissipates these fibers collapse basically imploding towards the center of the tree. It is like an apple you sit on the counter and it shrivels up.

There are 3 different kinds of logs used in the log home industry.

1)      Live green trees

2)      Dry dead standing

3)      Cants (a bi-product used in the industry)

*note see Kinds of Logs section*

Depending on the kind of logs are used, your logs will shrink at different rates. Look for a log home manufacturer that will provide you with a constant moisture content and be willing to write down that you will never have to chink your home. Dry dead standing or what some refer to as air dried will have a variable moisture content on the interior of the log depending on how long the dead tree stood in the forest before being harvested. *note see Moisture content section*

Most all log home manufacturers are mixing log species (white pine, yellow pine, fir and spruce) up to 10% in their walls giving you a butcher block look. Each species dries at a different rate and will cause structural problems as the logs shrink. You will never be able to stain your home to a uniform color unless you paint it with a solid color.

To know if a manufacturers product will shrink ask if they use settling or screw jacks on their vertical poles *note see Settling/Screw jack section*

Screw-jack below in photo creating gap between header and vertical pole to allow for settling.

Some log home manufacturers that harvest green trees have a process where their kilns can get to the center of a log and dry to a constant moisture from one end of a log to the other and all the way through. These logs will have the least amount of settling in the log home industry and I would suggest you look for one of these log home manufacturers to eliminate excessive maintenance costs. Do your home work and ask lots of questions and get information in writing.

Notice the “slips” over this window. On handcrafted log homes the builder calculate how much the home should shrink and allow for this over the doors and windows. This area is packed with insulation to slow heat loss and hopefully when the wall settles down it will not crush the doors and windows.

Settling jacks or screw jacks are used on homes that have extreme moisture content at the core of their wall logs that you will have to adjust when the bound cell water evaporates over time. You will need to adjust the height of all your vertical poles holding up the ridge beams, purlins and headers.

Settling jacks or screw jacks are 9”-11” steel pins that go between the floor and the bottom of the vertical poles and other places, as the wall logs shrink (Settle) down you have to continuously lower the ridge beams, purlins and headers or your roof will become detached from the top of the walls. If you do not keep on a routine maintenance schedule your warranty will become void.

One of the biggest questions today is “what kind of maintenance do I have to do on the walls of my log home.

The stain and sealant companies have rapidly progressed over the years with newer and better products. 25 years ago home owners used a mixture of motor oil and diesel fuel to make an exterior sealant for their homes. Due to the very small amount of log homes being built back then it was not cost effective for any company to invest in to better products. Today with the log home industry being 9.5% of all new homes built in the United States Stain and sealant companies have invested in research and development of superior products. If you have to paint your home every 5-6 years, a log home in the same area will be the equivalent.

Two kinds of stains are on the market today: Water Base and Oil Base. With both products your logs have to be prepared to manufacturers specifications so you do not void the warranty.

Is just what is says. Log home manufacturers assemble log home kits with logs of random length and you the consumer end up paying more. A log home manufacturer calculates the total length of a wall length and height and sends you all the logs for the area. They do not take into consideration that you will have to cut doors and windows out of that wall producing expensive fire wood for the consumer.

For example: you have a 20’ wall 8’ high using an 8” round wall log. This is 260 linear feet of log you pay for. Now the log home builder has your walls up and takes a chain saw and tries to cut a straight line with his chain saw for your 3’ x 6’-8” door and a 6’x 6’ window and what do you get to use this wood for. You have just spent money for nothing of value, so where is the savings you thought you received from the manufacturer.

Look for a log home manufacturer that backs out the openings in your walls to save you money. **Note see section on milled logs.

Log home manufacturers of random length packages fail to tell you that their log homes are very labor intense to build due to the amount of cutting that has to be done, the waste factor and the cost of the screws and spikes that have to be placed every 18” on every log on every course to the height of your walls.

Before you sign any contract be sure that the log home manufacturer makes it perfectly clear of “What doesn’t come in the log package price” What do you have to purchase additionally to be able to erect your log home. Too many manufacturers give you just the cost of the logs in the package and after the signing of a contract they come back and charge you for additional materials. The contract will clearly state that the package only included the logs and no other materials. So what they are doing is making their package look very attractive when compared to other log home manufacturers and you the consumer will have to pay. Log home manufacturers that work this way also have it clearly stated in the contract that there is zero refund and you have no alternative but to go forward with them or lose tens of thousands of dollars.

Do your home work and do not get burned.

A great way to heat your log home, Radiant heat works well in log homes and if your home is made of Western White Wood they will store the heat and continue to radiate this stored heat back into your home keeping it warm at a very little expense. This heat storage is due to the thermal mass in this species.

You do need to make sure that when using radiant heat that you use the right application. If you are installing hardwood flooring a ½” sheet of plywood should be installed between the radiant heat and wood flooring or you may experience warping in your floors. If this is not installed you might find yourself with warped floors and pulling it all up and replacing it.