Log homes are an American icon we have learned to admire and love. According to The Log Homes Council, more than 30,000 log homes are built each year in the U.S. They include full log, log siding, timber frame, and other customized styles. The numbers are even larger when you add in all the log cabins that were not surveyed or made from scratch.
Log homes make statements for the owners who want a rustic flair added to their home life. Whether owners live in them full-time or part-time, the relaxed atmosphere is desirable. Some owners take part in their construction, which adds more pleasure in their ownership.
Surveys show five major reasons we love our log homes and cabins. You may have additional ones but here are the most common:
- They help us get back to nature
- Log homes can be customized
- They have come a long way
- Log homes provide health benefits
- Log siding homes are more economical
Find out why so many people across the country love living in their log homes.
They Help Take Us Back to Nature
We love log homes because they take us back to nature. Nevertheless, it’s like we are bringing nature into our homes with wood walls, floors, and ceilings. Many high-stress professionals seek peace and quiet when they are off the job. So, a log home is the perfect place to seek refuge. The rest of us just plain enjoy them all the time.
If you want a home that is built from sustainable materials, a pine log home may be for you. Surprisingly, unlike some types of trees that are not replanted after harvesting, pine trees are replanted on tree farms to provide them for future generations. Log homes are charming, inviting, and help generate healthful living.
Log Homes Can Be Customized
Although many log homes are laid out with rectangular floor plans, there are other shapes, styles, and sizes beside traditional to consider that include:
- Square layout – Everything seems more compact
- L-shape layout – Provides a lot of windows
- A-frame homes add a unique living experience
- 1, 2, or 3-floor styles are built to your needs
- Hybrid styles are customized to your tastes
- Modern styles add the latest amenities
You can go without a basement or add a full or half-basement. Garages can be attached or detached with or without living quarters above them. Plus, the open concept typically comes standard. No matter the style, log homes are just alluring to live in or visit.
According to The Log Homes Council, more than 30,000 log homes are built each year
Log Homes Have Come a Long Way
Log homes have come a long way since the days of chopping down trees with axes and squaring up the logs by hand. Ready-made materials can be purchased from mills and retailers that make their construction faster and easier. Although they exist in every state, these 10 have the most log homes as of 2010:
- Colorado
- New York
- North Carolina
- Wisconsin
- Michigan
- Pennsylvania
- Ohio
- Texas
- Minnesota
- New Hampshire
Moreover, Many people today are combining the best of both worlds with traditional and modern features and amenities. The latest styles of kitchen appliances, furniture, lighting, and artwork are going in thousands of log homes. Fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, log trusses, exposed beams, and log furniture still show up frequently.
Health Benefits of Log Homes
Did you know that log homes have healthful benefits you can enjoy? Furthermore, you can avoid a lot of off-gassing that may be present in manmade building materials. Other benefits include:
- Firstly, You can use low volatile organic compound (VOC) stains and finishes that produce better indoor air quality
- Many people report they sleep better
- Others report better mental health
- We experience a greater connection to the past
You can add peace and quiet because log walls whether log siding or full logs tend to reduce noise pollution more than other types of construction. Logs also have an innate ability to balance moisture changes inside the air.
Log Siding Homes Are More Economical
Make that dream log home a reality by building it with pine log siding. So, you’ll not only save a lot of money over full logs, but you will probably be able to schedule a builder sooner.
Overall, Conventional contractors understand installing log siding, corners, and trim and thus you can avoid the higher cost of specialized full log installers and cranes.
Pine log siding and trims come in choices of profile thicknesses and widths to meet your needs.
- Quarter Log: Available in knotty pine and cedar, smooth and hand-hewn in 2×6 and 2×8 – use 2×6 or 3×4 log trim
- Half Log: Available in knotty pine and cedar, smooth and hand-hewn in 3×6 and 3×8 – use 3×6 or 4×4 log trim
- Premier Log: Available in knotty pine and cedar hand-hewn only in 3×8 and 3×10 – use 4×4 log trim
- Pre-Finished Log siding comes with high-quality stains and finishes already applied in all the above variations.
Corner systems include vertical log, saddle notch, and butt-n-pass that can be matched to your selection of log siding profiles. So in the end, Log siding homes are a favorite building style no matter where you live.
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