Do the materials contribute to the energy efficiency of the home?
Log homes: Thick, sturdy logs keep your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, generally speaking. Any problems that arise in the structural integrity of the logs could affect their insulating properties. But it is usually easier to heat and cool a log home compared to other wood constructions.
TruLog™: Just like logs, TruLog™ siding is energy efficient. The foam backer increases the insulation and R-value of your walls, making your home easier to heat and cool. Plus, steel siding is not susceptible to expanding and contracting, or to weathering, like other types of siding materials are. The result is durable siding that protects the insulating foam for decades to come.
Where do the materials come from and where do they end up?
Log homes: Homebuilders get logs from a variety of sources. Many of them are currently sourced from the US, often from places like Maine and the northwest region of the country. While the logs may be “sustainably sourced,” the fact of the matter is that log homes require trees to be cultivated, managed and cut down. There is a lot of labor, time and physical space required to cultivate these logs, all of which contribute to the carbon footprint of your log home.
The logs themselves do tend to last a very long time, but only if cared for properly. When eventually damaged beyond repair, it’s difficult to reuse or recycle the logs.
TruLog™: Like logs, steel siding also requires labor to manufacture the finished product. But steel siding does not require great swaths of otherwise beautiful land. We are also proud to manufacture TruLog™ in the US, thereby reducing the carbon footprint that would be associated with importing your siding from another country, most likely overseas.
As for where TruLog™ ends up, it’s really a matter left to the homeowner. First of all, TruLog™ can last for decades, even generations of a family, without needing to be replaced. This lifespan is an advantage over other types of materials, such as vinyl, which tend to need frequent replacement, thereby increasing your carbon footprint because you may have to buy the material (and the material will have to be manufactured) more than once.
Secondly, TruLog™ is 100 percent recyclable. So, if for any reason you need to take down your steel siding in the future, you can arrange to have it recycled so that its materials can be repurposed.
What type of construction is required?
Log homes: Unless you have some type of professional experience in log home construction, you’ll probably have to hire someone to help you design and build your home. This requires energy and other resources, unless you have a home built with only hand tools, which some people have accomplished.
TruLog™: TruLog™ siding is easy to install. You can install it yourself using the instructional DVD included with your purchase. Many of our customers prefer this DIY approach. Others hire a contractor to install it for them. Either way, you don’t need many tools nor much energy and manpower to complete your TruLog™ project.
If you are interested in a log alternative to build the log-style home of your dreams, please call the team at TruLog™, at 970-646-4490. Located in beautiful Loveland, Colorado, we are proud to have our steel siding product shipped to areas across the country.
