In your research for building a log home, or for renovating an existing house or rental cabin, you’ve likely come across references to “hew lines.”
A hew line marks the cut in the timber, and it is one of the distinguishing characteristics of an authentic log home. Of the steel, vinyl and concrete alternatives to traditional log siding, TruLog™ steel siding stands apart by offering patented hew lines that enhance the appearance of natural log construction.
Hew: The Word
Hew is an Old English word with origins in the Germanic hēawan, and it literally meant to chop with an ax.
Today, the word can be used figuratively as well as literally. Hew can mean to strike forcibly, or to sever or fell; it may also mean to conform to or adhere to.
How did hew go from chopping to conforming? In the 1800s, the phrase “hew to the line” became popular, and is modernly expressed as “hew the party line” or “hewing the line.”
The Hew Lines in Logs
In the history of log cabins, a hew line has long been used to mark a length of timber and indicate where to cut in order to shape a beam (thus the aforementioned “hew to the line”).
When discussing log homes, hew lines also represent the natural bends that occur where the wood is cut. Even with the precision of modern harvesting, wood preparation and construction technologies, these hew lines help provide log homes with their rustic charm and natural aesthetics.
TruLog™’s Hew Lines
The patented TruLog steel siding system offers distinctive hew lines and grains that replicate the look and texture of real logs without the costs and worries associated with regular inspections and routine maintenance.
TruLog additionally features defined chink lines that resemble the chinking of log cabins, but without the need for resealing. TruLog is also available in a number of hues that encompass natural, stained and painted woods.
For additional information about the advantages of TruLog over log homes and log siding, please contact TruLog online or call us at 970-646-4490. TruLog is based in Loveland, Colorado, but we ship nationwide and work with installers in a number of states, including Colorado, Wyoming and Missouri.
