Log cabins and log homes have a long and rich history in the United States, which lends them a romantic association for many people. The look is classic, iconic, and something many people associate with resorts, rural living, and a more laid back lifestyle.
However, real log cabins are expensive, hard to maintain, and difficult to build. Most people who like the look don’t necessarily want to build a new home from scratch just to get the style they like, and log homes don’t always come on the market frequently either.
For those reasons, many people choose to install log-look siding on their homes instead. Log-look siding is attractive, can be installed over existing homes, and is much less expensive and much less maintenance than building a log cabin from scratch.
This type of siding has become so popular, in fact, that it’s now available at a variety of big box stores such as Home Depot. And while any log-look siding is generally a better alternative to the real thing, the materials you can find at Home Depot may not have the quality or appearance that you’re looking for.
Log Cabin Siding Board
The material that Home Depot sells is able to be installed on the face of any home, giving it the look and dimension of a log cabin. The biggest advantage to the material that Home Depot carries is the fact that it’s a lot less expensive than actual logs.
Home Depot sells wood siding that has been shaped to have the look of a rounded log on one side, and a flat board on the other, for easier installation. The pieces are designed to lock together easily, so that you can have the seamless look of a real log cabin when you’re done. Because you’re installing it over your existing home, it doesn’t have the same issues as a log cabin in terms of settling, chinking, and air gaps.
The issue, though, is that these boards are made from fairly soft wood, usually spruce. Thewood needs to be stained to help protect it from the elements and to give the home its finished look. Stain can break down and delaminate quickly with exposure to UV rays from the Sun, so you’ll need to continuously scrape and restain or repaint your home to keep it looking its best.
Spruce and other soft woods also have issues with moisture. They can swell, warp, and eventually begin to rot if they’re exposed to enough moisture over time. Since they aren’t whole logs, just the face, they’re so thin that any damage done means that you’ll need to replace them rather than simply making repairs.
A Better Alternative to Vinyl Home Depot Log Siding
While log-look vinyl siding from Home Depot is a better alternative to real log cabins, it still requires a lot of maintenance that can make it a drawback for many people. That’s why steel log-look siding from TruLog is a better alternative.
Steel siding is highly durable, unaffected by many of the issues that wood faces including moisture problems, UV rays, insect activity, and fire. It doesn’t chip or crack, and it won’t warp or swell, so it’s much lower maintenance in the long-term.
Steel log-look siding from TruLog comes in a wide range of attractive colors designed to mimic the look of real wood. Unlike the stain that you’ll apply to wood log-look siding, steel siding is unaffected by UV rays and won’t delaminate and peel. It doesn’t require scraping and repainting every few years, and will outlast any log home’s appearance as well. You can get the look that you want without any of the associated maintenance. Since log homes and wood log-look siding both need nearly constant upkeep, using steel log-look siding can save you a lot of money in maintenance and repair costs over the years.
Like wood log-look siding, steel siding from TruLog can be installed on the exterior of an existing home. You don’t need to build a new home to get the look of a log cabin. Best of all, steel log-look siding from TruLog comes backed with insulation that can make your home more comfortable and more energy efficient as well. While true log cabins are well known for drafts and air gaps, a home clad in steel log-look siding from TruLog will be much more comfortable, and will lower your energy bills each month.
Get a Better Log-Look Home
Any log-look siding is going to save you money over a real log cabin, but steel siding from TruLog can also save you time and money on maintenance and repairs as well as energy costs. And unlike wood log look siding that you’ll find at Home Depot, you won’t need to repaint every few years or worry about things like insect activity or fires.
Check out the full line of colors at TruLog to find a better, more sustainable log-look siding for your home, and get the look of a real log cabin that you’ve always wanted.
