Some builders are even creating custom logs made from local timber that provide a better degree of insulation and durability than ever before. These logs have intelligent features like tongue and groove connection points and superior D-shaped designs that help eliminate shrinkage and air pockets where heat can seep through.
Why Log Design and Placement Is Important
Natural logs will inevitably expand and contract as well as absorb a certain amount of moisture over time. They are, after all, a source of tree timber that still contains cells that once required water to grow.
Therefore, log walls without sufficient insulation can easily rot or shrink over time, contributing to log homes with structural issues that make them more costly to heat and maintain.
In the best of situations, however, a well-insulated log home acts like a “thermal battery,” storing heat during the day so that, when the sun goes down, the house stays warm with minimal heat loss due to air infiltration between outer walls and inner rooms.
Up until recently, log homes were notorious for heat lost in critical areas like, roofs, floors, and windows, creating varying temperatures and inconsistent heat transfer due to this lack of structural integrity.
Today, the U.S. government maintains a Home Energy Rating System that challenges contractors to adhere to industry standards and implement energy efficiency guidelines that contribute to cost savings and lower utility bills for homeowners.
Other Energy Efficient Measures
These types of innovative designs, along with other measures like high-efficiency water heaters and insulated windows, can keep you warmer and save you money in the fall and winter months.
A tankless water heater, for example, located close to areas that draw the most hot water supply, like showers and bathrooms, can deliver instant hot water for less money.
Double and triple-pane windows that are sealed properly can also lower the amount of heat loss in log cabins, through air pockets around aging window frames. Adding storm windows, by itself, adds an additional protective layer for keeping moisture out and keeping precious heat inside modern log cabins.
Why Is TruLog Steel Log Siding Better?
One way to avoid the cost of upgrading inefficient log facings that break down or shrink over time is to choose superior materials like steel log siding. These types of installations free homeowners from the burden of devoting considerable time and money for the periodic maintenance that wood log homes require.
TruLog steel log siding has a high efficiency rating, provides excellent weather protection, and gives your home an attractive design feature that mimics the look and feel of wood log cabins, with better peace of mind. Contact us today for more information and a free home estimate
