People normally view wooden homes as the source of seeking rustic ambiance. They tend to find peace and they feel more connected with the nature. That’s quite true for those living in those tall buildings made of cement and steel, and houses made of sticks and bricks. But log and timber homes have benefits beyond harmony, peace and relaxation.
So, if you’re interested in timber frame homes, you will find a lot of advantages. Some of the advantages of log cabin homes are mentioned below:
Environment Friendliness
Since trees are a renewable resource, log and timber homes come with a solid green pedigree. When a home is made from solid logs, you are effectively taking the carbon contained in those logs out of environmental circulation over the entire life of the home.
- Some log and timber home producers harvest standing dead timber (done in by pesky insects) or purchase logs from forests certified as sustainable.
- Some builders are constructing log and timber frame homes to green building standards as well.
Long Lasting
Got a know-it-all in the neighborhood who thinks his brick home is durable? Inform him that log and timber homes still in use in Europe routinely date back more than 800 years. And one log-constructed church in Russia is reportedly more than 1,700 years young.
Strong and Steady Against the Nature’s Wrath
The log and timber home industry has countless stories of these homes successfully weathering the worst weather Mother Nature can dish out. Some stories are related to the Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.
When Rita struck eastern Texas where log cabins and homes are in abundance, a resident living in 1700 square foot home remained safe even after a giant tree fell over his home. Solid log walls withstood the weight of the toppled tree and prevented more damage “There is no doubt in my mind that this log and timber home saved our lives,” says the homeowner.
Fit the Land
While brick homes need a lot of digging and soaking to do, log homes won’t take too much time and effort to fit the land. Since this organic building material comes from nature, the resulting structures blend into the topography like a 10-point buck on opening day. Log homes naturally integrate right into the landscape, rather than being awkwardly imposed on it.
Fast Framing
If you choose to use a precut and pre-drilled log system or a handcrafted home, the shell of your home can be framed on site faster than conventional stick framing, which will reduce the likelihood of weather-related damages or mold and mildew issues.
In conventional construction, your home is exposed to the elements for far longer, which could lead to mold issues within framing of the home, where it can thrive undetected for years.
Warmth of Wood
Warm to the touch (as opposed to the always chilly sheetrock), wood has something called “thermal mass,” a natural property in the logs that helps keep inside temperatures of homes comfortable in all seasons. This allows log walls to collect and store energy, then radiate it back into the home.