Very rarely do they cause structural weakness if the proper grade of timbers has been chosen for each application. The cracks are called 'checks' and will occur in all large timbers. Since the circumference shrinks at twice the rate as the diameter, something has to give and that is the wood fibers that pull away from each other. Wood shrinks as it loses moisture and the shrinkage is twice as much in width as it does in length. Lateral splits in a log resulting from internal stresses caused by drying. Named for its shape, each log is milled round on the outside and cut flat on the inside, giving you a traditional log home look outside with a straight log wall on the inside, tongue on top and groove on bottom locks each log into the other for a tight fit. Wafer wedge installed where ends are buttedĬhecking is a natural occurrence in wood components that contain the pith, or center of a tree. One clear advantage to using this style is the ease of building and no recessed notches or pockets that could trap water and a flat wall interiorĭ-Log is a profile you can choose for your milled log home. Butt-and-Pass keeps the logs around the entire structure at the same level thus producing a proportional look on both the inside and outside. With logs on subsequent levels, the opposite log is cut longer and the adjoining log abuts to it. Basically, Pass log continues beyond the fixed corner and the adjoining log butts into it. The butt-and-pass corner style is centuries old. A log wall's thermal mass makes it as energy-efficient as a well-insulated stick built wall. Thermal Mass allows a log to absorb heat during the hottest part of the day and return it to the house during the cooler night, without transferring it through the wall.

This feature, along with the natural insulating ability of wood, is what makes log homes exceptionally energy efficient. The property of logs in a log home to store and (hold) delay the transfer of heat, as does stone or metal. FAQ: Here are a few frequently asked questions and log home terms

Amish log cabin mobile home