This article was originally published at My Efficient Planet
Log homes are gaining popularity these days. Not only because of their unique looks but also the eco friendly nature of them. Log homes present many benefits that the conventional homes cannot offer. These log homes are not only beautifully, but also are kinder to the environment.
1. The Environment friendly home
There is a misconception that log homes lead to deforestation that in turn leads to serious environmental problems. The point to be noted here is that these log homes are made from this planets best renewable resource, ‘the trees’. The logs required for building the log homes are obtained from legal loggers. These loggers re-plant where they cut the logs and hence do not lead to deforestation. Recent surveys indicate that conventional homes contribute 40% to the total harmful CO2 emissions. Hence the log homes are excellent opportunities to reduce the Co2 emissions and save the planet.
2. The more energy efficient home
Log homes are more energy efficient when compared to the traditional homes. Energy statistics on log homes prove that they consume 30% less energy. To confirm this energy efficiency of log homes, ‘the National Bureau of Standards tests’ conducted a test. The test results where amazing. Log homes used approximately 46% less energy for heating during the spring heating period. They then tried an 11 week cooling solution during summer through the log homes. Here the log homes used 24% less cooling energy when compared to other conventional homes.
3. Unique and good to look home
Apart from being Environment friendly and energy efficient, the log homes are unique pieces of art and elegance. The log homes are very easy to maintain and the maintenance cost associated with the log homes are very low. There are so many house plans available and often you can assist in designing the home of your dreams.
Building Log Homes
After seeing the benefits that a log home offers, if you are interested in building your own dream log home, there are many places that you can do some more research. From flooring plans to roofing, there are many options available. If you are not sure about the log home plans, it is always better to some professional help. There are professional log home builders out there who offer free log home plans. To save your valuable time and money, there are log home packages too. These packages include everything from log home flooring plans to living area layout and roofing. If you like to know more about the benefits of the unique log homes, there are many log home shows and log home seminars conducted everywhere.
Bottom line
“Modern technology owes ecology an apology” is an old saying. Things are very different these days. The latest technology of log homes makes the saying change to “Modern technology owes ecology great thanks”.
The author of this article is an expert in log homes design. He is also a well wisher of the environment
and knows the importance of log homes in being Eco-friendly. He has written many articles on the eco friendliness and the energy efficiency of the log homes so that people can understand the benefits of log homes and save the Grinning Planet.
With every new construction of a building you have the environmental factor of waste to consider. In years past contractors have dumped excess materials into local landfills and companies have made no attempt to be eco-conscious during the manufacturing process. The times have changed and companies like Mountain Creations Log & Timber Homes are making the environment a priority.
During the milling process, we make sure that we use each part of the tree as best we can. The production of a log package emits little to no toxins in the air as compared to the manufacturing processes of concrete, brick and conventional homes using pressure treated lumber. Trying to keep the carbon footprint as low as possible, the excess cedar is chipped into mulch and used for landscaping and even fueling machines.
Once the construction process has started, our builders work to minimize waste by perfecting cuts and managing time and materials properly. We can put you in touch with local wood-working artisans, kitchen cabinet makers as well as construction recycling programs in the area to make the most of the materials you may have remaining.
After 25 years in the log home industry we have learned what works best and alongside our builders and subcontractors are committed to creating your perfect log home experience.
Keep checking out our blog to learn about the newest innovations in eco-friendly building as we look forward to the days of hybrid tractor trailers and environmentally friendly shipping.
Whether the goal is to save fuel, save the planet or a little of both, American homeowners are increasingly going green. And while the average household spends $1,900 a year on energy, log home owners typically report that they spend far less than their neighbors on heating, air conditioning, hot water and lighting.
Energy efficiency is among several ways modern log homes qualify as “Green”-- an approach to building that started in 1993 with the belief that we can all pitch in to make the places where we live, work and play more environmentally friendly. The hallmark of “green” is to use less energy, renewable resources, limit C02 or “greenhouse gas” emissions and create indoor environments free of mold, formaldehyde, carcinogens, and other allergens.
The most obvious factor that makes engineered log homes “green” is their building material -- solid timbers grown from trees -- a renewable resource. Many companies that belong to the Log Homes Council purchase certified wood sourced from sustainably managed forests. During the milling process, manufacturers utilize all portions of the log, from bark and other sources for mulch, scrap from cut-offs for raw material used in carvings and other home products, sawdust used by farmers as bedding material, etc. The homes are sold as kits or “packages” with the bulk of the building materials delivered at one time. These packages consolidate delivery and generally travel shorter distances conserving fuel, says the Log Homes Council, which represents nearly 60 of North America’s leading manufacturers and promulgates industry and product standards. And, logs require less energy and man-made materials than stick-built construction. With the completion of a log home, you have walls that serve both the structural and insulative needs of a home, as opposed to using many products from siding, house wrap, plywood, dimensional lumber, insulation, drywall, and paints in traditional homes.
Heating and Air Conditioning
The massiveness of the logs plays a vital role in conserving energy. According to studies by the University of Maine at Orono, the logs absorb heat energy during the day and radiate it at night to even out the temperature, which makes the occupants feel more comfortable while using less energy.
In addition to the benefits of solid timber construction, Log Homes Council member companies engineer their log wall joinery and roof systems to eliminate air infiltration and moisture, conserve energy and increase comfort. This engineered approach continues with every product included in a log home package such as brand-name, double-paned windows and patio doors with low-e glass, proper venting and subflooring structures,” explains Rob Cantrell, 2007 President of the Log Homes Council, a council within the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
Engineered for Energy Conservation and Safety
Log home companies are up on latest developments in building technology and safety and maintain relationships with suppliers of roofing materials, heating systems, windows and other components. Council members constantly test and evaluate newer components to make sure they contribute to energy efficient, safe and trouble-free homes. Even the interior and exterior stains and finishes are evaluated for their suitability as solid timber coatings and to make sure they meet low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) clean air standards, in their quest for the ultimate green home.
The Builder
While a green philosophy begins with the log home manufacturer at the design stage, it has to continue with the builder who erects the home. The Log Homes Council’s parent organization, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), has been getting local builders on board by providing them with the knowledge they need to build green. As part of its effort, NAHB has partnered with the International Code Council to develop a consensus committee based Green Building Standard that provides a practical, nationally recognized baseline for resource-efficient, cost-effective home building.
By the end of 2008, the NAHB expects that many of its members, who build more than 80 percent of the homes in the US, will incorporate green practices into the construction of new homes. The NAHB Green Building Standard and Certification Program addresses seven key green construction areas including site, resource efficiency, energy efficiency, water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, homeowner education, and global impact. Direct ways log home owners can reduce their footprint include less impact on natural features and vegetation during building site preparation, choosing environmentally friendly components for subflooring, trusses and other conventional materials that go into a log home, choosing energy-efficient appliances, conserving water with low-flow plumbing fixtures and taking steps to increase occupant comfort and indoor environmental quality.
Log homeowners play a big part in going green too. These individuals embrace nature and consider their homes permanent dream homes where they are willing to invest in energy efficiency upfront to reap savings over the years. Their design preferences lean toward open flooorplans that allow for the flow of warmth throughout the home – in many cases, a wood-burning stove is the principal heat source.
From the manufacturer, to the builder to the homeowner, log homes are doing their part for a greener planet. Thankfully, log home construction is and always has been green. With new technologies and products available, log home owners can go the extra step to make their homes even greener.
Explore this site for more information, including our members in the news and the Log Home Council's Buyer's Guide: The Perfect Path to Your Dream Home. The events page has listings of educational events, factory tours, open houses, log raisings and more. You can also discover 8 Simple Ways to Save Energy.
This original article can be found by visiting the
Log Homes Council.
What is green (sustainable) building?
Although the "green initiative" has been talked about for decades, green building is a relatively new approach to building more eco-friendly homes and commercial buildings. Due to the awareness being created about global warming, climate changes and sustainable building solutions, the world is now embracing these green ideas. Green is a color whose time has come!
Our homes are more than just a place to provide shelter from the weather; this is where we live, play, eat, entertain, sleep and raise our families. Creating an ecologically friendly environment isn't just good for the planet, it also provides enormous health, economic, social and esthetic benefits. It simply makes good sense, and building with logs, a sustainable resource, makes really good sense.
Go Green - Go Log!
Green building is an exhaustive topic encompassing everything from building materials, landscaping, construction designs and practices to appliances and waste disposal. For our purposes, we will primarily address green as it applies to log and timber homes.
Planning to be green
Building green actually starts with the design phase of your eco-friendly home. As an example, positioning your home so that it makes the best use of the sun, window size and placement, ceiling heights, heating options, landscaping, lighting and your choice of stains and finishes all contribute to how green your home can be.
Logs vs. studs
Using logs rather than commercial lumber reduces the amount of time, processing, and handling that is necessary with most stick built and conventional houses. Only the timber that is prime for building a home is harvested so there's no waste of unwanted younger trees being unnecessarily cut. This not only keeps cost down, but it also decreases transportation expenses for fuel and processing at a minimum. There's less expense all the way around.
Renewable resources
The use of wood is by itself a renewable resource. As trees are harvested, replacements are planted. In addition, most major log home manufacturers are heavily involved in reforestation programs that replace more trees than are harvested. Not only are the trees renewable, all parts of the tree are used beneficially with minimal waste. Bark is recycled for landscaping, bedding, and mulch. The trunks are kept primarily for the walls for homes and the smaller trunks and branches are valued for their furniture making abilities.
Surface as Finish
Log homes offer what is known as "surface as finish". What this means is that the interior walls themselves don't require additional finishing materials. This in turn cuts down on chemicals or materials that use chemicals in their processing, and because less interior finishing needs to be done, you save money.
Log homes also require fewer metal fasteners to erect the building which means less cost. Because the solid construction of a log home isn't dependant on it's fasteners but rather the gravitational weight of the logs themselves as the home continues to "settle", the energy efficiency of it increases, not decreases as more traditional houses.
Green Logs?
The words 'green' and 'log' are not usually found in the same sentence in log home construction. Green logs are taboo when you are discussing materials to be used in building a structure.
Better thermal properties
Many studies have been done concerning the thermal properties of a log home versus a traditional stick-built house. The evidence shows on average, log homes perform 17% better in holding heat than other types of houses, and in some cases this is even greater. The climate, location and design of the home itself, and the windows and doors are all factors that help in the assessment. A major difference was determined to be the thickness and solid makeup of the logs.
A Green Future
In the future, if it is decided to replace the house, the environmental benefits of log homes carries forth... Rather than demolish the home, it can often be de-constructed. The timbers are extremely valuable and can be recycled for hundreds of other uses as demand for them is always high. At that time, those same logs may become someone's kitchen cabinets, a dinette set, bedroom set, picture frame, wall paneling, ceiling beams, baby blocks, a desk, or one of a thousand other items all made from the wonderful logs that housed a family for many years.
There are so many possibilities with logs homes and the choices are endless. They can be designed to be as individual as you are and their eco-friendly footprint rests lightly on our fragile planet. Everyone needs a house, but a log or timber frame home will serve your family and our environment best.
What color are your political beliefs?
Doing the right thing for our planet will save energy, natural resources and money. Additionally, the environmental impact of green building is habitually underestimated, while the costs of building green are typically overvalued. Effectively employing green building practices can lead to:
Decreased operating costs and increased productivity by using less energy, materials and water
Healthier conditions due to better indoor air quality. "Recent studies reveal that buildings with good overall environmental quality can reduce the rate of respiratory disease, allergy, asthma, sick building symptoms, and enhance worker performance. The potential financial benefits of improving indoor environments exceed costs by a factor of 8 and 14." See more...
Reduced environmental impacts by doing simple things like lessening storm water runoff and the heat island effect.
Green building supporters usually strive to achieve harmony between the structure and its natural surroundings. With log homes, the appearance and style of the building is not discernible from less sustainable homes.
Thanks to www.logcabindirectory.com for providing this resource.
http://www.logcabindirectory.com/green_building
Mountain Creations Log Home is the Original Green Building Solution™
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Mountain Creations Log Homes welcomes Guest Blogger Nicole Adams from Construction Management Degree.org. We are confident you will find her post informative and insightful.
Gone are the days when the term log homes conjured up images of small, single-room houses built off the beaten track for those who wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Today, multi-room log homes are being built in most suburban locations on a regular basis. They may be more expensive than traditional homes and the associated labor costs when building a log home are high, but if you stop to look at the advantages that log homes offer over conventional frame homes, you'll see why they're in much demand:
- They have aesthetic appeal: Log homes look much better than frame homes, both on the outside and the inside. The structure itself is grand and appealing, and the interiors are cozy and comfortable.
- They are valued higher than traditional homes: A log home is usually valued at a higher price than homes that are built with wooden frames. While the exact figure may vary from home to home, in general, a square foot of log home is valued at around $50 higher than a square foot of a traditional frame home and the entire home is valued 33 percent higher than a quality stick frame home.
- They are energy efficient: Log homes are 2.5 to 15 percent more energy efficient than traditional wood frame homes. They make comfortable dwellings and allow you to save more than $400 on your annual heating and cooling bills.
- They come with custom features: If you've ever seen the inside of a log home, you'll know what I mean. The interiors are done up tastefully with stylish staircases and shelves and cabinets made of wood. The exteriors also have beautiful patios or decks which have more appeal because they're made of wood.
- They are in high demand: Because of their status value, log homes are in much demand, especially among people who don't want cookie cutter homes and are looking for something more unique and tailored to their style. Also, the number of homes being built is less than the demand for them, so the status value of log homes keeps climbing higher.
- They are good forms of investment: Just as you would expect an investment of a large sum of money to pay off rich dividends, a log house, while on the more expensive side, is a good investment option because it grows in value. For a minor increase in cost, you gain a large increase in value when you buy a log home.
By-line:
This guest post is contributed by Nicole Adams, she writes on the topic of construction management. She welcomes your comments at her email id: nicole.adams83@gmail.com.
As the ground thaws and Spring's blooms are fast approaching, landscapers, builders and home buyers are getting ready to start their newest projects. So many people want to wait until the Spring to get started building their new log home, however, it can take some planning and help to get going on the right track.
If you are thinking of building a log home this Spring, Mountain Creations Log Homes can help you through each step of the process. One of the first steps is to go to your township and pick up all the information on obtaining a building permit. Once you have your packet from the township Mountain Creations can help you sort through it, gather the appropriate information and complete the ResCheck energy information. We offer assistance obtaining building permits, surveys, and structural seals when necessary.
While our designers are busy working on your construction blueprints, we will get to work compiling all of your estimates and getting your financing started. We provide a complete cost analysis of each home based on your specific design and interior details. Financing typically takes about 30 days and the log package will be cut and ready to ship the week after you go to closing. Our customers who are starting this process now will be moving into their new log homes by September!
To get started designing your new log home check out our log home plans or give us a call at 800.661.5647.