Log House – Pros and Cons
For centuries log houses have been the most convenient way of building a structure for living or keeping products. In the Scandinavian, Baltic, and other European countries there are different types of notches known.
Speaking about the scaninavian log house, the Norwegian notch and the Norwegian logs manner has evolved most, if compared with the Russian notch or the Canadian saddle notch.
In the 1930s in Latvia, the so-called mortise and tenon joint was often applied, which allows to construct a smooth corner.
The Canadian saddle notch is mainly used when building houses using round logs.
One of the most important things about log houses is their ability to serve tens of years. If maintained and treated right, a log house can even serve more than hundred years, as evidenced by the century old log and wood structures in the Northern Europe.
What are the Cons of a log house?
Myths and truths
1. Log houses require more maintenance than other types of houses.
It is a fact that logs, if they are not maintained and treated, decay over time. Therefore, a log house will have to be cleaned and resealed from time to time. People who do not want to paint or fix their house after regular intervals should consider other type of construction. Having worked with log houses for many years, I have noticed that the amount of time spent is not long. Furthermore, it is exciting to take care of a house that is alive.
2. Log houses are affected by humidity.
Humidity affects different types of houses, especially brick houses. Humidity will not be a problem if you follow the principles of log house maintenance and care. In fact, a well-kept log house will offer the best humidity conditions and save you from a special and expensive conditioning system.
3. Bugs damage log houses.
Bugs love all types of houses. If the question is: do bugs prey on logs, then the answer is yes. But it only happens to buildings that are not looked after, and it takes some 100 years for bugs to be able to significantly affect the load-carrying capacity of the construction. Fear from bugs is over exaggerated, and the problem—if not neglected and solved timely—can be fixed.
4. Log walls settle making cracks appear.
It is truth. But it is important whether the house has been built using timber cut in the right time (during winter) and whether the logs have been dried well before building. At Ecolaft, we dry logs ourselves and use only dried timber; moreover, according to the Norwegian log house standards (‘Bransjenorm for laftebygg’, No. KNL-002. Available: https://norsklaft.no/), the level of humidity in wall logs cannot exceed 18% to 20%. As any solid wood structure, bigger and smaller cracks can appear also in log houses, but if house is built correctly using dried timber, the amount and size of cracks can be kept to minimum. However, it is impossible to completely avoid from it. If you are concerned with even small cracks that could be caulked, then you should choose other type of house. Log buildings are not for everyone.
5. Log houses require a certain type of architecture.
Log length, window openings, notches and other constructions require that architect knows and follows certain principles.
7. Not all municipalities and towns allow building log houses.
Yes, there are municipalities and towns where it is not allowed to build norwegian log houses, but if you would like to make a log house in the mountains, in a forest, or near a lake, there will be no problems. Just the opposite, there is a special mountain house culture in Norway and Sweden.
What are the Pros of a log house?
Myths and truths
1. Log homes are cosy, with pleasant microclimate, it is easy to breathe in them.
Yes, log houses offer pleasant microclimate because timber absorbs the excess humidity and grants it if it is too dry inside the house. There is no need for special conditioners or humidifiers. Everything you must remember is correct maintenance of the house.
2. Log houses are money-savers: it is possible to build them quickly and cheap.
Compared to a regular timber frame building, a log house is more expensive. But if we take into consideration what happens to a house in 30–50 years or even 100 years, then a log house can even be a very economic type of construction. A correctly built log house does not lose its price and quality for many years.
3. Log houses complement both the mountain and river or forest landscape.
Yes, log houses suit various sceneries thanks to the natural materials used in the construction. Such buildings look good and fit into different landscapes.
Of course, these are not the only advantages and shortcomings of log houses. But one thing is clear: to build a log house and maintain it well, you need an experienced and reliable partner.
Choose www.ecolaft.no and together we will make your dream of a log home come true!