Log Homes Myths

Log homes are less expensive than a conventional home

This is a subject of great debate and high emotion within the log home

industry. The truth is that while it is very possible to build a log home for less

than a framed home, in most cases the cost to complete a log home for the

average log home buyer will be more than a basic framed home. That said,

many contend that comparing a modern day log home with a basic framed

home is not a fair comparison and argue that when compared to a custom

framed or brick home, the cost of a log home is very competitive. In support of

this position, The Log Home Council reported that the average price of a log

home in 1996 ($158,989 not including land) was in line with the average price

of custom homes during the same period .

A log home materials package includes all materials required build

and finish a log home

Though many companies including Avalon Log Homes offer complete

materials packages, most standard packages contain anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2

of the materials required to complete a finished log home. When calculating a

total construction budget, prospective log homeowners should not mistake the

cost of a material package for the total cost to complete, but rather should

assemble a total turnkey construction cost estimate. Avalon Log Homes

provides this service free of charge to our prospective customers.

Log homes require excessive maintenance to protect them against the

elements

The truth is that log homes do require regular maintenance to protect them

from such things as decay, insects, sun damage, etc., but this burden is no

more or less taxing than any other full wood or wood sided home. There are an

abundance of wood preservatives and finishes that, when applied correctly,

will protect your log home from just about anything. Finally, adhering to a

simple maintenance program, as with any home style, is your first line of

defense against such threats.

Log homes do not shrink, check or settle

All wood when cut experiences some degree of shrinkage. Shrinkage in wood

occurs when its moisture content reduces to match the humidity of the

surrounding environment.

Although Avalon Log Homes goes to great lengths to eliminate as much

moisture content from our logs as possible, additional shrinkage is likely to

occur following the construction of a log home. Because shrinkage causes logs

to compress in size, cracking or checking and settling of log walls are common

byproducts. However, with proper construction techniques and maintenance,

these issues are easily remedied and pose no serious threat to the structural

integrity or functionally of the home.

Log homes are a greater fire hazard than framed homes

An Avalon Log Homes authorized dealer and veteran fireman submits this

challenge to those who support this falsehood. Light a match under and 8 inch

log and time how long it takes for the log to ignite. Then, take another match

to a pile of drywall, insulation, wood studs and trim material and see how log

it takes to burst into flames. If you need more convincing, consider this story

Margaret Lowe relays in her Myths & Truths of Log Home Ownership:

"26 forest firefighters who, trapped by a raging fire in the California hills, took

refuge in a log home and waited out the firestorm as it passed them by. They'll

laugh and tell you log homes are not a fire hazard, especially when they have a

metal roof, as did this house. Yes, this actually happened in Topanga Canyon

in 1993, and it demonstrates that log homes don't burn easily."

A Log home is easy to build

This misunderstanding exists on two levels; the first is that anyone with a

good dose of ambition and some self-study can build a log home; the second is

that log homes are easier to construct than a framed home. Both are

fundamentally flawed. For the layman, log homes require just as much

technical building expertise as a conventional home. Anything short of a

playhouse or small shed will likely pose serious problems for the average

weekend warrior. That said, with the proper training and supervision, several

aspects of the log home construction process can be tackled by a qualified

owner builder. In fact, many suggest that there are more owner builders in the

log home market than in any other area of home building.

Regarding whether a log home is more difficult to build than a framed home,

the truth is that the issue is not one of difficulty but rather experience.

Provided that qualified, experienced log home builders and tradesman are

chosen, your log home should be no more or less challenging to construct that

any other type of home.

Log homes are difficult to finance

Fortunately, the significant increase in log home popularity over the past 20

years has caused even mainstream lenders to warm to the prospects of log

home financing. As demand for log homes continue to soar and myths such as

these are dispelled, even conservative lenders are realizing that there is money

to be made on log home financing. Margaret Lowe explains further in her

Myths and Truths of Log Home Ownership:

In November 1992, Fannie Mae eased its comparable appraisals requirement in

favor of unique and special homes, a classification that includes log homes.

The old rule required basing a log home's appraisal on the sales prices of

comparable log homes sold in the same market in the preceding six months.

Finding such comparables was next to impossible in markets where a log

home hadn't been built or sold in the previous six months. Under the 1992

directive, when direct comparables aren't available Fannie Mae accepts

appraisals based on three other types of unique, special, or rustic homes in

that or a neighboring market area.

Log homes are less energy efficient than framed homes

The reality is that log homes, if manufactured and built correctly, offer

comparable to superior energy efficiency versus conventional framed homes.

Numerous independent studies have proven that log walls possess especially

high thermal mass which makes them as energy-efficient as any well insulated

frame wall and superior to most. Unlike R-value, the traditional measure of

energy efficiency, thermal mass is a material's capacity to conduct, store and

release heat over time given significant variances in temperature. Most notable

of these studies was a decade long study conducted by The Log Home Council

(a division of the National Association of Home Builders). This and other

comparable studies have confirmed what many log home owners have known

for years; log homes stay cooler in the summer and warmer in winter.