Choosing a Log Home Company - Part 1
by Al Hearn, LogHomeAdvisor.com

Building a log home requires you to choose a log home company, or producer, who will supply your log "package" or "kit." That is, unless you are cutting your own trees and have your own sawmill.

With over 300 log home companies out there, it can be a dizzying and time-consuming process when trying to make the best choice for your own log home.

Go to any log home show or browse a log home magazine and you'll be bombarded with information and advertisements from companies who all claim to be the best.

We'll try to help you through this process. We'll explain how to evaluate a company and determine which factors are important — and which are not so important.

How companies are alike
Log home companies are very much alike in many ways. Most have been in business for years, are usually family owned and operated, produce a high quality product, offer a variety of standard floor plans, have a good business reputation, and enjoy high customer satisfaction.

Most log home companies understand that providing good customer service is important. Prospective buyers often place more importance on how a company treats its customers than on any other factor.

In fact, most praise — and complaints — about log home companies relate to customer service, not about floor plans, wood species, fastening methods, warranties, or log-drying techniques. Perception of the quality of a company's service to its customers is often the "tie-breaker" that makes buyers choose one company over another.

How companies are different
Actually, as much as they are alike, there are also considerable differences in log home companies. Let's take a look at some of the ways they can differ.

Floor Plans
Although all log home companies offer a standard portfolio of plans, most have in-house architectural design staffs that can modify or create plans for you. Some do not, however. In this case, the services of an outside architect or designer would be required if you want something other than the company's standard offerings.

When a company has in-house services, the cost of any work performed is usually charged separately, although the cost may be waived if a kit is purchased from the company.

Unless a particular company has just the plan you want, which might save you some money if it doesn't need to be modified, your choice of company shouldn't heavily depend on floor plans. Most companies can adapt any other company's plans.

Wood species
Log home companies sometimes specialize on a particular wood species, such as White Pine, while others offer a variety of choices. Any wood species used by a company that has been in business for years has been time-tested and is almost certainly a safe choice. Reputable companies don't sell home packages with wood species that don't work. Although log home companies strongly defend their choice of wood types, the fact is clear that there is no single wood type that is best for log homes.

This is not to suggest that all wood species are alike. Some species are preferred for their strength, their appearance, their resistance to insects, and other factors. For more details, see our article, Selecting the Right Wood Species for Your Log Home.

If you prefer a particular type of wood, you can choose a log home company that offers it, but don't make that the overriding factor for choosing the company unless all other considerations are equal between the companies you are looking at. Even if you prefer a wood type that is not typically offered by a company that you like, they may be able to special-order it for you, usually at additional cost.

Log profiles and corner styles
Most log home companies offer a variety of different log styles and shapes (profiles) to suit a diversity of customer tastes. Handcrafting companies generally offer natural peeled round logs. Milled-log companies offer not only milled-round, but square (rectangular), half-round ("D" shape), "double-D", and other variations in a range of sizes and corner styles. Some companies can even create custom shapes.

Various log sizes are available — height (which will affect appearance as well as the number of log "courses" required to build a full-height wall), and thickness (which determines wall strength as well as energy efficiency).

Milled logs can come with decorative (sometimes functional) surface effects. There are "V" joints, drip edges, beveled edges, and chink grooves — or no effects at all. Many companies also offer a hand-hewed (hand-hewn) effect to simulate pioneer log styles. Interior and exterior surfaces can have the same, or different, surface effects and shapes.

Log home buyers will generally prefer one log style over others based on personal tastes and the "look" they want for their home. Choice of corner system, which contributes greatly to a log home's overall appearance, will influence which log profile is chosen. Certain corner systems are only available with certain log styles.

Many buyers choose their log style based on practical reasons rather than pure aesthetics. Some styles weather better than others. Some are easier to maintain. Some are more energy efficient. For more on this topic, see our article, Guide to Choosing Log Styles.

Joining and fastening system
Attend any log home show and you'll hear how one company's log joining and fastening system is better than all others — depending on who is doing the explaining.

Handcrafted round logs are stacked vertically using a rounded cope joint, or log on log, and long through-bolts that fasten multiple log courses together at the same time.

There are a variety of joining systems used for milled logs. Logs are usually machined flat on the top and bottom with a single or double tongue-and-groove that interlocks one log to another vertically. Typically, a foam gasket and/or flexible chalking is used to make the joint weather tight. Wood splines are used at horizontal joints where logs butt together and where logs meet door and window frames.

Lag screws (in pre-drilled holes) seem to be the most popular fastening method for milled logs, with Olylog screws (no pre-drilled holes) and long through-bolts (some with tensioning springs) following up. Through-bolts are commonly used in handcrafted log homes. An older method, using driven spikes, is showing less and less use than in previous years because it's more labor intensive.

Companies choose their joining and fastening system not only on how effective it is, but also on how easy and quickly it installs. Some may use a combination of systems, depending on the specific application.

As long as a joining and fastening system is used correctly, as dictated by the log home company, it should work well. Any problems that occur will most likely relate to poor construction practices or improper application, rather that the system itself. Even the best joinery and fastening system can fail if not installed correctly.

If you live in California or other seismic areas, your log fastening method may be dictated by local building codes. Make sure your log home provider can comply with those requirements.

See our article, Selecting the Right Log System for Your Log Home

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For more, see Choosing a Log Home Company, Part 2