Our focus here is on milled logs, which are logs that
have been processed in a log home company's manufacturing
plant or sawmill to create a particular shape or profile.
All logs of a particular style are uniform in size and
will have the same appearance.
Milled logs can have a flat top and bottom surface,
can be coped, or can be tongue-and-grooved. The interior
and exterior sides of the log can be round, curved ,
flat, sloped, or a combination. Some have decorative
grooves for added visual appeal.
Selecting from among the large variety of log shapes
and sizes can be very confusing for the potential home
owner. Some log home companies only offer a small selection
of styles, while others offer a broad range of choices.
Some will even custom shape logs for customers.
The diagram below shows some of the most popular log
profiles. Although the examples here have a double tongue-and-groove,
some log home companies use a single or triple tongue-and-groove
— or possibly some other method of creating a
weather-tight fit.
Following are some considerations when choosing a log
style for your home. You must decide which are important
to you, and which are not so important.
Cost - Cost can vary between profiles,
depending on the log home company. A company's most
popular profile will generally be the least expensive.
Custom profiles will cost much more.
Wall Height - The height of the logs
you select can make a difference in your total kit cost.
More courses of 8 inch logs are required to build a
log home wall than with 12 inch logs. Depending on how
your company prices its logs, this might make a significant
difference in overall home cost.
Thickness - Logs of larger diameters
or thicknesses have better insulating and thermal mass
properties than smaller logs. Where 6 inch logs may
be perfectly acceptable for homes in warmer climates,
larger logs should be considered for colder climates.
Appearance - Most log home owners
select a log style based on appearance — what
looks good to them. In fact, this often overrides any
other factors. Ignoring color and grain characteristics
associated with wood type, appearance is affected by
the shape of the log surface (inside and outside), decorative
grooves, number of courses in a wall (determined by
log height), and corner style (determined by log style).
Other Properties - Some people feel
that round logs are more difficult to clean and treat,
weather unevenly, and collect dust on inside walls —
and that thermal properties are compromised by the non-uniform
thickness — compared to logs that have either
flat or slightly curved surfaces. Many people like the
slightly curved "D" shape because it provides
the traditional log look on the outside and the more
practical flat wall on the inside.
