If you associate log home living with rugged mountains in a rural community, think again. Log homes can be found in cities and towns across the country. And, today’s log homes include modern amenities and options to fit your lifestyle, including open floor plans, multimedia rooms, master suites, garages, and more. You may be surprised to learn all the benefits that log homes offer.
Log homes are both environmentally and energy-friendly. They are constructed from natural and renewable materials. In fact, using full logs is one of the greenest ways to build. Waste is kept at a minimum during the milling process since manufacturers use all portions of the log. Full log walls have “thermal mass.” Like a stone that’s been left in the sun for a few hours and then brought indoors, logs soak up the heat energy during the day and release heat slowly and evenly, using less energy over the life of the home.
Log homes are systems-built houses, with their main components constructed in an enclosed, climate-controlled environment and then delivered to the building site, where they are assembled and completed to become a home.
Planning and building a log home is a unique opportunity to create your dream home, but it’s important to do some research first. The Log and Timber Homes Council (LTHC) of the National Association of Home Builders is a great place to start. All LTHC members follow specific standards and a uniform code of ethics, and each member stays abreast of new technology with the end goal of ensuring customer satisfaction and a quality product.
The LTHC offers consumers a wealth of resources through its consumer website, loghomes.org. For more information, contact the Home Builders Association of Greater Chattanooga to find a log home manufacturer near you.
Terry Greene is the executive officer of the Home Builders Association of Greater Chattanooga (HBAGC). In that role, he’s responsible for the day-to-day management and operation of HBAGC and its 400-plus members.