Benefits and disatvantages of living in a log home
Log home is a traditional building made of natural materials with its unique construction. It has seen many innovations from ancient times till now. Construction method, used materials, type of the house (summerhouse, all year living house), interior, exterior and many other things. Different manufacturers are prepared to fulfill all your whims when building a log house: it can be huge, beautiful, modern, old, fascinating, traditional (built according to local traditions), however every wooden construction has its disadvantages and benefits.
Many people rush to build such constructions without contributing an attention about materials, constructing process, its pluses and minuses. When everything is built it is not the best time to change your mind, because every such solution will cost money. If you are really interested in building a log home, I will give some basic information about the advantages and disadvantages of it.
The negative side
Dangerous building. House usualy built of massive and heavy logs. If owners decided to build the house without the aid of the crane, workers will do all work with their own hands. In such a way of building the likelihood of injury appears. Logs can crush the man, hurt him or take away the life. Excess weight can also damage the spine. There will be also used various sharp and dangerous tools which can hurt while building a house. First thing you need to do is take care of all safeguards before building.
Requires maintenance. Wood is natural and very soft material, so it is vulnerable by various pests and environmental factors. If we would not use impregnate, varnish (or paints) for wooden constructions - log house would collapse in a few years. How? Pests (insects) gnaws and disassembles wooden constructions, than holes appear and constructions starts to crumble. Another detrimental factor is humidity excess. It causes mold and moss appearing. Fully saturated wood starts to rot what makes easier way for house collapse. Sun also gives a significant impact on the wood. The light and warm sun rays fade the natural color of the wood in time. Timber begins to peel and crash. It spoils the appearance of the house much more. What do the measures of protection? Impregnate helps to avoid pests damage, prevents decay and mold founding. Varnish (or paints) protects from moisture excess and do not let the sun effect the surface. Why because you need to take care of right protection. And the protection should be updated every few years.
Logs sit down with time. If wood is not fully dried it will be a high possibility for gaps finding among the logs. It makes easier way for wind to get in. You will always feel uncomfortable and spend much more money for heating during the cold period.
The possitive side of log homes
Easy to build. As I mentioned before the building process is dangerous, but the level of risk depends on whom is going to build your house. Qualified and experienced workers will do everything safely, quickly and efficiently. Constructing process is up to take from one to three or four months. The building time depends on factors such as the size of the house and its construction complexity. However , houses of bricks, concrete and alike are build much longer.
Useful investment. Generally, it is a very good idea to invest in any real estate. Imagine how much would cost well appearance house near the lake or river. A lot of. If you have a piece of land some beautiful areas - to build a wooden house here will be a very good decision because its value will increase very fast. But taking account into all the positive aspects of investing in a wooden house, it will be a good legacy for your children and grandchildren.
Longevity. Yes, wood is very soft and vulnerable material, but who said that it cannot be long lasting? Everything needs a routine care. Well maintained object has more chances to remain new appearance. The main protection measures are impregnate, varnish and paints. They fully protect both the inside and outside parts of the timber and extends the age of the house up to one hundred fifty years.
The cost. matching the prices of three houses: made of brick, concrete and of logs we will see, that wooden one is cheaper. Bricks and concrete are very expensive materials, and full house building will cost you a lot of money, not only because of materials, but also of manufacturers' work. Wood is one of the cheapest building material. Why? At first it is a renewable resource. Felled tree can be easily replanted. The second thing is flexibility - timber constructions can have every wishing shape and can be combined with bricks, stone, concrete, glass, metal and many other materials.
Energy-efficient. A log house built according to all requires is more energy efficient than other houses. Timber logs can be called natural insulators, because they can maintain different temperatures of warm and cold seasons.
Before starting to build a log house you should know that you should take account into pluses, because all minuses can be easily removed. Wood has its own smell and spirit what cause only good feelings. Cousins, peace and good health will lead you with everyday spent there. If you are not fully motivated to build a log house - there are many useful information and useful advices about wooden constructions on the internet.
