Log Homes: Myths & Facts

Is a log home right for me?
Soaring demand for log homes as well as a recent easement on comparable appraisals requirements has made owning a log home more realistic than ever-- especially if you plan on building your own home. But before you start shopping or begin construction, make sure you have the facts straight about log homes. Owning or building a log home is not inherently better or worse. But it is different. Don’t let myths sway your decision in the wrong direction.

Myth: Financing a log home is difficult.

Log homes are one of the fastest growing segments of today’s custom-home real estate market.
Even the most conservative lenders are now willing to give loans for log homes. Also, with careful planning building your own log home can be very cost-effective, and you will be eligible for a home construction loan.
Getting homeowner’s insurance is just as easy for a log home as it is for a normal home.

Fact: Log homes are more energy-efficient.

Studies show that log walls have especially high thermal mass, meaning they are as energy-efficient (if not more) than a well insulated frame wall.
Log cabins tend to be warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

Myth: Log homes are more difficult to build and maintain.

Every home requires a certain degree of regular maintenance work, Although maintaining a log home takes some special considerations, the amount of work required is in reality about the same as any home.
Naysayers and salespeople might try to scare you with issues about settling and structural problems over the years. It is true, that a poorly constructed log home can last as short as five years. But there are many log cabins that have been standing for over a thousand years, even enduring earthquakes.

Log homes are not more likely to catch on fire than a normal home. Just because they look like firewood doesn’t mean it burns like it. Insulation, dry wall, and ceiling panels found in conventional homes burn much easier than a finished, preserved log.
There are many log home organizations and interest groups that offer seminars and free advice for building a log home. There is a plethora of log home construction kits on the market. Some classes even claim that they can teach you how to build your own log home for under $8,000 without a kit or contractors.

Other things to consider:

Decorating a log home is very different than a normal home. Light is absorbed, rather than reflected by wood walls. Furniture might match differently with natural wood tones.
Log-sided homes give the appearance of a log home with a conventionally framed home. However, this is not always more cost-effective. The cost comparability is highly debated.
Purists will argue that a milled log home is vastly inferior to a handcrafted log home, both in cost and in quality. This might be true, depending on how hands-on oriented you are and how well you plan your construction.