Advantages of log homes
a.k.a. 10 good reasons to own a log cabin home
Do you really need to be convinced of all the advantages of log homes? Does one really need a good reason to own a log cabin? To live in wood? No, not really, as our experience with our own rental log cabins has taught us. All you need to do, is stay a day and a night in a wooden home to end up saying ´If only I could have a log cabin of my own´ and start dreaming. You´ll experience the advantages of a log home first hand. Still, thinking of building in wood can be scary. After all, we´re not used to seeing and building quality wooden houses anymore. So just to give you all a bit more insight in natures amazing building material, I´ll write down our own 10 good reasons to build and own a log house.
Integrate in the landscape
The aesthetic superiority of wooden log houses versus cement blocks is clear, to those loving to see and feel wood. Often log cabins are built with the surrounding natural landscape in mind; they are not only set with beautiful views but also in consideration of preserving the local habitat and environment. Since this organic building material comes from nature, log homes and cabins blend into the topography and naturally integrate right into the landscape, rather than being awkwardly imposed on it.
Good Insulation: energy efficient (so cost reducing) and very comfortable
Thanks to the good isolation value of log construction (thanks to the wall thickness), you will be able to offer a year round comfortable accommodation for your guests and extend your season. During summer, air condition is not needed. And in harsh winter times, an efficient wood burner helps you maintain a comfortable temperature in no time. Provided the home is sealed properly (between the foundation and the first course of logs, between log-to-log connections and where the roof system meets the log wall), you can have a super energy efficient home. Today we can build a log and timber home to be 15 to 20 percent more energy efficient than a conventional home.
No Need for An Additional Heating System
In fact, you do not need a complicated heating system in a log house as the timber itself provides good thermo insulation. If the timber has been well processed and dried, it will provide good thermo insulation even in the depths of winter. A log wall of 20-26cm diameter features a very low warmth circulation; as a result, it preserves the warmth in the same way as 1.2m thick brick wall does. Timber walls accumulate warmth and distribute it evenly in the inside space. Another advantage of log houses is that they get warm quickly while it takes a relatively long time for them to cool down. Warmth of Wood. Warm to the touch (as opposed to the always chilly sheetrock), wood has something called “thermal mass,” a natural property in the logs that helps keep inside temperatures of homes comfortable in all seasons. This allows log walls to collect and store energy, then radiate it back into the home.
Long Lifespan
Got a know-it-all in the neighborhood who thinks his brick home is durable? Inform him that log and timber homes still in use in Europe routinely date back more than 800 years. And one log-constructed church in Russia is reportedly more than 1,700 years young.Your log cabin home will be an asset you can hand down to younger generations.
Favourable Price
The building and taking care of a log cabin seems to be expensive when you first hear all the numbers, however, the building of a log cabin is no more expensive than the building of a brick house. Besides, a log house will be built much faster, so the building expenses will be less. Our cabins, pods and homes are actually very competitive! When comparing market prices, you will soon find out that our 180 / 200 / 220 mm thick logs of slow growing arctic pine are not only of a much higher quality than the regular 44 mm or 70 mm (at best) cabins and pods, but come at about the same price as the regular low quality cabins.
Best Quality
How come? When searching for the right quality/price for our new glamping accommodations, we went far. All the way to the Taiga, North Russia, Arctic!
Best quality logs (harsh cold weather makes for slow growing trees and thus better, compact wood), sustainable harvesting and replanting, a family-run business with meany generations of experience and knowledge and, at a very fair price, even when including the high costs of transport.
After having bought and built our first 3 log cabins at Quinta Rural Farm Camp & Mountain Glamping, we became life long fans. Up to a point where we are now the only PT resellers. We are showing you here the most popular models, as well as the ones we designed in conjunction with rural dwellers and camping and glamping owners.
Log House Ventilation System and your health
One of the main advantages of log homes, is that there is no need to install an expensive ventilation or conditioning system in a log cabin. A log cabin ‘breathes’, i.e. ventilation occurs naturally through the timber walls. You will never get the feeling that the air is too dry and stuffy in the cabin, which is usually the case in brick houses during winter. Nor will you be bothered by excess of moisture in a log house atmosphere when it rains heavily. Timber establishes a perfect moisture balance in a log house. If the level of moisture increases, timber absorbs its excess. When the air becomes too dry, the moisture is given back.
Noise reduction: Peace & Quiet
Log homes are often quieter than stick built homes, thanks to the same thermal mass that provides energy efficiency and the sound deadening affects of wood walls.
Ecologically friendly; Less Energy Required to Build
The materials that are required to build log cabins are ecologically and environmentally friendly. It requires less energy to build a log cabin then it does to build a standard home. It required less energy production to harvest wood than what is needed to manufacture other materials for building. With the construction of a log home, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced, being as about ten percent of all CO2 global emissions are brought about due to the production of concrete. The statistics state that with each production of a ton of concrete, there is also a ton of CO2 produced. Many companies dedicated to constructing log cabins make it their goal to invest in reforestation as well as consistently be on the lookout for ways in which green building practices can be improved. When you reside in a log cabin, your carbon footprint is minimised.
Advantages of log homes for guest lodging and other tourism activities
Besides all the above mentioned advantages of log homes, there are some extra´s for tourism. Quite a good and fast return of investment, due to its uniqueness and esthaetic appealing (thus easily marketable) looks. Log homes usually have a higher start investment than the usual (canvas) glamping options or ´garden sheds´ but will still give you a great return on investment as you can set for a higher rental price and even expect winter rent-outs. On top of that, if maintained properly, it has a long long long lóng lifespan (yurts, tents and mobile homes do not. You will have to reinvest the initial amount every x year). Our log sizes of at least 180 mm providing not only a greater level of insulation (thus general cost reduction), but also much better structural rigidity, making the pods and cabins all weather proof. No harsh wind, burning sun or snow will ever damage your glamping unit again (again, unlike geodomes, safaritents yurts etc). You will be building for the next generation! Check out our own mountain lodges in North Portugal!
