Log Homes
When you build a log home you are going to use logs. So let's talk about what you should look for in logs, what you should consider when building a log home, and what your best options are to get the best log home possible.
Log Home Lumbar
When it comes to logs you have a few options, kiln dried or not. There are important distinctions between the two, and for some conditions it really does not make a difference. For example, under normal conditions, all logs - kiln-dried or not - undergo a gentle cycle of swelling and shrinking, especially during the first few heating seasons of your home. Despite popular belief kiln-drying does not necessarily prevent this natural process. Wood shrinks when its cell walls lose moisture, and swells when its cell walls gain moisture. This is how wood in the wild, as well as all other wood, adapts to the relative humidity around it. Logs used in your home are no different.
The natural process of shrinking and swelling absolutely must be accounted for when you build a log home in order to keep your home weather-tight and draft free. If you have the time (which most people do not) it would be wise to take the logs you are using and let them acclimate to the weather and humidity for 6-9 months before construction begins.
Log Home Builders
Since most people do not have time to wait around for 6-9 months, other methods to prevent problems are pursued. Many of the most reputable manufacturers of log homes accomplish this through settlement accommodation, using a joinery system that allows for log movement. This allows the weight of your home to keep your logs tightly compacted in a gentle and controlled manner. This same joinery system should account for the natural process of shrinking and settlement without relying heavily on caulking, which must be maintained over time due to log movement.
You are going to caulk regardless, but how much your caulk, and how often you must caulk is going to vary on the system you use. Natural drying and a good joinery system works with the logs' natural characteristics to avoid reliance on caulking for effective joinery between log lengths, logs and windows, and logs and doors. If you can use these two things together you should get a log home that withstands weather better than most.
Natural drying has important advantages. One such benefit of natural drying is that before shipment, your logs can be immersion-treated with a preservative that provides added protection. Kiln-dried may or may not have this important benefit. Why is it important? Well, immersion allows the preservative to diffuse deeply into the log on all sides.
Surface treatments applied after construction to the exterior of kiln-dried logs may not reach all log surfaces and won't soak deep enough for premium results.
You may also want to consider cutting the logs before you have them onsite, as on site conditions may or may not be ideal. In log home construction, the tongue & groove (or baffle & channel) of each log is a vital part of any log joinery system which is used to effectively keep weather out and comfort in.
A common fallacy about tongue-and-groove joinery is that if one tongue is good, two must be better. Not true! When properly designed, a single tongue-and-groove design has several advantages. Single tongue-and-groove design of two-inches wide and 3/4 inch tall is a great option as it allows more room for a larger gasket. That means superior protection from the elements. Because there's only one tongue, it also means more room for secure fastening on the surface of each log. This also reduces its risk of damage during shipment and construction. So, don't think two is better than one when it comes to log homes.
Basically, you want logs that are well dried, are treated thoroughly, and that do not rely heavily on caulking to keep the weather out.
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