The strength of log homes has undoubtedly been proven through the test of time. Log homes hold a special place in history. While they were built well for the time, they have come a long way in methods of construction. When comparing log homes to the traditional stick frame homes, there is no question on which one is stronger. Strength can be defined in many ways. Here we define strength as how well a home holds up to one of mother nature’s many tests.
Log Home Walls
Think of the wall of a traditionally made home, they are nothing but supporting beams, insulation, and a thin layer of drywall on the inside, with shingles or other siding on the outside. Now think of log home walls, they are made of dense, solid, heavy timbers.
Log homes have established a record of surviving natural disasters in much better condition than frame houses. Flood waters have ripped them from their foundations, as they remain intact and seen floating down the river, for example.
Log Homes allow for easier flood recover as well. When you think about the multilayered construction of traditional homes, it becomes clear that recovering from a flood can be a challenge. Insulation, wall cavities, and sheetrock can become soaked and trap moisture, causing problems long-after the water has been cleared. Log homes avoid these issues, log walls are solid, and present no tiny gaps where water can sit and continue to cause problems within the structure. While log homes are not any better at preventing flooding, it is a much easier recover process.
As a bonus, log home walls offer better insulation when built and maintained properly. 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.
Strength without a roof?
The structural integrity of a traditionally stick frame built home is totally dependent on the entire structure remaining standing, usually, the walls are not strong enough to stand on their own. Because of this, if the roof fails or is blown off by high winds, very typical in tornadoes and hurricanes, the entire structure fails. This is not a problem with a well-built log home. Log homes have very sturdy walls as described above, and the heavy-duty logs used in construction are capable of standing on their own, even without a roof. Log homes can lose windows, doors, and roofs with little risk of total collapse.
Earthquakes
Much for the same reasons that they’re better at holding up to strong winds, log homes are much better at holding up to earthquakes. Additionally, log homes can withstand earthquakes because of their special structure. Log buildings have a strong angular bisector joint at the corners that prevent the structure from collapsing.
Log Walls Are Fire Resistant
Many natural disasters such as hurricanes or tornadoes can cause fires due to the effects the wind and water have on power and other dangerous utilities, and tornado-carrying supercells with lightening. Wildfires are a significant danger as well. Fortunately, log homes stand up to fire better than a traditional home. This is because the large size, weight and density of the logs used in a log home. This is in contrast to other materials like drywall, which have autoignition temperatures as low as 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
In Conclusion
While log homes are by no means indestructible, they’re much better at holding up to the elements. That combined with the many other benefits make a log home the perfect choice. If you’re a log homeowner and in need of maintenance tips to keep your home in tip-top shape, give the experts at 888 Log Guys a call today!
