Summer Vacation Series: 2016 Trends in Building Log Homes - Part 2

In the 1980s, there was a surge in American log home construction. They took the concept of sweeping palatial mansions and combined them with the materials and look of log homes. Today’s log homes are not trending into the bigger is better mentality of the past. In Part Two of our 3-part series on log home building, we’ll tell you more about the type and quantity of materials that homeowners are using today.

Materials

While the trends of the late 20^th Century adopted the look of log home living on a grand scale, the homeowners of today are more eco-conscious. Every material and building plan is considered through the lens of green building.

Because of its inherent sustainability, wood makes for a fantastic ‘green’ home for those who enjoy living in nature. Wood products require less energy to manufacture and have the lowest impacts on water and air quality.

Log sourcing is one of the largest considerations a builder must make. Pre-fab log home kits have historically been popular. These are essentially ready-to-build kits. Log home manufacturers select wood species based on availability near the production facility and the ease with which each log can be milled into the shapes necessary for complex joinery. As a result, locally available species, which may be highly suitable for log home construction, may not be of interest to these manufacturers. However, the more eco-conscious builder will prefer locally sourced lumber that does not have to be transported long distances. Some builders even opt for reclaimed and repurposed lumber.

Next, you'll need to get down to the nuts and bolts, literally. Traditionally, homeowners were limited to two fastener options: nails, which are inexpensive and fast but lack in holding power, and screws, which provide excellent grip but are much slower (and therefore more costly) to install. In many cases, contractors and homeowners have chosen a combination of nails and screws in the hopes of maximizing overall building strength without incurring excessive costs in time or money. But there is a better option.

Jumbo SCRAIL^® fasteners are a combination nail and screw product that can be quickly installed with the help of a pneumatic nail gun while providing the holding power of a screw. Once inserted, they can be removed and adjusted with a screwdriver or drill in the same manner as a traditional screw. Since these crossover fasteners can be installed twice as fast as traditional collated screws and up to eight times as fast as bulk screws, your overall labor costs and construction time can be significantly reduced while the quality of your finished log home simultaneously increases.

Log home living is a way of life. Homeowners are breaking from the crowded life of cities in favor of a more peaceful existence. Log homes are often highly customized by their owners. Log homeowners tend to not only respect nature, but also value it. Using the most efficient building practices and eco-friendly materials are important to them. They source their materials carefully and choose building products, like Jumbo SCRAIL^® available through FASCO America^®, that help them work more efficiently to minimize their environmental impact and maximize the life of their log home.

Stay tuned for the final installment of our 3-part series to learn about trends in design for log home construction. You can also download our whitepaper that details the many considerations you must make when planning a log home construction project.