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Spring 2009 Log Home Newsletter

In this Issue

LAST MINUTE NEWS BRIEF!

III. How Important Is Kiln-drying?

IV. How Do You Get What You Want?

V. Strongwood Opens New Office in Nashville

V. Job Posting

News Brief!

What about log homes in disasters?

HURRICANES - There is lots of evidence over the years that log homes withstand hurricane force winds and water as well as cement block construction. We have photos of whole neighborhoods leveled by past hurricanes with only a log home still intact.

Hurricanes, Tornadoes Spur Efforts to Building More Storm-Resistant Houses

From the Chicago Tribune

The signs are ominous: a greenish black sky, fast-moving clouds in a rotating pattern, a sudden quiet after a thunderstorm, then a roar like a train or a jet. Tornado season is here.

Twisters hit the Midwest more frequently in April and May than any other time. It was just a year ago that a deadly tornado devastated Utica, in central Illinois.

Hurricane season arrives June 1, and conjures up images of last year's disastrous storms - and which fueled a new urgency for making housing safer.

What, if anything, can be done to build houses that better weather powerful storms?

The housing industry thinks it has an answer in systems-built houses.

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Though log cabins suggest pioneer days rather than cutting-edge technology, they have stood the test of time and have survived severe storms because of their strength and weight.

A log house in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., suffered no damage when Hurricane Ivan swept through with winds of more than 100 m.p.h. Besides the strength of the solid log walls, it was had hurricane straps connecting the timber roof to the log walls.

(Bevier) noted that log houses used to be just for vacations. "Now 90 percent are primary residences," he said.

Exciting 2009 Calendar

Click here to view our list of events. They include:

Monthly log home tours in Waupaca, Wisconsin
Log Home Planning Seminar in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee
Fall Dealer School for new Strongwood Dealers held in Mt. Juliet [near Nashville], Tennessee

How Important Is Kiln-drying?

Kiln-drying provides many important benefits. First, it produces logs that are more uniform and dimensionally stable. Drying in a controlled environment minimizes checking. Also, any logs that exhibit severe stress changes prior to milling can be culled. The result will be a more uniform appearance for wall logs and tighter wood joints.

Second, timbers are sanitized when they are heated to 180 degrees F. in a kiln. Such heat kills mold, wood decay fungi, and any insects, their eggs, or larvae.

Third, pitch in the wood is crystallized by the heat of the kiln. This prevents the sticky substance from seeping through the logs.

Fourth, more than 10,000 pounds of water can be removed from a typical log house during the kiln-drying process. This significantly reduces weight for both shipping and worksite handling of the logs.

The final benefit to proper kiln-drying is that interior and exterior finishes can be immediately applied after construction. These finish applications tend to penetrate deeper and therefore last longer on kin-dried wood.

While it is true that some of these benefits may also be realized by proper air drying, there are some benefits that simply don't result from anything except kiln-drying. Kiln-drying can reduce wood moisture below what is possible with air-drying. This results in better end-use performance in heated buildings and in low-humidity locations. Additional benefits besides those above include more stabile wood, increased strength and stiffness, and tighter holding of screws. Strongwood logs are never sprayed or treated with any kind of chemicals.

I am amazed as I travel and look at homes from many different manufacturers and review their marketing materials. Many companies claim that they kiln-dry their logs. Some boast that they do not kiln dry but that they air dry their logs and suggest that it is better than kiln-drying. Because the logs of some companies are not fully dried, some manufacturers have unnecessarily elaborate assembly systems to account for shrinkage or settling. Some companies indicate that they dry their logs down to 23% moisture. Others do better and dry down to the critical 15% to 19% range. But, you have to read the fine print to find that they may actually only dry to the first 1 inch of thickness!

The drying processes used by many log manufacturers is not that easy to decipher. You can be assured that Strongwood logs are dried to 15% to 19% ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE LOG. This drying process takes 28 to 34 days at optimum temperature. Remember, quality comes from paying attention to details and not from finding shortcuts or creating explanations for what it is not done properly. We want your home to last a lifetime.

Are You Crazy?

One of the top 3 questions that we are asked is, "I am concerned about the maintenance on a log home even though I dreamed have of owning one for years." Great question! You should be concerned.

There is only one possible explanation for the fact that people put up with the maintenance of miles of caulking, leaky doors and windows, large cracks appearing in their logs, springs and rods that must be adjusted, and screw jacks that must be checked; when none of this is necessary.

They answer is that they believed some sales persons' silly claims of "no problem, all log homes settle and shrink." They did not do enough investigation.

We encourage those considering a log home to use their common sense. To think about what seems logical and reasonable and look at what log home manufacturers DO and not what they say.

Strongwood Opens New Office in Nashville

Strongwood has moved their Southern Sales and Design Center to a new location on I-24 in La Vergne, Tennessee. It's only 10 miles south of downtown Nashville. In order to serve clients better and to reach new customers, Strongwood is now at 139 Charter Place, La Vergne, TN. This office is very easy to find at the Waldron Road exit off of Interstate 24.