Log Homes FAQ

Q: What is the criteria for determining whether a given log home is 'real' or not?

A: For now, here is a clue… Many kit homes are not built with real logs. Instead, they are built with pieces of wood that have been turned on a giant lathe – so they are no longer logs. A log that has been turned on a lathe becomes a giant 'dowel.' A dowel does not look like a log, or behave like a log, or have the personality of a log.

In fact, we recently heard of one so-called log home kit builder who actually cuts the log flat at the top, flat at the bottom, and flat on both sides. In other words, he makes his logs into square timbers and stacks them one on top of the other. And, believe it or not – he calls this a log home. If we use that criteria then we would also need to say that a 2 X 4 is a log.

A 'real' log is what you get when you cut down a tree. The log is generally skidded into the building site using various techniques. Then it is peeled, seasoned, and used (as is) for the construction of a home.