The energy efficiency of a log home is a very common question to us a log home builders. The first thing to understand about a log home is that no matter how thick the logs are or what species the home is made from, logs cannot do their job of insulation unless they are stacked tightly and all of the cracks are sealed. Log homes perform very well in the energy efficiency world. There is no doubt about it.     

But before we look at some studies, let me explain one simple concept first: With a log home you either pay now or pay later. If you purchase your log home and it is not a truly air tight package, you will have the west wind whistling though your home in the winter. To a very real extent, log homes are only as good as the sealant techniques used between the rows of logs, around windows and doors, and also for corners.     

A simple look  The Log Cabin Kit Advantage  article featured here in the Products section of our website, explains about our finger joinery, pre cutting, and other features innate to Lake Country’s milled and handcrafted log homes. Other features that are very important are the utilization of full saddle notch corners verses the butt and pass.      

Now on with our log home energy efficiency evaluation. Log homes possess a thermal mass. Thermal mass is the tendency of a natural product to absorb and then slowly really release heat or cold. If you think of a rock. If the sun shines on it the rock will remain warm to the touch even after the sun goes down. This is thermal mass. Many natural products including cement and logs possess this quality. So with a log home, the home absorbs and then releases, thus recycling some of the energy produced by the environment around it.     

Stick frame homes, though possessing a good R-value when insulated properly, have no toe hold in thermal mass. This is a attribute only innate to natural products such as wood.     

After reading several studies, these two stood out the most to me. A few years ago an independent study group conducted the following case study. Located in Michigan, a cooler place in the United States, they built two homes side by side. The first home was a standard construction home with good insulation. The second home was a milled log home of a comparable size. Over the test period it was shown that the log home had an energy savings of 25% over the 24 hour test period.      

How could this be? Let’s look at the study a little deeper. When the temperature outside was 25 degrees Fahrenheit, the standard construction home required 8.1 kilowatts hours to maintain 72 degrees on the inside. In contrast, the log home required only 6 kilowatt hours to maintain 72 degrees. Simple subtraction shows a difference of 2.1 kilowatt hours– a savings of 25 % in favor of the log home.     

Pretty impressive!     

The other home study I would like to mention was preformed by The Log Home Council. Their study reflected a 15 % energy savings of a log home over a stick frame home of the same size.     

For a “Green” home, a log home is a good place to start. Solar energy is also becoming increasingly popular in log homes as well. Here in Montana there are some places that electric is several miles away, making the solar choice a very real thing to consider.     

Another popular form of heating for cabins is wood burners and wood stoves. Fireplaces and fireplace accessories are very rustic and retain the “cabin in the woods” feel.  

Thanks for reading,
Cowboy Log Builders, Log Builders in Montana     

Cabin in the woods

 SPRING SALE!
SAVE $10,000 ON THIS LOG HOME PACKAGE!

Log Cabin Kit ~ The Montana Plan, 1932 square feet, $158,500   

SPRING SALE $148,500 for 8×8 D-log

Click Here For Printable Version of Montana Plan
(Scroll to Bottom to View Floor Plan)               

The Montana Plan is a 1932 square foot log home package. Based on an 8×8 D-log from Dead Standing Lodge Pole Pine, the package price for this home is currently $148,500.                        

This is a full dry in package price, plus subfloor, interior framing, and a few other inclusions as listed below.                      

When considering a log home be sure to get a detailed list of exactly what the package includes and to what degree the logs are cut.                      

Our packages are fully precut and pre-numbered. The butt joints are made with finger joinery, all of the electric box holes and wire holes are pre cut and pre drilled. Having the logs prepared in this way saves tremendously with on site construction time. We offer both handcrafted log homes and milled log homes.                       

The plan below, the Montana, is just a sample of our work. Feel free to visit www.cowboylogbuilders.com for more of our homes. We are happy to work with customers personally to lay out a home. Also we provide pricing on any floor plan. Our mill is extending their scheduling discounts into the fall. Give us a call at 406-388-3458 for details.                      

Thank you,
Mike and Sue Lemmon
Cowboy Log Builders LLC                      

The Montana Rear

 

The Montana 
First Floor 1,456
Second Floor 448
TOTAL SQUARE FEET 1,904                 

Three bedrooms/ 2 baths
Featuring Great Room, First Floor Master Suite, Cathedral Ceilings, timber roof system, covered porch, interior log walls, large open loft.                      

Milled from dead standing Lodge Pole Pine (other species also available), 8×8 round on round double tongue and groove stack. Full saddle notch corners and timber roof system.                      

All electric box holes and wire holes are precut and pre-drilled. All butt joints are finger joinery. All cutting is done with fully computerized mill. Home is erected at mill, roof system cut and set, then mark and dissembled for shipment. A log schedule comes with all construction plans.                      

Package highlights-      

Exterior log walls 15 rounds high (approximately 9’ high)                      

Interior log walls for Master Bedroom wall and Master Bath wall, bedroom #2 and #3, and hallway walls 6×8 flat logs 15 rounds high (app. 9’ high)
Log wall assembly hardware ½” x10” lag bolts, foam tape, notch gasket and caulking as per plan.                      

Round log posts handcrafted, 13” mean diameter, Engelmann Spruce for:
Log posts supporting covered porch
Interior Log Roof Post
Log Beam supporting porch
1 log ridge beam
4 log purlin beams
Log corner posts for both dormers
1 log ridge beam for dormers
Timber joists
Screw jacks                      

Timber stairs of pre assembled Douglas Fir, stair landing,
Loft railing of Western Red Cedar and Loft railing of Western Red Cedar                      

The Montana Loft

 

Windows:
Medal Clad pine Jeld-Wen windows, low-E                      

Exterior Doors:
Metal Clad French door
Fiberglass front door                      

Main Subfloor                      

Interior 2×4 framing lumber                      

1×6 pine exterior trim                      

Upper subfloor                      

Upper framed walls:
2×6 plates, studs, and nailers,
Sheathing,
Tyvek house wrap
Gable flashing                      

Roof:
Rafters 24” oc
Porch rafters
Fascia
Sheathing
Fascia nailer
Soffit vent                      

Roofing:
Roofing felt
Ridge vent
Metal roofing
Flashing
Screws                      

12’x6’ Deck:
Treated 2×8
Western Red Cedar Decking                      

24’x6’ Covered Porch:
Western Red Cedar Decking                      

1×6 Tongue and Groove Pine for ceilings.                      

2×8 log siding for exterior of gables and dormers                      

Final construction drawings.                  

The Montana Plan kitchen

 

 This home is offered by Cowboy Log Builders LLC of Belgrade, Montana. We are authorized representatives for Lake Country Log Homes of British Columbia- a log home manufacturer for 25 years.                 

A nice addition to this kitchen would have been an undermount sink.     

The Queest Log Cabin Kit

The Queest Log Cabin Kit $59,500

Our featured log cabin kit is the Queest Plan. Please find package details and highlights below. This small log cabin kits price is based on a  6″x8″ dead standing lodge pole pine. (This home is also available in a 8″x8″ log for $2,500 more, for a total of $62,000.)    This is a 24’x25’ log cabin with loft. 971 square feet with open loft and first floor bedroom. 8×8 dead standing Lodge Pole Pine. 8×8 D style log with full saddle notch corners.          

Queest Interior

First Floor      616 sq. ft.
Second Floor 355 sq. ft.
TOTAL               971 sq. ft.           

(SCROLL DOWN FOR FLOOR PLAN)        

For $53,000, basically $55/ sq. ft., you get a fully precut, pre-numbered weather tight log home package. A log schedule comes with your home plans detailing where each piece goes. Our mill is completely computerized, so your home is milled with extreme accuracy. Let that western wind blow! It’s going to stay outside of this cabin!          

That is “WEATHER TIGHT”? It is everything to keep the weather out of your home (exterior doors, windows, roofing material, porches and decks as per plans, timber roof system). PLUS!!! Interior framing, interior 1×6 pine tongue and groove for ceilings, timber stair case, loft railing, first floor sub- floor, and MORE—See below for additional package highlights.           

Click here to view The Queest Floor Plan

 Below are the package highlights~          

~Sub-floor          

~Solid log walls 14 rounds (101.5″)          

~Framed gable walls with 2×8 log siding for exterior          

~1×6 T&G interior gable walls vaulted ceilings soffit and porch ceiling          

~Windows Jeld-wen custom wood clad          

Queest Inside of Gable End with 1x6 t&g

 ~Exterior doors          

~Exterior trim          

~Porch floor joists, rim joists, and decking          

~Round log posts, ridge beam, and porch posts          

~6×8 loft floor joists piece          

~2×6 pine loft flooring          

~Fir timber stairs           

~Loft and stair railing           

~Interior Framing           

~All roofing material (metal roof)           

Queest Exterior

Feel free to contact us, Mike or Sue Lemmon from Cowboy Log Builders LLC ~Representatives for Lake Country Log Homes~ for more log cabin kits and pricing. Phone/fax 406-287-3780,           

All shipping costs are in addition to log package pricing and are based on distance from Lake Country Log Home’s mill in British Columbia. Please call for quote. Thank You, Mike and Sue Lemmon

 Commercial Log Structures

Milled Log Lodge

 

Commercial log structures are nothing new to Lake Country. Here is the large Queen Charlotte Lodge, located on the rugged Pacific coast of British Columbia, CANADA. With a total of four log buildings, this Lodge is a log paradise. The wide log spiral staircase coming down the front of the Totem Building on the left (above) was custom crafted for this building. Also below are two large commercial buildings that were custom designed for a resort in… can you guess? I couldn’t! This is actally located on the Yellow Sea in South Korea. Other of Lake Country’s log homes and commercial log structures can be found as wide spread as Germany, Holland, Japan, and the Phillipians. With over 30 years in the log industry we are known around the globe as one of the leading manufacturers of log homes. Cowboy Log Builders LLC