Energy Management Tips To Remember While Building A Log Cabin

Energy management in a normal home itself might be a challenging job unless the basics aren't understood. When it comes to log homes the task is even tougher. Some people start out their log cabin construction without delving into the heating and energy management strategies for the house. Be it a purchased log home or a cabin that you are building yourself, looking into the energy efficiency would help in the long run. This would also help ensure the added safety of the house itself. This should, in fact, be thought out right at the log picking stage.

The external climate has a lot of impact on the internal heating of the cabin as well. All the influential factors should be taken into account while planning the heating system of the log cabin.

1. Choose the right log:

Know about the R-value of the log you choose. This is the parameter used to measure the thermal resistance of the log. This would be the log's efficiency to bear the heat and its ability to withstand the heat flow. This value matters the most because in your log cabin it is these logs that determine the heat maintenance and the insulation within the house. Mixing and matching the apt R-values would help achieve the type of insulation you need for the house. This can be chosen based on the average temperatures of the place where you live. When we talk about the R-value, the larger the value, the lower would the heat loss be. This would make sure that your heating systems are not strained too much. This results in lower energy bills. The R-value is determined by the diameter of the log as well as the type of lumber. Once you have finalized the required R-value for the log, look at the physical condition of the log as well. Choose logs that show no sign of decay or mold growth. These are the logs that would last long.

2. Seal the air leakage:

Air leaks are prone to occur in log cabins. Picking logs that are not sufficiently dry would cause bigger problems of air leaks. Even if you pick dry logs there would still be some amount of wetness deep within them. This means that in the coming years the log dries up further. Drying would cause the log to shrink. This results in gaps and thus air leakage. This is when your heating systems would have to work harder and thus larger energy bills. Pick logs that have been dried in a preserved area for a minimum of 6 months. Cedar, pine, spruce, larch, and fir are the best when we talk about Wooden Log Cabins air tight construction. If you pick a reliable log supplier, you can be assured that you get perfectly dried wood. Some even kiln dry the wood to make them ready for construction. No matter how dry the wood is some leaks are prone to occur in the long run. Regular inspection of the cabins would help identify and seal leaks right on time.

3. Insulation:

This is one aspect that many log cabin builders often ignore. But this is the most crucial part in building log homes. We talk about the log dryness, lumber type and more. But the roof and the floor play an important role in the insulation of the log cabin. More than 70% of the heat loss in the log home is mainly because of badly done roofing and flooring. Choosing the right material for roof and floor would ensure that your cabin doesn't get too hot during the summers and too cold during winters. This would also result in an energy efficient log home. While you are looking into the insulation of the building, also think about the ways to prevent moisture buildup. Even the slightest increase in humidity might cause the logs to absorb and retain moisture. But too much moisture absorbed by the logs would create growth of mold. This can further cause insect infestation and cause the deterioration of the wood quality. The problem doesn't end there. Once the weather gets warm, the log would start losing its moisture. Drying up would result in the wood shrinking and thus cause air leaks.