The Biggest Problem with Log Homes
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- čas přidán 30. 07. 2024
- Most people ask 5 or 10 questions about log homes, but the #1 problem with log homes is nowhere on their Top 100 list. In this week's episode of Satterwhite LIVE, Sam Satterwhite goes into detail about log settling --changes in wood dimension over time -- and how this critical issue is addressed in the Satterwhite Building System.
*Vertical drying has been used for many centuries. In Scandinavia, Sweden, Finland, & Norway this was a preferred method. THERE ARE WAYS TO CONVERT or transform live standing to DEAD STANDING. ONE WAY is to "Cut a ring around the selected live trees" ... through the bark, through the sapwood...."where sap flows" and into the meat of the interior of the tree.. This will look SIMILAR TO BEAVER BITE CUTS. The goal is to cut deep enough to get completely through the sap wood and not so deep as to allow the tree to fall or be blown down , before drying. Select more logs than will be needed ... Some will fall and rot... others may not be useful. Vertically drying for 1, 2 or 3 years should allow tree to bleed out most or nearly all of the sap. This will vary according to your local climate.*
Wow I almost passed on this video because it was so long. I’m glad I didn’t because there is so much valuable information in it! Thank you for taking the time to really explain all the aspects of a log home experience.
This is a must see video for anyone interested in building or buying a log home.
Dry logs.....plenty of roof overhang! Two big factors! Add to these, and maintenance is a must! Bi check yearly!
54 y/o city dwelling female. CZcams suggested this vid for me...I watched it all, fascinating!!👍🏻 Might even watch it again.
I want one !! just a simple studio loft would meet my appeal just perfectly so I adapt to every detail to be at one with the wood. I currently reside in Reno, NV.
Excellent presentation. You know your stuff! Thank you for such honesty and clarity in sharing this important information about settling of log homes and how to choose a company that uses the right materials to minimize it.
Thanks for watching! Yes, Sam is always schooling all of us at the company. Only wish we could capture a bit more on camera.
I feel like I just took an extremely educational class for free. 🤗
Thanks alot, really expert and honest.
Thank you so much.
I learned so much from this!
Wow, what an education. Thank you!
Awesome info! Thank you!
Best Video ever, Thank-you! saving for a Satterwhite home for sure!
Thank you!!! very full of information!
Thank you for this information. The "snowball in Texas" was a REAL TREAT :)
Love the charts! excellent information.
Amazing lesson! Thank you!
thank you!
Thanks for the lesson wow learned valuable information.
As I understand it from your video logs are less susceptible to shrinkage if they are sewn at a 90 degree angle from the core of the tree in all direction, is that correct? In my discussion with a log home builder they told me they open air dry their logs “not kiln dry” for one year before they hand hew them for their homes. They are horizontally stacked with 4 inch spacers between each layer of logs to allow air circulation. The logs are then hand hewn and half dove notched at all corners of the structure. Is one year a sufficient amount of time for air drying. Thier logs are western pine and or western hemlock. Would it be best if all of the logs in a single structure were of one species rather than a mixture of the two or does it make any difference? The logs when stacked for the wall all have a two inch or better gap between each course with wood 2X4’s spacers standing vertically every few feet. Then insulation is placed in the gap along with a wood splines one about an inch from the inside face of the log and the other about 1 from the outside of the face of the log. My question is would it be OK to use spray foam insulate between the splines? If so would open cell spray foam or closed cell spray foam insulation be the best for this application. I notice they usually use fiberglass insulation for this.
Insanely informative
Also we switched insurance carriers in Jan 2022 from foremost, because in Dec it almost doubled due to fires in other states forcing a underwriting formula change so now with American modern back to our usual amt.with adjustment to value of current construction costs
after this great video I know who I will buy my Log home from :)
Great information! I'm looking to get myself and the family into a log home in the next 2-3 years. Starting my research now so I can be prepared.
How'd it go? That is also our timeline now.
@@AUDIOMIND :-D Covid dashed all plans I thought I would have lol. No log home as of yet.
Very informative, so much I didn't know. I will be building within a year Lord willing and the Cree don't rise. I will be getting in touch with you guys. Thank you...
Would a glass roofed lean-to greenhouse, in place, of a covered porch be a bad idea?
George, does the temperature of the water affect the wood shrinkage?
Am I correct in understanding the wet dry cycle has little to nothing to do with the humidity?
Excellent video
Could you put a link to your log home insurance company mentioned in this video? I tried Google search and there are many choices in many states Robertson and associates had lawyers and groups and ect...?
v useful, thanks
Satterwhite does build a nice home 80% complete. I have looked in homes they built. If you are looking to have a home built quickly, you need to ask when you walk through the door to make a deal with Satterwhite is HOW MANY CUSTOMERS HAVE A CONCRETE SLAB FOUNDATION AND WAITING FOR THEIR HOME TO BE BUILT! 30 Slabs is what I am hearing right now. There is a work crew shortage there now. Lead time is getting longer it seems. I was told 6-7 months. THAT IS A FAIRYTALE!
Everyone needs a Danny.😊
Wow! This will have to be watched again for sure. Looking to retire in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in a few years, any contractors you would recommend from up that way?
Satterwhite homes have been built almost everywhere, but thanks to low moisture content, the building system is relatively free of the stability and settling issues that all log builders must address. In other words, constructing with the Satterwhite building system does not require extremely specialized trade skills or labor-intensive workarounds to compensate for unforeseen performance issues.
Sir, can you recommend an inspector in KY? I’m looking to buy a log home in Madisonville. Thanks so much.
Please call our office at 1-800-777-7288
How about a hemlock log home? It does not rot. It is half price of pine up here in Maine. Educatioinal vid
hello! I first sand, then remove the dust, then I make an antiseptic for wood, and 2 layers of oil or paint, I apply with a brush! both a log and a board! I in Russia earn for 1 square meter of turnkey work, my consumables and tools, the customer buys only paint and sealant and antiseptic! his material and I take $ 10 per square for the whole complex. How much does this work cost you? I pay the workers $ 7 for work per 1 square meter !!! I will be grateful if you answer !!!
The loss of Sam came as a shock. Sam was a great sorce of knowledge. You are missed greatly.
Hello, Who would you recommend to build a Log Home in Ontario Canada?
Call us at 1-800-777-7288. Satterwhite homes have been built all around the world, but thanks to the dryness of our house logs, our log homes can be built by any competent carpenter without special training due to the shrinkage and settling issues that all log homes must be designed for. The Satterwhite solution is simple -- we start with a thoroughly dry house log that is moisture stabilized *before* it goes into your home, not after.
Is there a video or something you can reccomend on how to dry logs more efficiently? I am planning on a pretty remote area, so I want to know a good method to prevent wet logs so my cabin will last. Thanks in Advance!
Stefen Fuqua the best way that I use to dry logs to build log houses up in Alaska was to go in during the winter and ring the trees as they are standing in the woods that way the sap is down out of them in the winter and they will dry standing and then you can finish dropping then the next year and by ringing them you cut all the way around the tree with a chainsaw in past the sap ring
@@robertdoyle8972 That makes sense, thanks!
@@IdiotWithEducation very welcome
@@robertdoyle8972 oh that's a neat idea. I'll do that with the cherry tree I want to make into handles and such. And maybe in 50 years for some lumber.
Do you do manufacturing log cabin
Big thumbs up from me. If I were to look for a person knowledgeable as much as yourself in my area, how could I find them? Any associations that could point me in direction of reputable contractors/inspectors? Thank you in advance.
Sorry for the late reply... we just discovered unanswered questions in this thread. Thanks to the dryness of Satterwhite house logs, our log homes can be built by any competent carpenter without special training due to the shrinkage and settling issues that all log homes must be designed for. The Satterwhite solution is simple -- we start with a thoroughly dry house log that is moisture stabilized before it goes into your home, not after. Call our office at 1-800-777-7288 and any of the salesmen can look into builder referrals.
At least you dont have salt on the roads, if i never saw snow again it would be too soon. All the best from England.
I♥️log homes!
We don't have shrinkage or settling because our log home "logs" are engineered into logs from wood that's been kilmed over a year. The company, Timber Haven, is out of PA. We live in New Hampshire.
Every log home builder has to deal with the problem of shrinkage. There are a lot of different building methods in the log home industry, and a lot of different ways different companies manufacture house logs.
There are many reputable companies involved in the industry, and most have highly evolved materials and techniques.
The Satterwhite solution to the shrinkage problem is to start with trees that are dead in the forest and naturally dried over time in the arid environment of the high Rocky Mountains. Adding to this, we handle our trees in a very specific way through the entire house log manufacturing process, and each house log is individually moisture tested to insure consistent dryness. We go to extremes to insure dry wood, and our testing is highly specific so that we test near the lowest point on each log, the place where that log would would tend to have the highest concentration of water.
We believe dead standing timber to be more thoroughly and consistently dry than is practical or economical with any manmade process, but we don't doubt that other companies know the characteristics of their products well and are successful in building quality homes. Satterwhite also operates kilns for drying wood, just not massive timbers used for house logs. Moisture testing every individual house log is a critical part of our quality control, and for us and our building system, kiln drying is not an option on our house logs because it is not possible to moisture test anything except the surface of a house log, and it is possible with kiln drying techniques for the heart of the wood to be at a different moisture content than the surface.
It certainly sounds like your house logs were diligently prepared for your log home. At the same time, at least in our system, an extended year-long kiln drying process is unnecessary and impractical considering the cost of operating a kiln and the size necessary to provide a reliable source of house logs to build hundreds of homes each year.
DO LOMG HOMES HAVE TO BE RE FINISHED ON THE OUTSIDE OFTEN.???
If the home is correctly designed and sited, maintenance is minimized. This is why Satterwhite plans feature porches, and we encourage customer to opt for larger porches. Not only do they add valuable outdoor living space, but they shield the house logs from the elements. The obvious function of coating systems is to protect the logs from rain, but the bigger enemy is invisible solar radiation -- ultraviolet. When it comes to siting a log home, you want to pay attention to sun exposures facing south and west. This varies somewhat by the area of the country. Somebody posted a comment to our CZcams channel this week about the log homes of British Columbia. It was obvious he had been watching the TV show filmed there. Theory is one thing, but it is important to be well grounded on practical matters, which is why we are flexible and almost always customize plans for individual customers, but understand this is all a lot easier when we know where someone is going to build instead of trying to itemize every variable in the world that does not apply in a given situation.
Hmm now I trust you and no other. Any companies you recommend in Maine?
Satterwhite homes have been built in Maine. What we would do is put you in contact with existing customers there to see who they would recommend, and if the builder was willing to work in your location. General Contractors typically limit their radius to 75 miles or so, simply because it is difficult to oversee jobs at greater distances. However, there are exceptions. In any case, thanks to the stability of Satterwhite logs and freedom from extreme construction methods to compensate for shrinkage that other log building systems using greener wood experience, thousands of Satterwhite homes have been built successfully by builders with no previous log building experience.
I'm in Idaho getting ready to buy my first Swedish cope log home it was built 2 years ago and during my walk around I found a select few gaps in 3 logs less than a 3/8 of a gap my question being is how much more of a gap should I see in 5 more years
This will vary according to who manufactured the house logs and their standards and quality control practices. Satterwhite house logs are individually tested for moisture content in order to deliver predictable performance characteristics.
If you cannot identify the source of the logs, one way to predict future settling might be to moisture test the logs in place on the home. If you see moisture content in excess of the numbers Sam discusses in this video, that would indicate more separation coming as the log walls settle further. You'd want to see water content in the 15% - 16% range.
You can tell a lot about what the home builder expected by observing how the home is built, whether there are crush zones above doors and windows, for instance.
Note: even if the logs were manufactured by Satterwhite to our stringent dryness standards, you will occasionally see variations from our recommended construction practices. That's because any given builder often assembles the house "the way we do things." So we occasionally see customers who incur unnecessary labor, like adding splines between logs. This is based on their past experience building with other brands of logs, not because these special methods are actually required by Satterwhite materials.
BTW - PermaChink Systems makes a huge range of specialty log home products useful both in new construction and in remediation of problems in existing structures. Satterwhite uses PermaChink products extensively in new construction, and is an authorized reseller of the entire line of maintenance materials that PermaChink manufactures.
www.permachink.com
Another thought -- Swedish Cope construction, in appearance, is very similar to hand craft construction, with individually scribed logs. If you are not certain you can distinguish the construction method, you might consider hiring an experienced log home inspector before purchasing the home. Hand scribed log homes will experience dramatically more settling than construction using Satterwhite Swedish Cope logs, and the settling you experience with other brands (not Satterwhite) of Swedish Cope-style logs can vary considerably.
Thank you for all the information and the response I will look into it deeper and have it inspected
Kill dry same as kiln??
Not the same at all. Kiln dry is wood that is cured via accelerated removal of free water in a giant industrial oven. Like the human body, living trees are mostly water. All wood must be dried before it is useful in construction.
Kiln drying is effective with dimensional lumber like 2x4s and such you find at Home Depot. This is because dimensional lumber has a lot of surface area for a given amount of wood, so the water can be removed in a commercially practical amount of time using a kiln.
Attempting to kiln dry massive timbers like house logs is double trouble: 1) It is difficult to get the wood evenly dry all the way to the core, 2) Wood changes dimensions as it dries, meaning any water remaining in the wood jeopardizes the structural integrity of the house, as Sam details in this video.
The solution is dead standing timber, which we call “nature’s finest house log.” The advantage over accelerated kiln drying is slow drying over time in the specific low humidity climate of the Rocky Mountains achieves a thoroughly dry and dimensionally stable house log that is economically impractical to achieve by processing green trees. Not to mention the environmental advantages of western wildfire mitigation and reduced harvesting of living forests.
This would have made a very good 20 minute video.