The History About The Environmental Benefits

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

When wanting to construct, there are many factors that should be taken into consideration before implementing. In the case of Lebanon, when wanting to build a log cabin one has to choose the plot of land that the log cabin is going to be built on, always preferably a flat, horizontal land to ease the construction process and lower the cost of labor. Also there are many other factors when choosing the land that’s very crucial because it could make the homeowners save a lot of money. Here are a few things to take into consideration:

Choose a low cost plot: it is always preferred to choose the lowest cost land possible because building the log cabin is usually a low cost project. That is why many log cabins are located in remote areas far from the city and high budget areas.

Maximum solar exposure: log cabins conserve energy, so finding a plot of land that has a lot of sun exposure will help keep your cabin warm during cold seasons, plus lowering the consumption of energy since the sunlight can provide sunlight during the day.

Inform the local municipality or government: Asking the local government or municipality is very important, in order to know the rules and regulations. For example, there are areas in North America that don’t allow the use of log or any wooden structure to be built because of the large and frequent wildfires that occur. Building codes in fire prone areas require structures to be flame resistant to decrease the fatalities. Since in Lebanon fires are rare, wooden structures are allowed and there are no laws regulating this type of construction.

Choosing the contractor: Choosing the proper contractor is very important, since building log cabins in Lebanon is not a regular day to day thing. Making sure that the contractor has experience, and viewing his previous works is something that should be taken into consideration.

Figure out water sources and drainage systems: studying how the different systems work with connection to the cabin is a major issue, taking into consideration the surrounding structures and the ground type.

Always ask an expert: Asking an expert who has worked in the business is very important, taking advice that would help save you a lot of money increase ones safety.

After that, deciding what type of wood to use is very important, according to the availability, cost, and location and even laws that are implied in the area. There are many kinds of woods that can be used, but they all have one thing in common, they are all better as softwoods. The cost of building log cabins in Lebanon is high, but log cabins have a great resell value and are increasing in popularity at a low rate, so building log cabins is guaranteed that the price will now be lost and profit is generated. Woods such as pines, spruces and pines are usually chosen for log cabin construction, knowing they have great advantages:

Energy Efficient: Using wood is energy efficient: it is known that when using wood, it saves up to 20% that helps with heating and cooling. Heating and cooling the interior of the log cabin take up less energy than a regular concrete structure.

Health: living in a log cabin helps people who have allergies making their life more comfortable. Having a log cabin also decreases the humidity, increasing the air quality of the interior.

Environmental Benefits: Building log cabins are environmentally friendly and the process of building requires less energy.

Ease of handling.

Attractive appearance.

When taking the decision to build a log cabin we must not forget the disadvantages that it acquires.

Most of the time, log cabins are expensive to build, comparing to the other types of construction methods and materials.

Building log cabins requires a special type of construction method, that’s not easy to find in Lebanon due to the low rate of demand in Lebanon.

The log has a specific form, reducing the variety that one can do with design and architecture, a major limiting factor.

Many believe that using wood itself as a material is a large disadvantage to the environment because the cutting down of a tree and processing it takes a short time but for a tree to grow may take years and even decades to mature to the way it was.

Logs are heavy, thick and hazardous to move around and work with. This would be a big disadvantage for the builders and even the homeowners till the cabin is built.

Log homes require more maintenance more than other types of structures in order for it to stay in a good condition.

Moisture can have a very bad affect to log homes. The first from moisture buildup, and the second from the wood drying out. If moisture enters the wood and is trapped inside, it would reduce the amount of time for the wood to breath which would cause splits and cracks that themselves can hold in water that will cause decay and rot.

One of the biggest problem for log homes is that it is a perfect place for insects to live and make their homes, and raise their homes. For insects to build their home in these structures, they have to eat thought the wood that would create damage and weaken the wood.Termites are also a threat, and can cause severe damage, leaving holes and gaps in a very short period of time.

Here are some of the wood species that are available in Lebanon, regardless of the laws banning the use of some of these trees.

Oak: The Oak tree is rarely used for homes and is available in a white-brown to reddish shade. It’s a heavy tree, that’s stable and difficult to work with making the labour cost quiet expensive. The advantage of this wood is that It is very resistant to water and decay and accepts stains very well. Currently found at the lower altitudes of the western slopes and on the eastern slopes of Mount Lebanon.

Pine: its light weight, and easy to work with. It doesn’t decay that fast and is relatively inexpensive, and has a low shrinkage and warping rate.

Pine forests are found on the western slopes of the Mount Lebanon, the Metn, Baabda, and Jezzine area as well as the North, and Aleppo.

Cedar: It has low moisture content and it can be easier dried. The cedar tree is also known to last for a very long time supporting the fact that it is very resistant to the decay of insects. The cedar tree is located in the western slopes of the Mount Lebanon Chain, the northern part of the country and Mount Lebanon.

Fir: it is very strong and stiff, having a straight soft grain and doesn’t weight that much. It is an easy type of wood to work with, having beautifully uniform light reddish brown colour, relatively decay resistant, and accepts stains. This type of wood may warp and needs maintenance in hot, dry climates. Fir wood has an excellent thermal possession, an advantage for the cold weather in areas such as Bcharre and Faraya. This type of wood is inexpensive to work with and is very strong.

Starting from the source, before construction starts, the companies cut down trees and process them according to the market, demands and availability. Depending on the company’s choice, there is a specific kind or treatment towards the logs before they can be used for construction.

Handcrafted logs: Different logs have different degrees of moisture content. When longs are handcrafted, the moist naturally leaves the log, drying out until it fits the climate, causing the diameter of the log to shrink.

Green logs: Logs that haven’t been dried when worked with.When cut from the forest, their barked is removed and are usually used to build a long house shells. This type of log dries out after the logs have been built as cabins, homes, etc.

Air-Dried logs: Some companies prefer to allow the logs to dry outside in the open. They are stacked with spacers between them that allow the moisture to naturally leave as the timber evaporates. This process has a big disadvantage, since some types of logs may take years to dry up.

Kiln-dried logs: Companies that have a kiln on site have an option to speed up the drying process. Green timber is placed in a large oven. This removes the moisture, saving months and even years of waiting for the log to try up into only several weeks. Implementing this process however has its down side, where the wood can suffer severe cracking; this is why there should be proper kiln control in order to avoid this.

Laminated logs: This type has a different approach, where full trees are brought to a mill with a dry kiln, the bark is removed and the trees are sawn into boards usually up to two inches thick. Then they can be dried with the dry kiln, and because of their size don’t get damaged. Timber that’s destined for glue lamination has to have a moisture low 15% before the process. After the logs are dried, the planks are taken to the surface, which smoothen the wood perfectly.

After the logs are processed and taken care of, the logs are taken care of. The log type depends on the construction process, type of structure and architecture. The types of logs are:

D-shape logs: round on the outside and flat on the inner side.

Full-round logs: Fully round on the outside and inside.

Square logs: flat on the inside and out, can be made for connections on the inside and as groves.

Swedish Cope logs: Round inside out, with a half-moon shaped groove on the bottom.

Milled-log types

Blue D-shaped log graphic

D-shaped Section

Blue square-log graphic with notches

Square Section

Blue log graphic, round with half-moon-shaped notch

Swedish Cope Section

When building a log cabin there are two major components that are very important to the structure, the walls and how the walls create joints. There are many types of construction methods that can be implemented:

Scandinavian Full-scribe: a naturally-shaped log that’s peeled to customs fit one another.

Flat-on-flat: The logs are flattened on the top and bottom. This allows the logs to be stacked over each other.

Milled log: A system with a tongue-and-groove system that allows the logs to align which creates a system keeping out all the elements.

Pinned butt: The logs are notched so that they do not overlap, creating vertical pairs that are fastened with tight load bearing steel pins.

When two walls meet at a point they create a corner joint, and because of the logs, the type and design of the corners can be designed with. With the different types, textures and shapes of logs, different corners styles can be produced:

Interlocking saddle notch: Normally seen on D- or full-round profiles, where a notch is cut into the top of one log and the bottom of another; these two logs then interlock, creating a tightly-sealed corner. Also popular in handcrafted, full-scribe log houses.

Dovetail: Typically seen on square, hewn, or chink-style logs. A dovetail joint is cut on the end of a log, where it would rest in a corner—one to the right and one to the left; this creates a tight, interlocking corner. Handcrafted dovetails can be "full dovetail" (notch surface slopes in two directions simultaneously) or "half dovetail" (notch surface slopes in one direction).

Butt-and-pass: Inscribed (or milled) logs butt up against each other at the corners without notching

Saddle notch: Used where two round logs overlap each other near the corners; common with the Swedish cope profile

Vertical corner post also known as post-and-plank: Typically larger (e.g., 8" x 8") than the wall logs (e.g., 6" x 6"). The wall logs would be "toe nailed" into the corner post.

Corner made of notched logs

Dovetail corner—handcrafted, full-scribe fit, hand-hewn logs

 

Another corner, with logs sawed flat instead.

Butt-and-pass corner style (logs sawed flat top and bottom)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/Tooth_type_edge_joint.jpg/90px-Tooth_type_edge_joint.jpg

A tooth type edge joint in the door corner of an old wooden storage building at the Lamminaho estate in Vaala, Finland.

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Smoky_Mountains_-_Cable_Mill_Blacksmith_Shop_-_detail.jpg/80px-Smoky_Mountains_-_Cable_Mill_Blacksmith_Shop_-_detail.jpg

Smoky Mountains National Park - Cable Mill Blacksmith Shop

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/Thist_angle.JPG/90px-Thist_angle.JPG

A corner joint in Russia

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Rimetea_Torocko_house_8.JPG/120px-Rimetea_Torocko_house_8.JPG

Traditional house in Rimetea, Transylvania, Romania.

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/Skiftesverk_Visby.JPG/90px-Skiftesverk_Visby.JPG

Corner post construction, the logs or planks tenon into grooves or mortises in the posts. Part timber framing, part log building.

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Berind12.jpg/120px-Berind12.jpg

Ornate corner joints on a hexagonal end of a plank church building from 1752 inSânpaul, Cluj, Romania

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Woodworking joints of churches in Romania

[edit]Other methods

Half-Log: The structure is built with conventional building techniques, and "half-log" siding is applied to the exterior and interior walls to replicate the look of full-log construction. Some half-log sidings may also have saddle notch, butt-and-pass, or dovetail corners to give a more realistic appearance.

Palisade style: The logs are standing on end, and are either pinned or bolted together.

Piece en piece or piece sur piece. Similar to post-and-plank above: Uses short logs (e.g. 8' long) lying horizontally between upright posts, resembling post-and-beam construction (but usually lacking the complex notching seen with post-and-beam). Piece en piece typically uses a large (8"x 8") vertical corner post. It is important that a vertical component (often 3"x 6") be placed on both sides of each window and door.

MILLED LOG HOMES

Milled log homes use logs that are cut by a machine to a uniform diameter. A milled log has been put through a saw mill, lathe or planer. These machines cut the logs into the desired shape or profile. When you look at a milled log home, all the logs will be uniform size. Milled log homes are one of the most popular types of log homes because of the appeal of the logs' uniformity and consistency.

Construction of Milled Log Homes

Milled logs can be machined in different ways to fit together: flat top and bottom surface, coped or tongue-and-grooved. The logs can be customized further by sanding the sides of the log to leave them with a very finished look or hand peeling with a draw knife for a more rustic look.

D-Logs

The most popular type of milled log is called the D-log. D-logs are round on the exterior side and flat on the interior side. D-logs come in various sizes depending on your desired look and budget, the most popular being the 8"x8". The advantage of D-logs is that the rounded exterior gives the home the traditional log home look from the outside, with the advantage of a flat interior side. The smooth flat interior surface makes hanging pictures, mirrors or any decorative items much easier.

While D-logs are the most popular and common milled log used in the industry, other types include Double D, Dovetail, Flat, Swedish Cope and Handcrafted wood profiles.

Pre-cut Logs versus Partial Cut Logs

Milled logs are available in either pre-cut or a partial cut:

Fully pre-cut logs mean just that. Everything is cut to length: electric boxes cut out, pre-drilled for lag bolts, etc. You do not need a chain saw on site for the log wall erection, just the basic carpentry tools. This in turn means that less time is spent erecting the log package, hence lower construction costs. With a fully pre-cut package, particular attention needs to be taken during the preliminary stage regarding your electrical outlets as the plans are fed in to a computer at the mill and all boxes are cut out. So if you have missed one, you will either have to cut a box out on site and drill the chase or put it into the subfloor beside the log wall.

Partial pre-cut is where the corners are cut for you, but the logs then come in random length and are cut on site. An advantage of the partial pre-cut home is that if it is necessary to move something, such as moving a window opening a couple of inches to take advantage of a view, this can be done. You will need your chain saw for the construction of a partial pre-cut package