European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 22, 1981, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 20 the stars and stripes january 1081 modern living rustic Charm relatively build yourself log House kits Cost Between and new York times living in by Michael Decourcy Hinds new York times teepees Haven yet enjoyed a but the desire for Homes that have a authentic feeling has brought Back that quintessential american the log As Many As persons May have spent billion constructing log buildings last a 50 percent increase Over according to an Industry although vacation Cabins Are still big nearly 80 percent of log houses now built Are primary almost 200 some most fairly and thousands of their dealer builders Are supplying this growing Market with a staggering array of log some incorporate solar designs and the Industry Basic with Sixing diameter log performs As Well As a conventionally built Frame even though the Thermal efficiency of a the log Wall is rated lower than a Frame Wall with 3 inches of fibreglass according to Steven Winter associates a new York engineering firm hired by the Industry to evaluate log Steven president of the explained that log Walls perform better outdoors than in Laboratory tests because Wood stores and radiates some solar heat As Well As being an More will be known about the Thermal properties of Wood in the Spring of when the department of the biggest potential there Are handmade log constructed with Cen problem is the Doss ullity Toldt rip Cneri House kits that provide cold air and moisture will seep through cracks Between Turi sold techniques recut House kits that provide some or All of the needed materials kits with prefabricated log Walls modular log houses that usually come in two and even log faced Mobile in addition to rustic log houses Are relatively inexpensive kits Cost Between and and Are Doit yourself projects that require a minimum of skill to the fogs Are simply stacked on top of one a one step process instead of the dozen Steps involved in building and finishing a Frame about 75 percent of log Home buyers do hire contract but the precut kits can usually be erected within four to 10 keeping labor costs to a total including All fixtures and mechanical is typically two to five times the Cost of the Basic de pending on How Complete it maintenance costs Are also relatively since Natu ral is the desired Only occasional applications of water repellent Are needed on the and Little or nothing need be done to Interior log the Energy efficiency of log houses ranges from average to depending on the Model and amount of insulation requested by the a few companies offer Well insulated houses Energy completes an Energy audit of a log House and five other types of the relative insulating value of int the Only important Energy the biggest Poten tial problem is the possibility that cold air and moisture will seep through cracks Between the care that manufacturers have used in trying to Seal these joints testifies to the most companies Mill the logs with and some times  connect the logs with a vertical spline and use plastic gaskets and caulk ing compounds Between logs in their efforts to Seal the no Independent comparisons have been made Between the different sealing systems available on the but no matter what Type of joint is the Seal May fail if the logs shrink or although there Are houses that were built with unseasoned it is not recommended by the Forest products Laboratory of the department of the heard of houses where the doors and windows literally fell out because log shrinkage want taken into account when using Green said William a research chemist at the logs should be Cut and stripped of bark in the Winter and air dried for a minimum of six according to Trees felled in the Spring and when the sap is Are More susceptible to sap stain and Bug the Woods Best suited to log according to the Are fir and in that of these Only the Heartwood of Cedar is naturally resistant to to improve decay the logs that will be most exposed to water in Sills and lower parts of Walls should be pressure treated with a preservative at the according to few companies routinely pressure treat their so the process must be custom All at the very should be coated with either a water repellent preservative every three to five years or a penetrating stain every three to ten because of potential health Consumers should be wary of logs treated with the preservative pent Chloro widely used by the environmental Protection Agency is studying this which has been reported to cause tremors and general building design can also help preserve a log the most important according to the Forest products Are to site the House on a Good slope or a place with Good drainage and to use a Steep roof with a wide for a one Story a roof overhang of 18 to 24 inches is recommended for a two Story 24 to 36 inches since few companies offer such wide Over hangs in their Standard buyers must custom or Der