Log Home Style Choices

Choose your Species of Wood

Located in the North, our trees are slow grown due to the cool climate. This results is prime quality logs and timbers since the growth rings are tight which produces straight and stable logs and timbers. We build from Douglas fir and Lodgepole Pine, favouring the dead and dry standing trees. Other species are available on request.

CLICK to show/hide more information

Douglas fir is considered by many to be the choice wood for log homes. It is known for its superb strength, natural resistance to decay, and its beautiful colour. The heartwood (centre wood) is a lovely salmon colour and this is contrasted with the sapwood (outer wood) which is a cream colour. Over time, they mellow to varying shades of golden to reddish brown. Lodgepole Pine is abundant in northern BC. In recent years much of the pine has been killed by the Mountain Pine beetle epidemic that has spread through the majority of BC. These pine trees are now standing dead and dry trees and the prime trees are suitable for log home building since much of the drying has occurred in the forest. Many people are proud to have homes built from “beetle wood” to ensure the best usage of this wood and also to have a part of BC’s history in the walls of their home. The beetle wood features blue stain in the outer wood or sapwood. Overtime, the blue stain may mellow or fade depending on the log home finish you choose. The heartwood or centre of each log is a lovely golden colour which darkens only slightly to a rich golden colour over time. The variety of knots also give distinct character to pine. The beautiful colour and character alone makes many people select pine as their wood of choice, although the wood is superb for building for other reasons. For generations, pine has been admired as a building material because of its size, straightness, and minimal taper.

Round Log Homes

For many log home enthusiasts nothing says home like a round log home. Built from nature’s building materials altered only as much as necessary, these homes truly retain the beauty that nature gives us.
These homes have evolved from the small homesteads built by the pioneers using the trees around them to the magnificent executive style log homes of the 21st century. Modern log building techniques have been continually improved to provide the bright and contemporary homes of today.

We begin our round log homes working with the customer and their individual preferences to achieve the design and the look the owner desires from rustic to contemporary. Construction commences by individually selecting only the best logs, favouring those that are dry, straight, meet size criteria and that will result in top quality homes.

CLICK to show/hide more information

The logs are all hand peeled to give a beautiful carved appearance and retain the natural shape of each log. Each log is scribed (lines drawn to show log shape) and then cut to fit exactly to the log below for its entire length. This produces a fit that is tight and warm and will not require chinking for warmth. The corners are notched using the full saddle notch, a notch that is well designed to allow the maximum settling and tightness of the logs while shedding any rain or outside moisture. The grooves along each log and the corner notches are insulated with a combination of expanding closed cell foam and sheep’s wool. Finishing touches to the log work are completed in our building yard and then the log shell is ready to be disassembled, shipped to the owner’s site, and reassembled.

Timber Log Homes

Timber homes, or square log homes, are also constructed of logs (timbers) stacked horizontally. From a distance these homes appear similar to round log homes; however, there are differences between round log and timber homes. Timber log homes are constructed using sawn timbers and are joined with the classic dovetail notch on the corners. There is a narrow gap that is intentionally left between the logs and it is filled with chinking for warmth and to give the distinctive look of a timber home.

Historically, these homes were commonly seen in eastern North America, and are also recognized out west in the Hudson Bay trading posts and historical villages. As with round log homes, building techniques and materials have continually developed and improved over the years. Today, they are very classy homes that meet the most refined tastes.

CLICK to show/hide more information

Our timber log homes are constructed using sawn timbers that are typically 8” wide by 12” high. The exterior is often left rough sawn for appearance and also to enhance the lifespan of the log home finish. The interior timbers are planed smooth. The dovetail notch used on the corners is a superior notch for strength, stability, and appearance. The gap thickness left between timbers can vary to suit wood size and personal preference. The interior and exterior of these gaps are filled with a specially designed log home chinking that is designed to flex to allow for the slight expansion and contraction of the logs. The chinking provides warmth and style, and is made in a variety of colours to suit individual preference.

A timber log home can be constructed using timbers that are sawn on four sides for a uniform appearance, or sawn on two sides to retain the natural taper and shape of the log. In either case, the logs appear flat inside and outside the home. The chinking will vary in appearance with each style: with the 4-sided timbers the chinking appears in straight, even rows; with the 2-sided timbers, the rows of chinking narrow and widen to follow the shape of the log. Though not as common, timber log homes can also be built using the scribe fit method using 2-sided timbers. This style would not require the use of chinking.

Although in many areas in the west round log homes are more common, there is a growing interest in timber log homes for many reasons. In addition to the look of the timber log homes, some of the features that people appreciate are the practical features such as ease of cleaning and arranging furnishings, slightly increased floor space, and the less frequent exterior refinishing as compared to a round log home. The exterior log home finish will last longer on a timber log home due to the flat walls that shed rain, and the rough sawn finish that extends the life of the log home finish by many years. Finally, if you are someone who likes change, timber log homes are easier to modify and repair over time.

Finally in Summary

Both styles of log homes are beautiful and only you know which most suites your tastes and traditions. If you are having difficulty choosing a style we can arrange for you to visit a round log home and a timber log home to help you decide.

Find out more about our construction process and what goes into our log house packages.