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1. Is it hard to get a mortgage on a log home?
No, most mortgage companies and banks realize that a log home is like a conventional home except the log home has solid walls. 2. Are log homes energy efficient? Yes, solid wood logs are the best insulation in the world. At Riverside Log Homes, we stack our logs to 9 feet, then in the gable ends we put R-19 insulation, in the ceiling we put R-38 insulation, and R-19 in the floors. Then, we add Anderson windows with low E insulated glass and insulated exterior doors. This makes your Riverside Log Home highly energy efficient. Studies have shown that log homes are 25% to 45% more energy efficient than conventional homes. These studies have confirmed what log owners have known for years - log homes stay cooler in the summer and warmer in winter. 3. How are your logs attached to each other? At Riverside Log Homes, we use the Olylog screws to fasten each course of logs to the logs below it. An Olylog is a Teflon-coated screw that provides about 1,450 pounds of holding power per square inch. The screws are set about 18 - 24 inches apart along each course of logs. This makes Olylog fasteners a great choice for producing a consistently tight fastening system which helps keep your log home more weather proof and draft free. Riverside Log Homes also uses double tongue & groove logs with 3/8" X 3/8" commercial foam stripping across both tongues and log caulking in the groove. As the next course of log goes on, it compresses the two foam strips and gives you double protection from the outside elements and drafts. 4. What kind of logs does Riverside Log Homes use? We primarily use Eastern White Pine because of their beauty, durability, and practicality. Eastern White Pine is probably the least resinous of all pines and does not swell or shrink significantly with changes in the moisture conditions. Eastern White Pine is very plentiful in our area and combined with its desirable characteristics make it the most affordable and most used log in the log home industry today. We can also build with other species of wood - your decision. 5.What is the difference between kiln-dried and air-dried logs? All logs are cut green in a forest and are then dried. The kiln dry logs are put in large lumber kiln and are dried to moisture content of around 15%. Then the kiln dried logs are either sent to the job site or put in storage until sold. As soon as this happens, the kiln dried log begins the natural process of adjusting to its environment. Whatever the humidity is that day, the log will try and reach equilibrium with the air in the environment. This is the same procedure a dried log goes through. The gain and loss of moisture in wood is a never-ending process that varies with the daily weather. So, kiln dried or air-dried logs end up the same when you understand that the moisture content of the logs is a function of the local climate, regardless of how the log is dried. At Riverside Log Homes we use premium air-dried logs because it simulates what happens in nature, air-drying avoids an over-accelerated process. Thus, it reduces rapid changes to the wood cells, which means less cracking and promotes gradual adjustment to the humidity levels in the region where you are building. In conclusion, you will experience more seasonal changes with your own log home, as your heating system dries the logs out in winter and they expand again when the heat is turned off for the summer, than you will ever see because of the method of drying used in manufacturing. 6. Is there much maintenance on a log home? Yes, like any wood product there is some maintenance required to keep it looking as good as it did when you bought it. After building your home Riverside Log Homes will wash the exterior and give the log home two coats of a premium stain-sealer with bug repellant. The manufacture recommends the homeowner spray his house with one coat of the stain-sealer in a year or two. Then you only have to reapply every 4 - 5 years. You should also check the caulking to make sure there isn’t any shrinking. If you maintain your log home it will last hundreds of years. 7. How long does it take to build a log home? If the weather cooperates, we can do a dry-in construction in about 3 months and a turn-key construction in about 6 months depending on the size of the log home we are building. 8. Should I have land or a building lot before I choose my floor plan? Yes, because the lot or building site determines, in some cases, the style of home you should build to take advantage of views, sunlight, and wind exposure. Also, the lot slope influences the type of foundation you will be building on. 9. What is a custom builder? A custom builder is a licensed builder who can change any floor plan to meet you individual needs. A custom builder builds the home the way you want your home built. 10. What comes in a basic package? A basic package is just material and you or your builder build. Riverside Log Homes offers one package and it contains enough material to build the shell or dry-in your log home, including all exterior material for the porches and decks.
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