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Last week I posted Are Log Homes Earth Friendly?, which discussed the pros of building a log home, including some of the eco-advantages. Like all building materials there are some negatives involved with using logs to build your house.

Log home cons:

Some people are just plain against using wood. While wood is a renewable resource, it takes years to renew, and in some cases people ruin forests and bird and animal habitats to build with it. One thing to consider if you go with any sort of wood building is using wood from a sustainable source.

Log homes are dangerous during the building process. Try to lift a log, and you'll see why. One mistake and someone's foot or whole body could get smashed.

Log homes can end up taking forever. Because of the safety issues, you have to go slower when building with logs, plus the lifting gets tougher the higher you build a wall.

The best wood preservation finishes are still the most toxic.

Many types of homes can be built without super specialized tools - not so for log homes. Building a log homes means an investment (or high cost rental) on some pretty specific tools.

Log homes require more non-cosmetic upkeep than other home types. You have to reapply wood preservation solution in order to fight issues like bugs and moisture.

There's an entire other issue of logs shrinking and settling down, that you really need to study, to manage correctly. Or hire someone who is a log pro.

So overall, log homes have both great perks and some real negatives to consider. Research first, before making a final decision about whether a log home is best for you.

Learn more:

Log Home Builders Association

The Log Construction Manual from LogBuilding.org

[DIY log home image from LogBuilding.org]