Barna Log Homes, Inc. E-Newsletter -
This Issue: Log Home Tour, Log Home Quiz, & Common Log Home Questions
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Our annual log home tour is only 12 days away (June 24th). We will have over 25 log homes open for you to visit at your own pace! You will need to register by this Saturday (June 16th) by calling 810-367-3075.
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How log home savvy are you?
Take this simple test to determine your log home knowledge.

1. Log homes are havens for wood-eating insects. True or false
2. Log homes are more of a fire risk so I will pay higher insurance premiums than conventional framed homes. True or false
3. Some log homes do not settle. True or false
4. Log homes cost more than other homes. True or false
5. Log home additions will not match the original structure. True or false
6. Log homes are costly to heat and cool. True or false

Answers- all false (see below for explanations)

5 or 6 correct Congratulations- you have been doing your homework.
3 or 4 correct You need to do a little extra homework.
1 or 2 correct Enroll in summer school! (Make an appointment to visit our model for some one-on-one instruction or attend our log home tour and/or seminars.)

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FEATURED ARTICLE

Below are the answers to the common log home questions from the quiz above.

INSECTS
All homes (or at least most) are made of some sort of wood- you just don't always see it. For hundreds of years, homes in North America have been constructed with wood timbers as a frame and then covered with some sort of siding- aluminum, brick, vinyl, wood etc. Bugs are not necessarily more attracted to a log home than the brick home next door.
Solid log homes by nature have more structural integrity against certain wood-eating bugs like termites. If you did happen to have termites around your log walls, you would most likely be able to detect their presence right away before any serious damage occurred.
Jim Barna provides several ways to "bug-proof" your log home. First, the pine logs are kiln-dried, so any pests or larva living in them are killed. Then, Penetrete is shipped with your log home package. This substance is to make your log home bug (and rot) resistant. Finally, if you live in an area prone to termites (or other pests), use a termite shield and/or treat the soil- the same way you would if you were building any other type of non-log home.

FIRE / INSURANCE PREMIUMS
Just ask your insurance agent. Homeowners insurance is based on such items as: proximity to the nearest fire department and roof material (shingles, cedar shakes, metal etc.) Solid log homes with large solid timber rafters will actually hold up much longer in a fire than a standard framed and trussed house. (If you don't believe that, try this the next time you're near a fire. Throw an 8 " round log and a few 2 x 4's into the fire. Come back one hour later. Which one is still there?) Other items related to the property -and not necessarily the house structure- may also influence your insurance rates.

SETTLING
Solid 16" round timbers, 8" round kiln-dried logs, 2 x 4 studs, wood cabinets, wood doors, decorative crown molding- all are made out of wood and will adjust to the relative humidity around it. (That's why that pesky door doesn't stick in the winter. Your furnace dries out the air and anything else that holds water- wood, sponge, your skin.) All houses settle (including conventional framed houses); it's just a matter of how much and whether or not you plan for it. Jim Barna log homes are engineered to have a minimum amount of settling. Kiln-dried logs reduce the moisture content and large lag bolts drilled with impact wrenches compress the logs to provide a tight seal between logs.

COST
The shell cost (log walls, windows, roof etc.) of your log home is fairly comparable with other types of construction. Interior finishing costs can vary greatly form home to home and is solely determined by YOU. Do you want pre-finished hardwood floors or carpet, wood tongue and groove walls or drywall, laminate countertops or solid surfacing, whirlpool tub with separate shower or shower/tub combo? The list goes on and on. All of these items factor into the final cost of your home. The bottom line is that you ultimately determine the final cost of your log home by what and how you choose to construct it.

ADDITIONS
Since Jim Barna logs are milled to exact specifications, additional logs can be cut to match your existing home. Some log home owners planed ahead and drew the future expansions right on the blueprints. However, most did not. They just ordered an addition, built it on, and used the same color woodfinish (very important).

HEATING AND COOLING
Energy reports will show you that most heat is lost either through (or around) windows and doors and the roof. So, concentrate on the areas that lose the heat- use good quality windows, caulk properly and thoroughly around them, and use a good roof system. Barna log homes has sample roof systems and windows at our model log home for you to study.

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Please feel free to contact us any time:

Barna Log Homes, Inc.
1530 E. Blackmore Road
Mayville, MI 48744

989-843-4936
fax 989-843-5119

greensloghomes@msn.com