Reasons Thermal-Log is Better than Solid-Log

Reasons Thermal-Log is Better than Solid-Log
Written by David Janczak (Founder/Owner of Wisconsin Log Homes)

My work as a builder combines craftsmanship, quality, and art, and I refused to settle for less. I pioneered our Thermal-Log™ Building System in the 1970’s knowing that log homes could be both beautiful and smart, and homeowners shouldn’t have to settle with the many flaws that come along with solid-log construction. Homes are meant to keep you and your family comfortable for years to come, and I realized first-hand that living in a solid-log home made that very difficult.

The following points show why our Thermal-Log may be better suited for your needs than solid-log construction.

1. Energy Efficiency – To ensure that every Wisconsin Log Home achieves the energy rating the owner chooses, our Thermal-Log Building System utilizes a 2x6 core wall to employ innovative insulation options and is 3 to 4 times more energy efficient than a solid-log wall.

2. High R-Values – Thermal resistance (or resistance to heat flow) is measured in R-value; the higher the R-value, the more thermal resistance. The average R-value for softwoods is 1.30 per inch and 0.71 for most hardwoods. An average 10-inch thick solid-log wall provides an R-7.9 (R-13 across its full diameter, dropping to R-5.2 at each horizontal joint). Our Thermal-Log wall system with the same 10-inch log can provide you with up to an R-47+. Higher R-values result in a more comfortable home and substantially reduced energy costs in every type of climate.

3. Energy Code Compliance – Our Thermal-Log Building System meets national building codes and all current energy standards. Solid-log homes, however, often cannot satisfy most building codes or Energy Star standards. Some states have exempted solid-log homes from normal energy compliance while others require additional insulation in the home’s roof to make up for the low R-value of the solid-log walls.

4. No Settling Adjustments – Unlike solid-log construction, our Thermal-Log is structurally maintenance free. Sure you’ll need to stain and caulk your home every few years, but there are virtually no settling problems due to exterior log wall shrinkage. You won’t have to worry about adjusting interior walls to accommodate for log settling around fireplaces, doors, windows, and support beams. I can’t tell you the number of horror stories I’ve heard over the years about the problems solid-log homeowners have had with their roof if they weren’t adjusted properly over the first 3-4 years and if subtrades are not knowledgeable or experienced, and use shortcuts during construction.

5. No Air Infiltration – Thermal-Log uses an energy smart insulated core wall wrapped in Tyvek, the most advanced air and water resistance house wrap in the industry, to ensure higher energy-efficiency by stopping air leaks, resulting in an extremely air-tight home. As a result, the Thermal-Log home’s temperature is much more consistent, and the cold and costly drafts typical with solid-log construction are completely eliminated.

Since wood naturally absorbs moisture and expands in high humidity, it also releases moisture and contracts in low humidity. A traditional solid-log home is much more vulnerable to developing air leaks as the log walls expand or contract. Often during contraction or expansion, small ‘gaps’ will open between the logs, creating air leaks, which cause drafts and costly heating or cooling bills. If not properly maintained with seasonal caulking, natural settling throughout climate changes with most solid-log homes are inevitable.

6. Ease of Electrical Installation – With our Thermal-Log, all wiring can be done conventionally. Wiring is installed in the wall cavity and ceilings prior to interior finish materials or custom log work. Outlets, lights, and even security and sound systems can all easily be mounted on any wall you need without sacrificing beauty.

Wiring a solid-log home is very time consuming and costly because of the notching, chiseling, and drilling required to hide the wires. Wire installation can only be done along doorway trim or behind additional required baseboard so the wiring can be hid. This method requires outlets to be installed much closer to the floor than normal, which can make plugging things in a chore.

7. Trouble Free Construction – Our Thermal-Log Building System has overcome the natural inadequacies of solid-log construction. Professional builders find that our building system, detailed home plans, and our knowledgeable support team brings certainty and simplicity to the job site. Because of all these advantages, the average Thermal-Log home can be built in approximately 1/3 less time than a solid-log home, saving you time and money.

Since solid-log construction often requires longer lead times and takes a longer time to build, your labor costs will always be more.

8. Design Flexibility – The flexibility of our Thermal-Log system permits an extensive range of architectural styles and the freedom to select and combine unique building materials of your choice. Both the interior and exterior of the home can be finished with an endless possibility of distinctive products. Log and timber accents are easily applied where the owner chooses without being overwhelmed by wood.

Solid-log structures consist of log exterior walls throughout the entire perimeter of the interior of the home. Besides the stain color, usually the only choice owners have is a round or flat log wall, and whether they want chinking or not.

9. Ease of HVAC Installation – Thermal-Log allows all HVAC applications to be installed conventionally and more efficiently in the core wall, or where needed without re-routing it to other walls within the house. Air ducts, diffusers, boots, etc can be installed with ease.

The exterior walls of a solid-log wall can not be used for cold air returns or any type of duct work. All duct work must be re-routed, boxed out, or hid in closets or interior framed walls. This process requires more materials and more labor, dramatically increasing cost.

10. Ease of Plumbing – Thermal-Log permits conventional plumbing work to be installed and hid within the core wall or floor system, saving the owners time and money.

Seeing that all exterior walls are solid wood in a solid-log home, they can not be used for plumbing (not even vent piping for sinks can be installed on the outer exterior walls).

11. Ease of Cabinet Installation – Thermal-Log allows for different types of wall finishes, which saves on installation costs and makes fastening cabinets and vanities to the core wall easy and fast.

Because solid-log walls aren’t typically flat and shrink in height, problems arise when cabinets are directly mounted to them. To account for movement, the installer attaches cabinets to a sub-frame wall that’s built against the log wall. In solid-log construction when cabinets are anchored directly to solid log walls, problems inherently accrue in time if the log wall settles or moves.

12. Ease of Onsite Changes – During construction when homeowners actually walk through and see their walls up; they occasionally realize that the location of a window or door would better serve their needs if it was moved. This adjustment is easily done with our Thermal-Log because the core wall can easily be disassembled or rebuilt as needed.

However, once a solid-log wall is up it is extremely expensive to relocate a window or door because the logs are all stacked on top of one another. Sadly, homeowners realize it’s something they’ll just have to live with.

13. Ease of Future Additions or Remodeling – The structural integrity of our Thermal-Log Building System gives owners total design freedom; they’re limited only by their creativity, property lines and budget when considering remodeling.

Solid-log wall additions are susceptible to developing air leaks. It is very important that the builder constructs and correctly installs slotted anchors or spline boards to allow for movement between the existing structure and the new addition. These joints must be re-caulked as the movement will continue to break the seal.

14. Unlimited Artistic Architectural Styles – Thermal-Log Building System allows for a wide range of styles from Western Mountain, Pacific Northwest, Adirondack, Chalet, Appalachian, and Craftsman to French Country. Whether your style is elegant, rustic or contemporary, your design possibilities are infinite.

Some people feel that many of the solid-log homes built today are more frontier style, rather bland, and free of artistic details other than the log and stone materials used on them.

We are proud to offer our homeowners a building system that is eco-friendly, cost-effective, low maintenance, comfortable, and beautiful. Call us today to learn more about the benefits of our innovative system or log on to http://www.wisconsinloghomes.com/.

To view a photo gallery of our Thermal-Log Homes, click here.

Luxury Log Home Services - Wisconsin Log Homes

What are Luxury Services?
Written By: Dave Janczak (founder/owner Wisconsin Log Homes)

Building our first log home over 39 years ago, Kathy and I learned first-hand that the quality of your experience is just as important as the quality of your home.

In fact, we founded Wisconsin Log Homes in 1976 with an idea to offer a complete package and complete services. “Putting it all together” is our specialty. And making your design and building experience efficient and enjoyable is our priority.

Having been customers many times ourselves, we understand that it takes more than just great products and services to please customers; it takes great people and great relationships. When you decide that Wisconsin Log Homes is the right fit for you, you’ll be surrounded with friendly, knowledgeable, and trustworthy people who are here to meet your personalized needs and guide you through the entire process. And naturally, they’ll help you create wonderful memories along the way.

From our saw mill to our design artists and craftsman, our team will make sure all the details are addressed. Here are some of the people who will surround you…


Personal Home Consultant:
From your first contact with Wisconsin Log Homes, your personal home consultant will provide honest answers, guidance, support and the assistance you need. They are not here to “sell” you a home…they are here to guide you in a direction that’s right for you. Your home consultant will be your primary contact and resource throughout the process. Clients tell us how their relationship with our consultants often grows into lifelong friendships, which is the ultimate compliment.

In fact, just yesterday I received a letter from the Arbours’ saying the following about their consultant –
“Over the last year and a half or so I had the pleasure of getting to know our home consultant, Clay Veldt. Clay has been an invaluable resource to us. Clay was always available to us and always had answers to our many questions. He was very knowledgeable not only about the Wisconsin Log Homes product, but also about log homes in general, as well as the industry. Throughout this process Clay became not only our consultant, but also our friend. I think that speaks volumes for Clay and his level of service. I not only relied on Clay for answers to my questions, but looked forward to our conversations just because I enjoyed talking with him. My husband and I even enjoyed him as our dinner guest when he was here for a log home show. It is my belief that people tend to be very quick to complain when they feel that customer service has been less than what they expected, but not so quick to let management know when just the opposite occurs and someone like Clay goes way above what is expected.”


Architectural Designers:
Our designers are noted as the best in the industry. For starters their designs are brilliant; however they are most respected for their consideration of individual lifestyle requirements, their attention to detail, and their ability to really listen to your needs and visions. They will work with you and your home consultant to incorporate all your ideas and needs into the plan of your dreams, and give you helpful advice and input based on their knowledge and experience. Your visions will always be respected when working with our team.



Project Managers & Builders:
Finding a builder you trust to construct your home with attention to quality and detail is an important step in building a custom wood home. You don’t have to worry about finding a builder you trust when working with Wisconsin Log Homes, as we have our own project manager and National Builder Network filled with qualified contractors throughout the world. If you already have a builder in mind, we’ll help you qualify them.


Interior Designers:
Imagine working with an interior designer who sets aside all egos and truly listens to your desires and helps you achieve the style you envision, not the style she or he prefers. Imagine the comfort and reassurance you’ll receive with personalized assistance throughout the entire design and build process. Working with one of the top interior designers in the industry, you’ll get expert guidance with room arrangement, furniture selection, lighting, rugs, accessories, cabinetry, paint and stain to achieve your specific design style.

Custom Work Shop:
As some of you may already know, my passion aside from log homes is designing and building mantels, furniture, and tables. Because so many of our clients come to us for unique rustic pieces, we decided to offer our homeowners custom crafted doors, mantels, trusses, stairs, railings, unique trim, furniture, lighting, cabinets, hardware, tables, bar tops, root flared logs, hand-scraped woods, carvings, taxidermy, antler artwork and paintings.

We are proud to offer these services to you and hope you’ll give us the opportunity to prove our decades of knowledge, experience, innovation and dedication in your custom wood home. As always, please call or e-mail with any questions, or log on to www.wisconsinloghomes.com.

Turn-Key Pricing - Wisconsin Log Homes

Staying within your determined budget throughout the entire home building process is not only important to you and your banker, but it’s also a priority for the team at Wisconsin Log Homes.

Having a team of experienced professionals you can trust to guide you from beginning to end is the key to successfully building your dream home. Working with a reputable, honest company who will provide you with accurate insight right from the start will make all the difference in your experience and will eliminate any disappointing surprises along the way.

Since 1976, Wisconsin Log Homes overall focus has been to make the entire building process smooth and enjoyable for each and every customer, which is why we implemented a complete design and build approach. By having our design and consulting experts work hand-in-hand with you, the customer, we’re able to successfully confirm that each modification is tracked electronically and that our homeowners are frequently informed of all structural or additional design and engineering changes and costs throughout the design and build process.

Our team prides itself in being the best in the log home industry for all the right reasons. From day one, our home consultants and designers are trained to give truthful cost ranges based on recently completed projects of comparable size and complexity; we will never exaggerate the truth or jeopardize our reputation just to make a sale. As the customer, you will know exactly what to expect before construction begins. It’s our job to keep you safe and satisfied.

Having been a customer several times before myself, I understand how important it is to know what to expect before you even get started on your home design. To help prepare and educate you on the many factors that can influence your plan’s turn-key cost before you begin designing your home, Wisconsin Log Homes and I have created a guide to help you understand how every aspect of your home – from your site to the level of finishes – will affect its turn-key cost. View this guide on our website.

It is so important to us that you know exactly what to expect before construction begins so there are absolutely no unexpected costs or surprises along the way. We hope you find this information to be helpful and informative. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any additional questions.

Wisconsin Log Homes Testimonial

After a day of winding it up in the working world, it is pure comfort to walk into our home and the smell of pine logs. It is a calming sense and winds you down. The look of the logs are stunning as the eye takes in the linear lines softened by the curvature of the logs that have been planed so beautifully to catch the gentle reflection of light. The satiny, smooth feel of the logs invites the touch. Our little grandson loves to give the vertical log in the kitchen a "hug" and the smile it creates across his face is wonderful! The windows are elegantly designed, and let in so much light throughout the many dark and rainy days in the Pacific Northwest. Everyone who comes to our home comments on the beauty, design, and warm feeling they get when they visit.

Our home consultant at Wisconsin Log Homes, Steve Lindstrom, is considered not only a link to any questions, but also a friend. He helped design our home over the phone and internet and was always available for questions during the construction and beyond. We called him over a hundred times, and each time he was available with the information we needed. It is so satisfying to know we can depend on the quality and high standards Wisconsin Log Homes has adopted and proven over the years with the continued care of their customers.

After living in a home for ten years, many of us need to remodel or sell, and move on, but this is not the case with a Wisconsin Log Home. The beauty today is as strong as the day we moved in ten years ago which proves the quality and craftsmanship that has withstood the cold, wet Pacific Northwest weather that can ruin a home quickly. Our son, a civil engineer, helped us build the house and always jokes about the "big one" (earthquake), and our home. He says, "This home may tip over if a '9' comes, and that will only be from earth shifts below, but it is so solid it will never come apart!"

There is only one reason we would sell our Wisconsin Log Home, and that would be to build a smaller one for our retirement years!
Thank You Wisconsin Log Homes for the 10 years of living in the home of our dreams, and especially for the beauty it has maintained for a decade!

S&E Smith

Wisconsin Log Homes Customer Testimonial

After reviewing several log home brochures, looking at their various designs, reading about their company histories and construction methods, and reading many testimonials, we were most impressed with Wisconsin Log Homes and chose them to design our new home.

From the start, our Wisconsin Log Homes representative was extremely upbeat, helpful and solicitous, and was able to answer all of our questions promptly and convincingly. We were repeatedly assured of complete satisfaction with the building process under Wisconsin Log Homes’ direction, and felt very confident that we had made the right choice.

Our representative at Wisconsin Log Homes recommended a local builder who had worked for them for many years on several projects. We chose him after receiving a much higher bid from another builder. Our builder has been outstanding in every way. He is meticulous, honest, very knowledgeable, and has helped us in many instances to add little touches to enhance the house design. All of the subcontractors have been excellent also. In short, we have had no problems, but just very “smooth sailing” with the entire process. The building is moving along according to schedule even with the harsh winter weather conditions we have been faced with.

All in all we are extremely happy with our choice of Wisconsin Log Homes and would highly recommend them to anyone who is planning to build.

N&D Anderson

TO VIEW CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS OF THE ANDERSON'S HOME, CLICK HERE.

Wisconsin Log Homes Customer Testimonial

Joe and I built the featured home on your web page in Tower, MN this summer on Lake Vermilion. We have to tell you that the home has exceeded our expectations in many ways. All of the construction people that we have worked with, or people in the trades that have viewed the “bones” of the house have told us how well built it is. In addition, the architectural design is so pleasing to look at and the quality of the materials is so much better than we have experienced with our current home.

I also wanted to share with you how much I have enjoyed being able to go to your website to look at all of the pictures of other homes. I have gotten a lot of ideas from these pictures. This has really enhanced the interior finishing for me. I’m going to go to the pictures before I leave your website to check out something else today! If our interior finishing turns out as well as we hope, we’ll take pictures so that you can add more ideas.

We really got a kick out of seeing our house in the featured homes pages too.

Your staff at Wisconsin Log Homes has wonderful ideas and are very good at what they do. Thank you for helping us make our dream home come true.

J&M Wegleitner

Wisconsin Log Homes Testimonial

Originally we had planned to build a timber frame home. We had gone as far as having a timber frame home designed. However, after seeing a picture of a Wisconsin Log Home that we really liked in a Log Home magazine, we decided to weigh the pros and cons of timber frame vs. Thermal-Log construction. We could achieve our top priorities of high energy efficiency and vaulted ceilings with massive beams with either timber frame or Wisconsin Log Homes construction techniques. We did cost estimates for building our home via timber frame and Wisconsin Log Homes and concluded that it would be less costly to build our home using Wisconsin Log Homes' package building system. We planned to use cedar siding for the exterior of the home. After receiving a sample of the custom made cedar siding from Wisconsin Log Homes, the decision was easy. The massive cedar siding is truly unique.

We were extremely pleased with Wisconsin Log Homes throughout the whole planning and building process. The process, from start to finish, went very smoothly. It started with Wisconsin Log Homes designers modifying the basic plan that we liked. The design team was very responsive to our requests and after numerous modifications, we had our plan. We received the cost estimate for the package in a timely manner which enabled us to make the decision to build our home. This started a well orchestrated process that was clearly spelled out in advance so that we knew what to expect at every step along the way.

Our home consultant at Wisconsin Log Homes was very helpful throughout the process including the design phase, the delivery of materials, and the building phase. He helped us find a quality builder and also helped to expedite the delivery of materials to meet the builder’s schedule. He interacted directly with our builder on questions during the building process.

We are very satisfied with our home and with Wisconsin Log Homes. The design of the home, the beautiful cedar siding, the massive beams with T&G vaulted ceilings turned our “Dream Home” into a reality.

T&S Ginter