EXCLUSIVE: America's 'working homeless' who live in RV encampments lining streets across the nation: Small business owners, prison guards and Amazon workers among people opting to live off the grid - but locals say they're a blight on their communities

Daily Mail UK ^ | May 28, 2023 | Paul Farrell

[Arlis]

Ah-ha! Now lots of companies have picked up on the many advantages of laminated logs and are making them.

Pick your wood carefully: cedar is dark and gets darker over time. Cannot get large logs. Yellow pine is a strong wood structurally - but not pretty - not a good wood cosmetically. Best used for hidden structural needs.

Canadian white pine - lodgepole preferably - is ideal. Light color that stays light, bug-free.

[griffin]

Many, many historic log homes and barns were built with green logs. Had to. Needed shelter. Many still stand and are in use today hundreds of years later. So, I’m not worried about it. I like variation and the hand made look so I’m not going for perfectly straight logs or uniformity. In fact, I want to avoid that. I’m doing a hand crafted home. Spruce and lodgepole.

[griffin]

“Canadian white pine - lodgepole preferably - is ideal. Light color that stays light, bug-free.”

Awesome. Thank you.

[Arlis]

“Many, many historic log homes and barns were built with green logs. Had to. Needed shelter. Many still stand and are in use today hundreds of years later.”

For sure. But even with dried solid logs you can have 2 1/2” of settling, twisting, warping after 5-7 years. Doors, windows, passageways - all need to be designed to compensate for this.

Good friends not far from us bought a beautiful log home of solid logs about 10 years before we built. They had tons of maintenance issues as noted above even tho logs were from a top name in the log home kit business. When they built a Master BR suite addition half the sq.ft. of the original house, the chose 2x6 framing with log siding - never wanted logs again.

I made a choice for the most maintenance-free log home possible and after 23 years, am so glad I did.

[griffin]

Yeah, I’ve read anywhere from .25 to .75” settling per 1 foot of wall height. Like you said...windows, doors, etc...

Good advice. Thank you!