These lovely log homes will make you appreciate the beauty of wood

Sarah Tolle—Homify Canada Sarah Tolle—Homify Canada
Дом из клееного бруса GOOD WOOD, 783 кв.м., GOOD WOOD GOOD WOOD Classic style houses
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No matter how rapidly building technologies evolve, wood remains a tried-and-true material that’s always in high demand. Versatile and durable, this material has been used by humans for ages. The rich texture and fibrous grain of wood make it a sensorily pleasing material for a home, while its renewable nature makes it a low-cost choice in terms of both price tag and the natural environment. 

Now, architects and builders are experimenting with the construction of tall wood buildings in urban areas, using innovative building methods that allow wooden constructions to safely reach impressive heights. They’ve also been developing a variety of wood-derived building materials, often using a base of wood pulp.

However exciting these technologies may be, wood can be just as beautiful and impressive in its most basic form—and these log homes are proof! Take a tour of these 7 lovely homes to appreciate the natural beauty of wood and learn about its many beneficial qualities!

Log home benefit: low project cost

Here in Canada, especially, wood can most often be locally sourced, making it a less expensive alternative to exotic materials that must be shipped in. Building with wood is an efficient process and can be undertaken at any point during the year in most climates, contributing to a lower project cost as wood project timing is both flexible and minimal. In addition, it is easy to find a healthy assortment of experienced wood builders as this is a widely applied skill, and workers on a building team can quickly learn various techniques having to do with wood construction, regardless of their current skill level. This aspect of working with wood allows builders to keep project costs relatively low when compared to other structural materials.

​Log home benefit: small price tag

The cost of wood largely depends on the variety of wood and its availability—that said, there’s a wide range to choose from, making it simple enough to the right product for a wide variety of budgets. Spruce, pine, and fir from the Western parts of Canada often come at a very affordable price.

​Log home benefit: supporting the local economy

For Canadians, wood products play an especially important role in the economy. In rural areas, building with wood can have direct positive impacts on the local economy, as this helps to support the wood products industry with many employees living in the area. Contributing to this industry helps to bring both stability and increased investment into this sector—not only does this create local jobs, but it provides a financial incentive for landowners to invest in the continued health of forest land.

​Log home benefit: flexibility

Wood can be warped, stained, carved, sculpted, painted, and adjusted in about every way possible. Wood provides a highly flexible material with a wide range of applications, from furniture and wall art to fences and front porches. Because of its flexibility, performing an addition to an existing wooden home can be more straightforward than an addition to a brick, stone, or steel home, making this a desirable material for those intending to perform renovations down the road.

​Log home benefit: low impact on the environment

Over its life cycle, wood is considered to be a high-performance material with low environmental costs. Wood’s manufacturing, transportation, use, maintenance, and disposal processes can be less consumptive of resources than processes of other building materials like steel and concrete, lessening its contribution to air and water pollution. There’s something to be said for the peace of mind you can attain from living in a low-carbon-footprint home!

​Log home benefit: performance and durability

When it comes to building codes, wood ticks off all the boxes. Wood has been approved as a structural material for a range of low and mid-rise constructions, meeting standards for fire safety, seismic safety, structural integrity, and more. For those looking to adhere to standards for green building technology, wood is an excellent choice for ensuring the eco-friendliness of their home.

​Log home benefit: friendly, natural aesthetic

Low cost and environmental impact aside, there’s an undeniable warmth and effortlessness in wood. This log home offers an example of this innate warmth and effortlessness, a classic vision of rustic style clad in a wooden camouflage that perfectly reflects its pine forest surrounds.

See a full tour of this home in this ideabook: Simplicity shines in this gorgeous country house

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