Living your best “green life” conserves energy, money and protects and helps the.
One if you took it one step further and built a truly “green” home? Log are essentially the original green building solution. They are made from a natural resource that is renewable, natural and a 100% green.
Green Building is a hot topic at the moment for many reasons. Building in an ethical and evironmentally way and reducing our exposure to toxic chemicals in our every day lives can only beneficial.
Many of us in the Western and never more so that right now, spend a disproportionate amount of time indoors. We therefore need to make sure our indoor environments are safe and healthy. A lot building products today are made of man-made chemicals and emit high levels of VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Health experts are becoming increasingly aware and concerned that these man-made chemicals are showing up in our blood and lungs.
A log home does not have these issues as they are made of material that is 100% natural and will not and cannot emit VOCs or other pollutants. From an ecological stand point, solid wood is the only building product that is renewable, biodegradable, recyclable, energy efficient and extremely beautiful. Logs and other types of solid wood, used as the main building component in a structure, generates the least amount of air and water pollution, emission of greenhouse gases and solid waste. In comparison, steel and concrete require 2.4 times and 1.7 times more energy than wood to produce and 1.42 times and 1.67 times more airborne emissions that have the potential toxic or negative health effects.
We have made many advances in forestry practices that have meant we have steadily increased the supply and growth of plantation and private forests. In North America alone, the growth of new forests has outstriped the demand and will remain at this sustainable rate. In the long term, the use of sustainable building products that are ecologically friendly are a great way to create a cleaner environment.
With energy costs rising, it makes a lot of sense to design and build with conservation in mind. There is a lot of evidence that supports how energy efficiency the construction of log homes is. Studies that have been conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and other testing organizations have shown the difference between log homes and other types of construction for example conventionally framed and masonry. The results have shown the energy efficiency that is gained through the thermal mass of solid wood walls. Log walls are much better at using the energy available in cooling your home in summer and keeping it warm in the winter months.
Many log homes are built as a family retreat or a retirement home that will be used for a lifetime and by the generations after that. These homes stand the test of times. They are not knocked down to build a new style or more modern home. These homes have longevity, they are energy efficient do not hurt the environment and on the whole are beautiful.
Thanks to:
The Log Home Council www.loghomes.org
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Other Articles you may like:
Discover preventative maintenance ideas for every season, inside and out.
