Would I be crazy(er) to buy a log home?

[911 Rod]

I've been looking for 2 years and now renting for the last year.
Going stir crazy not having my own home.
What are your opinions on buying a log home? I'm not crazy about the high ceiling, but the place looks very cool and it backs on to a river in a small hamlet.

[Steve Carlton]

I don't know anything about log cabins except the Abe Lincoln thing, but I think that one is very cool, including the high ceiling! My uncle bought a house in Bellevue, ID in 1977 and he removed some sheetrock to discover the house was at least partly, a cottonwood log cabin. He removed the rest of the sheetrock and it was beautiful.

[onewhippedpuppy]

I think that’s freaking awesome. There’s something amazingly homey about a log home.

[911 Rod]

My concern is I heard they can be maintenance nightmares and are not very energy efficient?

[gwmac]

Check on insurance

[oldE]

Those look like processed timbers, so the joins would be tighter than logs. It's been 16 years since I've done a home energy audit, but I think the walls would be rated around R 15. Biggest potential heat loss might be the windows and skylight, depending upon how well they were caulked. I suspect the cathedral ceiling would have two layers of SM for ~R 20. I did an audit on an identical structure with the exception of the roofing material. They had shingles on their home and snow load had caused structural failure of one of the rafters.
Heat pump should take care of looking after you, and you have the fireplace if the power goes out..it's about 35 years old, no?
Looks good. Go for it.

[ben parrish]

With that Hemlock style log cabin they're actually is very little maintenance. The chinking used in that style is a synthetic chinking that last for a long time. There's actually Styrofoam sandwiched between the chinking.. We have had a number of these cabins for 25+ years with no maintenance other than a traditional house needed. Once they get warm, they stay pretty warm.

[Zeke]

I'm surprised at the relatively low R-value but having been in the door and window business for a long time I do know that convection is a real problem before getting too excited about conduction. Radiation, being the 3rd energy factor, is another area to look at but typically window and doors make up less than 10% of the total energy envelope if you include floors and ceilings. However, that 10% represents one of the larger energy percentages of heat transfer than their physical share of area.

So other than wood maintenance, looking at a log cabin for a residence would entail examining the construction. It could be rather tight or it could leak energy like a sieve.

You're right about being concerned with high ceilings with exposed beams unless the ceiling is actually a framed lumber ceiling with sheathing and insulation above and the T & G plus beams below with all the reflective and vapor barriers in place. It's been done, but IDT typically. Usually foam sheets are used above the T & G and that don't cut it.

[911 Rod]

The consensus here and with a couple of friends is it's so cool buy it. But yes, lots for me to be concerned about.
I'll definitely be asking for past heating costs.
What is a good R-value for a 30 year old house?

[Cajundaddy]

My kids are looking at one now as a mountain vacation cabin. It is a prefab design that looks pretty good in terms of construction quality and was professionally assembled. High vaulted ceilings do increase the heating load but look and feel good as a living space. The devil is in the details so if it is tight, well built, doors and windows square, a log home might be a good choice. If homeowner built, lots of clear missteps, unfinished details... Run.

[911 Rod]

I made an appointment for a showing Saturday morning.

[pwd72s]

Beautiful...but I now think like the handicapped I am...and grateful that I bought a single story home all those years ago.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by 911 Rod

What is a good R-value for a 30 year old house?

As I said (or didn't make clear) R values can be deceiving and not a good indicator. There are U-values too. An energy audit is the only way to know everything.

You don't have to go full blown (see what I did?) but a pressure test is important if you want to go beyond a physical inspection of everything you can access. Assume if the structure is over 20 year old, especially 30, it is deficient.

What can be done depends on where the biggest losses/gains are. There are tons of informational sites, including government and institutional, to glean info.

High ceilings are getting a bad rap here. High ceilings often mean poor performance. If the ceiling is good energy wise, heat can be managed with circulation.

[recycled sixtie]

If you get serious about it would you consider a professional home inspection done by an inspector who has experience in log homes?
Cheers, Guy.

[911 Rod]

Originally Posted by recycled sixtie

If you get serious about it would you consider a professional home inspection done by an inspector who has experience in log homes?
Cheers, Guy.

I am capable of doing an inspection on a regular house as I've seen many inspection forms and most are a joke.
This home I would find someone with experience and pay for it. Finding that person will be the hard part. I have many clients that I print architectural drawings for so I could start by asking them if they know anyone.