Log Home Efficiency

How can buying a log home from Wooden Dream Homes save me money?

The National Bureau of Standards found that a log's thermal mass is a very important factor in a log home’s efficiency—it can reduce overall energy needs and expenses by as much as 30 percent when compared to a traditional stick frame home.

What is Thermal Mass?

Thermal mass acts as a “thermal battery.” During summer, it absorbs heat, keeping the house comfortable. In winter, the same thermal mass can store heat from the sun in heaters and release it at night to help the home stay warm.

The Test

A 28-week test conducted by the National Bureau of Standards found that a log home’s "Thermal Mass Effect" plays an important role in the structure’s energy-efficiency and can significantly reduce a log home's overall energy needs.

National Bureau of Standards Thermal Mass Effects in Building Test Log Home vs. Insulated Wood Frame House
A log home was built with 7" solid wood logs with no additional insulation, no vapor barrier, and no interior dry wall. This wall had an R-value of 10.	An insulated wood frame house was built with 5/8" exterior wood siding, 2" x 4" stud wall, 3 1/2" fiberglass insulation, plastic vapor barrier, and 1/2" gypsum dry wall, giving the walls a nominal rating of R-12.

The results of the study highlight superior log home efficiency. It can cost up to 30 percent less to heat and cool a home built with logs. Why? Because it takes longer for temperature to move through a log wall than a wood frame insulated wall. Once a temperature has been established on the inside of a log home, it takes longer for that temperature to change, so your heating/cooling units cycle less often. The results clearly demonstrate the higher efficiency of a log home compared to insulated frame wall construction.