The settling process will close the gaps between the logs and make your Log Home tighter.

Wood shrinks when it drys and expands under extreme moisture conditions. Nobody can stop this. If you use green logs with a huge diameter your Log Home can shrink up to 3 feet in height.

We recommend that you never use logs with more than 18% moisture in the center.

Just think about what will happen to your stairs, to your plumbing and electric installation if your Log Home shrinks 3'

It is necessary to create some space above windows and doors to allow the logs to settle without pushing against the windows and doors.

How much space is necessary depends on the kind of logs, the wood species and the moisture content. Your Log Home Manufacturer should have experience with this.

I would suggest a minimum of 3 inches.

The biggest problem is how to seal those spaces against air and water infiltration. This is very critical and we keep a close eye on this.

Vertical posts must have an adjustable system to compensate for the settling of the log structure.

Interior walls must be constructed and connected to the log walls with some kind of a sliding construction.

Let me explain this. If your outside log walls settle but in the middle of the house you have a load bearing wall which is fixed in height without any adjusters, your Log Home will crack like an egg.

We've seen Log Homes where the toilet stool was 2inches in the air because the plumbing system was fixed but the logs settled. If the log wall is connected to some stone work, like a chimney, you are facing huge problems, the chimney will break or your log wall will come apart.

Cracked ceramic tile floors, destroyed kitchen counters and kitchen cabinets, this list can go on and on

With our Log Home Evaluation we carefully inspect whether your log home can settle or not.