FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

You have questions - We have answers

If you would like to ask a question of your own please contact us here, or give us a call at 800-732-5564. We'll be sure to respond as quickly as possible.

 

ARE REAL LOG HOMES LOGS TREATED AND GRADED?

All our logs, except cedar, are treated with AMICAL™ Flowable and Tim-Bor®, an EPA-registered, non-toxic wood preservative, which inhibits mildew, decay, and insect infestations. Your log home will still require an exterior maintenance program to keep it beautiful and protected. Properly maintained with an exterior treatment, the benefits of Tim-Bor are permanent. In addition, Real Log Homes logs meet the stringent Log Homes Council grading program. This helps ensure the integrity of your home, and also may be extremely important to you in obtaining building permits.

ARE REAL LOG HOMES LOG COMPONENTS KILN-DRIED?

Our logs are not kiln-dried. We feel it is far more important to have a treated log than a kiln-dried log. Because the logs are treated, they are not completely dried out. Our logs season in place. This process, in combination with our InterLock™ Joinery System, allows your new home to settle naturally, thus eliminating the need for chinking, reducing the amount of checking in the wood, and producing an extremely weather-tight home.

If you stop to think about it, kiln-dried sounds great as a marketing tool, but the amount of dryness and similar related claims are of suspect value with a big timber wall log. The Real Log Homes system acknowledges what even the finest log handcrafters have known all along: logs absorb moisture and humidity and must be allowed to settle naturally. Thus, as soon as a log is removed from a kiln, the log will begin to absorb any moisture in the air and reach a new equilibrium with the moisture content around it. In order for the kiln drying to have maximum effect, you must receive the logs, completely build your house, then stain and seal it, all before the logs have any exposure to rain or humidity.

HOW WILL I MAINTAIN THE EXTERIOR OF MY REAL™ LOG HOME?

All Real Log Homes pre-cut logs, except cedar, are treated with Tim-Bor, a non-toxic wood preservative that inhibits insect attack, mildew, and decay. We also take great care in the bundling and wrapping of your log package so that it arrives looking great. However, in order to maintain the long-term beauty and protection of your home after construction, the natural wood structure must be protected by periodic applications of a high-quality exterior finish. The frequency of application will vary due to your site and its environmental exposures, as well as the products you choose. Our exclusive construction manual provides tremendous guidance regarding a proper maintenance program.

There are several fine companies that specialize in products formulated for log home maintenance. With the use of reputable products and a conscientious maintenance program, you can be assured that your home will retain its lasting appeal and value. Your Real Log Homes Independent Representative can give you further information and advice on these products.

WHAT IS MY FIRST STEP?

It's easy. First contact the Real Log Homes Independent Representative nearest you. Click here to locate an Independent Representative in your area! If you don't see a representative near you, don't worry, we have an in-house support team that can work with you directly and help you locate a local builder in virtually any state. We ship log homes EVERYWHERE, nationally and even internationally!  Our designers are well versed in local building codes and when we don't have an answer, we find it! If you have difficulty or would simply like further information, you can also call us at 1-800-REAL LOG (732-5564) or Contact Us directly to request more information. Your Independent Representative will be pleased to help arrange a visit to a model home if he or she has one. Independent Representatives are there to offer all assistance possible regarding your home building experience--space needs, design ideas, budget, financing, and construction.

WHAT COMES WITH MY REAL LOG HOMES PACKAGE?

Our "package" could best be described as a structural shell comprised of those log components that are unique to our Real Log Homes building system. This includes pre-cut and graded logs, PVC Lockspline, LogHog fasteners, and spikes. In addition, our "package" also includes those components, like windows and doors, that require (for an ideal fit) precision pre-cutting and accommodation. See more on what's included in Our Package.

Standard building materials or components that do not have or require unique treatment or accommodation can be supplied by a local builder of your choice. Many of our Independent Representatives are also builders who could help you in this area. We think it is far more in your interests to get most conventional materials delivered locally. By doing so, you get to choose the quality of the components, you don't have unused materials laying around the site for lengthy periods (exposing them to weather, damage, or possible pilferage), and you may also reduce your shipping costs from the factory. Finally, we think one of the biggest pitfalls of determining a log home supplier is to shop "kits" alone. As with any product or service, shopping price or quantity alone could mean forsaking the overall value of your home investment and could make for an unhappy experience.

As an example, you might comparison-price a Real Log Homes package with another company's package. Both packages include roof rafters. However, in our package, the roof system includes rafters that are log, pre-cut to length and roof pitch, include a glu-laminated ridge beam, are pre-treated, and are sized and spaced for a specific snow-load bearing. In the competitive package, the roof system package might be merely a supply of 2 x 10 lumber. Our prices will likely be higher, but the differences in materials and in the subsequent superior quality of your finished home make the price worthwhile.

WILL BANKS FINANCE MY REAL LOG HOME?

The explosion in popularity of log homes has eased financial acceptance. Most of our Independent Representatives can connect you with financial institutions in your area that are ready and willing to finance your Real log home and this applies to the construction financing as well as to the permanent mortgage. In addition, we have positive relationships with a few lenders on a national scope, which offer entire finance programs catering specifically to the log home industry.

WILL I NEED A SPECIAL FOUNDATION FOR MY LOG HOME?

Your Real log home can be built on a variety of standard full foundations or on a concrete slab. A typical foundation plan, along with the first floor framing plans, will be provided as part of your Real Log Homes package.

WILL MY REAL LOG HOME COST MORE THAN A "STICK-BUILT"?

As a general rule, a quality Real log home will cost about the same as a quality "stick-built" home, providing the same specifications and building components are used. However, when you are finished, you will own something decidedly different...a log home that is warm, unique, and full of character. It will simply appear to be far more expensive. The only factor that tends to make log homes go up in price is that our customers don't often build a log home with intentions to re-sell. They build their dream home to stay in forever. With that in mind, they are inclined to include more amenities for a lifetime of enjoyment in their home.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY "PRE-CUT" AND HOW MUCH PRE-CUTTING DO YOU DO?

Not all log home companies pre-cut their packages, providing instead a "lineal package" pile of logs. To help ensure a precision fit, your Real log home will have pre-cut corners, butt joints, window and door openings, and gables to roof pitch. Even rafters, joists, and girders are pre-cut and notched. Logs are numbered and lettered for fast and easy assembly. Because our log packages incorporate more pre-cutting than most of our competitors' packages, you save time and money during construction.

AM I LIMITED TO THE REAL LOG HOMES STANDARD FLOOR PLANS?

When it comes to designing your Real log home, you are limited only by your imagination and your budget. We can create a home from your original design, from our standard floor plans, or from a combination of both. Your Independent Representative can help you translate your ideas into an attractive and functional design that fits your unique needs. At blueprint stage, your custom plans will be designed to meet or exceed national building codes by our professional design staff using the latest computer-aided drafting (CAD).

DOES REAL LOG HOMES OFFER HYBRID HOMES?

Real Log Homes has designed and manufactured many hybrid homes. Combining different natural materials and building styles can lead to beautiful results! Lot's of our customers will choose to combine log with stone as well as incorporate post and beam and other materials.