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Log Homes are snug and warm
Log homes are just as energy efficient as any home and energy
costs for their owners are very often lower than they would
be in a similarly sized conventional home. A widely held misconception
about log homes was that wind whistled through. There was
also talk of logs having low R values relative to stud and
insulation walls. R- value measures a materials resistance
to the transfer of heat from one side to another. The first
is not true; the second has some validity but is offset by
the fact that logs enjoy what is called thermal mass, which
helps to lower energy costs for them.
Studies have shown that there is no more leakage through
the joints between logs than through walls made of conventional
materials. What air leakage that does occur is on par with
leakage found in conventional homes and at the same places:
at roof peaks, around window and door frames, and along the
tops of walls.
Thermal mass is a material's capacity to absorb, store, and
slowly release heat over time. Logs have a cellular structure
that tends to absorb and store heat. When the air temperature
dips below the temperature stored in the logs, heat transfers
back from the logs to the air. In this way, warmth put out
by the heating system is partly stored in the logs and given
back to the interior air when needed. The heating system thus
does not have to work as hard or as long.
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