Kiln Drying
& Energy
Effeciency
Advantages of using Kathdin
Cedar logs:
- True
kiln-dried product
- Timber Products, Inc. graded and
stamped, plus our own rigid grading standards
- Facilities for storing dried logs
- Customer Quality
Assurance
Kiln-Drying
Facts
- Kiln-drying stabilizes the wood.
- Kiln-drying, before the milling of
the logs, maintains the quality of the logs.
- Most
checks occur during dryings.
- Logs
can be turned during the milling, placing checks
in such a way as to maximize the best possible
finish.
- Kiln-drying kills wood boring
insects (beetles) and decay fungi (dead-standing
pre-seasonal logs harbor both of these).
- Kiln-drying sets the pitch and
prevents pitch bleed.
- Kiln-dried logs are lighter,
thereby saving in the cost of
transportation.
Does the Competition Stack Up on
Kiln-Drying?
- Minimum of 30 days in the kiln is
required
- Temperatures that reach 180 degrees
- Logs
are monitored throughout the drying process
according to our kiln-drying schedule
- When
criteria has been met several samples of the
logs are cut and weighed
- A
moisture meter (probe) is used to check moisture
content of these samples
- With
the correct moisture level achieved, the logs
are placed in the dry until milling
- Moisture levels are checked once
again during the milling process
- Any
log not meeting the correct moisture level is
dropped out
- To
assure quality, logs are checked a final time
before being shipped
Energy
Efficiency
A log home
constructed of 7" solid wood walls might have an
indicated steady-state R-value of R-9. But in
most U.S. climates, especially those where log
homes are most popular, a stick framed
home would have to be insulated to about R-13
(or even R-15 in some areas) to perform as well
for heating and air-conditioning energy used on
an annual basis. this comparison assumes similar
attic insulation, window performance, foundation
design and the use of identically
efficient mechanical systems for heating and
cooling. in practical terms log homes may
be expected to perform from 2.5% to 15% more
energy efficient when compared to an identical
wood frame home, considering annual purchased
heating and cooling energy needs.
In real
terms, this means an owner of a log home might
expend $150 to $400 less per year on their
heating and cooling-related utility bills, while
maintaining equal or superior comfort under
real-world weather conditions. over the long
term, these savings add up - for example an
owner could have over $12,000 in today's dollars
in the bank due to energy
efficiency.
Facts:
- Wood
insulates 6 times better than brick, 15 times
better than concrete and 1,770 times better than
aluminum
- Logs
have thermal mass due to cellular structure,
bulk and thickness
- Thermal mass in log material is the
capacity to absorb, store and slowly release
energy over time
- Thermal mass provides
significant energy-savings benefits by releasing
heat back into the house when temperatures drop
- Thermal mass performance of log
wall is an advantage to log home
owners
