Kiln Drying & Energy
Effeciency
Advantages of using Strongwood Log Homes
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
