Frustrated with the impact of special interests and Federal mandates on the ICC Code Development Process, Rob wrote his book “The Peril of Log Building” in 2012.  The intent of this thesis is to provide a resource for all who have a passion for log homes to support log building now and in the future.

Using a design solution format, this is a thesis on the benefit of log building.  The problem statement is that the log home industry is in jeopardy of being legislated out of business.  The thesis reviews the vast heritage, durability and environmental benefit of this method of construction, offers views on the importance of maintaining it, a hypothesis to retain it as a viable option, and the parameters that must be addressed.

The solution?  The primary solution is to promote ICC400, our consensus industry standard for design and construction of log structures, as the “log building code”.  Referenced in the ICC building codes (IBC and IRC), it has yet to gain a firm place in the ICC International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).

Three years later, the extent of new legislation, code requirements and regulation are still mounting.  As new, “approved” materials and technologies challenge builders, solid wood walls continue to provide occupant comfort in all climate zones.

Order a copy of The Peril of Log Building

This article is a great synopsis of the effort to utilize mass timber in building.

The hottest new thing in sustainable building is, uh, wood  The many, many benefits of using wood in place of concrete and steel.By David Roberts@drvoxdavid@vox.com  Jan 15, 2020, 10:30am EST  Click here to view the article that includes the following:  The advantages...

Exploring Projects Around the Globe

For someone who has spent a career focusing on one- and two-family dwellings, I appreciate the creativity of those who promote timber design and construction on a larger scale. This blog will be updated as I come across more articles of such spectacular work as is...

The log cabin grows up

New techniques in wood construction can save money and reduce carbon emissions. By Dylan Walsh ’11MEM | May/Jun 2020 People are doing two troubling things at once: they are changing the climate through emission of huge quantities of greenhouse gases, and they are...

Healthy Forests, Happy Industry

Photo Credit: Intermountain Construction - Old Faithful Inn With so much press about the environment and climate change, it is worthwhile to take in the facts from solid research on the world’s forests. Thanks to a LinkedIn discussion, I came across a site I was...

Using more wood for construction can slash global reliance on fossil fuels

Using more wood for construction can slash global reliance on fossil fuels By Kevin Dennehy for YaleNews A Yale University-led study has found that using more wood and less steel and concrete in building and bridge construction would substantially reduce global carbon...

Tall Wood aka Mass Timber

Information about a cousin to log building, mass wood panels and components from laminated timber.

Wood Surroundings Are Healthy!

WOOD SURROUNDINGS ARE HEALTHY! HERE’S PROOF. For those that have long felt there were health benefits to living and working in spaces that contained wood products on the walls, floors, and/or ceilings, new research proves their point!  A June 2015 report titled Wood...

‘Green’ Log Mansion in Black Mountain

Read the citizen-times.com story here  

Energy Upgrades for Existing Log Homes

See this article and more posted at http://loghomes.org/energy-upgrades-for-existing-log-homes/.   Open PDF Full-Page

Sustainable Timber

Why Austria has a head start in the sustainable timber revolution Pyramidenkogel, the world’s tallest timber observation tower. Willow Aliento | 15 April 2015 Timber construction is on the up; in Austria that’s literally, with developers in that country soon starting...