There are many ways to produce a log home façade without actually having to go to the expense of having to build a real log home. Perhaps, you are unaware, but real log homes are high maintenance, and they must be protected from the elements. Routine maintenance on the exterior of the a long cabin type home are essential, and that means treating and coating the wood, often every few years – otherwise they go back to nature.
Still, there is something romantic about a log cabin or a home made from logs. This is where log siding comes in. Log home siding can be accomplished in many ways. For instance, real logs can be cut on two, three, or four sides or corners making half rounded planks, these make an excellent siding, and a beautiful real log look. But, remember using real logs presents the same challenge as a real log home. Half log siding can be simulated with many other types of materials such as:
Vinyl Log
Steel Log
Aluminum Log
Log cabin siding using simulated log siding from other materials is possible, and many of these materials look very real, in fact you can barely tell the difference until you get up really close. Some folks want to have simulated notch-like corners to their home, rounded notches, even evidence of spline-fasteners – a real log cabin siding look is not easy to muster, but it has been achieved by using high-tech manufacturing processes with steel log siding and aluminum log siding.
With real log homes there are well over 250 manufactures in the US, and they use woods such as white pine, ponderosa pine, cedar, cypress, redwood, and a very few use oak. Luckily, you can have any of these looks as the siding for your home. And if you are a competent and knowledgeable do-it-yourself type, you might even be able to do this log siding installation yourself. The trick to log siding installation is to make sure all the connections and fittings are not visible, and everything fits flush.
If you’ve never done a lot of work around your home, or made additions to your house, and if you know nothing about siding then you should call a contractor to the log siding installation for you. I hope you will consider all this when deciding on the perfect upgrade for your home especially if you decide to do it yourself.