Look for our mention in the February/March issue of Log Home Design Ideas magazine.

From the Editor
E-mail Bag
New Products Showcase
Classifieds Index
Log Home Index
Featured Web Site
NetZineŽ Back Issues

Submissions can be sent via e-mail,
Snail mailed to:
   Log Homes NetZineŽ
   c/o K-S Marketing
   P.O. Box 923
   Beloit, WI 53512 USA
Or they can be faxed to: 1-866-731-0067.

Copyright © 1998-2006
Log Homes NetZineŽ
is a trademark of
K-S Marketing Network

Click here for advertising information.

Window Choices In Log Homes

A Matter for Careful Consideration

Picture, if you will, a beautiful log home perched on a hill (not too difficult since we have one right here ->). Now, picture that same home without any windows or doors. Not quite the same sight is it? Well, as you know, we certainly need doors to access our homes. We could probably live without windows, but how drab and claustrophobic would that be? We, therefore, decide to add windows to let in light, allow ourselves and our guests to view the wonderful sights around our homes, and, you have to admit, they really dress up a home.

Choosing windows for your log home can be an involved process, and we at Log Homes NetZineŽ have set out to try and help you with that process. We contacted some log home industry experts to discuss this issue. The following are their responses. You'll notice that some of the tips they offer are very similar, which tells you that those are particularly important points to consider when designing your log home. This may seem a rather unorthodox way of writing an article, but I think you will be quite well informed and pleased with the information when you have finished reading it.

Ted Ciolli of Katy Trail Loghomes and Timberframes writes:

Buy windows for your log home the same as you would for any high quality custom home. The issues are the same. Since you are building a home to last a very long time, your dream home, your standards are likely, and should be higher, than the typical mass-produced home. The total amount of glass that you decide to use will be the topic of another discussion as it is a complex issue of its own, and tied specifically to your design and location. Shop for prices and styles first to get a feel for the cost and the range of styles available and to help you while your design your home. Then you should complete your preliminary design and compile a list of the sizes and requirements from your plan before doing any serious shopping.

Some specific selection and buying considerations are:
1. Wood or metal construction - if you choose wood, then decide on clad or not clad. In general, most log home owners prefer wooden windows over metal windows. I prefer the best of both worlds - wooden windows with metal clad exteriors for the longevity and ease of maintenance they offer. Although not a hard and fast rule, often all-wood double glass windows are the bottom of a manufacturer's line. That being said, some of the very finest of all windows are of all-wood construction, usually of clear heart grade millwork of Western Red Cedar or Redwood or tropical hardwoods. These also are generally among the most expensive windows. Some people have no problem with metal or vinyl windows. If so, all the same rules and caveats apply. There are some very good quality metal or vinyl windows available. There are even vinyl and metal windows available with interior finishes in hardwood grains.

Most log homes are finished with semi-transparent sealers, not paint. If you buy all-wood windows, and plan to stain them to match the exterior of the logs, be sure that the all-wood window is NOT prime painted. If the window is primed with paint, you will have to either remove the primer before staining, or paint the window. Check to be sure that whatever factory applied preservative finish on the window, if any, will absorb and hold penetrating stain/sealants like the logs do.

Many log home companies state that they use all-wood windows because they can be finished to match the logs, but, it is the trim that makes the windows match visually on the outside. As long as the cladding is in a color which harmonizes with the exterior, the clad windows will look great and STAY looking great long after the all wood window finish fails. Some manufacturers offer clad wood (and some all wood) windows with factory applied custom colors in addition to the standard offerings. Custom colors usually entail greater cost and lead times.

The interior of all wood and clad windows, of course, is not clad, and can be finished to your wishes, usually with clear interior finish such as polyurethanes or lacquers. Interior stain for the window sashes and frames is optional, depending on your tastes and the color of your log walls.

[Continued...]
          


LinkExchange Member