Luxury Log Homes Marry Natural Beauty With Sustainable Building
Log homes have been dear to the hearts of American pioneers since the country was first colonized. Whether it was a one-room cabin or an expansive alpine lodge, the tradition of log homes is as American as baseball and apple pie. Today homeowners are forging a new tradition with luxury log homes.
Today the lure of getting away from urban stress is stronger than ever. In addition, many people are motivated by a strong desire to live in greater harmony with the environment, building homes that are made of sustainable materials and with “green” building practices. For these reasons and more, luxury log homes have become a welcome blend of skill and style.
To start designing a log home, one of the first steps is to consider whether to ask your builder to pursue LEED certification. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System. These global standards were developed to encourage builders to follow sustainable practices in the development of commercial builders. The program has recently been extended to include residential dwellings.
There are many advantages of seeking LEED certification for luxury log homes. Meeting the seven LEED category standards of site sustainability, materials and construction methods, water usage, energy, heating and cooling systems, finishes and indoor environmental quality will result in a home that provides the ultimate in comfort while living lightly on the land. A homeowner who desires to “go green” should keep this goal in mind from the moment land is purchased.
Materials and construction methods focuses on the choice of building materials, such as logs or timber made of wood certified to have been harvested sustainably from renewable species. Waste management, or the removal of construction waste, also comes under this category.
Next, “going green” with log homes requires spending as much time as necessary in researching, comparing and designing a home’s elements. Many prospective owners of luxury log homes find it helpful to assemble an album of photos and floor plans that they like. Going over these preferences regularly with a builder or an architect can help assure that the home is built according to the customers’ desires using the most environmentally friendly materials and practices available.
Fourth, secure your financing before you start construction. Equally as important, be sure you’ve borrowed enough to fund the entire project. Too many partially finished and abandoned log homes testify to the look far enough into construction costs to calculate the total expense of luxury log homes. In most cases, you won’t be able to get a construction load when building is in progress, because lenders consider that to be too high a risk.
Contrary to popular opinion, “going green” in log homes doesn’t require a larger investment. Many cost-effective solutions are available. In addition, improved efficiency coupled with LEED certification will save money over time and increase the home’s value.
It is easy to choose your perfect home from the many log cabin floor plans available and start building fast! When you select your home from the log homes kits available, you will get all of the details and information you need to complete your project built easily and quickly!
