Archive for March, 2009

Log Home Floor Plans, A Plot for Green Living

Monday, March 9th, 2009

Are log home floor plans really eco-friendly? An overview of the log cabin floor plan – past and present…

Log home floor plans epitomize the meaning of the ultra cool floor plan. Timeless in their craftsmanship, the home design exudes the comfort of living green. Over the years, the log home floor plan has made its way back into the residential property market. This week, we’re reviewing its history, design and eco-friendly qualities.

The Log Home Floor Plan in History
Available in a multitude of home designing possibilities, throughout architectural history, the log house and log cabin have served different meanings. During the colonial period, the log cabin floor plan was developed as a temporary home manufactured with unfinished logs.

Conversely, log houses were considered the dream home floor plan constructed with the permanence to endure atmospheric extremities. Dubbed as the puncheon floor, the log house’s floor was handcrafted of flat timber featuring a sanded, smooth side-up. In the main living area, the hearth took center stage and multi-tasked as a stove, heat and lighting source. With its single heat source, no air conditioning and dense walls, the log home floor plan was energy efficient as long as the wind was not too gusty.

Log Home Floor Plans – Today
Today, the log home floor plan continues to showcase its green architectural splendor. Unlike the original log home floor plans of the colonial period, today’s floor plans feature numerous contemporary features. For instance, an expansive window with southern exposure depicts exterior views. A veranda off the solarium serves as a tranquil respite from the rest of the planet.

Log Home Floor Plan Fact:

Compared to the wood frame floor plan, the log cabin house has the capacity to save homeowners between $150 and $400 per year in energy costs. [Source: The Log Home Council]

Aside from the mouth dropping aesthetics of the log home floor plan, it comes with oodles of eco-friendly components. The Log Home Organization provided the Best House Floor Plans with specific qualities that influence the eco-friendliness of the log house floor plan:

  • The utilization of renewable resources (in example: timber)
  • Unlike the conventional home, which requires layers of walling, log walls are surfaced as finished.
  • Less production and energy consumption is needed for processing timber into logs
  • Other energy efficient features

For more designing ideas for plotting a purely green log home floor plan, stop by the Best House Floor Plans.com