The Rural Voice, 1994-10, Page 38The warmth
of wood
Many people
are taking a new
look at log
homes for
reasons of
beauty and
health
By Keith Roulston
D eauty, energy efficiency, even
health concerns — the reasons
for some discerning home
buyers turning to log homes are
many, but one thing is sure — more
and more people arc taking that
route.
It's ironic that many country
people are returning to the type of
homes their great -great grandparents
were happy to escape as the pioneer
times gave way to the more
prosperous Victorian era but then the
log home of today bears little
resemblance to the log cabin of 150
years ago. Far from the drafty, poorly
chinked earlier version, modern log
homes arc nearly equivalent to R-
2000 cncrgy efficient homes. While
many of the early log homes have
rotted into extinction, today's log
homes arc designed and built to last
300-500 years, says Jim Donkers of
Donkers-Harris Construction, one of
several log home builders serving
western Ontario.
German Dr. Anton Schneider, in
an article in Log Home Guide,
outlined 15 advantages of all -wood
construction many of which,
surprisingly to outsiders, include
health. Wood, he points out, can
breath and, if untreated by varnishes,
will provide natural air exchange for
improved air quality. In addition, the
34 THE RURAL VOICE
Rural Living
Log homes just look naturally in place in a country setting. Inside, proponents
say, the homes provide a restful, healthy environment.
cell cavities in wood actually provide
purification of the air by filtering and
trapping harmful chemicals released
by other materials such as furniture.
"Even unpleasant odours are quickly
removed if a room has a sufficiently
large arca of natural and untreated
wood. The wood adds its own scent
to the air.
Wood also moderates humidity
and absorbs sound, helping
contribute to more comfort in the
home environment. And then there's
the soothing sense that wood seems
to exert on people when they live in
an all -wood home.
All these were among the qualities
that attracted Ken and Joyce
Williams to build a log home after
they sold their cash -crop farm near
Ingersoll and decided to build a new
home and boarding kennel on a
nearby property. Years earlier they
had decided if ever they sold their
farm they'd like to build on this
property with its hillside setting that
will overlook a man-made lake
they're also constructing.
They had been looking at different
log homes for about 10 years and had
been in touch with Jim Donkers of
Donkers Harris Construction, who
they eventually chose to build their
home, as far back as 1987.
The Williams are typical of the
kind of people who are often builders
of log homes. "For a lot of people
this is the home they always wanted,
says Brian Padfield, president of
Maple Hill Log Homes at Mount
Forest. "These people know what
they want. They know the difference
between different log configurations,
different corner systems." Often this
is the last home people will buy.
"Log home people move less than
people in ordinary homes."
Doug Barwell of Shalom
Woodcraft, Owen Sound, says people
generally have a dream of living in a
log home, a very definite idea of
what it will be like. "It's not
something that you can change
people's opinions on whether they
like it or not." Those who have an
idea of a regular home aren't likely to
suddenly switch to a log home.
There are two distinct market
groups for log home buyers,
Padfield says. The majority of
people buy pre-cut packages from the
various log home building
companies. There are also those who
want original hand-crafted, hand-
hewn log homes. Padfield, through
Maple Hill has tried to serve both
markets. His company offers pre-cut
packages but also can provide square
log, round log and post and beam
construction, using craftsmen it has