Log Cabin Laminated Pine Siding, framed home construction

“I really wasn't a fan of log homes,” George explained. “I liked the look, but I didn't feel that log was the way I wanted to go. I know that log homes have withstood some pretty strong quakes, but on paper I just couldn't make a traditional log home meet earthquake specifications.



	This exquisite chandelier and dining room set look beautiful when contrasted with the ponderosa pine walls.

Laminated siding over a conventionally reinforced structure, however, was very interesting. The combination gave me the opportunity to design a structure that is stronger and tighter and still looks just like a log home without the cracking and checking you typically associate with traditional logs.” George's perceptions match our intent. We've built our laminated siding to be absolutely straight, reliably stable, and extremely resistant to cracking, warping, shrinking, or twisting.

The basic frame structure is built from 2x6 studs on 16" centers. The walls use R-19 fiberglass insulation and 5/8" plywood sheeting which was covered with Tyvek. R-30 Insulation lines the roof and a 6 mil plastic barrier on the inside of all exterior walls. Internally, the house has two laminated main support beams which are tied together by a Boise Cascade BCI joist system. About six hundred pounds of high strength ceramic covered screws were used to affix the siding to the walls. The screws were applied from the inside of the house at five inch centers vertically and eight inch centers horizontally.



	This den is actually part of the master bedroom. The wall was finished with a special 1 1/2" thick overlapping v-groove paneling.

As the pictures on these pages attest, it's virtually impossible to tell that the Hedrick’s home is a frame structure that has been finished with 8 1/2” laminated log cabin siding on the outside, and a special 8 1/2” x 1 1/2” v-groove paneling on the inside. The Hedricks’ place looks and feels like a log home right down to the corner construction detail, which mimics a traditional butt and pass approach. In fact, we custom cut these “false corners” for Joan and George's home from our four lamination 8 1/2” stack height laminated logs. As George says, “ I just love the log look. If a person didn't know any better, he'd swear this is a log home!”

George's attention to construction detail and Joan's flare for design have resulted in a virtually flawless blend of practicality and beauty. From layout to interior decorating the house is an absolute “knock out” and the combined R-Value of traditional 2x6 insulated walls and the thermal mass of nearly four inches of wood has resulted in a very high level of energy efficiency. The Hedricks report that they are heating their 3600 square foot home for approximately $85 per month.



The kitchen cabinetry is high-end factory-produced.

Asked about his experience in dealing with Glu-Lam-Log George said, "I enjoyed working with them. They were easy to work with and I didn't have any problems at all. I gave them plenty of notice and received the material when I asked for it. In fact, it came before we needed it. We are very happy with the siding, both inside and out.