The energy efficiency of a properly built log home has been documented by research such as the study done by the National Bureau of Standards. Better still, the results of this study have been verified by thousands of comfortable Lok-N-Logs homeowners. Their log homes are warm in winter and cooler in summer and their energy bills are generally less than those of their neighbors who live in conventionally constructed homes. In fact, selecting a particular customer testimonial from among the many which we receive praising the energy efficiency of Lok-N-Logs homes was a difficult task.

Considering the R-factor traditionally assigned to a solid log wall is generally a low rating - an 8" log, for instance, is given a normal R-10 value - why, then, does a log home perform so well? The answer lies in the properties inherent in solid log construction. Unlike insulating materials with much higher assigned R-values, the log combines its natural insulating ability with the "thermal capacitance" of the log material. Simply put, the billions of air cells within the structure of the wood slow down the transfer of heat trying to escape in the winter. In summer, these cells reverse the protection by not permitting easy transfer of heat from outside to the inside of your log home. At the same time the mass of your log wall provides a reservoir to store energy. This "thermal capacitance" of a solid log wall means less fluctuation in the temperature while still insulating the indoors from the outdoors. It also means lower energy costs for and less disruptions to the environment as less fuel is consumed to maintain comfortable temperatures.

Every Lok-N-Logs home is engineered to meet or exceed all energy codes. We have never designed a log home that has been unable to pass any of the thermal codes in your particular building area. Our greatest satisfaction, however, comes from having our customers across the country tell us about their low fuel bills or that they heat their entire homes with wood stoves. Their simple and straightforward remarks are proof positive that thermal mass works for log home owners.