Log Cabins: What Makes them Naturally Green and Energy Efficient?
Sustainability is everyone’s new favorite word. It has taken the internet by storm. With the world moving towards electric cars, a minimalist lifestyle, kitchen gardens, cloth bags, and organic goods, everyone’s waking up and noticing how we have used and abused our natural resources almost to the point of extinction. We’re at a critical crossroads.
E
ither we make long-term changes now or suffer severe consequences. This is where log cabins come in. One of the best ways to weave sustainable practices into your daily life can be through the kind of home you live in.
They can transform into your full-time home, where you can truly live a low-waste, eco-friendly lifestyle. Although it might seem like they use a lot of timber, wood cabins use less energy to build than conventional homes.
But just how natural and energy efficient are they? Following are a few points discussing just that!
1. Sustainable Materials
Log homes in Colorado aren’t just for the holidays or Christmas dinners anymore. Let’s start by looking at the materials used to build them. They don’t use chemical substances or hazardous materials to build other modern high-rise buildings. Mostly, the wood cabins are made using high-quality, locally sourced, and sustainably produced timber.
For every tree cut to build a home, the nursery plants a new one. The number of trees they cut yearly is fixed to maintain the plantation constantly. Since these trees naturally grow in Colorado, they can withstand cold winters better than timber from other parts of the US. So log homes stand firm and stay warm during the harsh Colorado winter.
2. Smart Use of Light and Space
Log homes can also be designed to welcome natural light into the cabin. Some cabins have large pane-glass windows in every room to allow plenty of sunlight during the day.
They make intelligent use of shade, cross ventilation, and space design to keep the temperature moderate in the log home. These cabins are usually built in areas with lots of open space and gardens of life, so the homeowners are surrounded by beautiful views instead of large buildings and traffic.
Therefore, they are not only eco-friendly homes but also sitting in the lap of nature. Homeowners can rest assured that their cabins aren’t emitting harmful gases or causing air pollution. Additionally, homeowners like to use sustainable or recycled materials inside their homes to reduce their carbon footprint further.
3. Maintenance and Upkeep
There is no doubt that homeowners need to take a little extra care of their log cabins; however, the opportunity cost of that effort makes it worthwhile. If dust or moisture settles into the wood, there is a high risk of damage that might increase repair costs, or worse, the panel might need to be replaced. On the other hand, regular cleaning and wiping off dust and snow could go a long way in increasing the life of a wood cabin.
4. Energy Efficiency
Most log homes are located outside the city. These areas get plenty of sunlight which can be used to heat water and generate electricity, thereby cutting down on electricity bills. Using solar power is also beneficial because the price of solar power installation kits is coming down, and the number of subsidies and grants provided by the government is going up. Similarly, they need little or no mechanical air conditioning in the summer.
5. Reducing Wastage
Moreover, the wood is naturally insulated and designed to keep heat in. Instead of central heating, many log cabin owners prefer to install radiant in-floor heating that pumps hot water under the floor to provide warmth to the entire cabin. This water can also be reused. This way, you’re not only using less electricity but also reducing environmental waste. Some homeowners also install barrels in their gutters to collect rainwater, which can be used to maintain the garden or be filtered.
6. Health Benefits
Living in a log cabin has immense health benefits. Since log homes are located away from cities, they positively impact our physical and mental health. Ailments like hypertension, stress, depression and anxiety can be significantly reduced by living in a natural environment.
Instead of being surrounded by traffic, noise, dust, and pollution of cities, imagine living in a wooden cabin surrounded by grasslands and a clear view of the sky. It isn’t just the people living inside the cabin that feel these benefits; the ecosystem around the log home is also positively impacted.
A Parting Note
Log cabins are undoubtedly a greener and more sustainable choice compared to brick and cement homes. For example, some log cabins are built using wooden frames for doors and windows instead of plastic.
Although they require regular maintenance and care, they last much longer than plastic ones. Such a lifestyle can help reduce carbon emissions, air pollution, and energy consumption to a great extent. Imagine if we could replace cities with communities full of warm, earthy cabins!
Donna Ford is the Sr. Marketing Manager at Zero Down. Belonging to a real estate background, Donna delved into real estate and homeownership at a very young age. She loves reading about property scams and informing her readers by giving tips on how to avoid them. Apart from that, you’ll find her gardening in the backyard of her home.