How does the insulation factor of log walls compare to conventional frame houses?
A study by the National Bureau of Standards found that due to a log wall’s “Thermal Mass Effect” (where heat transfer is delayed by the high heat retention of the wall mass), a log building used 46% less heating than a comparable wood frame building during the spring heating period. During the summer months, the log building used 24% less less cooling energy than a comparable insulated wood frame building. Finally, during the winter months, the heating energy used by the log building and the insulated wood frame building was practically the same.
