Frequently Asked Questions

A. The premier roof system is more costly than the conventional roof system, however, you can still get the premier look with a conventional roof system by covering the ceiling with the tongue and groove materials.

A.Yes. Tennessee Log Homes has been an active member of the Council since soon after our beginning in 1975. We hosted one stop on the President’s Tour in the fall of 1999 at our manufacturing plant, Timber Tech, Inc.

A. Yes. Tennessee Log Homes has been a member of the NAHB since soon after our beginning in 1975.

A. Yes, it certainly can.

A. You can apply to be a Tennessee Log Homes Dealer. We currently have over 60 dealer families associated with us. Call Pati at 800 251-9218, ext 115 for more information.

A. Yes, we would love to have you visit our plant. Unlike many of our competitors, we don’t have any secrets to protect. In fact, we encourage you to visit and observe our superior manufacturing techniques. Call 1-800-251-9218 to schedule a plant tour, or you may want to attend our free customer seminar.

A. Sure you can, as long as there is a suitable foundation underneath. We build many homes in the Smokey Mountain area that may have one side of their foundation that is 30-40 feet tall. We also have log homes on river banks.

A. Timbor is applied at the plant before delivery by submersing the logs in a dip tank. Armourguard is basically the same borate treatment in powder form. It can be applied by the homeowner using a garden sprayer for added protection. The Armourguard should be applied after the roof is on. It can be applied to any wood, including siding.

A. That's a good question. Generally, log profile siding over studwalls will run about 25% less than full log walls. This includes the cost of insulation and sheetrock for the interior of the studwall construction.

A. Tennessee Log Homes was one of the first companies in the industry to use Timbor™ Log Treatment. Experts agree the Timbor™ process (made by U.S. Borax) is the best and overall safest, EPA approved, log treatment available. This treatment is another reason why we can offer our Limited Lifetime Warranty on all our log products.

A. We have dealers in nearly every state. But, if we do not, your requests will be handled by our In-House sales staff.

A. Yes, we do offer the purlins. Purlins sound like a good choice for your plan.

A. YES. We have sidings that match all of our log profiles. We offer a D-log profile siding and a round log profile siding that are made from 2x8 kiln-dried lumber. The finished product measures 1-1/2" thick and about 7 inches tall. We also offer a 1x12 siding that matches our 6x12 and 8x12 logs. And finally, we have a 2x12 D-log siding to match our 8x12 D-log.

A. Yes. If you hire a couple of young boys to come to the job and sand the beams while the early stages of construction are underway, it will likely cost only $200 - $300. This is money well spent. Most dry-in crews will not do this unless specifically contracted for up front. It is much easier to sand beams before they are installed, and they invariably will have handling marks, etc. that may be unsightly if not sanded. The logs can be sanded after the roof is on with no problem. They will likely need sanding only to make the surface smooth to the touch. They will probably not have many, if any, marks to be sanded off.

A. The electrical would need to be roughed in during the dry in stage and then your fixture mounted to the beam.

A. Depending on your contractors and scheduling, generally about 6 - 9 mths.

A. It can depend on the garage, but average for a log siding garage would be about $24 per square ft. Most garages are done with log siding vs full log.

A. I do not have hard data concerning the longevity of log homes, but I can comment on our experiences. We have constructed 3,000+ log homes since 1975 and do not know of any which have deteriorated beyond use. Furthermore, we offer a lifetime limited warranty on the log wall system if properly maintained. And log homes do require regular maintenance. Preservatives must be reapplied over time, the frequency of which depends on the quality of the preservative used and environmental factors. In conclusion, a log home, if properly constructed and maintained will last for generations.

A. The term turnkey refers to a home that is completely built...where the general contractor can hand you the key, and you can move right in. Therefore, a turnkey cost of a home is the absolute total cost unless items are specifically excluded (like the cost of your land, and the cost of a well or landscaping). A log home package cost is the cost of the materials needed to construct the shell of the home, delivered to your jobsite. No labor or interior materials are included unless specifically noted.

A. Your sales rep. can greatly assist you with the construction of your home. If you hire a general contractor, he will be primarily responsible for construction supervision, but the sales rep will monitor his work. Feel free to discuss this matter with your sales rep.

A. No, you do not have to use the screw jacks and this will not nullify your warranty. That said, any settling that will occur, generally will happen during the dry in. It would be a good idea to install the screw jacks while home is being dried in and they you can plug afterwards if you wish.

A. Delivery via 48-ft. flatbed trailers to as near your jobsite as road conditions allow is included with all Tennessee Traditions Packages delivered in the continental USA. You will need to rent a forklift capable of lifting 6,000 pounds to unload the trucks. Of course there is the possibility of damage with any delivery, but we rarely have any kind of problem with that, we deliver around 12 trucks per week. When something is damaged in transit, we replace it. We have insurance for such as that. If the big trucks will not be able to get to your jobsite, you can likley get a local building supply company to offload at their store, then bring the material to the jobsite on smaller trucks. They will usually do this at a low cost, if any, in order to get your other business

A. Yes, you can purchase any portion of a dry in package.

A. The published prices do not include any labor. Generally, in our area of the USA, the package can be constructed for $12-$15 per sq. ft. Your total turn-key cost excluding land and land features (landscaping, well, septic, etc.) ranges from $85.00 to $125.00 per sq. ft., depending on labor choices and quality of finish materials used.

A. No. Homeowners insurance should be about the same as with a conventional home. It may take a bit more shopping, as some insurance companies are not yet up to speed with the popularity of log homes. Not to worry. There are plenty of companies that write policies for log homes, and the rates are generally no higher than with conventional homes. Thanks for considering Tennessee Log Homes.

A. With a wood-burning fireplace, you will have to leave the chimney flue open until the fire is completely out so as not to smoke-up your home. During this time, the chimney will suck air out of your home. With a gas fireplace, you can close the flue immediately after turning off the flame, and no heat is lost. There are two kinds of gas logs, vented and unvented. The unvented type burns very efficiently and puts out a great deal of heat. However, the flame is blue and does not look very real. The vented type burns very inefficiently, but it looks like a real fire and does give off some heat. I have the vented type in my home. It looks just like a fire, we sit around it and have a good time, then we turn it off and go to bed. We love it. Thanks for considering Tennessee Log Homes.

A. I do not see why it would be more expensive. Granted, the installers may have to be a bit more creative since they are usually dealing with exposed beam ceilings and second floor systems. However, most ductwork is run under the subfloor and behind kneewalls upstairs. Plumbing is generally under the subfloor as well and inside studwalls. I have built a log home and did not experience significant increases in cost due to plumbing and ductwork. I would expect the same for you as well.

A.See the energy efficiency report from the Log Homes Council: Energy Performance of Log Home

A.Pressure Treated Logs are, by definition, loaded with moisture. They are put into a sealed container and have a liquid arsenic compound forced into them under pressure. Have you ever used CCA treated decking? This is what I presume these pressure treated logs to be. Yes, they will be extremely resistant to decay and pests, but also very wet (and probably green in color as well). You will definitely need to allow for significant log settling if you build a home with this type log. The following is one of my previous answers to a question about different types of logs: Thank you for such a good question. Standing dead timber is the driest of the three types (standing dead, kiln dried and air dried). It is timber that has died for one reason or another, usually due to wildfire or beetle outbreak, but is still standing. This standing dead timber is, therefore, very dry, but it commonly has a high occurrence of defect (large cracks, insect damage, rot, etc.). Also, the supply is somewhat limited, and it can be rather costly. Kiln Dried timber is freshly cut logs that are put in a kiln for 3 weeks or so and heated to boil the sap moisture out of the log. The main problems with kiln dried logs are that they have a lot of large cracks, and they tend to reabsorb moisture after they come out of the kiln, depending on the climate where they are used. The air-dried log is, in my opinion, the best of the three options. Air-dried logs are cut into squares (called cants) from freshly cut logs and stacked with spacers between each cant to allow air to flow around the four surfaces of the cant. The cants are then allowed to sit outside for about six months. They are then moved under a shed with high speed fans for about three months. During this nine month process, the sap moisture is removed from the log naturally. The result is a log that is acclamated to its environment, stable, and with very few cracks. This log will generally be as dry, or drier than kiln-dried logs, yet with less visible defect. HERE'S THE GOOD THING: Tennessee Log Homes will use either of the three you desire. We sell more air-dried than anything, and have successfully built thousands of homes with such logs without problems. But we do stock kiln-dried logs for those who want them, and we can order in standing dead timber for those who want that.

A. We use Eastern White Pine or Western Red Cedar, however, we can supply you with any other species if you wish. Yes, the choice is yours as to which species of logs you wish to use.

A. Materials are 2 1/2 X 11 1/2 or 3 1/2 X 11 1/2. Stairs, risers, tread dimensions are made to your rough specs.

A. Tennessee Log Homes has the best reputation in the log home industry, hands down, no questions, since 1975. Our warranty basically states that if you ever have any problems with the log wall system of your home, after proper installation and care, Tennessee Log Homes will warrant that system against manufacturing defects for as long as the original owner owns that home. The warranty is also transferable to new owners within ten years of the original delivery date. The warranty is by far the best in the industry.

A. A soffit is the exposed underside of any overhead component of the eaves of a home.

A. Because all of Tennessee Log Homes wall log products have a Limited Lifetime Warranty, log selection should be based on personal preference, look desired and budget. Tennessee Log Homes offers Eastern White Pine, Southern Yellow Pine, Western Pines and Spruce/Fir and Western Cedar. Most of our homes are built using Eastern White Pine.

A. A timber frame home generally consists of a framework of posts and beams. The posts are usually 12 feet apart or so. All areas between the posts are built in using conventional 2x6 stud walls with siding on the outside and sheetrock on the inside. Log Homes will have the outside perimeter walls made of logs (solid wood). The rafters and joists for the roof system and second floor will be exposed beams. The ceilings will be tongue and groove. The cost of the two homes will be very similar. Try using $100.00 per square foot as a completed cost estimate to see if these type homes fit your budget. They are very nice and very high quality.

A.The 8-inch log wall R-value coupled with thermal mass properties is equaivalent to about R-16, whereas the 6-inch wall is slightly less than R-13.

A. The 8-inch log wall R-value coupled with thermal mass properties is equivalent to about R-16, whereas the 6-inch wall is slightly less than R-13.

A. The R-value of an 8-inch thick log wall, when coupled with the log wall's thermal mass qualities, performs slightly better than a 2x6 studwall with BAT insulation and brick veneer (which is about R-16), assuming the log walls are properly constructed. This is according to a report on log home energy efficiency by the Log Homes Council.

A. We use well-seasoned, kiln dried logs. One could expect very slight shrinkage, around 1/16 to 1/8-inch per log, in the Eastern USA. Western states with low humidity may experience more shrinkage. All Tennessee Log Homes are engineered to accommodate shrinkage. It will rarely even be noticed by even the homeowner.

A.Our most popular model is the Lakeview, and our biggest selling log style is the 8x8 D-log.

A.The Tennessee Log Homes log wall system is grade stamped by Timber Products Inspection, the leading grading agency in the Eastern USA, to a grade of Log Wall 40. Our plant is randomly inspected twice monthly by agents from TPI.

A. Fireplaces are not part of a Tennessee Log Homes package. You would need to check locally where you are building for this cost.

A. We are right off Interstate 75 at exit 49, halfway between Chattanooga and Knoxville in Athens, TN. Stop by and see us.

A. Douglas Fir is one of the strongest woods available. It is aesthetically pleasing to the eye as well. Furthermore, Tennessee Log Homes uses 100% Free-Of-Heart Douglas Fir. This means our beams are cut from the sides of the logs, and the center of the tree is not in the center of the beam. This gives the beam great stability. It rarely will twist or warped if properly cared for. Douglas Fir is far superior to Southern Yellow Pine in this regard and is the best specie available for exposed beam roof systems.