As you daydream of building your new log home, safety during storms probably isn’t the first thing you think about. But the truth is, our log corners are strong and provide increased safety against high winds!
A Gastineau log home was hit by an F4 tornado a few years ago (250 mph winds), and it significantly out-performed all the surrounding frame and brick construction. The corners played a big part in the strength of the building. Every neighboring frame home was completely gone, the only thing left was their foundations. The 29-year old Gastineau log home (with butt and pass corners) suffered some roof damage and the front porch was torn off. It used to be in a grove of trees, which were all pulled up by their roots. But the log walls remained standing and in great condition!
One of the reasons is the inherently superior construction of the corners of the home. If you are concerned about the safety of your family, and you live where you experience tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes or even strong winds, you should seriously consider log construction because of the inherent safety it offers. This is also why it is so important to determine what kind of corners would be best in your new log home. Check out our website to see the various options to choose from (https://oakloghome.com/log-home-corners/).
What is the best log home corner?
If you are asking which is stronger, any corner in a log home is far superior to the corners of frame construction. The difference in strength between log home corners is insignificant. All of them will exceed your requirements. If you are asking which is best for the wood, then the dovetail corner would win by a slight margin. The short overhang and the angle of the top surface protects the log ends. At the same time the saddle notch corner only exposes the sides and ends so this advantage is small also. The butt and pass corner expose more wood to the elements, but this allows it to dry easily which protects it from decay. The argument could be made that all the corners will perform the same from the aspect of durability. It really depends which corner you personally prefer since they are all strong and durable. Choose the one that fits you best.
Gastineau Log Homes has over 40 years of experience helping people realize their dream of building a log home. Contact us today and let’s explore your affordable log home dream together.
