Skip to main content

How long will a log home last?

By September 15, 2023September 19th, 2023Video

Do you want to know how many years a log home will be a viable, inhabitable home for your family?

How does the life cycle and longevity of a log home compare to conventional construction? What wood species will last the longest?

How long will a log home last? – Video Transcription

 

Hi there, Lynn Gastineau again.

People ask me all the time, “Well, how long is a log home going to last?”

There are several aspects to answering that question that you have to learn about. One of the most primary ones is what wood species the log home is built out of. If you look back in history, there are log homes that are 150-175 years old, where they have taken the logs down and rebuilt them into a brand-new house. If you check into that, you’ll find out that about 90-95 percent of those log homes were Oak.

Oak is naturally resistant to insects because, remember, back then they didn’t have any chemicals or anything to make wood last. Also, you find a lot of Chestnut and Poplar log homes. It’s not uncommon to think that a log home will last you 150-200 years.

Compare that to the life expectancy of a frame home, and you realize you are building a home that is for generations. At 150 years, you could tear the house down, take the logs, and cut them up into boards to use because they will still be good. The life cycle of a log home exceeds that of any other type of construction.