Log Cabin Siding: The Modern Way to Achieve a Nostalgic Look

Grizzly Track (log-sided cabin)

American society is currently taking a step back and embracing the simplicity of the past. The dream of feeling closer to nature in a cozy log cabin and sitting by the fireplace while a loaf of homemade sourdough bread bakes in the oven is captivating. While a traditional log cabin is a romantic idea, it comes with a long list of challenges. Log siding is the way to embrace the beauty and warmth of the log cabins of past while capitalizing on the durability, convenience and versatility of modern advances. Pennwood Cabins offers log siding options to give you the best of both worlds.

Maintenance

Traditional log cabin

Log siding maintenance is easier and less frequently required than a traditional log cabin construction. Log siding is less prone to cracking, warping, and rotting than full logs, and it can be easily repaired or replaced if damaged. Log siding also requires less staining and sealing than full logs, because it is more resistant to weather and insects. Vinyl log siding requires minimal maintenance because the siding is resilient to rot, unlike natural wood materials.

Check out our stained log siding and vinyl log siding options!

Energy Efficiency

The greatest benefit of log siding over tradition log cabin construction is the versatility of insulation materials that can be used and the control over the R-value energy efficiency of your home. Stained log siding and vinyl siding both omit the loss of energy over time that cracking, warping, rotting and insect damage cause. However, stained log siding retains the thermal mass of logs, meaning it stores and releases heat over time, helping to moderate indoor temperatures in some climates.

Check out our insulation standards for Shell and Key Entry Packages!

Wiring and Plumbing

Log siding is more adaptable to wiring and plumbing needs of a modern log cabin. It's much easier to run electrical and plumbing lines through the interior walls and floor system without cutting into natural logs. Plumbing and wiring have to be routed through traditional logs by cutting grooves, using chases or drilling holes, reducing the durability and versatility of the log cabin design.

Cost

Money talks! And if we're talking money, log siding wins, hands-down. According to the web sites Home Advisor and Siding Calculator, the cost of log siding adds up to $6.25 per square foot, while log cabin construction averages $20 per square foot. That's a whopping $13.75 per square foot, or $13,750 for a 1000 square foot home.

To sum it all up, traditional log cabins are indeed beautiful and nostalgic nods to the past, but log cabin siding alternatives cost less, require less maintenance, are more energy efficient when it comes to insulation and bring more versatility for wiring and plumbing needs. Yet, they still bring the back-to-nature, ode-to-the-past relaxation and cozy warmth of their traditional log cabin predecessors. That's why Pennwood Cabins chooses to offer a variety of stained log siding and viny log siding options!