One of the very first things that should be known before building a log cabin is what type of log cabin to be built.  The classification of log cabin types depends on which type of log to be used.  There are two basic types of logs used to make these log homes, the handcrafted logs and the milled logs. 

The handcrafted logs are logs that are either water-peeled or hand-peeled using a drawknife.  The ideal logs or wood used for handcrafted constructions are Pine, Douglas Fir or Spruce.  There are also others that could be used for this type of a log home like Juniper, Cyprus, Oak and True Firs (Alpine Fir).  Handcrafted log are commonly fitted together in various ways.  “Scribe-fit” is one of the most popular styles where a log is scribe to another one below it in a precise fit.  This style does not need chinking where the corners are joined together with the use of a notch system called shrink-to-fit.  Another style is the “chinked style” where a space is left between every round of logs when the logs are fit together then filled with backer rod material as well as chinking.  There are also other styles used to fit handcrafted logs together which are called hand-hewn dovetail and the piece-en-piece.

On the other hand, milled logs are those that have been put through a lathe, a saw mill or a planer and then cut in particular shapes and profile.  A milled log cabin is made of logs with uniform size.  The usual shapes of milled logs are bottom surface with flat top or tongue-and-grooved or coped.  The log’s sides may have a rough and rustic look, may be sanded smooth or may be hand peeled with the use of a draw knife.  Since there are a big number of log species with a variety of sizes, styles and shapes, choosing the log to use may be confusing.  The best types of wood to be used for milled log cabins are Fir, Pine, Cedar and Spruce.  Pine and Spruce are the cheapest among the four with Cedar being the priciest.  The most common methods used in constructing a milled log home are the double tongue & groove round notch, the butt & pass method, the interlocking corner method and the post & beam method.  The internet offers more precise and clear illustrations, complete with pictures and drawings of how these logs interlock and how it is done.  The internet also offers all the necessary information that could help you with all your log cabin needs and questions.

Just as there are types of logs used for logs cabin construction, there are also types of logs classified according to their water content.  These are the green logs, the air-dried logs and the kiln-dried logs.  There are also logs, particularly milled-logs, that are classified according to their profile which usually features the tongue and groove milled into the logs’ end to be used for stacking and so that there will be no need for chinking.

The logs used in the construction of the log cabin vary in terms of their moisture content.  This wood component is an extremely vital thing to consider.  Logs, when freshly cut, naturally have moisture in it.  For handcrafted logs, moisture leaves the timber, drying until stabilized along with the climate it is in.  When dried, the log may experience shrinkage in terms of diameter and may cause some cracks (also called checks) that slowly open in time.  This occurrence however is already an accepted fact and is even a part of the charm of building a log cabin.

Green logs are logs that go through the following process:  will be cut from the woods, brought to the construction yard of the log home or to a mill, bark is removed, will be used to build the log home (for handcrafted log homes) or will go through a profiling machine (milled logs).  Green logs are those that are neither air dried nor kiln dried.  Green does not pertain to color but to the moisture content of the wood, which varies according to the type of tree, e.g., pine, cedar, spruce, fir, according to the season when it was cut down and some other factors.  A green log’s usual moisture content is around 20% to 90% which is the oven-dry measuring method of moisture content.

Air-dried logs, as the term suggests, are those left outside in open air to dry naturally.  The logs or timbers may be stacked in such a manner that spacers will be placed between them to allow adequate air to pass through and circulate.  With this process, the log’s moisture content naturally decreases as the logs/timbers dry up.  The time period of drying up these logs is one year for every inch of thickness.  Sometimes, the period of drying may take several years depending on the climate, the location and the size of the timbers.  In some types of environment, the need to place the timbers or logs under a roof may be necessary so that the rain will not have any effect on it.  When time comes that the logs have already reached the desired dryness as well as time frame, they will then be shipped or delivered to the customer.

Kiln-dried logs are those dried with the use of a kiln.  This allows for an accelerated manner of drying the logs/timbers compared to the other processes mentioned.  In this process, a green timber will be placed in a big oven wherein heat removes the log’s moisture.  If the controls on the kiln are not properly monitored, the log may suffer cracking and checking.  With the use of a kiln however, the drying process of logs is cut short by many weeks, even by many months.  This process may give the logs an average moisture of 18-20% which is the mean moisture content of the log’s outside and center.  These kiln-dried logs are expected to further shrink and settle after some time but at a lesser extent than the green logs.