The joinery in log home building is one of the areas where true craftsmanship is achieved. Tight joinery seals the house from the elements and allows for artistry as beams and truss work join together to make a dramatic statement in the roof, log accents or other supporting structures. Wood-to-wood joinery, versus the use of metal fasteners, is the pride of Shady Grove log structures.

Not all log builders are capable of working with only the wood, but Shady Grove’s knowledge of the physical and engineering capacities of wood mean that metal fasteners are not necessary. This knowledge is the basis for complex structures and the foundation for the simple statement of excellent log work.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS

Log homes are naturally energy efficient and non-toxic structures. Their resistance to outside elements means that logs are excellent insulators against winter chill and summer heat.

In addition to interior efficiency, log homes require none of the chemical processes that are needed in stick frame homes. Shady Grove believes in non-toxic finishes, whereas stick frame homes require multitude of chemical treatments.

Log homes also make the most efficient use of trees, the world’s only naturally renewable resource. Because the entire tree is used in the structure, there is no waste. Stick frame homes often produce as much waste as they do usable lumber. Log for log, the lumber requirements for an efficiently designed home are slightly lower than the requirements for a similar stick frame house, with none of the waste.

As a renewable resource, proper forest management allows for a replenishing supply of this precious product. Beetle kill trees and fire salvage logs are other excellent resources, ensuring that the impact of man is minimized in construction.

LONGEVITY

Longevity is the final hallmark of Shady Grove log homes. Log homes are built to last centuries. Imagine living in a home that is six centuries old, or worshipping in a seven centuries old Buddhist temple. Thanks to skilled craftsman log homes are the strongest and most durable of all building forms. Drawing on a history that began in Europe’s small farming villages and came to America on the frontier ranches, log home building combines history, culture and nature into a space cozy enough to call home.

THE BUILDING EXPERIENCE

Log structures are a more than a normal building. It starts with hand picking the right trees for character and cohesive fit. The trained eye can discern dramatic shapes and symmetry. After selection, hand peeling each log makes the interiors and exteriors literally shimmer with the depth of the lifetime of each tree, creating a surface smooth to the touch. Machine peeling cannot produce this distinct shimmer and feel.

The painstaking process of the drawknife reveals characteristics that are as unique and endless as the trees themselves. Unlike a machine’s uniform cut, the drawknife preserves the original character of each log, allowing an appreciation of each living tree. Or as Pat likes to put it, “Think of all the things these trees have seen, if you listen, you can almost hear them.”

In the very human craft of log home building, the process is as important as the product, creating the kind of comfort and timeless beauty that is synonymous with log homes.

At Shady Grove, you’re not paying for fancy machinery or unnecessary heavy equipment. Our honest approach to a time honored craft means that what you see is what you get. .