Going Green with Your Log Cabin

Are you still thinking about that dream cabin in the woods, on the lake or river? If you don’t want to buy someone else’s mistakes, then consider building a “green” cabin. You will help save some of nature’s precious resources and keep the environment cleaner at the same time.

Cabin owners use many manmade materials that are not sustainable. One study found that more than 75% of cabin construction waste materials end up in landfills, including:

• Drywall  
• Vinyl siding  
• Metal siding
• Plastic log siding
• Bricks and clay tiles
• Asphalt shingles

If you are green-minded, then the following ideas will support building a green log cabin. You may also save some money in the process.

Exterior Walls for a Green Log Cabin

Start going green with making sustainable wall materials a priority by installing pine log siding. It is made from pine trees that are grown on federally-approved tree farms. When a tract is harvested, more trees are planted in their place.  This is not the case for these wall materials:

• Fiber Cement   
• Hardie Board   
• Metal Siding   
• Plastic Siding
• Aluminum Siding
• Vinyl Siding

Synthetic log siding is also made from several of these materials but they do not present a realistic wood look. Some are very expensive and delicate to install compared to real wood log siding. Tongue and groove/end-matching log siding is easy to use and is virtually ‘waste free.’ Combine its sustainability with these benefits and you have a winner for any cabin.

Interior Walls for a Green Log Cabin

The major culprit for not going green inside homes is drywall. We’ve mentioned that a lot of it and some seam tape end up in landfills. Use log siding inside and outside to simulate full round logs. Two options include using pine paneling for interior walls and a combination of log siding and pine paneling for the interior.

Pine log siding and paneling do not show nails or screw heads because they are hidden in the grooves. Install the complementary trims for the inside and outside and the corner system of your choice for the exterior siding.

“Cabin owners use many manmade materials that are not sustainable. Start going green with making sustainable wall materials a priority by installing pine log siding.

Ceilings Can Also Be Green

Save more of the environment by using tongue and groove/end-matching pine paneling for the ceilings of your log cabin. It is essentially installed the same way as wall paneling and looks just as splendid there. You will enjoy the benefits compared to using drywall:              

• Ceiling paneling is fast and easy to install with simple tools
• Paneling can be ordered unfinished or pre-finished
• Like log siding, it is virtually a ‘no waste’ products
• You can whitewash the ceilings for brighter rooms
• It is easy to run the electrical wiring above it and hang light fixtures

Knotty pine is the universal hero for sustainable wood products. As hardwoods become scarcer without tree farms, the use of pine will continue to rise.

Natural Beams and Posts Look Super

Some home and cabin builders use synthetic materials and metal for support posts and beams. Both of them are available in pine wood to add to the green effect of your log cabin. Pine beams and posts also provide these other benefits:

• They are strong enough for adequate structural integrity
• Pine is durable and available in appropriate sizes
• Pine wood has aesthetic appeal
• This material is energy efficient
• Pine wood is cost-effective

Exposed pine ceiling beams, trusses, and rafters look rustic and are natural additions to log cabins. They look terrific in standard, vaulted, or cathedral-style ceilings. Use peeled logs for front and rear cabin entrances and as pergolas. We’re not finished yet with pine wood’s flexibility and sustainability.

Other Building Material Considerations

Knotty pine has many other applications that should not be overlooked. Cabin owners use this wood variety for favorite projects as well as essential parts of their homes, including:

• Kitchen cabinetry               
• Bathroom cabinetry   
• Flooring and decking   
• Stairways and railings   
• Half-log mantels               
• Interior doors   
• Pine furniture
• Kitchen islands
• Beverage bars
• Closet linings
• Trims and molding
• Bookcases and shelving
• Electrical boxes

The list is only limited to your imagination and décor plans. When purchasing pine wood products, search for high-quality and hand-inspected materials. Those that are kiln-dried to the correct moisture content are your best options. Going green with pine wood will continue for decades and you can be part of it when building your log siding cabin.

Resources and References:

• Landfill Materials
• Install Tongue and Groove Ceilings