Why Log Home Siding is Easier to Install Than Drywall

Beautiful Open Concept Cabin with Log Siding

Some log homes are finished with drywall inside while others have knotty pine log siding on the walls. There are two popular reasons why log siding is preferred over drywall: It has the rustic appearance that fits the atmosphere, and it’s much easier for the homeowner to install. Take your choice; but for most people, log siding on the exterior and interior of a home provides the full log look without the full log cost and drawbacks.

Let’s turn to drywall for a moment. Installing it is time-consuming and needs someone with a lot of skill and experience. Here are some disadvantages you will encounter when using this type of wall covering:

  • Drywall can become damaged when being delivered and installed.
  • The horizontal and vertical joints must be taped, plastered, and sanded.
  • All of this sanding makes a mess in your home, and it’s hard to clean up.
  • Corners need attention that requires specialized skills to cover them up.
  • Sooner or later some of the nail heads will show through the drywall.
  • Drywall must be painted, sometimes lightly sanded, and painted again.
  • Painting can be very messy unless you are a professional.

Unsightly Cracks CanOccur In Drywall

Unsightly cracks in drywall like the ones show below require extra work to repair them. Sooner or later most homes will have them due to settling, abuse, or accidentally bumping into walls. Is this enough said? Let’s shift our attention to pine and cedar log siding and see their many construction and environmental benefits.

Here’s Why It’s Easier to Install

Tongue and Groove SidingIs a Modern Marvel

Log siding can be easily installed by the homeowner because it requires fewer skills and experience. All it really takes is some basic woodworking experience and simple tools to get the job done. You can grasp the concepts by watching two short videos that can be purchased from the wood products supplier.

Log siding looks great on any cabin or home and can be purchased in unfinished or pre-finished surfaces. There are some other benefits of using log siding over drywall that include:

  • Log siding boards are much easier to handle than large sheets of drywall.
  • The siding fits together solidly with tongue-n- groove and end matching crafting.
  • Log siding can be mounted on conventional framing.
  • There is little material waste, and the savings in labor is great.
  • No nail or screw heads ever show. Just install it in the groove with a nail gun.
  • The boards lock together anywhere between studs. There’s no need to end-butt on studs or caulk between boards.
  • Save even more time installing and in clean up by using pre-finished siding.
  • You can do most, if not all, of the interior work yourself instead of hiring a carpenter. If you have a friend or two with woodworking skills, you can invite them over to help.

Log Siding Choice of Woods

A Fantastic Looking Log Cabin

Knotty Pine and Cedar are both available to cover your inside walls. Pine siding is the most popular and economical choice. It is common in its several varieties in the north woods. Unlike hardwoods like oak and maple, this wood is sustainable because the trees are grown on private and federally owned tree farms. Future generations can enjoy this wood for decades to come.

Knotty pine is a softer wood to work with than hardwoods like oak, hickory, and maple. It cures or dries well under controlled conditions to reach the right moisture content and to accept stain well. It has beautiful character with its knots, dark lines, and mineral streaks. Pine is lightweight, easy to saw and sand, and Pine paneling looks great on ceilings as well. Clear finishes go on easy and dry relatively fast.

“There are two popular reasons why log siding is preferred over drywall: It has the rustic appearance that fits the atmosphere, and it’s much easier for the homeowner to install.”

Cedarwood has added colors like soft reddish-brown in the heartwood. It has natural oils and resins that emit a pleasant aroma. Cedar looks fantastic on walls, whether in the form of siding or paneling. It costs a little more than pine because it is less available. Cedar is also easy to saw, sand, take stains well, and looks fantastic on ceilings.

Siding Comes In a Choice of Styles

You can give your log home or cabin a custom look with the choice of quarter-log, half-log, and premier log siding. Leading millworks supply Pine and Cedar in smooth surface, hand-hewn, and pre-finished. Either selection will give your home a full log look without the full log price.

Three styles of log cabin siding to choose from to fit any budget or project:

Quarter LogSiding

Quarter log siding The economic log siding solution for the everyday log home, available in smooth or hand-hewn, 2×6 or 2×8 in knotty pine or cedar.

Half LogSiding

Half log siding Half log siding is our most popular log siding style. For those who want a true log home without the full log price, our half log siding is available in smooth or hewn, 3×6 or 3×8 in knotty pine or cedar. 3×7 Cedar now available!

Premier LogSiding

Premier log siding For the log home enthusiast. An upscale look at the possibilities of log siding. Available in hand- hewn only, 3×8 or 3×10 Premier Deep D in knotty pine or cedar.

Check our amazing prices and sales going on now by visiting this page.

Have You Considered Pre-finished Products?

Cost and quality are two of the main benefits of siding made by the Log HomeShoppe.com. We offer quality log wood siding products at a fair price and make sure that every customer is a satisfied customer.

We also offer Pre-stained log siding for exterior use and polyurethane finished log siding for interior use. Have our professionals apply your choice of Sikkens PPG Proluxe finishes, Perma-chink’s Ultra-2 or Ultra-7 finish, or interior clear Sherwin Williams finishes to save you time and money. See more info on our pre-finished log siding.

Trim and a Corner System Are Must-Haves

All log cabins and homes need trim around the doors, windows, bases of the walls, corners, and for chair rails. We stock a complete selection of these materials that match all our log siding profiles and styles.

Corner systems are personal choices and we manufacture styles to please any personal preference. Use a basic vertical corner system or a fancier saddle notch style. All our trim and corner systems are made with the same high-quality wood and craftsmanship as our log siding. We stand behind every order so you will be pleased with our products and reputation.

Sources and References