House settling and checking are common phrases associated with the construction of wood homes, especially log homes. Today, we're explaining why Timber Block homeowners never have to worry about either of these issues.
What is "house settling"? Checking?
House settling in a log home is basically the loss of log wall height, over a period of time. Some log homes can lose up to half of an inch - or more - per foot of wall height. While most of the settling happens in the first several months, settling can continue to occur even past the 2 year mark. While many traditional log home builders may "leave room" for settling, it's difficult to be able to predict the exact height loss over time.
Checking refers to the cracking of wood as it's drying, or changes to the moisture levels.
What are the causes of settling and checking?
Generally, settling and checking are caused by the shrinkage of the log while it's drying, plus changes in moisture levels over time.
How do Timber Block homes avoid settling and checking?
Timber Block's wood is dried to an 8-10% moisture content, in comparison to a traditional kiln-dried log’s moisture content, which is closer to 20%. The core of the log may contain a much higher moisture percentage depending on the diameter of the log and the drying method used by the manufacturer causing settling over time.
Settling and checking in wood homes can not only cause headaches for both the builder and homeowner, but can be extremely costly as well.
Let's take a home that settles, for example, over the years. The builder or general contractor has taken the necessary precautions when the home was built, and left room for the home to settle, but it wasn't enough. Not only are the doors and windows at a risk of not functioning properly, but even the stairs could have to be adjusted at some point. These are not cost-friendly fixes!
Now, let's talk about checking. Checking will result in very high maintenance. A traditional log home owner will certainly have to budget for caulking and checking, and not just once, but on a regular basis.
Since the inception of Timber Block, we were able to alleviate this high maintenance and heavy cost for homeowners. Our homeowners are able to enjoy their home without the added worry.
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