The Log Home Industry Expert

The Houseal Non-Settling System™  is the most significant innovation in log home construction since the invention of the chain saw.  The Houseal Non-Settling (HNS) System™  prevents logs from settling and solves a host of potential problems for log home builders and homeowners. 

Settling in log homes has always been an issue, adding cost and complexity to log home construction.  Using traditional methods of construction, logs are stacked horizontally one on top of the other (either scribed or chinked).  Because logs tend to shrink and settle over time, the multiple layers of logs compound the effect of wood shrinkage.  A traditional 10’ log wall will settle upward of 6 to 8 inches depending upon the moisture content of the logs.  Special log home construction methods must be employed to counter the effects of settling.  The use of settling jacks, slip joints, and oversized trim and fascia are normal techniques used in traditional log home construction.  In addition, constant maintenance is required until the logs have fully settled. 

The Houseal Non-Settling System™  is a patented method of constructing log homes that ensures logs will not settle.  The HNS System was developed by Barry Houseal, a well known structural engineer and log home expert.  The basic premise of the HNS System is fairly simple.  Each log layer is held in place by a column of steel pipe and pins.  The steel pipe prevents the logs from moving down with gravity.  Each log layer and the roof members are supported by the steel pipe.

View the Houseal Non-Settling System™ for handcrafted log homes.

View the Houseal Non-Settling System™ for milled log homes.

Architects and designers love the HNS System because it gives much more flexibility in the use of log elements.  Builders love the HNS System because it eliminates settling jacks, trim boards and other construction techniques necessary to counter log settling.  Engineers love the HNS System because the steel adds strength to the log walls. 

PrecisionCraft has chosen to use the Houseal Non-Settling System™  in all Handcrafted Log Homes and Milled Log Homes.  We believe the HNS System is an innovation that adds significant value for our log home homeowners.  

Is a log home a good investment? Investors are frustrated with the performance of investment options in the new millennium. Stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other financial investments are not performing as many would have liked. Most investors, however, have found that the best performing asset in their portfolio is their home. As a result, real estate is viewed as a safe haven for investors with appreciation far outpacing other investments. With the security and growing values of residential real estate, a growing number of homeowners are now investing in their second home.

There are a wide variety of reasons why people build or buy second homes. City dwellers may want to escape to their home in the country for weekends and holidays. Northerners may want a home in the sun where they can golf year round. Southerners may want a home in the mountains close to a ski resort. There are also the Baby Boomers…a large number are eyeing retirement and are building second homes anticipating it will become their main residence.

Although the primary reason for purchasing a second home is lifestyle, investment consideration comes in a strong second place. There are several reasons why owning a second home makes good financial sense.

For example, the appreciation of vacation residential property is expected to continue to rise. Our country’s changing demographics are a good predictor that second home ownership will continue to be strong for the foreseeable future.

Baby Boomers reaching retirement age have more wealth than any previous generation; surveys show that ownership of a second home consistently ranks in the top two priorities for this group.

There are also tax benefits to second home ownership. Mortgage interest is deductible for first and second homes making home ownership one of the best leveraged investments. If you move into your second home and live there for at least two years, you can avoid any tax on the sale of your property.

Homes and real estate have always been safe investments. With a growing number of reasons why second home ownership makes sense, the demand for good locations and quality homes will rise. Some experts predict that second home ownership will become nearly as common in the future, as two cars are today for most households. Investment in a second home today is undoubtedly a wise decision for the future.

Building and living “Green” is good for your health, conserves energy and protects the environment. Log homes are the original green building solution made directly from the earth’s natural resource. This abundant, beautiful and renewable natural resource is 100% green.

Building green is a hot topic among building professionals and consumers – for good reason. The exposure to toxic chemicals in our every day lives is resulting in significant increases in asthma and respiratory illnesses, skin problems, migraine headaches and any number of health related problems.

Since we spend much of our time indoors, it is critical that our indoor environment is healthy and safe. Many building products today are made of man-made chemicals and emit high levels of VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Health experts are becoming increasingly aware and alarmed that these man-made chemicals are showing up in our blood and lungs.

Logs are 100% natural and don’t emit VOCs or other pollutants. Soil, water and air combined with the energy from the sun, in a miraculous process of photosynthesis, are everything needed to make a tree grow. From an ecological point of view, solid wood is the only building product that is renewable, biodegradable, recyclable, energy efficient and extremely beautiful. Logs and other solid wood, as basic building components, generate the least amount of air and water pollution, emission of greenhouse gases and solid waste. For example, steel and concrete require 2.4 times and 1.7 times more energy than wood to produce and 1.42 times and 1.67 times more airborne emissions with potential toxic or negative health effects. (The Canadian Wood Council – The Anhena Project).

Advances in forestry practices have steadily increased the supply and growth of plantation and private forests. In North America, the growth of new forests has outpaced the demand and can remain at a sustainable rate. In the long run, sustainable building products that are ecologically friendly are the only viable answer to a cleaner environment.

With energy costs on the rise and no end is sight, it makes good economic sense to design and build with conservation in mind. There is a great deal of documented evidence supporting the energy efficiency related to the construction of log homes. Studies conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and other testing organizations have compared log homes to other types of construction such as conventionally framed and masonry. Test results prove the energy efficiency gained through the thermal mass of solid wood walls. Log walls better utilize the available energy in both summer cooling and winter heating. (The Log Home Council, Documented Energy-Efficiency and Thermal Mass Benefits of Log Construction).

Most people building log homes plan to own and live in them for an extended period of time. Their log home may be a family retreat or a retirement home that they intend to own for the rest of their lives. The turnover rate of log homes is much lower than the average conventionally built house. With such a long term outlook, the decision to build and live in an energy efficient log home makes good sense for the health of the environment, you and your family.

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We started the Total Home Solution™ as a response to what our customers were telling us,” says Jim Young, President of PrecisionCraft Log and Timber Homes. “Our customers want a complete building solution from A to Z.” Working with their in-house architectural firm, Mountain Architects, Inc., PrecisionCraft developed a process known as the “Total Home Solution™.” “It became very clear that we had to expand our view of the product we were offering. We are not just selling logs and timber. We’ve redefined our product now as a building process from conceptual design through complete construction” Young explains. Starting with the conceptual design, the designers at Mountain Architects work with their customers to define the general parameters of the home. “The conceptual design is really a feasibility study” says Tim Schafer, lead architect for Mountain Architects, Inc. “We put a lot of effort into the design phase. Our homes are not out-of-the-box or planbook houses. Each home is custom designed to achieve the look and feel our client’s have in mind. We cater to clients that are looking for a particular design style using a combination of logs, timbers, stone, glass and other elements and features that they may visualize,” explains Schafer.

PrecisionCraft’s manufacturing and product philosophy is to let the design control the product elements. “So many companies offer one or two products. Unfortunately, this limits what can be achieved in the design. At our company, design drives manufacturing. Our manufacturing is set up as a custom shop to produce most any log or timber element that a designer can dream up,” says Young.

As part of PrecisionCraft’s Total Home Solution™, they have established a unique process for identifying and selecting builders for their customers called “Builder Due Diligence™”. “Selecting the right builder may be the most critical decision in building the home. Competency, financial ability, and references must check out before ever considering a builder,” Young explains. “Choosing between qualified builders also involve aligning the builders’ abilities with the clients expectations as to budget, timing and quality. Budget is always an issue and the conceptual design has to be in-line with realistic construction costs before the project can move forward.”

Once the conceptual design is complete and the client is satisfied with the preliminary budget analysis, Mountain Architects will prepare the full construction drawings. “Building code requirements are becoming much more complex especially when building in mountain and resort areas,” says Schafer. “We have projects in just about every major resort area in the country and we’re pretty good at knowing what is required”. All PrecisionCraft projects are engineered by independent structural engineers. “Our clients are making a substantial investment in their homes and we feel requiring engineering is good insurance to address the structural and geotechnical aspects of the home before construction starts,” explains Young. “It’s all part of our Total Home Solution™ philosophy.”

“A successful building project is about bringing all of the elements together in a smooth and orderly process to achieve a dream home for our customers,” says Young. “It requires looking at the big picture to get to the Total Home Solution™.”