Take a log home-building trip with me down memory lane. Wood log siding has come a long way over the last one hundred years. It’s easier to obtain high-quality product, and it’s also easier to install than old-style siding.

When comparing new style siding with older siding, you will notice more variety in its options. The improved log corners and log trims also present some benefits you will appreciate.

Issues With Older Log Siding

Before the tongue and groove feature was built into log siding, it was more time-consuming to install. It was necessary to follow these steps on wall framing:

  • Sort through the boards to find high-quality pieces.
  • Nail or screw the siding that shows the heads.
  • Caulk or chink between all the siding boards.
  • There was more material waste to throw away.
  • It was more time-consuming to measure and saw.
  • The boards had to be end-butted on studs.

Unlike today’s siding, old-style log siding had fewer options that limited homeowners’ and contractors’ building plans. The boards may or may not have been kiln-dried to the correct moisture content for stability and applying stain. Most suppliers did not offer their siding in a pre-finished condition.

Styles Of New Log Siding

Today’s log siding mills provide more options for homeowners and home builders. There are four favorite styles or profiles available in retail outlets and online, including:

  • Quarter-Log is the most economical profile and is made in 2×6 and 2×8 sizes. Its rustic beauty, charm, and price are appealing. It has a firm ¼” tongue and groove that ensures a lock-tight design on the sides and ends of each piece. It is 1 ½” thick at the center.
  • Half-Log is today’s most popular style and comes in 3×6 and 3×8 sizes. Its ½” tongues and grooves create a solid fit on all sides and ends. It is 2 ½” thick at the center. It’s the perfect combination of appearance and price for your prized log home.
  • Premier Deep-D pictured here provides the deepest profile and the most authentic log home look. It is available in 3×8 and 3×10 sizes and also has strong, snug-fitting tongue and groove features. It is 2 ½” thick at the center.
  • Hand-Hewn log siding takes you back in time with the appearance of wood that was shaped by hand with an axe or adze tool. Modern processing techniques create tight tongue and groove joints. You will find it in 3×8 and 3×10 sizes that duplicate traditional log homes.

“It’s easier to obtain high-quality log siding, and it’s also easier to install than old-style siding.”

Benefits Of New-Style Log Siding

Today’s knotty pine and cedar siding provide many benefits you don’t get with the old-style. High-quality at fair prices is offered in retail outlets as well as online. You will also appreciate these benefits:

  • Faster and easier installation on the exterior and interior walls.
  • Homeowners with woodworking skills can install log siding.
  • Each piece has the end-matching feature on the ends of each piece.
  • The overall design eliminates 80% of caulking.
  • It is virtually a “no-waste” product – cut pieces can start the next row.
  • There is much less measuring and sawing.
  • The siding can be end-butted anywhere between the wall framing.

Log siding is available in unfinished and pre-finished conditions for your convenience. It also has advantages over log home building kits.  

Log Corners Also Offer Benefits

Log corners are pre-made at the mills to match the siding profile of your choice. They are fast and easy to install with galvanized screws that offer authentic-looking and snug-fitting corners. Corners are installed before the siding and log trims are installed. These styles are available to make exterior log corners:

Butt-N-Pass is an economical corner style in 10” x 10” sizes.

Saddle Notch designs is made in 10” x 10” sizes to provide a full look.

Vertical Log corners work with quarter and half-log siding in 6” and 8” diameters. They are available in 8’, 10’, 12’ and 16’ (pine only) lengths.

All these log corners are available in smooth and hand-hewn surfaces to match your siding selection. All are available in knotty pine and northern white cedar. These corner styles offer more options than old-style corners.

Log Trims To Match Your Siding Profile

Log trims are another essential part of log siding homes’ exteriors and interiors. There are more options today that go around windows, doors, and anything else you want to trim. These trims complement any of the log siding styles and profiles. They are installed after the corners but before the siding goes on.

Once the trims are attached to the exterior walls, the siding is butted flush into them and finished with a thin bead of caulk. The 2×6 trims can also used on home interiors as casing or baseboards over drywall. The following applications are for exterior siding use:

Quarter-Log siding needs 2×6 or 3×4 trims

Half-Log siding needs 3×6 or 4×4 trims

Premier Deep-D log siding needs 4×4 or 4×6

Custom-size log trims can be ordered for spanning a larger width for special applications.

Today’s log siding with its tongue and groove/end-matching design and many options is superior to the old-style. It not only installs faster and easier, but it also looks better.

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