NOVASCROLLER...........I HAVE A PAGE ON THE NET WHERE I DISCUSSS THE PRO`S AND CON`S OF SOME OF THE ALTERNATIVE BUILDING SYSTEMS.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/alternative_building
YOU WILL FIND INFO ON CONVENTIONAL LOG BUILDING,CORDWOOD,STRAWBALE AND I`M NOT SURE WHAT ELSE.
I`M VERY KNOWLEGEABLE ABOUT LOG BUILDING AND CORDWOOD(OBVIOUSLY).SO I`M GOING TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS ON SOME OF THE REPLIES TO THIS THREAD.HOPEFULLY I WON`T GET ANYONE UPSET WITH MY FIRST POST.

INSURANCE WISE:
LOG BUILDINGS AND CORDWOOD ARE RATED HIGHER THAN CONVENTIONAL HOMES FOR BEING FIRE RESISTANT.SO IF YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT CELLULOSE OR STRAW AS INFILL BETWEEN PANELS
THEN TF WOULD BE HIGHER RISK.

TF LASTING LONGER THAN LOG BUILDINGS:
WELL THERE IS A VERTICAL LOG CHURCH IN SOUTHERN ENGLAND THATS BUILT IN THE 800`S.[THERE ARE LOG HOMES ON THE BOTTOM OF THE BLACK SEA 13,000 TO 18,000 YEARS OLD.]EDUCATE ME ABOUT TIMBER FRAMES OLDEST STRUCTURE.

DEWPOINT:
DEREK CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE YOU GOT THE IDEA THAT
LOG WALLS ROT FROM THE INSIDE OUT?
LOGS IN A CONVENTIONAL LOG HOME WOULD BREATH NATURALLY THROUGH THE END GRAIN UNLESS SEALED IMPROPERLY.
PLUS IN A 10" MEAN LOG WALL I`M NOT SURE THAT THE DEW POINT WOULD OCCUR.
WHY WOULDN`T TF`S BE SUBJECT TO THIS PROCESS?

R-VALUE:
IF YOU WANT AN IDEA OF THE R-VALUE OF A CONVENTIONAL LOG WALL.THE NATIONAL HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION DID SOME TESTS
WITH HUD.A GOVERNMENT LAB DID THE CALCULATIONS.
[IE:THEY GAVE CEDAR AN R=3.72 PER INCH...AS DETERMINED BY THE EFFICIENCY OF THE LOG HOME.]SO WE ARE LOOKING AT THE AVERAGE PART OF THE WALL BEING R=37.2O.I QUESTIONED THE TEST AND NHBA
STANDS BY THEIR FIGURES.
AS FOR CORDWOOD I GAVE INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO BUILD
AN R=96 WALL.IF R-VALUE WAS ALL ONE WANTED.
A FRIEND OF MINE AND PARTNER IN A LOG BUILDING SCHOOL WE CO-OWNED STUDIED LOG BUILDING IN BC.THEY LEFT A LOG STRUCTURE FOR SEVERAL DAYS IN COLD WEATHER AND WHEN THEY RETURNED HE SAID IT WAS STILL WARM.JUST SO YOU CAN GET AN IDEA OF HOW TIGHT A SCANDINAVIAN SCRIBE FIT JOINT IS...SOME PEOPLE CAN`T FIT THEIR KNIFE BLADE BETWEEN THE LOGS.

SILLPLATE:
THERE WAS SOME MENTION ABOUT THE SILLS.PROPERLY BUILT 24" OFF THE GROUND WITH A VAPOUR BARRIER WILL GIVE THE SILLS A VERY LONG,LONG LIFE.REMEMBER ALSO THAT ALL THE LOGS ARE TREATED AS WELL.

CORDWOODGUY
PS:NOVASCROLLER....I`M A BLUENOSER AS WELL.