A Cozy and Bright Van Isle Eco Log Homes

Written by: Arron J. Staff writer @ Hyggehous.com

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Getting into a beautiful custom, eco-friendly and energy efficient log home from EcoLog Homes could be easier to get than you'd think.

EcoLog Homes specialize in building beautiful handcrafted log homes as well as log home kits that you can build yourself with plenty of other design options to choose from. You can get a log home kit for around the same price as conventional stick frame construction, so if you prefer the look of a log home, then it's worth it. The company builds its homes simply using traditional log home construction techniques. Shop Tiny Homes They mainly use square timbers which allow for very efficient production and construction, and also to avoid some of the challenges that come with building a home using round logs. Using square logs is also going to create that nice, flat wall on the inside and outside making it easier to choose furniture and decor for the home. The walls of this log home have been constructed using 8 by 8-inch square timbers which are very affordable. When the log home is being constructed, they alternate 2-inch insulation with the 8-inch timbers which provide a well-insulated building and gives it a classic and natural appearance. They use Western Hemlock wood that has been harvested from sustainable second-growth forests on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Plus, they make sure that each of the homes they built is as energy efficient as possible.

EcoLog Homes offer full customization of their log home plans and designs so best suit their customer's needs.

So people can add more windows or an extra door if they want, or create another room within the home. On the exterior of the home, the walls are built out of 11 rows of timbers and insulation creating a 9.2 foot high ceilings inside the home on the main floor. They can build in blocks of 24 feet and can add onto that to create larger spaces. They also offer 2 types of corner joint which is how the corner of the building looks when it's created. There is the square box joint which is their classic joint, and then since 2018, they've offered the Dovetail joint which has a 2-inch overhang. The company also offers EZLog kits so that people can build their own log homes from a kit delivered to their property. As you can see from the photos, this home is one of their handcrafted builds. It's a great example of the use of drywall in a log home build as well which gives the home a more modern appeal. This home was built in Central Saanich near Victoria in British Columbia in 2010. It was actually the company's show home for our West Coast customers for a while too. If you love this particular design, it's based on the home design for The Victorian.

The home also includes ICF basement construction creating an efficient basement area and foundation for the home in a short time.

They also implemented a solar hot water system and solar-powered radiant floor heating. The homes all have energy efficient tilt-turn windows from Vera-DE Windows in Courtenay, BC. The company also used local products and services wherever possible too. So all of the wood used comes from the Cowichan Valley, and the cedar used for the interior stairs comes from East Sooke which is very close by. Once the home was built, they did a test which is an official EnerGuide rating process, and they got great results with an EnerGuide rating of 79. To give an idea, the typical rating is around 65 to 72, so this proves that EcoLog Homes are very energy efficient. The home sold in 2017 within only 24 hours of being on the market for full market value showing that these homes have excellent resale value.