Technical Guides

Below is a compilation of a number of technical guides relevant to many of the questions log home owners or builders can encounter. These guides have been authored by leading industry associations, engineers, and log home specialist manufacturers.

Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association (NeLMA)

Siding Installation Information

Application of Exterior Wood Finishes

Exudation of Pitch

Patterns of Eastern White Pine

Eastern White Pine Technical Facts

NeLMA 2024 Grading Rules, Section 6: Beams & Stringers, Posts and Timbers

NeLMA 2024 Grading Rules, Section 8: Design Value Tables

Sashco

"Keeping the Dream Alive" Log Home Maintenance Guide

"Restoring the Dream" Log & Wood Home Restoration Guide

Log Home Inspection Guide

Preventing Blisters in Chinking Material

Do-It-Yourself Chink Paint

Stain Vs. Paint Technical Report

Southern Cypress Manufacturers Association

Cypress Siding Installation Guidelines

Cypress Rafter Span Tables

Cypress Grading Rules - 2019

Sikkens Proluxe

Sikkens Proluxe "Color Your Home" Website

Sikkens University Product Training Manual

Softwood Export Council

Douglas Fir

Eastern White Pine from the USA

Guide to American Softwood Species

Ponderosa Pine

Softwoods of the Western USA

Western Hem-Fir

Western Softwood Species and Grades

Southern Forest Products Association

Guide to Southern Pine Flooring

SPIB Grader's Pocket Guide for Finish and Boards

Southern Yellow Pine Profiles

Southern Pine Use Guide

Guide to Southern Pine Headers and Beams

Facts About Blued Pine

Western Red Cedar Lumber Association (WRCLA)

Growth, Properties, and Uses of Western Red Cedar

How to Finish Western Red Cedar

How to Install Western Red Cedar Siding

How to Specify Western Red Cedar

Western Red Cedar - Go Green

Western Red Cedar Designer Handbook

Western Red Cedar Quick Facts

8 Reasons Why Western Red Cedar is the Right Choice

Why Your Home Deserves Real Cedar

Five W's of WRCLA

Take the Cedar Challenge

Installing Western Red Cedar Siding over Rigid Foam Sheathing

WRCLA Standard Dry Patterns

NAHB Log & Timber Homes Council

The Energy Performance of Log Homes

Preservation and Maintenance of Log Structures

Appraising Log Homes

Fire Performance of Log Walls

LTHC Log Grading Program

Log Homes Council Green Building White Paper

Prevention of Air and Water Infiltration: A Systems Approach

Tech Note: Controlling Carpenter Bees

Tech Note: Fasteners for Log Homes

Tech Note: Sound Transmission and Log Walls

Tech Note: Termite Prevention and Control

Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau (PLIB)

Maximum Span Recommended Calculator for Wood Joists and Rafters

Allowable Properties for Dimension Lumber - Domestic Species (Design Values)

Standard Patterns for Softwood Lumber

American Wood Council (AWC)

Plank and Beam Framing for Residential Buildings

Tongue and Groove Roof Decking

Rob Pickett and Associates

DOE Warms Up to Thermal Mass in Log Walls

International Codes Council

2017 ICC 400 Standard on the Design and Construction of Log Structures

Timber Products Inspection

TP Log Program Technical Guide

U.S. National Park Service

The Preservation and Repair of Historic Log Buildings

EPS Industry Alliance

Physical Properties of EPS - ASTM C578

Expanded Polystyrene & R-Values

Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Flame Retardants Bulletin"

Technical Bulletin: EPS Roofing Solutions

International Log Builders' Association

Fire Resistance of Log Walls

Glossary of Log Building Terms

Log Builder Interview Form

Thermal Properties of Log Homes

USDA Forest Products Laboratory

Bald Cypress...An American Wood

Clear Exterior Finishes - Finding the Balance Between Aesthetics and Durability

Exterior Wood in the South - Selection, Finishes, Applications

Finishes for Wood Decks

Paint, Stain, Varnish, or Preservative? It's Your Choice

Protecting Log Cabins

Wood Handbook, Chapter 16: Finishing of Wood

Selection and Application of Exterior Stains for Wood

Installation, Care, and Maintenance of Wood Shake and Shingle Siding

Western Wood Products Association (WWPA)

Natural Wood Siding; Selection, Installation & Finishing

Western Lumber Product Use Manual

WWPA Western Lumber Species Marketing Categories

WWPA Standard Patterns

Physical Properties of Beam Loads Illustrated

Tech Notes: Design Load Tables for Solid-Sawn Lumber Beams and Headers

Tech Notes: Design Load Tables for Wood Columns (Posts)

Western Lumber - The Original Green Building Product

Tech Notes: California Fire Standards and Exterior Wood Products

AWC California Wildland Urban Interface Building Material Listings

Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau

Exterior and Interior Wall Manual (2020 Edition)

New Roof Construction Manual (2020 Edition)

Basics Guide for Cedar Shakes and Shingles

Cedar Shake and Shingle Product Catalog

Cedar Shake and Shingle Product Selection Guide

Cedar Shake and Shingle Product Specification Guide

CSSB-97 Grading and Packing Rules for Western Red Cedar Shakes and Shingles