What's the difference between log and timber frame structures?
How do engineered logs prevent shrinking, settling, cracking, warping or twisting?
How did Sloan's Mill eliminate weak butt joints?
How did Sloan's Mill solve issues regarding square and plumb timber corners?
How long will engineered wood timbers last?

While developing our product line with the industry leading Godfrey Lumber Company, we had one simple goal in mind — to build the strongest and best looking engineered (or manufactured) log and timber frame homes in the industry. Through a myriad of technical research and expert artistic guidance here's how we did it.

• We surveyed homeowners, engineers, construction experts & experienced contractors.
• We compiled data with our team of experienced wood industry professionals.
• We uncovered the past problems of log and heavy timber frame homes & eliminated them.
• We perfected a lamination system that replicates the natural beauty of solid wood logs & timbers.
• We pre-engineered & pre-manufactured materials so that do-it-yourselfers, as well as professional installers, could erect our homes error free & in record time with ease.

However, we never rest on our laurels. We continue to research, listen and learn. And, we are driven to make our homes the best — anywhere in the world!

Log homes are constructed from horizontally stacked logs that have not been milled into conventional lumber. Built for centuries in Scandinavia, Russia and Eastern Europe, Swedish settlers brought the craft to North America in the early 1700s. In the 1920s, the first milled log housing appeared, using precut rather than hand-hewn logs. While most log home manufacturers today still market similar products, Sloan's Mill envisioned and developed an engineered log building system that solves the structural and appearance problems of the past.

Timber framing is a type of post and beam construction in which a frame is created from solid wood structural timbers connected by wooden joints. Also a centuries-old craft, timber framing at Sloan's Mill has evolved into an advanced technology that produces visually appealing timbers for posts, beams and other supporting elements to eliminate previous timber problems. Compatible with building systems such as logs, stud systems or structural insulated panels (SIPs), timber frames may be covered with enclosure systems that include exteriors of wood, stone, brick, stucco, etc. Interiors often feature exposed structural timbers that frame walls of drywall or wood. Timberframing lends itself to both residential and commercial construction in a wide variety of architectural styles and allows for almost unlimited interior configurations.

Everyone in the industry agrees that the most common and expensive problems with log homes are the shrinking, settling, cracking, warping or twisting that occurs as solid heavy timbers dry out. Most logs that are kiln dried initially average around 20% moisture content following the kiln process and then slowly dry out through the years to about 12%.
      As the solid timbers release moisture, they often shrink or change shape creating large cracks or gaps. While cracks or gaps can and must be caulked to prevent cold air, insects and moisture from entering, it is an expensive and time consuming project which will likely require repetition several times before timbers completely dry. If not corrected, more costly damage can occur due to rot. Parts of the home may settle more than others over time, creating structural problems.

Although manufacturers have tried to minimize shrinkage in a thousand different ways, our extensive research indicates that there is only one surefire way to prevent the problems that arise from shrinking logs — to dry the wood below 12% moisture content before construction begins!
     Without providing a lengthy explanation regarding the technical difficulties of kiln drying wood evenly and uniformly throughout a log, trust us when we say that the only true solution to reducing moisture content on the interior of a solid log is to slice it, dry each piece to the desired moisture content individually and reassemble the slices with an industrial strength glue stronger than the wood itself.
      The result is an "engineered," "manufactured," "glue laminated" or "glulam" log that will not shrink, allow large cracking, warp or twist. While checks (small nonstructural cracks) may still occur, as they do in any kiln drying process, they are barely visible and cause no structural problems. Even stronger and more stable than the original, the new log looks no different from the inside or outside. The only way to distinguish an engineered log is by examining the ends. However, as the log naturally weathers, even the ends are hard to distinguish from a solid log.
     We invite you to visit our partner, Godfrey Lumber Company, for additional information.

The weakest links of a log home have historically been the joints where log ends butt together. If not properly joined, gaps can create air and water leaks. Most manufacturers use a wood spline that requires caulking and sealer to prevent leaks. But, while standard joints usually suffice to prevent leaks, they do not provide any structural integrity to the joinery.

Due to our expert engineering process, Sloan's Mill engineered dovetail butt joints not only seal the joint but provide unsurpassed structural strength.

How did Sloan's Mill solve issues regarding square and plumb timber corners?

While expert installers know the detailed "ins" and "outs" of obtaining square and plumb corners, inexperienced installers or DIY homeowners can greatly weaken the structural integrity of a log home with imperfect corners. Additionally, imperfect corners can also cause air and water infiltration.

Engineered Corner Systems

Sloan's Mill engineered heavy timber corner system solves the problem for all installers. Through mortise and tenon joinery, our corners are attached to heavy timber corner posts. The result is an easy-to-install, straight corner that produces a solid air tight corner and provides structural integrity to the home.

Probably the questions we are asked most often concern the strength and life expectancy of engineered wood timbers.

Let us begin by saying that the wood fiber in an engineered log would disintegrate from age before adhesives would break down. And, pound for pound, laminated timber is stronger than steel, allowing beams to span long distances with minimal need for intermediate supports.
     As for its history, laminated wood is not a new idea. Archeologists have found traces of laminated wood in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs. Closer to this century, building construction utilizing glued laminated wood began in Europe during the late 1800s. One of the first recorded uses was in Berlin's 1890 Reichstag Building. Today, the main terminal building at Norway's Oslo Gardermoen Airport is the largest laminated wood structure in the world.
      The logs engineered for Sloan's Mill homes are built to structural laminated specifications by Godfrey Lumber Company. Free of environmentally harmful formaldehyde binders, the specialized glue used by Godfrey's creates an irreversible, waterproof bond between layers that actually gets stronger with age. If you were to hammer and chisel along a seam to attempt to separate the layers in one of our logs, you would find it impossible to do so without tearing the wood itself.