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Laminated vs. Log Wall Systems

One of the first questions people often ask us is, "How does U.S. Log & Timber laminate cedar and timber homes compare to traditional solid log homes?"

First, we only use top grades of Cedar, Pine, Alder, Douglas Fir and select wood to make our engineered timbers from. All of our visual timber exterior face laminations are architectural, decorative grade. Tight, small-knot grade. It is unlikely you'll come across another log home manufacturer that uses decorative grade materials and almost guaranteed not at our offered pricing.

Note: To the best of our knowledge, U.S. Log & Timber is the only log and timber company in North America that not only offers a contemporary, laminate log package options but can take special requests and laminate different log species per your request. For example, if you wanted your home to have Cedar facing outside for rot and insect resistance and the inside a beautiful birch or Ponderosa Pine … We do it - all the time. Most of our orders match similar request specifications.

Our CEO, built his first cedar, laminate log home in 1981, in Land O’Lakes, Florida.

The reason laminate, engineered timber was chosen was for its light weight, exceptional strength, resistance to rot, insects, termites and high winds.

An engineered, laminated timber of equal size to a traditional solid log is 70% stronger and lighter.

Laminated timbers do not shrink like typical solid logs. No screw jacks are required (that have been adjusted annually under your house), or several-inch cavities framed in (settling spaces) above doors and windows to compensate for the many inches your house will shrink over time.

So, as stated: Laminated timber logs do not crack open like traditional logs. No settling cavities or screw jacks needed. No Cracking open of USLT’s laminated timbers.

Solid timber logs (whether solid logs are kiln dried or green) will bust open and form huge cracks that go deep into the logs. And those large, open cracks create a list of problems. Trap water, and dirt - insects find homes in them. They are a prime catalyst for rot. Most jurisdictions will not certify a typical 6” 0r 8” log wall for fire wall code requirements. Those large cracks throughout solid logs are the problem. In the event of a fire, those large cracks act as micro-chimneys and draw the flame to the center of the log.

On the other hand, laminated timbers are certified to even be used to build high rise structures. The reason is because engineered, laminated timbers have “layers” with No Cracks and those layers act as “char” barriers. As a result, a 6” laminated timber is certified to meet a 60-90 minute fire rating.

Last, but not least, because we ship to both coasts - including South Florida, the Caribbean and the Hawaiian Islands strength in high winds is vital. Hurricanes, strong ocean storms, tidal surges must be structurally mitigated. It is very expensive to do so with frame construction. Our engineered, laminated timber system in our standard timber package meet and exceed Dade County’s (Miami) 180 MPH wind load requirement. We are able to build on high coastal pilings because of our low weight and strength affordably. Our laminate log/timbers are an affordable luxury, natural and healthy home solution for the planet earth. We welcome your interest.

Advantages of a Laminated Wall System

As mentioned, our kiln-dried, glue-laminated wall timbers do not shrink or settle. This is due to the stability of the multiple laminations of wood sandwiched together give it. Our laminate logs rarely have a timber check (wood crack) as is the nature of un-laminated wood. If one does occur it is barely noticeable and gets stopped within the 1st lamination (.75 inch). That structural stability is why all 50 states have permitted engineered, laminated timbers to be used to build 10 story high buildings now.

Furthermore, lighter, kiln-dried timbers are easier to erect at the construction site. Each design is pre-cut to precision tolerances and is assembled without cranes or heavy equipment. Kiln-drying reduces the weight of the timbers and also reduces shipping costs.

A laminated timber home requires no chinking maintenance. Due to precision cutting, fitting and minimal shrinkage, our homes do not require chinking and re-chinking every few years. Laminating increases the strength of the timbers by 70%. Pound for pound, a laminated cedar timber is stronger than steel!

Kiln-dried lumber has some industry standards that allow 15-19% moisture content. Our laminated wall material is kiln-dried to 9-12% moisture content.

Laminating allows the use of second-growth cedar, thereby sparing old-growth cedar trees.

Unlike other manufacturers, we provide a complete weather tight shell. Our home packages include more than just walls and a roof. We also provide, windows, doors, interior walls and if requested we can provide other items as needed.

Laminated Log InformationWood Species

U.S. Log & Timber Lam-log® (laminated logs) are available witghout special order in Inland variety Western Red Cedar. Douglas Fir, Larch, Alder, Ponderosa Pine. Upon request other species can be made available for your project or mixed to create accent walls.

Wood Grade (Decorative) – Most of our competition uses “Service” grade timber for their laminate product. U.S. Log & Timber will only use “Decorative” graded wood for its laminate logs. To achieve this grade one of the requirements are for the log faces to only have smaller, slick knots with natural wood characteristics allowed. This is to ensure long term lamination stability for our 30-year lamination log guarantee (regardless of warm or cold climates).

Patterns.  V-Edge, Channel and Bull Nose log-face patterns are available for single or double tongue and groove.

Sizes. Depending upon customer and project application needs, our designers may recommend the displayed nominal thicknesses or combinations of them with of lam-log® below or combinations of them in our double-wall system. Our double wall system features two-log walls locked together with rigid insulation (of various thicknesses bonded between) to give whatever insulation rating that is needed to be achieved.

Surface Texture.  Decorative, slick-tight-knot, smooth-face timbers are standard.

Moisture Content.  U.S. Log & Timber Lam-Log®  only uses Kiln-Dried with 10% to 12% average.

Adhesive. 100% exterior waterproof type, meeting ASTM D2559. Lam-log® is cured under pressure using high frequency electronics in a radio frequency (RF) press.

Quality Control. Manufactured in accordance with ANSI/AITC 190.1 and certified by an independent inspection agency.

Laminated Timber Benefits

Laminated timber construction uses engineered wood components manufactured under controlled factory conditions to deliver measurable gains in structural performance, build speed, durability, and long-term building health. Unlike traditional solid-log construction, laminated systems are fabricated from kiln-dried lumber layers that are bonded, pressed, and precision-machined before arriving on site.

Because moisture content is factory-controlled and averaged at 10–12%, laminated timber walls experience negligible post-installation shrinkage, eliminating the 1–4 inches of vertical settling per wall story commonly associated with solid log construction. This allows windows, doors, finishes, and mechanical systems to be installed immediately after structural assembly without delays, adjustment periods, or long-term screw-jack maintenance.

Engineered lamination improves structural efficiency by redistributing natural wood characteristics across multiple layers. Independent testing and industry span tables consistently show laminated timber achieving higher strength-to-weight ratios and longer unsupported spans than solid sawn timbers of comparable size, enabling larger open floor plans and reduced reliance on interior load-bearing walls.

Factory prefabrication and CNC machining significantly accelerate construction timelines. Published mass-timber case studies report 15–25% faster overall construction schedules compared to conventional site-built methods, with some prefabricated timber projects documenting schedule reductions exceeding 30% due to fewer site deliveries, fewer labor hours, and faster weather-tight enclosure.

From a fire-performance standpoint, laminated timber behaves in a predictable, engineerable manner. Mass timber elements char at an average rate of approximately 0.6–0.8 mm per minute, forming a protective insulating layer that preserves structural capacity during fire exposure. Properly designed assemblies routinely achieve 60-, 90-, and 120-minute fire-resistance ratings without reliance on chemical treatments.

Laminated timber also supports healthier indoor environments. As stated. studies have shown that framed wall construction and its hollow interior room wall cavities is where condensation and mold commonly form in framed assemblies. Allergies and respiratory problems, many times never able to be diagnosed have now been shown to be from mold getting into the air from the hollow walls cavities in your frame built home.

We recommend solid interior walls - timber naturally moderates interior humidity, helping maintain indoor relative humidity within the 30–55% comfort range. Laminated timber delivers the warmth and authenticity of real wood construction while providing quantifiable advantages in speed, strength, stability, fire behavior, and indoor air quality—removing the structural, scheduling, and maintenance limitations historically associated with traditional log homes and the problems associated with frame homes. USLT Lam homes are built better - built 50% faster and often for less.