background
3D drawing of the house
3D drawing of the house
3D drawing of the house.
3D drawing of the house.
Main-floor-floorplan
Main-floor-floorplan
Upstairs-floorplan
Upstairs-floorplan
Nexcem ICF (R22 below ground, R28 above ground)
Nexcem ICF (R22 below ground, R28 above ground)
Pouring concrete into Nexcem ICF foundation walls.
Pouring concrete into Nexcem ICF foundation walls.
Radon barrier under concrete slab
Radon barrier under concrete slab
Douglas fir base layer for walls
Douglas fir base layer for walls
Setting up double log wall
Setting up double log wall
Prepared logs delivered to site
Prepared logs delivered to site
Setting up double log wall
Setting up double log wall
Lifting in Douglas fir beams
Lifting in Douglas fir beams
Doulas Fir beams with dovetail connections
Doulas Fir beams with dovetail connections
Living room with first pieces of masonry chimney
Living room with first pieces of masonry chimney
Living room window opening
Living room window opening
Main floor inside layer of exterior walls are up
Main floor inside layer of exterior walls are up
Main floor inside layer of exterior walls are up
Main floor inside layer of exterior walls are up
Main floor outside layer of exterior walls coming up.
Main floor outside layer of exterior walls coming up.
Dovetail Corner and vapour retarder membrane detail.
Dovetail Corner and vapour retarder membrane detail.
Exterior logs stained with Sansin Envirostain
Exterior logs stained with Sansin Envirostain
Gutex wood fibre floor insulation being laid
Gutex wood fibre floor insulation being laid
Start on upper floor interior walls
Start on upper floor interior walls
Start on upper floor interior walls
Start on upper floor interior walls
Upper floor closet and exterior walls growing
Upper floor closet and exterior walls growing
Upper floor interior walls growing
Upper floor interior walls growing
Dovetail corner on interior log wall
Dovetail corner on interior log wall
Upper floor exterior walls growing
Upper floor exterior walls growing
Upper floor interior layer of exterior walls growing
Upper floor interior layer of exterior walls growing
Upper floor walls
Upper floor walls
Timber frame roof structure
Timber frame roof structure
Timber frame roof structure
Timber frame roof structure
Upper floor inside layer of log wall completed
Upper floor inside layer of log wall completed
Upper floor inside layer of log wall completed
Upper floor inside layer of log wall completed
Installing the balcony
Installing the balcony
Balcony timber frame structure installed
Balcony timber frame structure installed
Outer log wall layer going up.
Outer log wall layer going up.
Covered entrance timber frame structure installed.
Covered entrance timber frame structure installed.
Exterior log walls complete and finished with Sansin SDF
Exterior log walls complete and finished with Sansin SDF
Installing Austrian tilt & turn wood windows
Installing Austrian tilt & turn wood windows
Windows installed. Solid wood frame with aluminum clad
Windows installed. Solid wood frame with aluminum clad
Hydronic heating - preparing to pour concrete screed
Hydronic heating - preparing to pour concrete screed
Pouring self-levelling concrete screed
Pouring self-levelling concrete screed
Screed poured upstairs
Screed poured upstairs
Living room, sanding log walls for a smooth finish
Living room, sanding log walls for a smooth finish
Siding boards installed around greenhouse section
Siding boards installed around greenhouse section
Custom staircase railing frame
Custom staircase railing frame
Staircase railing manufactured in our shop installed.
Staircase railing manufactured in our shop installed.
Custom railing installed
Custom railing installed
Custom railing made with rebar
Custom railing made with rebar
Balcony room looking towards bedroom
Balcony room looking towards bedroom
Walls sanded, wood-fibre floor insulation installed
Walls sanded, wood-fibre floor insulation installed
Wood fibre floor insulation
Wood fibre floor insulation
The insulation provides thermal and acoustic isolation...
The insulation provides thermal and acoustic isolation...
... between the main floor and upstairs.
... between the main floor and upstairs.
Smooth sanded log walls
Smooth sanded log walls
Looking towards the guest bedroom
Looking towards the guest bedroom
Installing Douglas fir flooring in bedroom
Installing Douglas fir flooring in bedroom
Douglas fir T&G flooring in master bedroom
Douglas fir T&G flooring in master bedroom
Floor finished in closet and bedroom
Floor finished in closet and bedroom
View towards balcony
View towards balcony
Flooring in guest bedroom installed
Flooring in guest bedroom installed
Guest bedroom
Guest bedroom
Lots of light coming in.
Lots of light coming in.
Douglas fir floor finished with Sansin Floor clear
Douglas fir floor finished with Sansin Floor clear
View of roof structure detail
View of roof structure detail
Master bedroom with finished floor
Master bedroom with finished floor
Guest bedroom with finished Douglas fir flooring
Guest bedroom with finished Douglas fir flooring
Master bedroom
Master bedroom
View toward large balcony and master bedroom
View toward large balcony and master bedroom
Balcony with custom made railing
Balcony with custom made railing
Looking down the stairs
Looking down the stairs
View from entrance area
View from entrance area
Dining area and part of the living room
Dining area and part of the living room
Dining and kitchen area
Dining and kitchen area
Interior doors installed and staircase
Interior doors installed and staircase
Living room
Living room
Bedroom with custom-made Douglas Fir door
Bedroom with custom-made Douglas Fir door
Bedroom
Bedroom
Study. Timber frame vaulted ceiling.
Study. Timber frame vaulted ceiling.
View of the entrance area
View of the entrance area
View of SE side of house
View of SE side of house
SW view of finished home
SW view of finished home

Custom home NW of Calgary, AB

This custom home is over 1,900 sqft with 2 bedrooms. It is a highly energy-efficient log home design thanks to its insulated double-log wall construction. The cavity between the two layers of 4" logs is filled with blow-in wood fibre insulation made in Germany. Compared to a log house with exterior insulation and wood siding, this construction has the advantage of being much more resistant to fire, insects and weathering due to the 4" thick exterior log wall. Combining the latest techniques in building science with traditional log home joinery, this type of insulated-wall log home construction with dovetail corners has proven itself in Europe for decades. All logs and timbers have been manufactured to precision in our own shop in Alberta.

Insulated Double-Log Custom Home

Exterior walls: 14" thick double-log wall construction with woodfibre blow-in insulation. Two layers of 4" log walls with over 6 1/4" woodfibre insulation in the centre of the wall. A high-end vapour retarder membrane installed around the inside log wall guarantees an air-tight, but vapour permeable building envelope. The total R-Value for the exterior walls is R33 in addition to substantial thermal mass.

Interior walls: 4" log walls.

Foundation: 4ft frost wall built with 14" Nexcem ICF with an R-Value of R22 below grade and R28 above grade.  

Floors: Concrete floor with 6.25" of insulation underneath on main floor. Timberframe construction between main und upper floor with solid wood floor finish.

Roof: Heavy-timber construction made from BC-sourced, Douglas Fir timbers with solid wood paneling as the visible ceiling. ProClima Intesana vapour reatrder membrane, woodfibre insulation, 35mm Gutex Multiplex wood fibre panels, ventilation layer, finished off with metal roofing over plywood with a roof liner. Roof R-value: R60.

Windows and exterior doors: Custom-made solid wood windows and doors with aluminum clad by Gradwohl in Austria. The windows are triple glazed with an insulation U-value of 0.7 W/m²K and Eclaz high solar gain glass.