HBA News - Beginning Page 26

From the beginning days of American history, those who were the earlypioneers of this country built log homes using the trees they found at hand.

It has however, only been in the last several decades, that log homeconstruction has entered contemporary markets as a viable alternative toconventional construction.

By Ellen Walker

A West Virginia company has been one of the pioneers in this industry,offering significant national leadership to move this older form ofconstruction into the 21st century.

2121212121ststststst Century Century Century Century CenturyPioneersPioneersPioneersPioneersPioneers

Photos Courtesy ofAppalachian Log Structures

Appalachian Log Structures, located in Ripley, WV, is a family owned andoperated company. It’s founder, Fletcher R. Parsons, began his careerwith a wood preservation company in the mid-1950’s. Burke, Parsons &Bowlby Co. specialized in railroad ties, farm posts and other preservedwood products.

Tell them you saw it in the WV Builder - Page 11In the 1970’s as the “back to nature”and “do it yourself” movements beganto grow resulting from such books asthe “Foxfire” series, the companyresponded by exploring the possibilityof furnishing preserved lumber for loghomes. In 1977 they produced theirfirst home kit as a test project.

By 1985 the log home was incorporatedinto the company’s product line and in1990, Parsons sold his part of Burke,Parsons & Bowlby and purchased thelog structure portion. At that pointAppalachian Log Structures was born.

Today Parsons is retired and his fourchildren are partners in the company.Douglas C. Parsons is president,

Donald Parsons, Dorie Workman and Douglas Parsons

Doug Parsons began working with his father in 1981.His background was in carpentry and construction,although he also had experience in prefabricating homes.That experience, joined with his father’s knowledge of thenatural properties of wood and wood protection, becamea combination for success.

In the early 1980’s a group of independent log homemanufacturers from across the country formed the LogHome Manufacturers Association, said Doug. Part of thereason for forming the association grew out of a need fora grading system for log walled homes. Utility poles and

In the mid-1980’s the Log HomeManufacturers Association joined theNational Association of Home Buildersto form the Log Homes Council, whichis part of the Building Systems Councilof NAHB.

Dorie Workman heads marketing and Donald Parsonsdoes sales. Although a partner, Debbie Romine is notactively involved in the daily operations.

Today there are over 60 log manufacturers who aremembers of the council working to maintain regulationand to increase quality. Although they are peers andcompetitors, they join together “to talk about product,marketing and challenges,” said Doug. “The resultis a better product and a better industry.”

As chairman of the committee, he has had the opportunityto interact personally with the writing of the codes.“It has really helped us understand more about buildingcodes and how they affect builders and manufacturers ofproducts,” he said.

For the past six years Doug Parsons has been particularlyactive on the council, serving on the technical committee,which deals with design, preservation and codes. For thepast 3 years the committee has been working on new IRCcodes to develop a log home standard.

heavy timber were all called logs. Therewas a need for a program that wouldprove to building inspectors that theselogs were viable building componentsthat would meet local building codes.

The code deals with structural integrity, energy efficiencyand such issues as effects of weather in differentclimate zones.

The standard is in the final stages, said Parsons. It is on it’sthird and final revision, receiving public comments now. Thegoal is to have it ready in 2007 to give to building inspectorsand it will be called the ICC400 Log Construction Standard.

Parsons recently won the council’s President’s Award for

The Oak Ridge NationalLaboratories with theDepartment of Energy istesting five types of logwall assemblies over an

Prior to these tests, R values were assigned to wood, butthere was no way to correctly assess the benefits ofthermal mass. Once these tests are completed, accurateenergy efficiency information will be available for log homesand can be calculated to meet construction codes.

his chairmanship of theLHC Technical Committeeand for his leadership inan ongoing log homesresearch study withOak Ridge NationalLaboratories.

18 month period. The tests will produce the mostquantitative analysis of the energy efficiency and thermalmass benefits of solid log wall construction.

“This has been a huge learning experience for me,” saidParsons, and “that’s what NAHB is all about.”

Log homes today offer a variety of design options and custom amenities. The industry is constantlyimproving to meet consumer demand for comfort, energy efficiency and structural integrity.

“If building a log home were easy, any contractor coulddo it,” said Parsons. The actual assembly is hard, heavylabor, but it’s not high tech. “The finish work is whatneeds to be extraordinary,” he said. That is what isunique to log construction.

“Custom home construction requires a different level ofcontractor than it did 15 years ago,” said Parsons. “Themore complexity of design requires more competance,”and the use of custom material such as granite requiresdifferent handling, he said.

Another employee of Appalachian LogStructures has also been extremelyactive in the Log Homes Council.Mark Feder is the company’svice-president of sales and is theout-going president of the Council.

Feder recently received recognition for his service to thecouncil and the LHC steering committee for the past fouryears. During his presidency, the council undertook severaltechnical and marketing initiatives designed to better promotethe log home industry.

“Mark has helped the organization step from one level (ofexcellence) to the next,” said Parsons. As immediate pastpresident, Feder will chair the LHC ethics committee.

“The NAHB has a tremendous amount of resources that areunder utilized,” said Feder. The association has an excellenttraining program and builder education is the number oneconstraint to the growth of the industry, Feder said.

The process of building a log home differs from that ofstandard frame construction, said Feder. There is a greatpotential for more log homes to be built if we educate thebuilders, he added.

Contractors should be members of their local HBA’s, saidFeder. “It’s a good way to pass on new information onproducts, codes, laws and employees. It’s a good forum.”

Mark Feder and Doug Parsons both received special recognition inMarch for their outstanding service to the NAHB Log Homes Council.

The finish work and the location of most log homeprojects is part of why it is hard to find qualifiedcontractors to build log homes.

Building a log home requires a lot of craftsmanship, saidParsons. “It is not a cookie cutter project.”

The process of building a log home with AppalachianLog Structures can be done quickly, however they preferto work with their customers for up to a year before thehome is built.

The company’s services cover the design phase,engineering, manufacturing and delivery to the site. Eachpiece is labeled and the structure has an accompaningconstruction manual on its proper assembly. Guidelinesare given to contractors on how to bid the project.

On average it takes six weeks to complete the plans andto price the building. Once the bank has completed theirappraisal and the builder has set his price, it usually takes6 to 8 weeks to deliver the kit to the site. Although theinitial construction is done fairly quickly, another six toeight months are needed to finish the interior.

Tell them you saw it in the WV Builder - Page 13

Appalachian Log Structures has a manufacturing facilityin Princeton, WV. The design work is done in Ripley andthen a cut list is sent to the Princeton shop along with anumbered plan. Each piece is prepared and numbered.

The wood used in this facility comes from a 100 mileradius and is primarily white pine. It is a stable, lightweight wood that accepts treatment, is attractive andis readily available, said Parsons. Most log homecompanies use woods indigenous to their area.Florida uses cypress, Missouri uses oak and in thewest they use long pole pine.

The logs are pressure treated with sodium borate, which is a “human friendly”agen tthat is non-toxic and not carsenoginic.

The Ripley company is the only one in the nation to usewood preservatives, which results in no rot or decayand no termites. The logs are pressure treated withsodium borate, which is a “human friendly” agent that isnon-toxic and not carsenoginic. Used ina 5% solution, the wood is encased withthe liquid which is absorbed andpenetrates to the center of the log.

Each log isindividuallyprepared andlabeled foreasy assemblyon site. Thecontractorreceives amanual anddetailedinstructions forthe home’sassembly.

The lumber is trucked to the site, usually on4 large trucks, although that varies with thesize of each project.

Although about 80% of their homes areshipped primarily to a 350 mile radius,with as much as 40% being used inWest Virginia, the company has alsoshipped their homes to Mexico, Jamaica,Canada, Japan, Australia and Korea.They produce apx. 200 houses a year.

Fellow Midwestern Home BuilderAssociation member Tom Hardman ofHardman’s Supply provides the Hurdwindows for the projects.

Tell them you saw it in the WV Builder - Page 15