“We do not mill Eastern White Pine because it is the species closet to our mills;” says log home builder Moose Log Homes, “instead, we moved our mills to be closer to this magnificent tree and its abundant supplies in the U.S. East.” This company is among many that choose Eastern White Pine not only for its striking beauty and affordability, but its stability. This tree is listed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wood Products Laboratory as having the least amount of radial shrinkage of any species of wood used as an engineering material.
Eastern White Pine performs extraordinarily well when compared to other pine species like Southern Yellow Pine, Lodgepole Pine, Ponderosa Pine and Western White Pine. Low shrinkage rates mean log homes made of Eastern White Pine will be stronger and more durable.
Log homes have been built in North America since the first British settlers arrived in what would become New England nearly 500 years ago. The earliest stacked log structures were very rustic, made using the simplest of techniques, so inevitably, there were gaps between the logs. Development of the ‘military dovetail corner’ in the 18th century provided the interlocking log pattern that we recognize in log homes today, making these structures much more comfortable and stable.
Modern log homes can be built with logs in a variety of shapes and sizes including round logs, D-shaped logs, dovetail and tongue-and-groove. These logs can reach up to 14 inches in diameter and an incredible 50 feet in length, creating dramatic looks that show off the natural beauty of wood like no other building material and construction technique.
