About 90% of the new houses in USA are made with wooden frame (NAHB.org). In Japan wooden houses are about 58% of new constructions and about 90% of the detach houses. Wooden houses are easy to be tailored and designed. They are also easy to be renovated or modified later on. There are different types of wooden houses with pros and cons. Major type of houses are:
- Two by four frame -style
- Post and beam frame -style
- Scandinavian full-scribe “log cabin” -style
Two by four frame consist two by four matrix of wood frame. This is very flexible to modify what ever shape of building. Outer material cam be chosen to be eg. bricks, stone, wood or plastic panels. This is very popular style because of affordable cost. These houses are not log houses but still wooden houses.
Post and beam frame is familiar from temples in Asia. Massive corners and horizontal beams keep the structure up. Wall holes can be either wood or bricks or other material. Some modern houses are also using this method since windows can be made really large.
Log Cabin or log house is Scandinavian style house invented in Finland long time ago. Finland was part of Sweden until year 1809 and first Swedish settlers in USA, half of then from Finland area, brought this method to Delaware. House style is still called Swedish-Cope. There are different corner styles, some traditional looking, some more modern.
Older houses often had round natural logs. Some carpenters are still using natural massive logs and building house with these is a form of art. They make corner joint by hand to fit each log to next one. These houses are one of a kind.
Today most log houses are made with square laminated logs. These factory cut logs are durable, affordable and they form airtight walls. Engineered logs are made with inner heartwood of tree. In the north pine trees grow slowly and this inner wood is very dense and these log walls are good insulators. Non-settling logs don’t move (settle) over time and it is possible to make large windows to log houses.