Log types compared: laminated, solid or settlement-free log?

In 2026, choosing the material for a new log house comes down in practice to comparing three options: ordinary laminated log, settlement-free laminated log and solid log. The decisive difference is settling: solid log settles about 30 mm per metre of wall height, laminated log about 10 mm, and settlement-free log effectively not at all. For family houses the market standard is laminated, and the settlement-free version is every major manufacturer's flagship product.

Laminated log – the standard of modern building

Laminated log is made by gluing 2–6 spruce or pine laminations with parallel grain. Widths run from 95 to 275 mm and heights from 170 to 275 mm; family houses typically use log 180–270 mm wide. With no continuous heartwood, laminated log twists and checks far less than solid wood and holds its dimensions. The modern joint is extremely thin, so the wall surface is neat inside and out. Ordinary laminated log is cheaper than settlement-free, and its settling of about a centimetre per metre is managed with standard details.

Non-settling log – what does it mean?

Non-settling log is a laminated log whose middle laminations – typically six in all – are glued with the grain vertical. Wood barely moves along the grain, so settling drops to almost nothing: at best the deformation is under 0.2% of wall height – less than a centimetre over five metres. That matches a stud-framed house, and settlement-free performance comes with guarantees of up to 10 years.

The benefits show at the drawing board: no settling allowances above windows, large glazed areas are feasible, plasterboard partitions and other settlement-free structures fix directly to the log wall, and the build speeds up. A typical settlement-free log for a family house is about 200 mm wide and 260–270 mm high; for large buildings, widths up to 270 mm are available.

Solid log – the traditional choice for cabin and sauna

Solid planed log is machined from a single tree into a rectangular profile; typical width 95–205 mm, height 170–220 mm. The surface can be hewn by machine or hand, and round log is turned to a diameter of 150–230 mm. Solid wood moves the most: the wall settles about 3 cm per metre and drying checks appear on the surface – rarely a structural problem, but they show. Solid log is now used mainly in cabins, saunas and outbuildings, where its low cost and traditional look come into their own.

What does settling demand of the structure?

In a settling log structure – solid log, and more mildly ordinary laminated log – the designer allows for movement like this:

• Settling allowances are left above windows and doors; with solid log, in the region of 60–70 mm for a two-metre opening.
• Opening jambs are fixed with a sliding jamb post, never rigidly.
• Load-bearing posts get adjustable screw jacks, tuned as settling proceeds.
• Dowels keep the logs from twisting; maximum spacing 2,000 mm.
• Internal walls settle slightly more than external ones, because indoor air is drier.
• Cabinets are fixed to a single log course only, and ceiling junctions get sliding fixings.

Non-settling log frees the design from these constraints.

Log types and the energy regulations

In a year-round dwelling, log thickness is also a regulatory question. A solid wood wall at least 180 mm thick is assessed against its own U-value reference of 0.40 W/(m²K), against 0.17 for an ordinary external wall, and a solid wood building's E-value limit for small houses is 20 per cent more lenient. That is why a family house in practice gets log around 200 mm wide or more. A cabin can make do with a lighter profile.

Profiles and corners decide the look

A smooth square profile gives a modern, clean-lined surface; a chamfered profile is more traditional. At the corners the choice is between the traditional crossed corner and the flush city corner – with a square profile, a city corner makes a log house look almost like an ordinary timber house from outside. Profiles and joint details are manufacturer-specific, so compare the dimensions in the quotes.

Which log type for your project?

• Family house, modern architecture or big windows: settlement-free laminated log.
• Family house on a tighter budget: ordinary laminated log – its roughly 1 cm/m settling is managed with standard details.
• Year-round holiday home: laminated log with a heavy profile.
• Summer cabin, garden sauna or storehouse: solid planed log or round log.
• Heritage project or handcrafted look: round log or hand-hewn planed log.

Lock in the log type before the planning drawings: settling behaviour affects openings, junctions and even how kitchen units are fixed. The choice balances traditional looks, technical ease and budget – every option gives solid wood's advantages: humidity-buffering indoor air and a long-lived frame. Request quotes for at least two log types.

• Laminated log is the market standard for family houses; widths 95–275 mm, typically 180–270 mm.
• Settling figures: solid log about 30 mm/m, laminated log about 10 mm/m, settlement-free under 0.2% of wall height.
• Non-settling log allows large glazed areas and junctions without settling allowances; guarantees run up to 10 years.
• Settlement-free glulam log about 200 mm wide meets a family house's energy requirements.
• Solid log – planed and round log – suits cabins, saunas and outbuildings best.
• A square profile and city corner give a modern look; a chamfered profile and crossed corner a traditional one.