Log Cabins Vs Panel Houses - Which is Best?

21 Feb 2024

A log cabin and a panel house can provide the perfect retreat for you in your garden, but several differences will be apparent and may make you want to choose one of them over the other.

Construction

A log cabin is constructed from interlocking logs, which are shaped to allow them to fit together perfectly. Once the first log is screwed to the base frame, the rest of the logs are easily slotted together one on top of the other, this is without the use of any further screws, and continues until the walls are completed.

Windows and doors are then slotted into place at the appropriate time, and are not screwed or attached to the cabin. This allows for natural expansion and contraction, which can differ, depending on the time of year. Generally, they will expand in the winter, when there is more moisture in the air and contract in the summer, when it is drier.

A panel house is constructed differently, with each panel being constructed in the factory, and fitted into a frame. The doors and windows are then fitted into the panel where appropriate. During construction, each panel is slotted together and screwed into place, a ring-beam is then placed around the top of the building to hold all the panels in place.

Although expansion and contraction can still occur, it is much smaller and it does not affect the overall height of the building, this is due to the panels being screwed and held together.

Practical Aspects of Expansion and Contraction

In a log cabin, there may be instances when you will need to re-paint areas around the door and window frame, which show up due to the expansion and contraction. This does not happen in a panel house.

Internally, in a log cabin, it is not possible to attach items across multiple logs, such as TV brackets or shelves, as this can limit the expansion and contraction, which in turn can cause issues to the overall height of the log cabin. In a panel house, this kind of movement, is not so much of an issue, as there are no logs which move independently of each other. Although there needs to be some degree of flexibility when items are fixed to the wall.

Looks

The overall look of a panel house is much cleaner as there are no interlocking logs at the corners. It is more like an English summerhouse than a log cabin but has the benefit of much thicker logs.

Insulation

Both log cabins and panel houses can be fully or partially insulated with the addition of a cavity that can be filled with either rock wool or rigid PIR board.

The log cabin must be entirely constructed in its log form before cladding and insulating the walls can take place. Usually, the cladding is fitted to the outside of the cabin if the whole building requires insulation. Cladding can be added internally if a single room needs to be insulated.

Fitting the cladding to the log cabin's exterior hides the interlocking corners, giving the cabin a much cleaner finish, similar to a panel house, creating a much more modern feel.

The panel house will come pre-insulated from the manufacturer, and as such, it is a less time-consuming process to construct on-site. Likewise, the roof of a panel house can come pre-insulated or may be insulated during site construction.

A cavity space in your building allows wires or plumbing to be hidden, giving the inside a much cleaner finish.

Without a cavity, the wiring has to be fitted to either the inside or the outside of the cabin, and can only be hidden by placing the wires under the floorboards or through the roof.