FAQ

How big Log House could be?

Mainly the norms and standards in your country limit the largeness of log houses. The great experience, reliable technology, high quality materials, precise design and building able us to erect 3-floor constructions with several hundred squire meters living area. Wood and stone in combination enable to enlarge the living area.

Where I can build a Log House?

Individual house, villa, large complex, office or kindergarten everywhere you want – at sea, in mountain or open country.

Can I build genuine living Log Home or wooden houses are suited better for summer cottages and chalets?

Our great experience, high quality and ability in log construction building give you an opportunity to possess excellent home appropriate for year-round live in.

How long the Log House building is?

We import 100% of materials for the house from Kontio, Finland. Components include high quality wooden doors and windows. Therefore we can finish building in 2-5 weeks. Only 1/15 of energy is needed in comparison to that needed for a comparable house built in conventional bricks or concrete style.

Can Log House withstand against storms and earthquakes?

Log type constructions, built according Kontio technology are among the strongest and most reliable buildings. The excellent mechanical characteristics, strength, elasticity, stability under load of the wood, patented tight joints, strong roof and foundations guarantee you long life of the home and safety of your investment. It is a fact that Kontio house was not damaged by typhoon CAT 4 – Milenyo in Philippines in 2006.

What is the guarantee of Log Construction?

We give guarantee of the Log type constructions according Bulgarian low. Our log buildings conform on European standards and comply with the demands of the European technical approval ETA-05/0119. Also the constructions are marked with sign for safety CE. When close-grained northern wood and the tradition in wood construction is combined with the latest technology, a concept is created: Kontio Log Houses – Quality From Finland.

Is there a need of maintenance of Log House?

Yes. As everything we use and Log Homes need maintenance. The wood is a live material and during the first 2-3 years the log constructions characterizes with slightly settling. Do not worry about this. Everything is foreseen. The construction is supplied with special joints for adjustment. Besides that, the high quality of used wood and advanced technology along with precise design minimizes this effect.
Depending on climatic conditions – humidity and sun radiation, the wooden surfaces treat with protective coatings every 4-10 years. The coatings protect the wood against UV radiation, mould and rot. We strongly recommend you not experiment with this work by yourselves and use our service – guarantee for hundred years life of your beautiful home.

Who lives in a Log Home and why to invest in it?

It will be very nice if everybody live in an ecological Log Home. Many people all over the world convince that there is no better home than Log type, but built according latest technologies and with Finnish pine. Worldwide trend shows that log constructions have undeniable good future. Man who appreciates the children and his own health, right investment, individuality, prestige, nature, comfort, cosiness, reliability and safety is welcome to VIP DOM.

What I gain by living in a Log Home and what I pay for?

You live in unique, luxurious and ecological environment without allergies. Northern polar Finnish pine filters the air and kills some microbes and bacteria. Ensuring healthy conditions for rest and sleep you are more efficient at work. In addition to the home you may have superior Finnish sauna, fireplace, swimming pool, barbeque and local SPA in your yard.

You possess a 100% Finnish Kontio log house made with the best materials and able to withstand to strong storms and earthquakes. The advanced log construction of your home is designed and built according European standards.

Possessing Kontio home you become a member of group from selected clients. Approval for your right choice are already built Kontio Log Houses in Germany, Holland, France, Spain, Italy, Swiss, Ireland, UK, Sweden, Finland, Czech, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, USA, Canada, Japan, China, Philippines, South Korea.

Why the initial investment in Kontio Log House is high and is it profitably?

The price of the house is formed from the best wooden material – Finnish polar pine, advanced technologies and design, high quality additional materials, windows and doors with Pilkington glass, big experience and reliability. Your investment regains quickly. You save money for heating, cooling and air conditioning nowadays, when the prices of petrol and gas steadily increase. In addition we can install in your home solar water heating system and others on your opinion. Living in healthy environment you will feel in good health and sprightly.

How can I buy a Log House if I am out of all funds at the moment? Can I use a bank?

Take a bank loan from our partner – bank DSK! We will help you to receive the best terms, so that in the shortest time to be able to enter in you new home.Even if you have all funds, there is no need to use all of them, may be it will be much better for you to use a bank. If you are investor and would like to build villages, complexes or realize other investment project our partner – bank DSK is at your disposal.

Which thickness of logs a have to choose and is there a need of additional thermal insulation?

The Finnish northern polar pine characterizes with excellent mechanical building and thermal parameters. Depending on your requirements or norms and lows you can choose different sizes and types of logs. At calculations of Heat-transfer coefficient U [W/(m2K)] of the walls is used Coefficient of thermal conductivity of the wooden logs = 0,12 [W/(mK)]. So you can define your needs of energy efficiency.
U = 1,04 W/(m2K) – for rectangular logs with thickness 95mm
U = 0,85 W/(m2K) – for rectangular logs with thickness 120mm
U = 0,77 W/(m2K) – for rectangular logs with thickness 135mm
U = 1,04 W/(m2K) – for glued rectangular logs with thickness 95mm
U = 0,77 W/(m2K) – for glued rectangular logs with thickness 135mm
U = 0,60 W/(m2K) – for glued rectangular logs with thickness 180mm
U = 0,53 W/(m2K) – for glued rectangular logs with thickness 205mm
U = 0,79 W/(m2K) – for round logs with diameter Ø150mm
U = 0,72 W/(m2K) – for round logs with diameter Ø170mm
U = 0,60 W/(m2K) – for round logs with diameter Ø210mm
U = 0,53 W/(m2K) – for glued round logs with diameter Ø230mm

The quality and technology of used sealing package in our houses ensures achievement of tight envelope preventing humidity moving to structures and decreasing moisture damage and thus lengthens the service life of the building. When envelope is tight, indoor conditions are easier to adjust. Heating energy is saved. Air is replaced only when needed.

We recommend roof and floor thermal and vapor insulation to be properly done.
If any way you want additional wall thermal insulation we will offer you the right solution according Kontio technology.

What is the ratio of construction sealing?

Outdoor temperature, humidity and air pressure vary according to season and weather. To ensure the comfort and health of occupants, the aim is to keep indoor conditions stable. With the advances made in technology, conditions inside the building can be adjusted as needed by the occupants. When the envelope is tight, indoor conditions are easier to adjust. Heating energy is saved. Air is replaced only when needed. A tight envelope prevents humidity from moving to structures, decreases moisture damage and thus lengthens the service life of the building.
A log structure meets the requirements set for external walls without any separate air barrier and windproofing. Log has an excellent capacity to balance humidity changes either by absorbing or releasing humidity.
Proper use of materials and meticulousness in all details are key. Because air flow into the structures is caused by pressure difference between outdoor and indoor air, every leaking spot in the air barrier impairs the tightness of the building. All air barrier joints must be taped. Break-throughs for cables and other structures must be sealed by tape or silicone. Finally, before covering the air barrier, it must be inspected and holes, if any, must be sealed. In a log building, the tightness of the joints between logs can be improved. The same applies to joints in windows and doors. Here, too, correct materials and meticulous procedure are the means for ensuring a good result.
KONTIO LOG HOUSE – PROVEN TO BE TIGHT
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has tested the tightness of a Kontio log house in Oulu. The building, erected in 2005 and having 205 mm laminated log walls, reached the tightness value of N50 = 1.5 1/h. It is an excellent result! 4 h-1 can be regarded as a good tightness value. A log house where wool insulation is used in joints and neck joints reaches the level of 4.

What is the difference between the Finnish polar wood and others for logs manufacturing?

Slowly grown close-grained northern wood is the best material for construction. Pine grows on a dry and nutrient-poor soil, such as sand and morainic soils, but it also thrives in a stony and rocky ground. Its growth zone covers the whole northern hemisphere. This arctic wood species needs plenty of light and clean air in order to grow healthy. Northern Finland offers all these geological and climatic characteristics better than any other region in the world. KONTIO only uses genuine northern pine in its buildings.

What is the resistance of Log Structures to fire?

First of all does not exist normal building which can resists to fire. It is just a matter of time and level of temperature. The situation makes worse when thermal insulation of brick or concrete structures is fulfilled with organic plastic materials, very dangerous in case of fire. Besides that injuries and accidents in 90% cases of fire happen because of smoke and not burning.

Kontio Log Structures are tested according European standards and technical approvals. It is not well known fact that wooden structures have better mechanical resistance and stability in case of fire in comparison of comparable buildings. We can treat the wooden surfaces with protective coatings against fire in order to increase the resistance. Besides that the offered by us existing contemporary electronic fire protection systems will make your life calmer.

Usually the wood is cracking. How this problem is solved?

Cracking of logs usually happens to every big size wooden part. This natural effect occurs more with low quality wood.
VIP DOM solves this question and improves log structures by several methods:

We use only high quality close-grained northern polar Finnish wood, characterizes with higher density and strength,
Drying process takes place in specially developed drying rooms. There is a separate computer-controlled program for each timber size. Moisture content meets the “Quality requirements for log buildings” and is controlled in accordance with the ETA approval,
Special PRESSLOG drying process under mechanical pressure is developed for rectangular logs 135mm,
Have been developed laminated logs with lesser degree stretches and cracking of the wood.

How is the wood protected against insects?

The high quality close-grained northern polar Finnish wood characterizes with natural protection against insects, comparable with wood from other regions in the world. The climatic conditions and soil in northern Finland makes wood with special chemical composition. An additional treatment with protection substance can be made.

What is the difference between Finnish Log Houses and prefabricated houses?

VIP DOM offers buildings with natural massive wooden logs. The main difference is that we use maximum natural wood and minimum industrial chemical materials in order to propose you completely ecological environment for living. Only inside the Log Home you can feel the smell of the forest. The Finnish Log Houses are very strong and reliable to any storms and earthquakes in addition.

In contrast to Log Houses, there are many cheap prefabricated buildings with structural insulated panels. Any factory made panel consists many chemical and industrial products – EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) foam insulation, OSB (Oriented Strand Boards), metals and other substances. Even the wool and rock insulations have plastic materials in their composition. In some prefabricated buildings only the facade boarding is wooden. It is truth that these buildings are with excellent energy efficiency and very low thermal conductivity coefficient of the walls. For high energy efficiency and low price you pay may be with your health. After decades it is most likely that it will be discovered again that these new exotic industrial materials are bad for human health, but will be too late. You live in air and vapour tight house with many plastic materials. As you probably know these used organic materials in case of fire liberate very dangerous gases for the health. So that it is only your decision – to possess a healthy house fully made from natural wooden logs or possess any other type including brick and concrete with unknowing “XXI century” building materials.