Log house, timber frame or CLT? A technical comparison of the three wooden house systems
Three building systems cover almost every wooden house: solid logs stacked into walls, timber frame walls filled with insulation, and solid cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels. They differ in how the wall carries load, how it insulates, how it moves and how it is made.
Geoniks works with wooden houses only — log, timber frame and CLT homes, cabins and villas. We can’t help with concrete, steel, apartment or office buildings.
Log houses: the wall is solid wood
A log wall is made of horizontal logs, round or milled, solid or laminated from several glued lamellas, joined at the corners with notches. The wood carries the load and forms the inside and outside surface at once. Laminated logs are kiln-dried and glued, which makes them straighter and much more stable than solid green logs.
Logs shrink across the grain as they dry, so a log wall settles in height in its first years. Window and door openings get settling gaps above the frames, and posts get adjustable feet. A solid log wall on its own reaches a moderate U-value; in cold climates it is often combined with an insulated layer or made thicker.
Timber frame: studs, insulation and layers
A timber frame wall has vertical studs — commonly 45 mm wide at about 600 mm centres — with insulation between them, sheathing for bracing, a vapour control layer on the warm side and a wind barrier and ventilated cladding outside. It is the most widespread system in Scandinavia and North America.
Because the insulation fills the wall depth, timber frame reaches low U-values with thin walls. Prefabricated wall elements arrive with windows and cladding fitted. The membranes and their joints are what make or break the wall, so factory production and an airtightness test are worth asking for.
CLT: solid panels of cross-laminated timber
Cross-laminated timber is made of layers of boards glued crosswise in an odd number of layers — typically 3, 5 or 7 — and standardised in EN 16351. The panels act as walls, floors and roofs, carry load in two directions and are cut by CNC with openings and service channels. CLT is dimensionally stable, so it does not settle like logs, and it is common for multi-storey and larger buildings. Insulation is added outside the panels.
Side by side
A general comparison; the actual values depend on the manufacturer and the wall build-up.
| Log | Timber frame | CLT | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Load-bearing part | Solid or laminated logs | Studs and sheathing | Solid cross-laminated panels |
| Insulation | The wood itself, often plus an insulated layer | Between the studs | Outside the panels |
| Settling | Yes — gaps over openings, adjustable posts | Minimal | Minimal |
| Inside surface | Wood | Boards or plasterboard | Wood or cladding |
| Prefabrication | CNC-cut log kit | Closed wall elements | CNC-cut panels |
| Typical use | Detached houses, cabins, saunas | Detached and terraced houses | Larger and multi-storey buildings |
How to choose
- The look and feel of solid wood inside and out: log or CLT.
- The thinnest wall for a given U-value: timber frame.
- Larger buildings, wide spans and several storeys: CLT, often with glulam (EN 14080) beams and columns.
- Climate and local manufacturers matter as much as the system: ask for prices on the same design from more than one system.
With Geoniks: Design your house once in 3D and receive quotes from log, timber frame and CLT manufacturers that build in your country — on the same plan, so the prices can be compared.
Wooden house manufacturers →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a log house and a timber frame house?
In a log house the solid logs form the wall and carry the load; in a timber frame house studs carry the load and insulation fills the space between them. Log walls settle as they dry, timber frame walls hardly do.
What is a CLT house?
A house built from cross-laminated timber: solid panels made of board layers glued crosswise (usually 3, 5 or 7 layers, EN 16351). The panels form walls, floors and roof and are cut to size in the factory.
Do laminated log houses settle?
Much less than houses of solid green logs, because the lamellas are kiln-dried before gluing. Settling allowances over openings are still part of the design.
Which wooden house system is the cheapest?
It depends on the country, the size and the manufacturer. The reliable way to know is to ask several manufacturers for a price on the same design.