Anders Hedlund

Luke Townsley wrote:Sooo, the devil is in the details, but the short answer is no, IMO.

Wood gives off plenty of VOCs, some species more irritating to some people than others. Coniferous species tend to be more offensive in my area. Drying and curing the wood helps.

One issue with conventional style log cabins is insulation. If your site has moderate seasonal temperature swings, you might get away without insulation, but you say it is cold, and it is my understanding that the r value of a solid uninsulated log wall tends to be pretty low, again species matters, and of course, r value isn't the whole story. If you have unlimited free heat, say from wastewood, you might be ok with this.

Thanks for your reply. I was thinking that since wood is a natural substance, that it would be healthy for us. After all, we've lived in wooden houses for a very long time, and among wood inside the forests for all of human history.

Sebastian Köln wrote:What about AAC?

I have recently rediscovered it while looking for insulation materials that are mold and insect proof, not a mess to install and could be produced locally (lots of limestone here) if I can get my hand on an autoclave.

Yes, this is the same as "Hebel blocks" (as it's known in America). But in Europe we just call it AAC. I am also curious to hear more about it. I wonder how well it works in cold climates with lots of snow.

I am planning on building my first home. It will be built in Northern Scandinavia, so the climate is pretty cold with lots of snow.

I want to build it completely mold resistant, and also free of VOCs (as much as possible). I know that "breathable walls" is a well-known concept on this website. I was wondering if a traditional log home would be suitable for this, or if you recommend something like Durisol/Faswall instead? I could also get "Hebel blocks".

Wood however is the most common building material in my area, and I would for sure be able to find contractors who could help build with it.