The Home Builders Institute (HBI), the workforce development arm of NAHB, and the Log Homes Council have developed a course to teach superintendents about the fundamentals of log home construction and provide an overview of the growing log home niche market.

“The Log and Timber Home Construction Overview,” the first log home-specific course offered by HBI, will introduce superintendents new to log home construction to the market and enable them to grasp the construction intricacies needed to produce log homes. The course is offered as part of HBI’s Residential Construction Superintendent Series of training and designations courses.

“Log homes hold a distinguished role in the history of residential construction,” said Jim Young, 2009 Log Homes Council president and president of PrecisionCraft Log and Timber Homes in Meridian, Idaho. “There is pent-up demand for this style of housing and that’s why the LHC and HBI partnered to created this course.”

Young said that much of the growth in the log home market can be attributed to baby boomers who have a romantic attachment to log homes. “It’s a dream for many buyers,” he said. “Log and timber construction continues to evolve and now more and more people are realizing the American dream of owning a log home.”

“HBI is rolling out the course through local home builders associations,” said HBI Chairman M.M. “Mike” Weiss, CAPS, CGB, CGR, GMB. “This new course educates superintendents on how log home construction differs from conventional stick building, as well as on the many opportunities that exist in this strong niche market.”

The four-hour course will provide:

“Those who want to work in the log home industry are encouraged to connect with members of the Log Homes Council,” said Young. “Members of the Log Homes Council offer safeguards that protect both log home buyers and builders.”

The safeguards the council provides its members include:

For more information about the log home course at HBA, visit www.hbi.org/loghomes.