Logbuilding News Issue No 43

N E W S

Inside This Issue

Log Grading ProgramPage 2

ILBA Demos Log BuilderCompetition EventsPage 3

TechTalkVice horse, pipe line cones, andtenon makerPage 4

Letters to the EditorPage 6

Protection of Wood UsingBoratesPage 8

ICC Update Standards Committee ReportPage 10

Mold is a PestPesticideConcernsPage 11

Great Lakes Log CraftersAssociationAnnual Conference June 20 to 21, 2003Page 14

News from the LogBuilders Association of New ZealandPage 15

Group Insurance NeedsFor the ILBAPage 16

Standards and FinishingTechniquesPage 18

News from the OfficePage 19

Log Home InsuranceBy Robrt SavignacComparing to insurance re risk of conventional constructionPage 20

New and RenewingMembersPage 22

Classied AdsPage 25

May/June 2003 Number 43

Agreement Number 40707514

2nd Annual Rendez-vousPlans UnderwayMark your calendars and pack up the family, as we aregetting ready to host the 2nd Annual Rendez-vousweekend at the Gold Panner Campground inCherryville, BC. The dates for this years event will beSeptember 1921, 2003. This year we have decidedto host the event earlier, as we wanted to ensurewarmer. Fees for the event will include your campsitefor 3 nights (September 18, 19, 20), along with mealsfrom Friday breakfast up to and including Sundaybreakfast. There will be campres in the evening, andlots of time to visit with old and new friends, andshare ideas on the log building industry. We are alsolooking at hosting a few events for the children thisyear!

For those of you who werent able to attend lastyear, youll nd the Gold Panner Campground located37 miles East of Vernon, BC on Hwy#6. The site is anhours drive from the Kelowna, BC, airport. The camp-ground offers creek shing, camping, hiking, historicalsightseeing, Cherry Creek gold mine tours, on-siterestaurant, showers and toilets; power hook-ups andlaundry facilities are available.

We are currently organizing the workshops and

ABOVE ILBA Members gather round at last yearsRendez-vous to learn new notching techniques.Theyll be plenty more to learn at this years event,so mark you calendars today!!!

LogBuildingNewsMay/June 2003

Issue #43

2 LogBuildingNews June/July 2003

Published six times a year 2003 International

Log Builders AssociationP.O. Box 775

Lumby, British Columbia ,Canada V0E 2G0

Toll-free: 800-532-2900 Phone: 250-547-8776

Fax: 250-547-8775 www.logassociation.org

Cathy Hansen, Executive [email protected]

Robrt Savignac, Executive [email protected]

Ann Miks, Administrative [email protected]

Contributors to this issue:James Harcourt250-547-2400

Hugo Lemieux613-747-5544 ext 239

Terry McCluskey250-547-6666

Del Radomske250-765-5166

Robrt Savignac250-547-8776

GLLCA, Duane & Kay Sellman612-464-3843

Jean Steinbrecher360-221-0494

Log Building News EditorCathy HansenPO Box 775 Lumby, BC

Canada V0E 2G01-800-532-2900

[email protected]

seminars, with details to be nalized by month end. Just a glimpse of what we areworking are: a Bridge Building session focused on massive wood joinery techniques, aroof structure workshop, Chainsaw Maintenance seminar, Beginner Log Building work-shop in which participants will create a few log picnic tables, along with our 2ndAnnual Fall Rendez-vous Log Builders Competition, CANLOG Logger Sports Demo,hands-on Tech Talk session and more. Watch for details forthcoming on our websiteand in your mailbox.

This is a great opportunity to bring your whole crew, the costs are minimal and thenetworking provides a boost to those involved in the industry. One comment we oftenhear is, its great to get together with others and share, I cant afford to miss thesetraining/networking sessions.

Rendez-vous from page 1

Log Grading ProgramThe NAHB and its Builders Systems Council has prepared its application requirementsfor subscription to the LHC Log Grading Program. Based on your production volumeof logs used per year, a graduated fee has been established to make this programaffordable to the handcrafted log home industry where wood volumes used in youryards do not compare to log consumption used in the machined-log industry. Loggrading now only required by limited state legislation will soon become a nationalrequirement as part of the overall denitions within the parameters of the upcomingInternational Building Code Standards and References. For those companies seeking tocomply with current grading requirements, and/or those who anticipate the need tograde your building logsa dedicated page on the ILBA website (www.logassociation.org) is soon to be developed with a copy of the Log Homes Council application avail-able online.

Terry McCluskey of Whitevalley Log Homes sits proudly on a barn he and his sonconstructed on his new acreage. See TechTalk, page 4.

Number 43 LogBuildingNews 3

Robrt Savignac, Executive Director of theILBA, will be attending two of the upcomingCAN-Log events to be held in BC in July.CANLOGs (Canadian Logger SportsAssociation) Roaming Rep, Clayton Scott, ofKamloops, BC, is looking forward to havingSavignac on board on July 6th in Revelstoke,BC. Savignac, who will be assisted by otherILBA members, will be demonstrating theevents pertaining to the handcrafted logbuilding industry. In turn, Scott will also beattending the ILBA September Rendez-vousto demonstrate events held at CAN-LogCompetitions.

CAN-Log representative Gary Burns willalso be hosting another loggers competitionon July 5th in Slocan, BC, at their LoggerSports grounds across from the school.Having Savignac and ILBA members at thisevent is especially important to Burns, as hehas been working on raising funds for theSlocan community by building a few handcrafted homes withsalvaged logs (which have been spiked). Local ILBA member and

builder Richard Smedbol has been assisting Burns with thisconstruction process, and we look forward to having hisinvolvement at our competition demo in Slocan on July 5th.

ILBA Demos Log Builder Competition Events

Proud log builder gets ready for thenext competition. Be there at theupcoming ILBA Fall Rendez-vous to compete and take home greatprizes!

4 LogBuildingNews May/June 2003

ILBA member, James Harcourt, took theMackie Log Building course in 1979 andhas been building ever since. His passionfor the art took a turn in 1981 when heobtained his rst contract, a 3000 squarefoot home, it was big for a rst house,says Harcourt. That rst contract led tomany more, and his company TouchwoodLog and Timber Homes was born. With adesire to learn more Harcourt headed toOntario in 1990 and took at 10 day timberframing course in Ontario, from there hewas able to put both the skills of log build-ing and timber framing together. Harcourtis now employed by Unique Timber Corp.in BC, which has provided him anotheropportunity to gain more experience andknowledge of the timber framing industry.Harcourt is always looking for ways toimprove techniques, and came forth withthe following to share with other ILBAmembers.Vice HorseThe Vice Horse is a great time saver, as itallows you to clamp the piece you areworking on quickly and securely, saysHarcourt, it is one of the most useful toolsI have made. This jig is 32 tall and 48wide, with the vice mounted through theend verticals in steel bushings. The rod is1 diameter with a course thread; lefthand on one half and right hand on the

other half so you can screw the jawstogether or apart, the top is a maximumof 32. The handle is slotted with a key soit is removable for transport, if it is in theway or you need better access you mightwant to purchase a clamp. Harcourt hashad these horses loaded with several thou-sand pounds and they did not break asweat. They need to be heavy, so that youcan slide heavy timbers or logs around andthey can carry the load.

Pipeline ConesAnother useful tool/jig idea Harcourt dis-covered is pipeline cones. Harcourt foundhis rst set in a ditch, and with some cre-ative thought, felt they would work well inhis yard. They are very useful for lightduty work or temporary bunks. The onesshown in these photos are 20 tall with arating of 200kg each. They have a ngerhole for grabbing and stack well for stor-age purposes. Harcourt cautions that withlarger heavy wood they sometimes markthe log if you spin them in the saddle, sothere are some limitations. The benetsof these cones is they are light, strong andquick to set up, so they can be set up withspeed and used often.

Tenon MakerWhat other jigs does he use these days?Harcourt said the tenon maker designed

by Terry McCluskeyof Whitevalley LogHomes is a regularat Uniques yard.McCluskey is also amember of theILBA, and has beenbuilding log homessince 1987. AMachinist by trade,

McCluskey learned the art of log buildingby necessity, he needed a house and want-ed a log house. He hasnt looked backsince, now co-owner at Whitevalley LogHomes in Cherryville, BC, McCluskeys logbuilding yard has been enhanced with jigssuch as this Tenon Maker. What we cando in 5 minutes would take 25 minutes byhand. Its all templated and fool proof, youcould never achieve the consistency free-

TechTalk ILBA members share ideasA V I C E H O R S E , P I P E L I N E C O N E , A T E N O N M A K E R

Pipe Line Cones

hand, says McCluskey of his jig, createdwith some imagination and a Log Wizard.

We stopped by Uniques yard and tooksome photos of this tenon maker. There issome setup time involved but it still savesa tremendous amount of time in thepiece-en-piece process. You need to roughout the cut and then smooth out with thistenon maker, and nish off by sanding.The following photos show the jig processand nished product.


Tenon Maker/part 1 with Log Wizard Tenon Maker/part 2

Tenon Maker in action

The Vice Horse

Harcourt shows off nished product


Dear Dave and the Board of Directors,I am opposed to what I consider to be

the murky waters of the ILBA endorsementof Certied Log Building Companies. Inmy opinion this initiative presents huge lia-bility risks for our association, also policingproblems and costs associated with thisand has the potential to cause a fracturewithin the ILBA membership. Even if theassociation allowed a third party to takeon the risk of the certication program wecould still experience a fracture. I dontbelieve we are ready for the implications ofour actions nor do I believe the certica-tion program of certain companies to bewithin the associations mandate.

There may come a time when a certi-cation program becomes needed and validand if it does we will know without adoubt that the time has come. But fornow, I believe it should be shelved for thedistant future.

If the certication program goes ahead

at this time it is likened to putting the cartbefore the horse. Certication should startwith individual log builders, done throughapprenticeship programs to become jour-neymen log builders. If done this way, Logbuilding Companies can begin by advertis-ing that they employ only certied jour-neymen log builders andapprentice log builders. Aswith any other designatedtrade this will take sometimeto evolve and as far as Iknow BC is the only placelog building has been desig-nated as a trade. The ques-tion is; how can we havecertied log building companies when wedont have certied log builders yet?

I would like to see a referendum put tothe membership on this issue. Describe tothem, the way the association sees the cer-tication program working, how to policeit, cost to the member, benets to both

the member and the ILBA etc. Then askthem to give an unbiased opinion of sup-port or not. If it comes back with no sup-port, move on. If there is support for theprogram then continue in the direction tomake it so, but tread carefully and be pre-pared to bail if necessary.

I also believe the certication pledgethat we now have in place should begiven the axe. So far as I can see there hasbeen a ripple effect throughout the mem-bership because of this pledge putting onemember at odds with another. It is also myunderstanding that the association makes

L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R

Re: ILBA Certication Program and ILBA Certication Pledge

Certication should start withindividual log builders, done throughapprenticeship programs to becomejourneymen log builders.


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no revenue from this pledge and may inthe long run cost more for the associationto administer than what it takes in.

I believe that in the past and to date thatwe have had an unwritten pledge by themajority of our members to follow the ILBALog Building Standards. Why would youwant to become a member if you are notwilling to build by the ILBA log BuildingStandards? So, as an alternative I would likethe association to consider having a writtenpledge that is taken by all active; logbuilders and log building companies thatare members of the ILBA. This would con-tinue to make us all equal in promoting thehighest standard of log construction andthe pledge itself becomes part of becominga member in the ILBA. Membership costsdo not have to be raised and the pledgecan be written onto the member certi-cate.

If a member is found in breech of thepledge several warnings by the Board of

Directors would be in order and if thebreech continued the membership termi-nated. The termination could be contestedto the board or the now non-membercould be reinstated when found willing tocomply.

By having each and every member com-mit themselves to a written pledge weeliminate the possibility of putting mem-bers at odds with each other that a cer-tication pledge or program could bringabout when all members are not involved.

In conclusion, this association has sur-vived for 30 years by the willingness ofmembers to share information with eachother and the passion that we hold for logbuilding in general. We have all been onequal footing with equal opportunity forinteraction and my hope is for this to con-tinue.Sincerely yours,Del Radomske, Okanagan School of LogBuilding International

L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R

Builder

/Dealer

s

WANTE

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UpcomingPresentationsby the ILBA

The ILBA is scheduled to

address over 1000 engineers,

architects and building officials

at the Montreal Wood

Solutions Fair, sponsored by

the Canadian Wood Council,

on October 21, 2003.

There is also a trade show

segment of the event.

Call Robrt Savignac at the

ILBA office for further details.


Centuries of wood construction haveshown that this building material can lastalmost indenitely if it is well protected.Proper design, construction, and mainte-nance of the structure and its componentsare crucial determinants of its longevity. Itis often too easy to overlook details, whichcould result in serious problems if the situ-ation is not remedied early on.

Proper treatment of logs and woodproducts can greatly increase their resist-ance to fungal or insect attacks by elimi-nating wood as a food source. Among thetypes of products available, borate (usuallysodium borate) provides adequate protec-tion against decay, termites, destroyingcarpenter ants and beetles while maintain-ing the natural look of the wood. It hasbeen used for many decades, in applica-tion such as laundry detergent and handsoap powders.

As a water-soluble product, borate

needs water as a vehicle to penetrate thewood. Its facility to migrate deep throughthe wood also eliminates any need forincising and if the wood is wet, it leaves adeep shell of wood protected againstinsects and decay. In fact, the ease withwhich borate diffuses into wood makesremedial treatment with this product veryappealing since it does not require pres-sure to penetrate the wood.

It is important to note, however, thatcare should be taken to protect the outerenvelope of wood as severe wetting of thewood after treatment can cause the borateto leach out, eventually leaving the woodunprotected. Borate will leach out onlywhile wood is exposed to owing liquidwater and the moisture content is abovebre saturation (averages around 27%moisture content, although this numbervaries depending on wood species). Thiscan occur when the wood has extended

contact with rainwater or very heavy con-densation. Therefore, it is important tomake sure that the wood stays dry aftertreatment, which means that sources ofmoisture should be eliminated.

The issue should not be confused here.Borate needs water to diffuse into thewood. Only after the borate has beengiven enough time to diffuse and after thelog has dried should it be protected. It isrecommended that the log be properlycoated with a sealer, stain or other protec-tive product to minimize moisture intakeafter treatment. Note that moist air, evenat 100% relative humidity, will not causeloss of borate.

Short exposures to rain during trans-portation, storage and construction poseno problem. Even fully exposed to rain ina wet place such as Vancouver, it takes ayear or more before levels of borate in normal treated wood fall below the

Protection of Wood using BoratesBy Hugo Lemieux, PhD, Education Coordinator, Canadian Wood Council


amount that controls decay.There are several borate wood preserva-

tion products registered for use on woodor logs. Some borates come as solid rodswhile others are in a powdered form ifthey are not already dissolved in water orwater/glycol. The glycol assists penetrationinto dry wood. Rods are molded of water-diffusible borate, which are highly concen-trated for maximum efficiency. They areused as is, in comparison to powderedborate, which can also be dissolved inwater before being applied. For all theseproducts the user should follow theinstructions on the label.

In logs where the risk is high or wheredecay has already begun, rods may bebenecial as they slowly release the borateinto the wood to stop the decay process.Basically, the treatment consists in drillinga hole in the log in which the rod is insert-ed. A cap is then put over the hole open-ing to keep the borate in. Since the woodis wet, the water surrounding the rod

slowly dissolves it and passive diffusioninsures that the borates migrates through-out the wet area.

Wood needs to be at a moisture contentof at least 27% for effective diffusion ofborate, although this moisture content will only allow a slow migration (it willmove at a rate of up to 1mm/week,dependent on temperature). Faster diffu-sion happens when the moisture contentis higher. For example, at moisture con-tents of 40% or so, the chemical canmigrate at a rate of up to 3mm/week,dependent on temperature. In areas ofconstant moisture, such as fence posts,borate rods will retain their effectivenessfor 3 to 10 years. Again, the efficiency canbe enhanced if the wood is sealed orpainted to prevent leaching.

Powdered borate is useful for treatinglarge surfaces. It is dissolved in water andapplied by brushing and/or spraying. Also,smaller pieces ofwood can bedipped into thesolution. If dry thelogs should bemisted a few timesprior to applica-tion so that theexterior cells arewet enough toensure good pene-tration of theborate into the

wood. Special attention should be given toends checks and splits as they providegood points of entry of the product deepinto the wood. Holes and cracks can belled with solution, again to ensure deepmigration into the wood. Second coatscan be reapplied after a few hours. Oncethe log is dry, the residues can be brushedoff with a bristle brush before applying anexterior coating.

Borates offer a line of defense againdeterioration of wood. Although they canhelp reduce damage caused by biodegra-dation organisms, the best line of defensestill remains keeping the wood dry. Formore information on borates or othertypes of preservative products, visitwww.durable-wood.com. A fact sheet onprotecting and nishing log homes willalso be made available on the website thissummer.

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The International Codes Council (ICC) hasestablished the 2004 IS-Log developmentcommittee comprised of 12 principlemembers representing three major groups.The cross section of participants reectspeople from a producer category, whichwould here include the participation fromboth ILBA and LHC members, a user cat-egory that reects people seeking deni-tions in using the code such as architects,designers and engineers and a third, gen-eral category represented by buildinginspectors and code officials. In order tohave the code standard ready for the nextInternational Code changes in 2006, thelog standards draft needs to be completedby March of 2004 and released to thepublic for review by May 10, 2004. Therelease of the public comments report willbe in July, 2004, with both the start andend of the appeals period held within the

month of July.Approval by the International Codes

Council Standards Committee is scheduledfor August 20, 2004, followed by subse-quent approval from the AmericanNational Standards Institute Boardof Standards review. Once passed,these Log Building Standards willallow builders and inspectors alikesome point of reference for mini-mal acceptance practices, as thecode will demonstrate both pre-scriptive and performance require-ments. The code will also encom-pass energy conservation/air leak-age issues and will rely heavily on the useof existing standards, such as the ILBA2000 Log Building Standards, which is thebenchmark from which the ICC Standardswill be based. The use of the ASTM grad-ing standards for log walls will also be ref-

erenced, and the whole document will bewritten in as close to a CSA (CanadianStandards Association) format as possible,so that its use and transition into theNational Building Code of Canada will be

as streamlined as possible. The ILBA willhave strong representation from Jerry Wait,Ed Burke and Robrt Savignac who willparticipate in meetings as early as midAugust 2003. Please contact the ILBAoffice for further details.

I C C U P D A T E

Standards Committee ReportBy Robrt Savignac

Once passed, these Log BuildingStandards will allow builders andinspectors alike some point ofreference


Representatives fromthe PMRA (PestManagementRegulatory Agency)recently stopped bythe ILBA office toupdate us on someissues regarding thelog building industryand the treatment of

logs against mold. We learned that mold isconsidered a pest, and therefore, pesti-cides are used to treat potential mold inlog structures when they are beingshipped.

The problem we are seeing is productsare not being used in the manner in whichthey were designed for, said YvonneHerbison, Regional Pesticides Officer of thePMRA. Herbison and co-worker SusanGarnett also a Regional Pesticides Officerfor the PMRA have been working on a

study of the industry over the past 2 yearsinterviewing many log home builders. Thetreatment of logs for mold varied greatlyfrom yard to yard, depending on methodsof shipment, species, moisture content,etc. Many products used for protectionagainst mold are considered a pesticideand not a paint, and must be registeredaccordingly with the PMRA (PMRA inCanada/EPA in the USA), said Garnett. If a product label indicates controlsmold it must have a PCP number on thelabel, indicated Garnett. Regardless ofwhere the home is being shipped to, theapplication of a pesticide on the logs mustconform to the laws in the country wherethe product is applied, said Herbison. Sheadded that there may be occupationalissues and users should wear proper pro-tective gear ie. Gloves and respirators asspecied on the label. There may also beenvironmental issues with rain washing off

the chemicals, contaminating soils, andthen leaching into the waterways, saysGarnett. On one site they found that afterpeeling the logs, a pesticide was appliedbefore moving the logs, those same barkchips were then sent off to livestock yards.The problem was that because of the spe-cic pesticide application above the chips,the chips were contaminated, and shouldnot have been used for livestock.

Some labels are misleading as well,says Garnett as many paints and stainscontain a chemical to preserve the paintfrom mold not the log from mold, andthe consumer is under the impression it isone in the same.

With the PMRA planning a review ofsuch products in the next few years, offi-cials from the PMRA office have indicatedthat it is imperative that the log homeindustry looks at its specic needs.Builders are using everything from pool

Mold is a PestPesticide Concernsby Cathy Hansen

Cathy Hansen


shock to a wide variety of off the shelf products at local hard-ware stores, with mixed results, said Garnett. Many of theproducts were initially designed for use in mills, with dip tanksand spray boxes, and therefore the instructions do not provideproper information for application by log home builders, anoth-er issue that officials are reviewing.

The ILBA will now forward this information onto the ILBAResearch and Development committee, and in turn networkwith pertinent agencies to see how we can assist with thisimportant issue for our industry.

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Mold from page 11Did you know?

The logging industry employs approximately

.25 person(s) per 1000m3 of wood harvested.

The sawmill and planning mills average

.87 person(s) per 1000m3.

The log home industry can and does

employ from 10 to 20 people for the

same wood volume!

Now thats value added!!!


The GLLCA held their Annual Conferenceon June 20th and 21st, 2003 in scenicOntonagon, Michigan on Lake Superior.

The conference opened at 8:00 a.m.Friday morning with a pre-registered atten-dance of 31 log builders with 4 walk-ins at

the door. After registration, the groupmoved into the conference room where Dr.Nenad Vidovic, Phd.B.Sc. gave a very inter-esting presentation on fungi, mold, decayand insects (known by his associates as thefun guy). Dr. Vidovic is a former United

Nations consultant with world-wide recog-nition for his knowledge in these areas.

After Dr. Vidovic, there was a seminar oncost accounting Make A Prot lead byPeter Edmunds a long time member of theGLLCA, who does log home restorations.

Next came the general meeting followedby a peaceful evening bond re for thefamilies to enjoy. There was a beautiful sun-set to watch as everyone sat around talkingabout what else but log building.Everyone agreed the presentations duringthe day were great but nothing comparesto the free time they have to exchangetheir individual ways of working on logs.

On Saturday morning, Jerry Koski hosteda very informative session at this buildingyard. He has a very impressive inventory oflogs. He purchases logs and after peelingcovers them with vinyl tarps from billboardsigns for sometimes up to 34 years beforeusing them in a house.

He had his work crew demonstrate a jig

Great Lakes Log Crafters Association Annual Conference June 20 to 21, 2003

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We recently received this correspondence from our associates in New Zealand. Please noteJustin and Adie are leaving their positions with LBANZ. We at the ILBA wish them well andthank them for their efforts in networking our associations together over the years. Awarm welcome to the incoming secretaries, Craig and Belinda Boslem, we at the ILBA lookforward to updates from the log building world in New Zealand. (Note: youll nd thenew contact info in the membership directory listed on our website at www.logassocia-tion.org)

Dear Cathy and staff,We would like to offer you our appreciation for your kind donation of ILBA merchan-

dise for our auction at our biennial conference. The auction was a real success and ofcourse would not have been the case without the generous offers of donations frompeople like yourselves.

The whole weekend we believe was a success with many interesting speakers address-ing our 70 conference attendees on the Saturday and some interesting houses visitedon the Saturday and Sunday. There is also the social side of all weekends like ours wheremany stories are swapped, new friends made and old friendships rekindled.

We also set up an open home at one of our members log homes on the outskirts ofHanmer and this was well attended by the public.

Thanks again we really appreciate the support and association that we have with theILBA .Kind regards,Justin & Adie LongSecretaries (outgoing), LBANZ

News from the Log Builders Association of New Zealand

he uses to cut log truss components. Itlooked like a very quick and efficient wayof cutting a truss member. Somethingthat everyone will probably try whenthey go home.

The planned roundtable discussion atJerrys yard retreated to the lake shoreshade to escape the sun. Discussionsranged from direction for the GLLCA topreferences on truss design.

Jerry was able to give our group a tourof one of his homes recently completed.It was a beautiful home showing us manyof Jerrys techniques and skill. Everyoneleft with something to think about.

Then came the fun partthe rousingGLLCA fundraiser auction. Thanks to themany generous donations our auctionwas very successful. The GLLCA wants tothank all the vendors that donated theirproducts and the bidders who purchasedthem. Without all of them, the GLLCAwould not be where it is today.

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With the ILBA insurance office researching group insurance pro-grams for quite sometime now, weve discovered it to be quitea task. Within Canada, programs from province to province canchange a little, however, state to state laws in the U.S.A. changesubstantially and, therefore, so do all the policies and proce-dures associated with group insurance.

We have looked into nding a company that would look atthe ILBA as an entire group and therefore provide us with a bet-ter rate plan we could pass on to you the members, however,to date that hasnt happened. We will continue to pursue thisand perhaps as theILBA membershipgrows we maymake some head-way here. Findinga carrier for a smallcompany, withthree employeessuch as the ILBAwas a challenge aswell, and so we looked at insuring through other associations.What we discovered was the rates were higher then going inde-pendently, although they were advertised as great deals, so

Group Insurance Needsby Cathy Hansen

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make sure to do comparison shopping when you take on thischallenge.

What we did nd was an independent agent who was ready towork for us, provide a better rate for our small office, and join theILBA as a company member. Ron Neufeld has been in the insur-ance business since 1988 in BC, he specializes in group insuranceand can provide quotes across Canada for our members. Whathe cannot do is provide group insurance in the US because oflicensing laws, however, he has been researching to see if he cannd a lead on the US side who can work with us and you theILBA member.

Why bother with insurance for your employees? Itll helpretain key employees because they are receiving a benet, saysNeufeld, as well your employees will be able to maintain ahealthier lifestyle and afford proper care for themselves and fami-ly when needed.

What is the cost? Cost varies depending on requirements andsize of corporation, and will change as the company grows,explained Neufeld.

What kinds of coverage are there? There is the basic package,with optional benets, it just depends on the individuals needs,says Neufeld, each companys employee needs differ. Dentalcoverage can be minor, major and sometimes even cover ortho-dontics depending on the company size. Life Insurance is typical-ly included with the basic package, and can be upgraded.Therapy assistance such as massage, chiropractor, and orthoticsare also usually included. Prescription drugs is part of the extend-ed health and can save families a lot depending on their healthissues, emphasized Neufeld. Spousal life insurance and longterm disability plans are also up for discussion when organizingyour companys needs, the details and explanation of which ismade easy with Neufelds assistance.

If ILBA members have any tips to share on insurance contactsand packages we welcome you to contact myself at the office.Should you have any questions with regards to group insurance,we recommend you contact Ron Neufeld directly, as he is theinsurance expert. You can reach Neufeld at this home office at250-547-6376 or email him at [email protected]

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ILBA members are such a great groupbecause they are constantly sharing andworking on the superior techniques. The following are just a few of the photossubmitted to the ILBA Office by ourmember Jean Steinbrecher of JeanSteinbrecher Architects. Thanks Jean!

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Logbuilding News Issue No 43