Log Homes Journal

If extra space is needed for the home, a log cabin is an attractive and practical way to answer the problem. Log cabins are ideal as a home office, a gym, for housing Jacuzzi’s and saunas or as a playhouse for the children.

The size and style of your log cabin can be dependent on your budget. One way to make your budget go further is to use a log cabin kit and assemble the log cabin yourself. Most log cabin kits come with comprehensive assembly instructions, and with assistance from friends and family armed with tools, such as: a hammer, drill, spirit level, and a screwdriver, it can be a challenging and rewarding experience for everyone involved.

However, for some people, just the thought of assembling a log cabin kit is enough to give them a headache: so the next best option is to hire help though your log cabin kit company or from local trades’ people.

Once you know your budget, the next step will be deciding what type of log cabin kit to purchase. Log cabin kits come in different packages: some are, handcrafted, and made from whole logs, whereas other log cabin kits are made from kiln-dried logs that are factory milled. Consider the quality and quantity of the wood in the log cabin kit: if your log cabin is to be used for twelve months of the year, you will need thicker logs than if your log cabin was for summertime usage. There are different shapes of logs to choose from, and a common choice is the ‘D’ log, which is round on the outside and flat on the inside and gives a horizontal wood-panelling look within. If you are concerned about the environment, check the logs are from substantially managed forests. Deliberate over the floor plans to determine what will work for you, what type of timber you want to use, e.g. pine or cedar, what insulation you need and your utility requirements.

The typical contents of a log cabin kit contain cut logs for a specific log cabin plan. Each log has a predetermined location in the wall of the cabin, with door and window openings already cut into the appropriate logs. Most log cabin kit companies offer a number of log cabin kit options that contain additional components: cladding, insulation, screws, corner panels, window frames and windows, doors frames and doors, steel brackets, anchor bolts, nuts and washes, studding, roofing and flooring. What isn’t included is: foundations, wiring, plumbing, heating, roof tiles, and guttering. Because each log cabin kit company structure their kit differently, it makes it difficult to compare costs between the companies, unless you can do an item-by-item comparison of the contents of the different log cabin kits.

Before log cabin kits can be assembled, a well-prepared level base that is the same size as the log cabin floor will be required to ensure a long lasting installation. A variety of materials can create a solid base, such as: concrete or paving slabs positioned on hardcore, and it should be 20-50mm above the ground level. Building regulations will need to be considered, for example, if your log cabin is to be located next to a boundary line. Some log cabins require planning permission and your log cabin kit company maybe able to provide advice on this matter. However if there are doubts, it is best to contact your local planning authority before work is commenced.

Log cabin kits do take time to assemble, but the finished product will be something you and your family can enjoy and appreciate for many years to come.

When people think of log cabins, they often associate them with Pioneering America and in their popular role in the United Kingdom, as a garden building that can be converted into anything a family may need, such as a guest room, an office, or a gym.

But there is more to the log cabin than you would expect. In Russia, there is the world’s tallest ‘log cabin’ that used to be home to gangsters and their molls. In Canada, there is the world’s largest ‘log cabin’ that is a luxury hotel and has played host to Prime Ministers, General Governors, Royalty, and actors.

The world’s tallest log cabin is in Arkhangelsk, a town in Russia. It looks like it was designed and built by a bunch of toddlers as it stretches higgledy-piggledy towards the sky, but it was in fact designed and built by a rich Russian gangster called Sutyagin. He started to build his log cabin in 1992 and his intention was to build a two-story log cabin. However, after a visit to Japan and Norway, he decided he needed to utilise the roof space as they had done in their house designs. So he added another floor, and another floor, and another…..until he had added a total of 13 floors reaching 144ft! His skyscraper log cabin was initially home to his girlfriends, 18 chief executives of his construction company, their various molls, and himself. But times have changed and Sutyagin is virtually penniless after his third prison sentence. Consequently, his folly of a log cabin has fallen into disrepair and only his wife and he live in four rooms on the ground floor of the log cabin.

The world’s largest log cabin is in Montebello, Quebec, Canada. It is called Château Montebello, and it is a magnificent log cabin built in 1930 by an army of 3000 labourers. It was made from 10,000 logs, 500,000 hand-slit cedar roof shakes, and 166 kilometres of wooden moulding. The log cabin was originally a private club and had 186 guest rooms contained in four wings that fanned from a hexagonal rotunda, with two additional wings for the dining room and the ballroom. The rotunda contained a six-sided fireplace that rose more than 20 metres to the roof! In 1970, Canadian Pacific Hotels bought Château Montebello and converted it from a private club into a luxury resort opened to the public. In 1981, Château Montebello hosted the G7 economic summit meeting and their leaders such as Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, and Pierre Trudeau. Today it is still a wonderful ‘log cabin’ for guests and visitors.

The world’s tallest and widest log cabins are unique wonders, and you could create your own unique and eye-catching log cabin for your garden, although maybe not on such a grand scale! For example, you could have a double level cabin with a circular staircase up to a loft bedroom, an L-shaped log cabin with a covered porch or a hexagonal shaped log cabin surrounded by a veranda. Your log cabin could have garden decking that links the log cabin to your house, and lined with pots filled with country garden flowers that bring a profusion of colour and perfume to the whole area. Outdoor window boxes would allow flowers to bring colour to every corner of your log cabin. Fitted bay windows would create extra space inside your log cabin and help to give it a unique shape and outside window shutters would add character and privacy to your log cabin.

Let your imagination flow, and take your ideas to a log cabin company that can help you create your own unique and distinctive log cabin.

A log cabin is both attractive and cheaper than any traditional home. Different log cabins are built from logs with varied thickness as thick logs are used in large cabins to add extra strength and insulation. The type of logs used in the log cabin give a different appeal to the log cabin home. There are two types of logs, one is the rough cut round logs and the other one is milled logs which easily fit together due to their uniformity. Now pre-milled logs come in kit form so building a log cabin is both cheap as well as enjoyable task.

Building log cabin

Earlier the log cabins were built like wooden fences by setting different sized logs perpendicularly in a gutter so as to form the wall of the cabin. But now log cabins are formed by placing the logs parallel to each other and connecting their last part with notches. The log cabins can be built by any construction company or manufacturer and sometimes people buy it in kit form for self builds.

The Building permit requirements of log cabins vary from county to county so keep this in mind while building and purchasing any log cabin. If you want it to get built by a builder then get quotes from different cabin builders and get feedback from their previous clients. Also check the credibility of the builder from local builders association. If you want to build a log cabin by taking a construction loan then collect the updated quotes from contractors like masons, plumbers, roofers and electricians. Also add the service charges along with the cost of the items. Sometimes sourcing of water is done by installing a septic tank. The foundations of log cabin require more digging so select the foundation slabs accordingly.

Buying log cabin

But before buying log cabins take an overview of the size and position of plot. Then consider the desired square footage and also access to services like power, water and sewers. While buying any log cabin for sale investigate different log cabin home plans and log cabin kits in the market. Even some builders specialized in cabin building and log cabin kit assembly suggests the suitable type of log cabin for the plot.

Now even one can check out on the internet about different log cabin plans and kits on sites. Even the details of log cabins with pictures are available to the customer on the website. There are different log cabins suitable for different purposes so select the log cabin according to the requirement. If you are buying a log cabin to be used as a home office then ensure enough power and telecom points as well as shelves and cupboards to place the stock and accessories. Even check the locking system of the cabin so as to keep the business safe. Check out your budget and desired features so as to make the log cabin selection easy as the company agents can also then easily locate the desired log cabin for the client.

If you have a fondness for wood, perhaps a log home is the right choice for your vacation home. They make for some of the most luxurious homes in the world…unique, renowned for their architectural integrity, and exhibiting some of the finest craftsmanship.

But how to decide what to incorporate into your dream home can be a challenge. There are so many possibilities. And they all don’t have to be wood, either. Accentuating the wood home with drywalls, iron work, stone, fireplaces all tend to enhance the beauty of the wood. Think about different materials.

For example, kitchen cabinetry can use stainless with aluminum which will provide a sleek look for your kitchen. Glass doors on the cabinets add rich dimensional space. Your personal tastes might also extend to porcelain and ceramic which add a range of beautiful colors. Earth tones work particularly well in log structures, so don’t rule those color tones out either.

But if its wood that you want to see everywhere, then there are so many species with so many different features that you can go wild with wood and more wood. Stain, paint, antiquing or varnish will add even more character and beauty to your choices.

Floor designs are unlimited. The architecture style readily lends itself to great rooms, loft areas, game rooms, family rooms, exercise rooms, studios, decks, and elaborate but cozy bedrooms and bathrooms. In each case, your individual lifestyle will call for certain design elements That special room might be a media center with big screen options, or a fully decked out gym. Your preferences will revolve around what it is you most like to do for recreation or hobby. It might be a yoga studio or a library complete with fireplace and carpeting to send your reading enjoyments to new highs.

But think through your design choices to be sure that the space you are going to use is sized right. If you think you are going to include a media room think through how many people will be using it at any one time. Adequate seating will need to be figured into the design. If you enjoy cooking and welcome participation from your family/guests you will want to make it spacious and interactive, so that people can socialize while preparing their favorite dishes. And gyms…if you put them in the basement, make sure you have plenty of head room, and possibly more if weight lifting is part of the plan.

Yet even with a multitude of design choices, your log home can be environmentally friendly and efficient. The logs themselves offer high insulation factors for warmth or cold, and a greater amount of the actual tree is used in construction, eliminating much of the wastage that comes with stick framing.

Spending more money up front, if your budget can afford it, will result in considerable savings in the long run. For instance, tankless water heaters save money, but initially they are a little more costly. And everything from roofing to the kitchen sink will offer savings, depending on the choices you make. A copper roof will probably cost you 10-15 times what an asphalt one would cost, but it will be there virtually forever, while the asphalt roof will have an average lifespan of 30 years. Flooring ranges from carpeting (generally the cheapest) to hardwood, which is as much as five times the cost of carpeting, and will last much longer if taken care of. And kitchens? They can get pretty pricey if you’re making design choices and not paying attention to both costs for product as well as installation costs. But here again, the better products, though more expensive, will last longer.

Whatever your thoughts are on a log home, perhaps the best course to take would be to attend one (or more) of the many log home shows that are offered throughout the year. An on-line check for log home shows will provide you with plenty of show schedules (see insert for some suggestions).

Log home shows are a perfect place to get the answers to all your questions regarding your log home, from financing, land, costs, log profiles, choosing a company etc. Many offer free ongoing seminars on the hour geared toward helping you through the process. Attending a log home show is a small investment to put toward your dream home. A great opportunity to compare companies, meet with industry experts and purchase just the right piece of furniture or accessory for your log home.

Eric R. Johnson, President of Premier Event Productions, LLC that specializes in events for the building industry, believes that “log homes (will) continue to increase in popularity as more and more people are looking to build them as their primary home…that (will be) where the growth in the industry will come from. (Log homes)… will maintain their (appeal)…as the leading choice for a vacation or second home.”

Johnson adds that “current conditions are favorable as people continue to move forward with their plans to build high end homes, (and) second homes are keeping pace (with this growth), and in some markets…are growing. What we are seeing at our shows are very serious buyers looking to build within six months to two years. Keep in mind,” cautions Johnson, “depending on where you are in the process, two years is very realistic when just starting with design, acquiring land, deciding on a log home manufacturer, financing etc.”

Johnson adds, that “the term “green” is the hip new buzz word regarding home building for just about anything; with log homes it’s always been there but now is really coming to the surface. A log home is naturally made of wood, a renewable resource, with most companies using selective harvesting and literally using the entire tree. Wood is a natural insulator and when coupled with great design, site orientation, proper overhangs, solar heating, favorable grading practices, alternative power, window type and placement, efficient lighting and appliances, these are all collectively what gets you green.”

The internet is a great place to get information directly from log home companies as well as. Visit The Log Homes Council, a sub council of the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB). Their website is http://www.loghome.org.

Knowing when to stain or seal your log home depends on many variables.  Knowing these variables depends on whether it is a new construction, or an older log home. With newly constructed log homes, staining as soon as possible after the home is finished seems logical. Some banks even require it before they will issue the final payout. However, the following points should be considered.

With few exceptions, most log home kits when delivered to the jobsite are still wet or “green” meaning they have been recently cut down and milled or hand peeled. While on the jobsite they may or may not be covered to protect them from the weather. Add to this, often times several logs are laid around the jobsite to make for easy access. They can and are walked on, left unprotected and susceptible to construction debris (dirt and mortar splatter, paint spills etc…) and ordinary weathering. Moreover, new logs have what is known in the industry as “mill glaze,” a thin film of sap that is drawn to the surface of the wood by the heat from fast turning milling knifes. As it cools, it hardens and actually forms a film creating a barrier preventing any stain from penetrating. 

This scenario is typical of the average construction jobsite. So when the logs are erected, they are wet from recently being cut down, dirty from lying around the jobsite and have a film from the mill glaze. Not what a new stain should be applied to. 

Sometimes the General Contractor, if reputable, will require the applicator (usually a painter) to power wash the logs before apply the stain. Power washing will remove the dirt, or at least most of it, but does little to remove the mill glaze unless a chemical additive is used. After the logs have been washed, they are allowed to air dry a few days or until someone blindly decides “they are probably dry,” and then a stain is usually sprayed on leaving at best a thin coat. This could be construed as hiding the problem. 

The stain is on and the home is looking pretty good. The problem is, it will not hold up for much more than a year.  The logs are still green (wet), the mill glaze is most likely still intact and if you look closely, you will probably find a footprint or two. 

The solution; Wait 

If possible, it would be much better and cheaper to wait a few months. By waiting, you are allowing several things to happen. The logs will “weather” and start to turn gray. The weathering process naturally removes the mill glaze, gives the wood time to “season” just like firewood seasons and dries out, and in turn opens up the pores of the wood.  A good indicator of how long to wait is to let the logs just begin to discolor. Waiting too long causes it’s own set of problems. When they get to this point, it is the ideal time to begin the sealing process. 

Now as with the new construction process, power washing can be used to properly prep the logs for staining. A chlorine and TSP solution can be mixed depending on the depth of cleaning that is needed. This mixture will remove any mill glaze that mat be left, dirt or other pollutants and mildew spores that you may or may not can see. You can be certain that logs that have been in these surroundings WILL have mildew! 

Now the logs will need to dry to at least an 18% moisture content or preferably lower, 12 to 15% is ideal. Remember, the dryer the logs, the more stain will be absorbed thereby providing maximum protection. There is only one way to know if the logs are dry or not. Testing with a moisture meter. This handheld device has two probes that are inserted into the wood that registers the water content. Without it there is no way to be sure whether the logs are dry or not. With moisture being one of the major reasons stains fail prematurely, the moisture meter is a very important tool. 

Now that the logs have been cleaned properly, the mill glaze removed and allowed to dry to an acceptable moisture level, a quality sealer can be applied. If either of these steps are ignored, you can not expect any stain or sealer to last any length of time. Too often we are called to a home that is only a couple of years old, but the finish is failing, black spots from mildew under the stain are showing through and the overall appearance just looks spent. This is unnecessary as well as unacceptable. Moreover it is unprofessional. 

As beautiful as a log home can be, it may take a little longer and it will cost more, but the results will be a superior finish that will far out last any quick attempt at cutting corners. We consider it well worth the extra effort.  

If you have a log home restoration question, give us a call, we love to help!