Log Homes Journal

Log cabins have long been breaking new grounds as an enigmatic emblem of an American character. The very first log cabins were introduced in the 1600s by Scandinavians. These earliest forms of log cabins were constructed like wooden fences. Before, they use logs with different sizes set perpendicularly in a gutter to produce the walls of the cabin.

Today, log cabins are more meticulously crafted, with logs placed parallel to each other and connected on the last part with “notches.”

Log cabins have been very popular in the United States because of the amount of trees that are of great quantity. For this reason, building log cabins had been the cheapest and the most affordable homes that can easily be built by any American.

In spite of its similarities on designs and use of materials, log cabins are not created on the same level. Log cabins may vary according to the styles they were built.

Generally, there are two kinds of log cabins according to styles. To know more about this matter, here is a comprehensive and detailed explanation about the difference between the two log cabin styles:

1. Manufactured or milled log cabins

As its name suggests, manufactured log cabins use logs that are “milled” or sometimes known as “machine-profiled.”

Logs used in this particular style of log cabin have undergone through a manufacturing procedure. This is usually done to remove the inherent features of the logs as well as well as its flaws or defects. After which, these types of logs are changed into good lumbers that have proportionate sizes and shapes. Hence, you can expect that a manufactured log cabin style use only logs that are standardized and unvarying when it comes to sizes and shapes.

In this case, when building manufactured log cabins, it is important to note that the dimensions of the whole cabin are directly proportional to each other. There would not be much difficulty in identifying these things because logs are of the same sizes.

Hence, with manufactured log cabins, you can expect that the length of a certain log would naturally be the total length of one partition or fence of a log cabin.

2. Handcrafted log cabins

This particular style of log cabin is characteristically made from logs that were stripped off with their bark. However, their natural characteristics as trees were retained on its natural condition, without altering, modifying, or changing any of its features.

Handcrafted log cabins usually create an impression of a more rustic, rugged-looking cabin. This is because logs used in making this particular log cabin style have form that is more irregular.

However, with some special devices and expertise, most handcrafters would painstakingly peel off the bark from the logs and match each log into the right place to form the wall.

Since handcrafted log cabins are more laborious than manufactured log cabins, the length of time needed to finish handcrafted log cabins would be longer. What’s more, the production of handcrafted log cabins would normally costs more than the manufactured log cabins because the work is arduously made by hands only.

Handcrafted log cabins were first constructed in Eastern Europe, Russia, and Scandinavia. In fact, it was the Scandinavians that introduced log cabins to the United States.

Between these two styles of log cabins, manufactured or milled log cabins are much preferred by many people. This is because manufactured or milled log cabins are more affordable and easier to build than the handcrafted log cabins. This is because with manufactured log cabins, machines do the work; hence, the job is easily drawn to a close without much difficulty.

Moreover, manufacturers of milled logs have more skills in marketing their products and elaborating the benefits of opting for a manufactured log cabin style. In this way, more and more people are enticed to resort to manufactured log cabins than the handcrafted log cabin styles.

Whatever style you want to employ when building your log cabin, it is very worthy to note that log cabins had tremendously grown form the typical rustic kind of homes built far from the city. With the many benefits of log cabins, most of the Americans build these types of houses not just as a vacation home but more of a residential.

In fact, surveys show that many homeowners have preferred to adorn their log cabins with more embellishments making it more costly than the typical homes. That, indeed, makes log cabins definite part of the conventional type of American dwelling.

 

Log cabins are basically a building made from logs. Cabins made out of logs are a common feature in rural areas as well as many cities around the world. In timber-rich regions of the world they are popular dwelling places and are a common sight, particularly in the northern hemisphere.

The origins of log cabins are uncertain, though it is believed that the first log cabins were constructed in northern Europe in the Bronze Age. Scandinavian countries, Germany, as well as Russia, were at the forefront of log structure construction in the olden days. In the United States of America, the first log cabin appeared when the Finnish and Swedish settlers moved into an area that is now known as Wilmington, Delaware. When other settlers saw the log cabins, such as the English and the Scots, they quickly followed suit. Soon, log cabins became the much-preferred dwelling place for settlers across North America, as the design was so simple. A log cabin could be built in just a few days using only simple tools, no nails, and the result was a log cabin that was sturdy, rainproof and inexpensive.

The Homestead Act of 1862 influenced the design of America’s log cabins. The Act gave “homesteaders” rights to open land, but required that they cultivate it and build homes at least ten by twelve feet in size, with at least one glass window. The simple design of the log cabin changed over time and the most elaborate design was the Adirondack-style, which was favoured by the United States Park Service Lodges and built at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century.

Log cabins are known to be versatile buildings, but William Henry Harrison tried to use a log cabin to impress political voters: William Henry Harrison and his political party the Whigs used the log cabin as a representation of the fact that he was a man of the people. Other political figures in America that have also used log cabins for the same idea are Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson and James Buchanan. They were born in a log cabin and statistics say that a total of seven American Presidents were born in log cabins! It is no wonder that the Lincoln loyalists of the Republican Party preferred to be called the ‘Log Cabin Republicans’.

Log cabins have always been popular, however, their popularity was challenged due to urbanization sweeping across the United States of America, and a quicker method of erecting a building was needed. But log cabins have stood the test of time and they can still be found all over North America and the world.

Nowadays, log cabins are used in addition to the main house. Some people use their log cabin as a holiday home and they are usually designed in the traditional rustic house style, native to America. They come in a range of sizes and there are many companies that specialise in rustic style furniture that would compliment any size log cabin. People like to stay in log cabins because they are the essence of home living with just a spice of adventure. Staying in a log cabin can be a relaxing experience especially as the majority of today’s log cabins can be fitted with modern amenities. Other people prefer to have a log cabin in their garden to act as an extension to the home and converted into an office, gym, art room or playroom, etc.

Whatever your need, if you’re looking at log cabins, you can count on them remaining in style and being popular for many years to come.

 

For people who wish to experience the goodness of living in a country-style home, they could easily resort to log cabins. These types of homes provide the kind of comfort and style that is totally different from the city.

One of the best things about building and using log cabins is that these types of homes provide inexpensive means of having a reliable and durable dwelling.

Since its inception in the 18th century, log cabins have continuously been utilized as alternatives to contemporary homes. These are especially utilized by people who wish to experience a more comfortable and more naturalistic way of living.

For this reason, many people are opting to build log cabins. However, most of the instruments and materials that are needed to build log cabins are often made available at quite a few diverse locations.

Therefore, as a substitute for finding and collecting the necessary materials from different places, log cabin kits are created to give you all the necessary materials and directions or manuals in just one package.

Buying log cabin kits will not only make your purchases easier and faster but it can also give you the chance to save more money because most of the materials that are bought individually would normally cost more.

With the proliferation of online shopping, you can easily find a workable log cabin kits in the Internet. The best thing about it is that log cabin kits that can be found online could provide better choice since you can easily compare and evaluate each kit first before deciding to buy the package.

Most of the log cabin kits are complete with materials and instruction manuals. Hence, you can easily start building your own log cabin. The only problem is that you still have to purchase your own additional materials for your electricity, water supply, and other features of your homes that are not normally included in log cabin kits.

Basically, a log cabin kit contains decks, exterior windows, interior roof framing, floor joints, roof framing, porch, logs, exterior doors, groove plywood floors, and floor joints. These materials are applicable whether you want to build a large or a small log cabin.

Advantages of Log Cabin Kits

Log cabin kits are not just built for the sake of having them. Log cabin kits are especially made to provide ready-made materials to log cabin aficionados who wish to build their own masterpiece. These log cabins provide many benefits that people will normally have a hard time acquiring when building their own home.

Here is a list of some of its advantages:

1. Complete package

As far as log cabin building is concerned, log cabin kits are complete with all the necessary materials. Each log cabin kit has its own instruction manual that consist of comprehensive directions in order to build the cabin correctly. It also contains the “tools supply list” that entails the additional materials necessary in building the log cabin.

Most of the log cabin kits also have the typical construction supplies such as beam hangers, nails, etc.

2. More savings

With log cabin kits, you can easily save more money because the materials are presented into one whole package. Buying these things separately will absolutely compel you to spend more because you do not only spend more money on the material but you also spend additional cost for the delivery and transportation.

Hence, you end up spending more than what you have planned. With log cabin kits, you can only spend in as little as $5,000. Additional expenses would only pertain to installation of electricity, plumbing, heating, and other lavishness.

3. Better quality materials

One of the best things about log cabin kits is that these kits usually contain the best kinds of logs. Most of the logs included in the log cabin kits are completely and naturally dried and patterned to the correct criteria. In contrast, most of the commercial establishments that offer logs would usually expedite the drying process, which, in turn, degrade the total quality of the logs.

4. User friendly

Log cabin kits are easier to use. In fact, because of its user-friendly features, almost anybody can build a log cabin.

Given all that, log cabin kits are definite advantage to most log cabin fanatics. All of these things will definitely make country-style living a great possibility.

In the current economic climate log cabins has become more than never a real cost effective alternative against renting an office, self-storage unit or even a bigger home in case the family has group up. That’s why at Cedexx Log Cabins (http://www.logcabinbuildings.co.uk)we’ve dedicated our time and efforts in finding a real solution to the current economical difficulties for small companies or self-employed people, also for the extra living space required by a new member in your family, playrooms, study rooms or workshop.

At Cedexx Log Cabins, http://www.logcabinbuildings.co.uk, we’ve developed a wide range of small log cabins that can be used as a home office, study room, workshop, playroom, gym, sauna or even to accommodate unexpected guests, starting from 3×3 m (9.84×9.84 ft) up to 8×5 m (26.24×16.40 ft) our range of log cabins can be supplied in 28, 34 or 44 mm log thickness, along with roof shingles, wood protector, double glazed windows and doors and many more optional extras.

Home Office / workshop

Is no need to spend a fortune on renting an office when you can have a log cabin from as low as £1000 in the comfort of your own garden from where you can start working while you are keeping an eye on your kids.

So why not to save a fortune (at least £3000-£4000/year) and work from your own home dedicating more time to your family and friends but also to your job?

Playroom / study room

Many kids enjoy the ‘rustic’ charm of a log cabin and they can make a wonderful addition to their playground. Proper sitting, construction and maintenance of your log cabin can protect your investment and give you and your family many years of enjoyment.

Log Cabins for living / Holiday home

At Cedexx Log Cabins we have developed a wide range of mobile log homes dedicated to accommodate a small, medium or big family, with wall thicknesses starting from 90 mm (9 cm), double glazed windows and doors we can guarantee the complete satisfaction of our customers, with prices starting from as low as £9995 you can have a superb log home, for temporary or permanent living.

Bespoke Log Cabins, http://www.bespokelogcabins.co.uk

It’s hard to believe that you won’t find something in our products range to suit your needs but anyway you should know that we also do bespoke log cabins, so even if is a small log cabin from 1×1 m or a large log home or log restaurant we can do it and unlike some of our competitors we won’t charge you extra for this.

 

Log cabins make terrific all year round places to live even in the United Kingdom and in fact, they are really small houses but instead of bricks, you have logs! They are built to a very uncomplicated design and can at times be referred to as garden cabins as well as log cabins. Although log houses and log cabins are built from the same materials they do have their differences; log cabins are typically built with round rather than hewn or hand-worked logs where as log houses tend be a one story assembly, with an almost “less finished” appearance (unlike the log cabins) as these were at first built with the intention of being short-term.

Whilst folks think of log cabins, they tend to directly think of rustic and rural North America with their long-established log houses and barns? Anyhow, did you know that log cabins have there roots in Eastern Europe and probably even originated in Scandinavia around the Bronze Age (possibly around about 3500 BC)? They are built by stacking tree trunks one on top of another and then arranging them in such a way as to overlap at the corners and then notch the logs at the ends. Hundreds of years previously the time-honoured design was to incorporate moss and other soft materials into the joints to make them more weather tight and they would even throw over animal skins! However as you would suppose in most parts of the world today especially in the United Kingdom, other, more practical materials other than moss and animal skins are mostly used!

People still like to retain a feel of tradition and surprisingly log cabins are still a common selection of housing in some parts of the UK, Europe and America. They become a fantastic option to the usual style homes that you spot today and are a lot cheaper to build, run and can even seem very good-looking particularly in the colder regions of the north. They can nonetheless be built using logs of varying thickness to add to there attractiveness, plus the thicker logs offer better insulation. You can either purchase ready-constructed cabins or even build your own with a pre-milled log cabin kit if you want, along with the added benefit of being more money efficient.

If you are considering buying a log cabin in the United Kingdom that has been built for you there are a few things that you possibly will want to think about firstly; it may seem clear-cut however you need to make sure that you have sufficient land and measure the whole lot! You will also want to think carefully about its positioning and which direction your log cabin is facing before you build it and you will want to make certain that there is somewhere nearby where you can get hold of services such as a sewer, electricity and water, as you can image these things are awfully important unless you really want to go wild and step back to nature. Once you have found the ideal spot you can very easily purchase log cabin kits on the web, these are becoming more common than purchasing a pre-built log cabin from another owner as you can get it constructed to your own tastes added to that you get the additional pleasure of creating a home all of your own.

Whatever you choose to do you will as a rule have to obtain a building permit of course, which for log cabins ought to be a trouble-free procedure. Still, building permits may differ from county to county.