Log Home Kits

Are you interested in new construction for your log home or log cabin plans?  Owner-builder projects are growing in popularity for stick built homes; log homes, and log cabins.  The appeal is having complete control over the building process and acting as the general contractor. 

Owner-builders tend not to have a lot of construction experience, but this is not stopping anyone from going forth successfully.  There are a number of companies providing log home and log cabin kits specifically for owner-builders.  In addition, there are companies offering plans and materials lists for owner-builders.

Be aware of the planning, the time management, and the scheduling involved with being an owner-builder.  While you may not swing a hammer or work an excavator, your role will be extremely important.  You will be doing the interviewing, the hiring of subcontractors, the firing of incompetent crewmembers, the ordering of materials, and so on.  There is a lot involved with these projects, but it is worth every effort.

If being an owner-builder interests you, read up on the subject.  There are a number of books, as well as Internet sites available.  It is also highly recommended that you take some courses and get information from building associations.

Coventry Log Homes Tradesman Series offers any newbie to the Log Home adventure a great starter house. Here’s one of my favorites.

Floor Plan: The Franklin

With a complete package at under 50,000 this is a great deal for your first home, or your first retirement home on the lake somewhere. Yet it’s roomy enough and has 3 bedrooms one of which can double as an office.

Contact Coventry Log Homes Today and Let em know the good folks over at Log Homes Journal sent ya.

Over the past few months while writing for this blog everyday, you can be sure of at least one thing. When I tell you I have looked at a ton of log homes, I have looked at a TON of log homes. From one-room shacks to mega-mansions I’ve seen them all. And you’d probably understand where I was coming from if I spouted out something along the lines of “by now they all look the same”. After all once you’ve seen one cabin, you’ve seen the all right? Wrong. Truth be told log cabins have become just as unique, diverse, and fascinating to me as the very people who pour their blood, sweat, and tears into creating them. Occasionally though I will come across a floor plan or design that makes my eyebrows perk up and an alarm go off inside my head. The Crested Butte by Precision Craft Log & Timber was a five alarm-gotta share this amazing work of art-dream come true of a cabin.

Constructed from a combination of stone, timber, and log this hybrid cabin is a million miles from anything we have featured on this site before (other than maybe the Preuss cabin). Prepare to be awed by the floor plan below and just some of the amazing features of this home.

First Floor

Features:

• 2 Stories High
• 3 Bedrooms (including an 18’-8” x 18’ Master Bedroom)
• 4 Bathroom
• 22’-4”x22’-3” Great Room
• A full length Covered Patio
• Covered Front Porch
• Custom Timber Trusses
• 2 Fireplaces
• 22’-9”x 24’-9” Garage

We are talking 3,055 square feet of log cabin history here ladies and gentlemen. If this thing is missing something I don’t know what.

Kits are a hugely popular way for people to go about building the log home of their dreams while at the same time saving some bucks. Unfortunately there’s not a governing body that comes out and says “This is the definition of a kit and here’s everything it should contain” What is contained in a kit is usually in the eye of the manufacturer.

Before I go into a few of the specific types of cabin kits, it’s important to know a couple basics. 1) A kit never includes the foundation. It’s completely up to you and your contractor to the ground work. 2) Cabinets, counters, sinks, appliances, fixtures are also your responsibility. While kits do take away some of the numerous decisions involved, they don’t take them all away. In fact some people prefer it this way because they get a great starting point for their cabin, but also retain some flexibility in terms of the design of windows, doors, etc.

Gererally there are four types of kits:

1) Walls Only- You guessed it this type only comes with walls. Logs and fasteners are all you are going to get with this style. The roof, windows, and ceiling beams are all left up to you.
2) Structural Shell-Is a Walls Only kit with a roof. Again no windows or doors, just four walls and something to keep the rain off of it.
3) Weathertight Shell- You get walls, a roof, and now with this package windows, door frames, shingles, and all fasteners are included.
4) Complete Package- This one is going to be the most expensive but for what’s included many find it’s well worth the cost. Not only do you get everything mentioned in the three packages above, but interior walls, stairs, closets, and interior windows are all there for you to assemble.

Like I said kits offer a great starting point for those wanting a log home, but not wanting to start from scratch. Each manufacturer will offer their own variation of kits and generally they will all match the above.

Imagine your own Swiss Alps bungalow outside your back door or on that lakeside or forested property you’ve been eyeing. Spirt Wood Woodland Chalets are the versatile structures that are perfect for entertaining, a studio space, guest house or workshop. These are truly fine structures constructed of kiln-dried western pine with 26 gauge metal Dekk-Tile roofs. You will be able to enjoy your custom cabin in no time with the easy assembly of pre-cut walls and wedged tongue & groove joints and interlocking notched corners.

Spirit Wood Cabins make a great quick cabin to drop on that new piece of hunting property, or a temporary cabin while you build your real log home.