Frequently Asked Questions
Whether you are just in the dream phase of building or you have been living in your dream for many years, there are many questions regarding log homes that we hear. Please don't hesitate to give us a call if a question you need answered is not here. We are happy to help!
I have a piece of land that I would like to build on. Can I use the timber from my property to build my home?
What is the difference between a milled log and a handcrafted log?
A milled log is one that has been put through a sawmill, lathe or a planer and has been cut into a specific shape or profile. Logs may have a flat top and bottom surface, may be coped, or may be tongue-and-grooved. The sides of the log can be sanded smooth, left with a rougher/rustic look or hand-peeled with a drawknife. Milled logs are usually air and/or kiln dried to a specific moisture content before they are used to build your home.
Handrafted logs are either hand-peeled with a drawknife or water-peeled. Then the logs are fitted together in one of several ways. Scribe-fit is a style popular in this area. In this style, one log is scribed to precisely fit over the log below it. The scribe-fit style needs no chinking and is usually joined at the corners using a shrink-to-fit saddle notch system. Another way logs are fit together leaves a space between each round of logs that will be filled with a backer-rod material and chinking. This style is called chinked. Other styles are piece-en-piece, and hand-hewn dovetail. Because there is so much more labor involved in handcrafting logs, they are generally more expensive than milled logs.
What type of wood is best to use for a log home?
All of the species of wood commonly used in buidling homes; fir, pine, spruce and cedar, will last several hundred years, provided proper maintenance is given to the wood and the home has a good design.
What is the cost of a log home?
When considering a handcrafted log home there are many factors that will go into determining a price:
- Basic design of the home
- The number log corners
- The height of the log walls
- The number of openings in the log work
- The log end detailing
- Species of the log used
- Building technique
- Scribe fit
- Chinked
- Handhewn Dovetail
- Piece en piece
- Distance and access to your property
- Site conditions such as trees in close to your home site
- Narrow twisty driveway
- Distance from our building site to your site
Can you paint my existing log home?
My log walls are rotting. What can you do to help and/or how can I prevent it from happening?