Building Archives – Page 4 of 12 – Log Cabin Homes Magazine

The Cabins on Curly Creek

by Debra Grahl | photography Roger Wade Studio | styling Debra Grahl | Jul 9, 2021 | Building, Designing, Entire Home, How-To, Planning, Room-By-Room

Rebbecca Abair recalls having a passion for designing unique spaces and landscapes her entire life. “As far back as I can remember,” Rebbecca says, “I have been fascinated with small spaces and always pictured myself residing in a little log cabin in the woods.” Her father, a talented design and construction visionary in his own right, taught his little girl how to do roofing, mix concrete, and build all manner of things, from furniture to structures. To date, Rebbecca has designed and built eight diffe…

LEEDing the Way

by Laura Cleveland | Jul 9, 2021 | Building, Energy Efficiency, How-To

This issue’s theme is legacy log homes—building a log home now that will be passed down to future generations. It makes sense to build the best possible log home using the highest quality of materials that will withstand all weather conditions, pests, and other natural elements. It also makes sense to build a log home that is energy and water efficient. Energy costs are on the rise now and there’s no telling how high they will go in the future. Water, a most precious resource, is also worth conserving t…

Expensive Look, Affordable Pricetag

by Mike Haskew | Jul 9, 2021 | Building, How-To, Planning

It’s the classic dilemma when building a log home. Finishing with that expensive look without busting the budget is indeed a challenge. But it can be done. Log home professionals, from sales consultants to designers and experienced builders, are ready to assist in the great undertaking, lending a hand at decision time. Moving forward with confidence involves research and preparation. “Certainly, preplanning is important as far as determining what square…

Selecting a Log Home Producer

by By Karen Doss Bowman | Jul 9, 2021 | Building, How-To, Planning

For Jim McKinney of Chicago, building the log home of his dreams was an exciting, but substantial, venture. When he began planning the Jackson, Wyoming, home more than five years ago, McKinney did meticulous research to make sure he selected a reputable log home producer who would understand the look and feel he wanted to create in the home. Ultimately, he wanted to work with a company that could design a home that would be “100 percent me.” “You can expect that a log home is going to be a little more e…

A Home Away from Home

by Bridget McCrea | Jul 9, 2021 | Building, Designing, How-To, Maintaining, Planning

You’ve set your sights on your ideal second home, and it’s time to bring your dreams to fruition. You’ve picked the site, purchased the land, and decided that a log home will be the perfect fit. In your mind’s eye you see your friends and family enjoying the home for years to come, frolicking in the lake that it overlooks and exploring the wilderness that surrounds it. To make sure that vision becomes a reality, there are a few steps you’ll want to take during your second h…

Package Deals

by Donna Peak | Jul 9, 2021 | Building, How-To, Planning

Imagine you’re going to the supermarket, and apples are on your shopping list. You love apples and you can’t wait to buy them so you can sink your teeth into one. But when you get to the store, you’re faced with choices. Gala apples are on sale for less than the Fuji variety, but when you compare the two, the latter seem to be fresher, making the Gala seem like less of a deal. Then you spy the Honey Crisp—the most expensive, but also the sweetest, biggest fruit o…

Partners in Building

by Karen Doss Bowman | Jul 9, 2021 | Building, How-To, Planning

Sam and Gale Easter, self-described “loggies,” are enthusiastic about living in the log home of their dreams. But during the planning stages for the house, the couple took time to carefully research log home companies and builders. They were looking for professionals who would not only turn out a quality product, but who also would deal with them fairly and honestly. “The company we chose answered all our questions right up front,” says Gale, now owner o…

Forever Classic

by Esther & Franklin Schmidt | photos by all photos Esther & Franklin Schmidt | Jul 9, 2021 | Building, Designing, How-To, Planning

Probably more than any other style of house, a log cabin conjures up a sense of homestead and history, a place in which family can live over decades and generations. Logs, with their organic feeling, exude a sense of a handmade construction and are a huge draw for people who want a long-lasting home. These days, when people decide to build a log home, either as a primary or secondary residence, it is most likely the feeling of timelessness that draws them and resonates. Not all log construction is equal…

Living is Easy on the Water

by Bridget McCrea | Jul 9, 2021 | Building, Designing, How-To, Planning

When Rob Wrightman sits down to talk with clients about designing and building a new, waterfront log home, one of his first tasks is to explain how such abodes have more than one “face.” Whereas a log home in a more traditional setting usually has one showcase side for passers-by to admire and comment on, the waterfront log home has at least two. “This is a very important point when building on the water,” says Wrightman, CEO a…

Build Your Log Home

by By Tracy M. Ruff | Jul 9, 2021 | Building, How-To

By this point, you have checked off many of the steps toward living in your log home. Buy land. Check. Purchase log package. Check. Hire builder. Check. The next item to mark off your list is perhaps the most exciting: Build your log home. “Once you start construction,” says Michael Morrison, vice president of Suwannee River Construction Company in Wellborn, Florida, “the clock starts ticking and you need to stick to your plan, because prior planning prevents poor performance.” The following steps outli…

Building in Stages

by Mike Haskew | photo True North Log Homes | Jul 9, 2021 | Building, How-To, Planning

Planning for both the present and the future presents an array of options for those considering the construction of a log home during challenging economic times. Several financial factors have influenced the concept of log home construction in recent years. Money is tight, and lenders are setting the bar ever higher for borrowers. Cash down payments and overall equity positions weigh more heavily on the credit decision than anyone can remember, and it is a given that credit scores and payment his…

Comparing Bids from Builders

by Log Cabin Homes Magazine | Jul 9, 2021 | Building, How-To

There are some do-it-yourselfers out there who take on the task of building their own log home. But the average log home buyer needs to find a builder or general contractor to build it. This person takes all of the package components that you purchase and crafts them into your home. It is a very detailed and meticulous job that requires a true professional with excellent building experience and communication skills. Yet finding this person takes as much research as it did to select the right log home co…