How-To Archives – Log Cabin Homes Magazine

Saving Water

by Laura Cleveland | Jul 9, 2021 | Energy Efficiency

On average, the first two people in a home each use 20 gallons of water per day. Each additional resident uses about 15 gallons per day. For a family of four, that amounts to a whopping 70 gallons consumed every day, or 25,550 gallons per year. Most of those 25,550 gallons go down the drain … literally. Is that any way to treat our most precious natural resource? Here are a few practical ideas for conserving water: • Use a rain barrel to collect run-off from your roof. Start with a simple rain barrel co…

Bedroom Gallery

by Log Cabin Homes Magazine | Jul 9, 2021 | Bedrooms, Designing, How-To, Room-By-Room

The trend these days is toward putting the master bedroom on the main floor of the home, but why not choose the loft if it is as spectacular as this one? The owners get a bird’s-eye view of their property and can enjoy looking at the intricate roof structure of their log home. Rocky Mountain Log Homes The sense of space and height in this bedroom is accentuated by the painted sheetrock and upper windows that mimic the roof line and highlight the roof struc…

Planning Exterior Spaces

by Jennifer Donahue | Jul 9, 2021 | How-To, Landscape, Outdoor Spaces, Planning, Room-By-Room

Some of my favorite time at home is spent on a quiet spring afternoon, sitting on my deck listening to the rain hit the metal roof overhead. Whether it’s watching the sun set on a long, lazy summer evening, entertaining family around an outdoor fire pit, or playing a friendly game of flag football on the lawn, our time spent outdoors is the stuff memories are made of. Many of us choose our home’s location specifically for the abundant natural beau…

Luxury Living for Less

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

Along the road to log home ownership, you will eventually hit the inevitable speed bump of wants versus budget. “Wants versus needs” might be the first thing that comes to mind, but a log home has to have the basic needs in order to receive a certificate of occupancy: logs, a kitchen, an HVAC system, a roof, etc. It’s when you you start putting in the wants from your own personal list that your budget gets stretched. You want to infuse your home with the things that will tru…

Designing & Decorating Kitchens

by Log Cabin Homes Magazine | Jul 9, 2021 | Designing, How-To, Kitchens, Room-By-Room

Oceanside Glasstile (www.glasstile.com) handcrafted these backsplash tiles from recycled bottles to form the jewel in the crown of a rustic kitchen. The traditional olive-toned subway tile sets off irridescent metallic tile that has been set on the diagonal. Glass tile reflects the light in what could be a dark space over the stove. 1867 Confederation Log Homes Who says you can’t mix materials and styles in an open…

Things We Love

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

Are you looking for gorgeous Arts & Crafts tile or lighting, a handcrafted bed frame, or a mesmerizing fire sphere? We did a little shopping for things we think will complement your log or timber frame home. The Art of Tile Nawal Motawi started making tiles in her garage and selling them at a local farm market in 1992. Today Motawi Tileworks occupies a 12,000-square-foot facility in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and sells tiles through 400 U.S. stores. Shown here are several styles of tile from the Arts &amp…

Design for Living

by Jennifer Donahue | Jul 9, 2021 | Building, Energy Efficiency, How-To, Planning

The esteemed poet and author Maya Angelou once said, “I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.” What we know about energy efficiency has increased exponentially in recent years. So now that we know better, there’s no excuse for not doing better when it comes to homebuilding. Not only are energy-efficient building practices an important way to preserve the environment, they lead to a more comfortable home and can also save you money—…

How To Determine Your Budget

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

Establishing a realistic budget may well be the most critical element in the successful financing of a log home construction project. Determining the overall cost of construction and any necessary financing simplifies the entire experience. A cost estimate and detailed budget include the anticipated expenses for major items such as the logs themselves right down to the types of light fixtures that are to be installed and the nails that hold the structure together. “Work on collecting data,” urges Andy W…

All the House for a Fraction of the Cost

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

Fractional ownership, also known as “shared ownership,” is a concept often lumped in with timeshares, but they’re only distantly related. Like a timeshare, you have access to a piece of property for a specified period of time each year, which varies depending on the number of owners who share each property. However, the key distinction between fractional ownership and a timeshare is that in fractional ownership, you buy deeded real estate—you buy a home—n…

Buying & Developing Your Site

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

Building a log or timber home in a rural area and/or on undeveloped land can present a unique set of challenges that most other homeowners don’t have to manage. Even if you’ve already selected the perfect plot of land for your new abode, there are certain considerations that must be factored in before moving forward with the site preparation and the actual home construction. If you haven’t found the right place yet, on the other hand, you’ll want to find a real estate broker who knows the intri…

What Are Log Home Preservatives?

by Mike Haskew | Jul 9, 2021 | Exteriors, How-To, Maintaining

Log home preservatives are primary weapons in the fight against wood decay and wood-ingesting insects, safeguarding these structures from the ravages of potentially destructive agents that can damage the beauty and integrity of wood over time. Damage from wood-ingesting insects such as termites, carpenter ants, or wood-boring beetles can be devastating and costly to repair. Fungi, mold, and mildew can cause wood to rot and eventually need to be replaced or create un…

Going Green: Green Building Standards

by Jennifer Donahue | Jul 9, 2021 | Energy Efficiency, How-To, Planning

“Green” is everywhere these days—we recycle, we reuse, we try to be mindful of our energy consumption. And as people throughout the country become increasingly aware of their own environmental footprint, the green movement has come to homebuilding as well. Build green and you’ll end up with an efficient home, lower energy bills, a healthier environment, and you may qualify for tax rebates and zoning allowances, depending on where you live. Why Certify? “The…