A log home is a beautiful complement to any setting, no matter if it’s poised out in the middle of a wide-open prairie or hugging the shoreline of a lake or ocean. But there’s just something irresistible about a cabin in the woods. Nestled among the trees, a log cabin home or weekend camp against a deeply wooded backdrop just seems at ease and, well, right. When designing and building your dream woodland log cabin home, there are a few factor…
Using reclaimed and recycled materials when building your home is not just a good way to be kind to the environment—it’s a great way to save money and add visual interest to your home! Reclaimed materials make your home truly unique while keeping materials that still have a little bit of life left out of landfills. There is a difference between reclaimed and recycled materials. Recycled materials are reprocessed and often turned into an entirely different product, while reclaimed materials are reu…
Set in a clearing in a forest in Washington, a traditionally built timber frame home combines classic elements such as a metal roof, wood siding, and stonework and gives them a more contemporary twist. What’s Your Log Style? This California gem is constructed of full, round logs. people who love the look of round logs on the exterior may choose a d-log instead to give them flat walls inside while preserving the rou…
Possibly the most basic element of a log or timber frame home project, as fundamental as the wood itself, is finding that perfect location. Whether on a mountainside, in the deep woods, or beside a tranquil lake, the land is its own design element in the overall appeal and presentation of a wood home. Finding the right lot or acreage presents an opportunity to define the log home project in its entirety. In the right circumstances, the land and structure complement …
“Getting comparative bids when looking at log homes is very important, unless you are very well versed in log home materials and construction practices,” says Tom Kuhns, president at Kuhns Brothers Log Homes Inc., in Milton, Pennsylvania. “In fact, getting bids is actually a part of the learning process. No two log home companies are alike. Each company has different ways of doing things and different qualities and quantities of products so you need to decide what is best for you.”&n…
A log home is not an impulse buy. For some the decision to build a log home was made years before they actually began the process of transforming a long-held dream into a lifetime reality. “One of the first things is to establish how much you want to spend,” says Dave Fullerton, sales manager at Rocky Mountain Log Homes. “Is this a primary residence or vacation home? What genre of log home? Do you want the home to ‘feel’ a certain way? We try to establish t…
For just about anyone who considers building a log home, setting a budget is a necessity. Matching the home to the budget requires preparation, understanding, and, often enough, a reality check. When the time comes at long last to build the log home of your dreams, every aspect of construction, financing if needed, and ancillary expenses such as furnishings, homeowner’s insurance, and property taxes should be considered. It pays to think comprehensively on the front end, determining just how much initia…
Proper estate planning can go a long way in ensuring a smooth transition of finances and property to the next generation. Without this advance planning, the situation can become muddled, frustrating, and downright expensive for your heirs. Luckily, there are a few steps you can take now to ensure the most successful passing on of your legacy log home. Marilyn McWilliams, partner with Denver law firm Moye White, says she’s helped a large number of clients prepare for the future through estate planning. M…
Did you know that the heating and hot water system you choose for your log home will contribute to over 50 percent of your yearly energy bill? That fact alone—not to mention any cooling costs—should make log home owners take a step back and put some careful considerations into the water and HVAC systems that will go into their new abodes. Fred Ruckel of New York isn’t taking any chances with his new log home. Ruckel, a marketing and advertising professional who also runs the website www.greenlogho…
When Wes and Chris Spiker decided to build a log home on their property in Missoula, Montana, they knew they wanted a company that would respect their needs and not just offer limited options. “We were looking for architects that would work as a team with us and listen to us about what we wanted,” says Chris Spiker. The couple ended up choosing Rocky Mountain Log Homes not only because they were willing to work with the Spikers on their own home design, but because they were known as a reliabl…
Somewhere in our youth, nearly all of us have pretended to be a detective. Looking for clues, asking questions, taking notes, searching for answers… back then it was just child’s play, but who knew you were arming yourself with skills that would come in handy as a homebuyer. Now that you’re ready to make one of the largest investments of your entire life—your log cabin dream home—it’s time to channel that inner Sherlock Holmes of your childhood and really put it to work. So don that inspector’s cap and …
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…
