I am looking at land (some with homes and some undeveloped) and am considering building a log home. Have any of you done this? Do any of you live in a log home you purchased? Would like to talk to anyone with experience in this area. I like the 'look'of the log homes I've seen and feel that I could do much of the interior finish work myself. I could get my "dream" home and my "dream" land at the same time. I'm just doing my homework before making any moves at all. Thanks. betty

-- betty modin (betty_m9@yahoo.com), November 24, 2000

Answers

I have been told the biggest problem with log construction is the logs not settling evenly throughout the structure, resulting in jammed doors and windows.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), November 25, 2000.

If you are just interested in "the look" and can do the interior work yourself, you might consider a Jim Walters shell. They are very reasonable in price, if somewhat small. You could always select a style suitable for add on. Also a faux cabin design as theirs would incorporate the latest in energy efficiency and conversation. Their web site is www.jimwalterhomes.com if you would like to check them out.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), November 25, 2000.

We've never lived *in* a log home, but being from Alaska have lived around a lot of them. Make the walls from as thick a log as you can find. There are a couple of books that show how to construct the top of door and window frames to allow for the inevitable settling. But my major suggestion is to at least consider using logs that are flattened on three sides (only left round on the outside). When my brother and sister-in-law moved into their log cabin, I helped her wash all the interior walls free of several years accumulation of dust, and with round logs it was a pain -- and a lot of dust. So I decided that I didn't want dust catchers like that in my house. The flattened logs make walls that look like (rough, unless planed) wood panelling on the inside, and are very nice, I think. Better than having to wash dusty walls all the time!

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), November 25, 2000.

we live a log home,around 180yrs. oldThe outside has been covered over by siding and we are going to remove all that{someday},parts of the inside are exposed and so far the only problem we have ran into is where and how to hide the wires and plumbing. we are lucky though because the bathroom and kitchen are in the new part{60yrs.old}and that part is framed. I cant wait untill it is exposed.

-- renee oneill{md.} (oneillsr@home.com), November 25, 2000.

One of the 'old family homes'(must be at least 80 years old) is still in use as a hunting cabin that is all log (round) construction, chinked with plaster. It is nice and toasty warm as long as you are next to the fireplace or the kitchen -- the opposite wall is very cold in winter so that anyone sitting over there has to keep their jacket on all the time in No. Wisconsin winters.

Some people I knew who were very rich had an enormous house built out of round logs w/o insulation. The logs themselves are huge -- two feet in diameter is a little one. They have central heating, etc. and they tell me that it is STILL cold in the winter, especially around the walls. I thought it would be impolite to ask what their heating bills were like, but I'm betting enormous, in keeping with the size of the house.

My great uncle's house was (and still is) log construction, and when it was built they had no insulation and papered the walls inside with newspaper (or so my great aunt told me) and they heated w/wood and coal and there would be frost on the inside of the walls. NOT FUN. The house was later fitted with insulation and updated over the years, and as far as I know, the people living in it now have no problems, but the interior has been finished out with insulation and wood-panelled walls -- everyone I've known who has lived in a house with round-log construction on the inside has to do a LOT of dusting to keep it clean (and I'd suspect it would be worse if you were wood heating. I cleaned the basement of my house -- my grandparents originally -- and you would not believe the grime that cleaned out of there from wood burning over the years)

Having said all that that sounds discouraging, my brother has been involved in building a few log constructions, and yes, the uneven settling is a big headache. He finally decided on a half-round log construction for his own house, with the interior insulated with modern materials and wallboard and the whole 'normal' route to keep his wife quiet(er) about it. She doesn't do 'rustic' in any sense of the word. There are a lot of kit-build houses out there, with a lot of options, but you probably already know that.

-- Julie Froelich (firefly1@nnex.net), November 26, 2000.

Betty, we're getting pretty familiar with ours as we go into Winter. It's brand-new as of September, a Hearthstone Kit with square handhewn logs, 6" thick. The corners are dovetailed and the gaps insulated and chinked. It's 1600 sq. ft. with a masonry heater in the center of that area.

We're at 6200 ft. elevation. So far this year, it's gotten down to 11 degrees several times at night, and several days running with daytime temps. not above freezing. The masonry heater keeps it nice and toasty in the kitchen/living area, and the bedrooms a little cooler with just one or two fires a day. The far walls aren't cold because they absorb the heat and hold it pretty well. I should add that we installed toe-kick heaters in both bathrooms since they're the farthest from the heat source and generally 'operated' with the doors closed. Glad we did that. The house is wired for electric back-up heat, but to save $ we didn't actually install it yet, and unless we need to leave the place for any length of time and can't tend the fire, we don't seem to need it.

Our place is still settling, but the doors and windows are on channels to allow for it, and there are little tricks the manufacturer has with the chimney and vent flashings so they are compatible with the shrinking too. Porch posts are on jacks, etc. Modern log homes have got the settling problems pretty well sorted out. So far we love the place.

Don't know if you've read down the board to the instant water heater thread, but we got one of those too, and it's great.

-- Jorja Hernandez (jorja@color-country.net), November 26, 2000.

Betty, My husband and I designed and built our log home and barn. Going so far as to cut the trees ourselves, haul them, debark them, cut them to size, flatten two sides, and notch them.

We insulated the interior and used drywall. Our home is well insulated is heated with passive solar with a wood stove for back up.

There are lots of wonderful books out there to help you with your planning. We decided on the piece-en-piece technique that uses short logs and a post and beam framwork. We've lived happy and comfortably in our home since 1994.

Good luck.

-- Kathy (redfernfarm@lisco.com), November 26, 2000.

Dear Betty, Here you will find the most useful information. You can build your own log house, and you can do it better and for much cheaper than if you buy one of those really expensive kit homes. http://www.premier1.net/~loghouse/

-- Lynn (moebiusgold@netscape.net), December 01, 2000.