Planning to Build a New Home? Consider a Log Home

At the beginning of this year, my girlfriend and I were kidding around when she mentioned that she would love to live in a log cabin near the mountains. I had never really thought about it until she mentioned it. A real log cabin with all the fixings like a wood stove and front porch sounded kind of neat. So I decided to do a little prospecting just for the fun of it. I started searching for log cabin and log home web sites. I promptly found dozens of sites to explore featuring hundreds of homes constructed from logs. After about a week of casually viewing a few sites, I was completely hooked on the idea. Previously, I had never considered this type of home. I hardly knew they existed. Now I am convinced beyond a doubt that a log built home is in my future.

About 30 years ago I had built a small cabin in the woods in northern Michigan. It wasn’t made of logs, but the setting was sure rustic. It was mainly used for weekend getaways. At the time I was living in an apartment in southeast Michigan. Since then I have lived in houses, condos, and a mobile home. Over the years I had thought about several type of homes such as dome homes and even RVs. Since I am pondering how and where I will live for the rest of my life, the simple answer is a log home. It is a natural dwelling that will fit into just about any setting. By a mountain, in the woods, on a lake or river, it will blend in perfectly with any surroundings. These types of home are marvelously practical. Not to mention, they are as environmentally friendly as they are charming and elegant.

These homes come in a wide variety of styles and packages. From a simple one room log cabin to a 6000 square foot mansion, there is something for the most discriminating buyer. Many companies offer a pre-made kit home. This is where all the logs for the walls and roof are cut to fit an exact design. Then there are the companies that offer custom designed log and timber homes. You can choose from a variety of ready-to-build plans or use their architects to design a custom home according to your personal tastes. Nowadays, you can totally customize your dream home and have it manufactured to fit precisely together piece by piece. The materials are pre-treated and kiln dried to protect against rotting, insects, cracking or splitting. These homes fit together so well that there is little settling or warpage. When properly assembled and then cared for, a log home will last more than a few lifetimes.

The variety of woods available include: Douglas Fir, Southern White Pine, Red Cedar, Hemlock, and Spruce. These can be milled in a number of ways such as flat surfaced or rounded. Logs can even be hand crafted for an extremely rustic look. Construction styles start with the typical post and beam and can be expanded to timber frame or heavy beam. The overall result is a stylish wooded structure that is more than a home. It is a warm and inviting atmosphere that is energy efficient. It provides a healthy living environment because of the natural construction materials which are renewable and recyclable. There is virtually no end to the variations of designs and construction. Log homes can include stone foundations and shake shingles or even metal roofs. You can order an entire kit and construct it yourself to save money. Or, have it built by an experienced builder who works with the company you purchase your home from.

The interiors can be made even more striking than the exteriors. Exposed log walls, posts, and heavy beams make for a rustic look unmatched in any other type of home. Whether combined with drywall or stone, the interior of a log timber house is warm and pleasant all year round. High expansive wood ceilings, help create an open feeling that can be accented with wood floors, stairways, and wall systems. These home are beautiful inside and out. That is easily accomplished by their simplistic designs and use of natural materials. Depending on the type of home you build, costs vary widely from company to company. I plan to build a custom home using the highest grade materials I can afford. I have been researching log homes for several months and am impressed by the construction methods and variation of designs offered. An all wood home inside and out is a practical choice from just about any standpoint.

I have discovered several companies I would consider purchasing a home from. Many companies I rejected because of he type of homes they offered or the designs were not to my liking. Since this is a multi-year project for me, I have time to do research and check into options and costs. There are log home shows across the country nearly all year long. Some dealers are located in only one place; while others have several representatives around the country. Many log home owners are willing to allow prospective buyers to tour their homes. Using the Internet as a starting point will allow you to gather mountains of information before actually making any decisions. If this type of home is appealing to you, take the time to find out them. Look at the pictures, compare materials and construction methods. You will likely be astonished at some of the homes presented on various web sites. Even with a modest budget, you can build a log home that will have your friends and neighbors admiring with envy.