News

Settling for log home construction styles

Definition:

When a stacked log wall reduces in overall height, it is called settling, a well known occurrence in log home construction.
Introduction:

Settling in log homes can occur in three ways: compaction, slumping and most significantly, radial shrinkage of the logs.

A- Compaction occurs mainly in log construction using cope style lateral groves where the interior and exterior sharp corners of the cope are the only contact with log below. The cumulative weight of logs, roof and snow above crush these contacting lines of wood fiber into the log below, creating a tight seal between stacked logs.
Compaction can account for up to 1% height reduction of a log wall.
Compaction is minimal for logs with large contact areas like tongue and grooved flat to flat log profiles.

Details

About smaller homes

Within the last half century, North American homes have more than doubled in size becoming castles to impress by volume alone.
Real estate agents define a home by it square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms and pictures of luxuriously furnished formal living and dining rooms that are left unused by its occupants.
Due to high building and energy costs, dwindling investments, savings and pensions and an emerging consciousness not to waste and embrace “green concepts”, designing a home is now much less about impressing our neighbors and friends with size and wow factor.

Details

Log and timber cabin off-grid renewable energy system

Many of our log /timber home design customers plan to build on a remote property away from power lines.
Living without power is not an option as we are so used to the comforts electricity brings us.
Building power lines to the property can easily cost many $10 000.
And even if you have power at the end of a long line, chances are you will be out for days during a winter storm.
No light in the house, no computer, TV or radio working, no water running and may be no heat, makes it an unforgettable experience.
Start the car and rush back to the city becomes the only option…

Details

Radon gas, the silent indoor killer

Exposure to Radon gas in our homes is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking, with 16% of lung cancer death directly linked to Radon.
This gas is the main cause of lung cancer for non-smokers.
However surveys tell us that only 1% of North Americans are aware of this danger.

Details

Top ten goals when designing your log or timber home.

1- Budget – Nothing is more heart breaking than designing a beautiful home that just got all you want, then get construction quotes… and find out you are way over budget.
First step before starting design is to inquire about construction cost at your building site and establish what you can comfortably afford without crippling your finances with a life time mortgage.
Building costs vary greatly depending on location.

Details

Moncks Corner – South Carolina – Log Home

Last week, we completed the design and drafting of a 3265 square foot full scribe stacked log home using local 20″ midspan southern yellow pine.

The home is based in Moncks Corner, South Carolina and consists of four bedroom suites sitting on elevated crawl space with a porte cochere covered driveway, and a detached two car garage on a large private wooded lot

Details

Dutch Mill – Franklinville – New Jersey

This last Friday we had the great pleasure to meet our customers from Franklinville, NJ who flew in all the way from the East coast to discuss final changes to their fusion style log home. They love the design and we are now busy drafting full construction set of plans as they wish to start construction ASAP.

Details