December 2016 Blog Posts (26)

Follow along a typical log home construction sequence of events.

The entire construction process for a modest log home (built by a pro) ranges from four to six months, but it can run a year or more for large or complex designs. Factors that affect construction time include seasons, weather, availability of labor/subcontractors and builder expertise. Builders’ processes may vary, but use this order of events as a guide to benchmark your log home’s…

With hundreds of exceptional log home manufacturers and handcrafters out there, how do you choose? Here’s how to find the one that can make your log home just the way you want it.

Any major purchase is stressful. The idea that as soon as you commit to a choice, it will be difficult — if not impossible — to change your mind can send even the most decisive buyer into a second-guessing frenzy. Buyer’s remorse is NOT something you envision in your dream-home…

A North Georgia log home provides every creature comfort imaginable — all within a lush mountain landscape.

Story by Janice Brewster | Photography courtesy of Modern Rustic Homes

Each November, Jack and Patty Cartwright host a hayride, bonfire and campout at their log home in the mountains of north Georgia. On average, 250 to 300 friends and clients join the fun.

Guests bunk up in the Cartwrights’ five-bedroom home, camp on their land or rent…

When selecting the size, shape and look of the logs, the log home buyer is spoiled for choice. Here’s how to navigate your options.

So now that you know the timber options from which to choose, how do you turn this raw material into a home?

First you need to choose whether you want the look of a milled or handcrafted home. The primary differences here are the size and uniformity of the logs and the technique used to prepare them.

Handcrafted logs…

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 Update #7 on our "Log House on the Hill" blog. Follow the link to read our latest adventure and progress. This is year #3 for our hybrid log home building process..and oh my! This is what happens when a ghost tour owner who deals in Spirits...and an engineer get together and build their dream house.

Our goal? No mortgage!…

A builder/dealer may be your main link to your log home producer.

When the modern log home industry was starting in the 1970s, many manufacturers found that a successful way to reach new clients was to enlist satisfied customers as sales representatives. These ambassadors of the log home lifestyle approached the work as a sideline or hobby and received little or no training.

Over time, some turned their avocation into a livelihood; others became general…

One of the toughest determinations for homeowners is when to call a plumber. Simple plumbing problems are easy to fix: dripping faucets, leaky toilets, replacing worn washer hoses and clogged drains can usually be handled with a few tools and an instructional YouTube video. But plumbers exist for a reason. Sometimes a plumbing job requires more tools and expertise…

A la carte or all-inclusive — buying a log home starts with the parts of the log home package/kit.

The “package,” (sometimes referred to as the “kit”) is the starting point of log homes for obvious reasons — it contains the logs. Logs are the bulk of the building materials used in log homes, rivaled only by stone and, in some cases, glass. So when you’re selecting a package from a log home producer, you’re buying the majority of the structural components that…

Ice and snow may be fun in winter, but not when they're forming inside your plumbing. Frozen pipes can burst inside your house, causing thousands of dollars of water damage. Here are some tips on how to keep your pipes and your home safe this winter. Of course,…

Picking the right person to build your home is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Our 1-2-3 strategy will get you on the right track to finding a log home builder.

1. Check Him Out for Yourself

If a builder is having an open house or is displaying a project on a home-and-garden tour, sign up. Not only are these a lot of fun and a bounty of great ideas, they will provide a…

Picking the right person to build your home is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Our 1-2-3 strategy will get you on the right track to finding a log home builder.

1. Check Him Out for Yourself

If a builder is having an open house or is displaying a project on a home-and-garden tour, sign up. Not only are these a lot of fun and a bounty of great ideas, they will provide a…

Turning on the hot water in most homes is just another thing we do. Whether it's hot water in shower or for doing dishes, we rarely think about from where the water comes and what makes it hot. But if that water suddenly turns cold while we are soaping up our hair, well, suddenly the water heater is the most important thing in our world. How can you tell,…

What should you look for when you’re shopping for land for your log home site? These five tips will help you narrow the field.

1. Stick with Your Passion

When you begin planning, never cut those pastimes short. “Your interests should dictate 90 percent of your decision,” says John Ricketson, a project manager with Hearthstone, Inc. “You want to be in a region close to the activities you like, whether it’s skiing, fishing, hunting or hiking.”…

The owners of Honest Abe Log Homes, a Tennessee log home manufacturer since 1979 with four model locations in Tennessee and a manufacturing plant in Moss, lost their family's second home of 20 years in the Gatlinburg Wildfires.

Read the personal story here: Wildfire Takes…

The ins and outs of wood species, their characteristics and how they react to becoming part of your log home.

More than two dozen species of wood are commonly used to build log homes in North America. Almost all are softwoods: evergreens such as pine, cedar, fir, cypress, hemlock and spruce. Although each log home producer favors certain species, the successful use of so many varieties is a clear indication that there’s not one type of tree that makes a better…

A majestic hybrid log home fulfills one family’s dreams of lazy days lounging by the water.

Story by Suzanna Logan | Photography by Joseph Hilliard

Along a wooded peninsula high above the gentle twists and turns of Wisconsin's Eagle River — about 100 feet above to be exact — a bald eagle's nest rests precariously in a pine tree.

“The nests can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and are hanging from branches the size of your arm,” says Mike Manske, who has…

Thanks to building systems, modern log homes can stand up to even the toughest assailants nature can throw at them.

Log homes are built tough. Where other types of housing have succumbed to extreme weather like hurricanes and tornadoes, their log home neighbors have stood strong. Why? It’s all thanks to a carefully engineered building system.

A building system is a pre-determined way of assembling the various components to ensure high levels of…

Keeping your log cabin warm throughout the winter is just as much about safety as it is about comfort. Catastrophic damage during a severe storm can put your family in danger and ruin your outdoor getaway. Here are a few key facts that everyone should know about their log cabin's heating system before they plan on spending any time at their home away from…

Our six keys to getting the perfect log home design.

Dreams. This is where every log homeowner’s journey begins. Drooling over magazine photos and model homes, analyzing ideas, searching for that unique floor plan that says, “I’m the one.” Even if you’re designing your home yourself, chances are you’ve taken more than a passing glance at the stash of log home stock plans out there. And if you are going with one of your log home producer’s plans, you’ll more than…