Laminated Logs

Has anyone used laminated logs, such as from Great Lakes Laminated Logs, to build with? I am looking at the insulated ones especially but I was wondering if they are too uniform looking? I want a natural looking log home and of course inexpensive to build. My husband and I are trying to sell our home in Texas and build our log home in Colorado where he is currently working and living. When we sell, we will only have a short time to buy our land and build a home to live in and we plan to retire there as well. We have lived in Colorado before so we know what to expect as far as weather, we only lived in Texas for a short time for his work and it didn't suit us, we are mountain people. Anyway, we are looking for the least expensive, least maintenance, energy efficeint, fastest home we can build. We will take any and all suggestions and advice. We are considering taking the class as well but need advice soon. Thanks, Sue Smith

Hi Sue,
Um, why would you want a 'manufactured' log (and the expense that goes with making it) when a sizeable natural log provides all the needed thermal mass for a comfortable home in just about any climate?

Ditto + !!!!!!!! !

What they said.

You're planning on moving to Colorado and building here. If you're up in much of any mountains (like we are) go walk in the forests and look at all the standing dead beetle kill. Think of how great they would look as house logs. Realize how efficient it is to fall a tree, and haul the log *all the way* to your property, and then build with it in it's natural state.

As opposed to falling a tree, loading it on a truck, shipping it 150+ miles, running it through a mill, or some other manufacturing process, and then trucking it 150+ miles to the homesite.

But seriously: taking the class will drive much more of this home than you think. It's not about technique, it's about changing the way you think about building.

Dan

And big ole logs look cool.

I wonder if Sue could get an LHBA style home in the time frame she is looking for if she pays someone like RockClimber to do it.
The price may come out close to what a manufactured home would cost?

Hi Sue, I would recommend taking the class in June if there are any openings left. I am signed up for it for several reasons and the main reason is the extensive amount of information I can get in two days, approx 20-24 hrs of instruction along with unlimited access to the members forum. With the information you come away with you'll be able to make a lot of good decisions, whether you build your self or decide to hire a builder.

Building your own home from scratch takes a lot of knowledge, planning, decisions and work, and the more you have up front the better things will go for you every step of the way. The amount of money and time you will save by avoiding mistakes will more than pay for the class. Understanding the process will also give you the upper hand when dealing with contractors, suppliers and real estate agents who normally have their own interests, products and services in mind over your needs, especially if you are not sure about what they are selling.

How can you go wrong if you spend two days and a relatively small amount of money compared to what you could easily lose making one wrong decision?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by thaohaitrieu8

Has anyone used laminated logs,

Anyway, we are looking for the least expensive, least maintenance, energy efficient, fastest home we can build. We will take any and all suggestions and advice. We are considering taking the class as well but need advice soon. Thanks, Sue Smith

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Sue. Lamination and logs are two different things... Logs have big ends and small ends... Lumber is all the same size...

I'm sure you have looked at the student built homes... You can also look at mine below, as well as the video to see some construction stuff... I stacked my logs in 12 1/2 days... We have folks that can help and you can pour your foundation and put a roof on in a short amount of time... Your log home will be the most energy efficient ever... It can be low maintenance given certain choices and very low in expense given certain choices....

Most of us build ourselves but that can be one of those choices...

good luck and check out those student homes..