First log home construction

Hello to the group, I wish to build my first log home I am from Australia but want to spend 6 months a year in retirement in the USA. I am a little different than perhaps most on the forum as I do not want remote wilderness and totally off grid living. I wish to purchase a building lot and Minnesota is my chosen state. I want a wooded lot but need it reasonably close to a town or small city and want access to utilities such as electricity and town water hopefully sewage although I would install septic no problem. If anyone can give me the heads up on a great area it would be really appreciated. Would consider other states if area was suitable.

Thank you

Can I just add to my initial post above that I would consider a gated community if building lot was suitable.

Thanks again

Paul

Stay away from gated communities and HOA's (home owners association) I've built several homes up in that area, I really like Wassau and Osseo area of Wisconsin, it's next door to Minnesota and has very similar weather/terrain/funny accents dontcha know

hi there. We're building in Minnesota. we find we needed at least a half acre of last in order to work with the logs. there are many wonderful websites to assist with finding properties
https://www.edinarealty.com/listing/...BoCVZgQAvD_BwE

Where can you easily get to. I live in Hawaii and it hard to get to Camano Island, Washington where we have built a log home.

Transportation is a key. In Washington logs are available.

Hello to All
I am searching on how the logs keep together? could anyone explain me how to make all the logs tight together? what kind of screw do you guys use to stick logs on top of each other?
Thanks in advance

Hello, Reza. Welcome to the site.

You may want to browse the gallery (https://www.lhba.com/student-homes-gallery) to see what these homes look like. They're not screwed tightly together, though.

Reza;
We use 1/2 inch rebar to hold the logs in place. The key is drill a 1/2 inch hole in the top log then drive it into the bottom log. We use green logs and they will shrink around the rebar making it almost impossible to displace.

My 12 inch logs have shrunk about 1/2 inch on either side or about 10% total. I have pictures showing this shrinkage.

An acquaintance was given a unfinished log structure for firewood. He has a bunch of very heavy equipment, like a large track hoe which he used to dissemble the walls. He was unable to separate the logs so he used a chain saw to cut them in pieces. He and his son said that they would NEVER again try. It was too dangerous. Separating rebarjoined logs was almost impossible hence he had to chain saw near the rebar.

So, thats how logs are joined, no screws.

We don’t use no stinking green logs.


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