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Thread: taking apart and moving log home

  1. #1

    taking apart and moving log home

    Im new to log homes but have an oppertunity to buy an existing log home that must be taken apart and moved any advice

  2. #2
    LHBA Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Quimper Peninsula, WA
    Posts
    274

    What kind of construction?

    I think you will get some members to chime in if we all knew the method of construction.

    Off hand, most people think of 'taking apart" or in some way dismantling a log home to move it. But, that is often not the best way to move one. What are the circumstances that force the requirement to take this particular house apart? Depending upon construction this can be done more easily or not so easily.
    One thing to consider is that many more local goverments are prepared to deal with a conventional intact home being trucked over the highways and resettled than a home that has literally been taken apart. In many ways, using a conventional house mover might be the least expensive and less-stressful way of getting your home where you want it and passed by the local authorities permiting requirements.

    The first thing you might want to do is locate a moving company. Depending upon where the structure is currently located, you might find a mover that has experience with moving log homes and can add their practical advice for the area it is located and the area to which you want to move it.

    At any rate, tells us more about the home and where you need to move it.

    -A

  3. #3

    taking apart and moving a log home

    As I am completely new to this I will describe as best I can
    the state has taken over the property that two log homes sit on and have scheduled them to be demolished I may be able to purchase them and move them to some property I own moving them whole is not an option as they would be moved some 180 miles
    I could propabaly either attempt to dissesemble and reessemble or simply take the logs and build a different log home
    The homes simply appear to be log homes to me the logs over lap at the ends and are about 20 to 24 inches in diameter

  4. #4

    Any pictures?

    Could you post any pictures of them? It would be much easier to guess about an answer to your question if we could see it.

    But regardless... Any well-constructed log cabin is going to be VERY resistant to disassembly. Whether or not it could be reconstructed somewhere else is highly questionable. I think a strong log cabin would be much "easier" (i.e. success would be more likely) to move by "mega-mover" guys who pick up whole houses and move them. In fact, I'd bet that a butt and pass log home would be much more forgiving if the movers messed up because you'd have a REAL hard time getting a butt and pass log square to fall apart, even if you tried to.

    So you are kind of down to a couple of situations where this is a doable project. 1) You are super rich and can do something like this because you find it amusing (not likely by the sound of your post) or 2) You want to do this SO bad that nothing is going to stop you from accomplishing it. I'd say if #2 was true -- heck nearly anything is possible if #2 is true. But I would think that would only be the case if maybe your great grandfather was the guy who built the cabin or something. Otherwise, I'd say you are asking for something that is considerably harder and in the long run probably more costly than simply taking the LHBA course and building your own cabin from scratch.

    And once you took the course and learned how to build your cabin pretty much any way your determination and checkbook will allow you, you will probably think it a shame they bulldozed those neat cabins, but would be glad you designed and built your own. Unless of course, you had some emotional attachment to it, like I mentioned above.

  5. #5
    LHBA Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Southern Kentucky
    Posts
    1,060

    It is actually fairly common

    It is actually fairly common around here for people to dissemble old log homes and build new log homes with the timbers. These homes are usually hewed (square) logs that are dovetailed at the corners. They were not spiked together and can be taken down one log at a time. Number the logs so you know which corners were made to fit together and get all the measurements you can from rotten and unusable logs before moving them. Since old log homes are typically small and have smaller logs that could be handled easily by two people, they are quite easy to move one log at a time. I had a friend who did this with a chevy s-10 and a trailer. He used two homes, built them 5 feet apart, and the space between was the hallway. The door went in the space between as well, and because of careful selection of the original log homes, you can't even tell that the logs are different on each side.

    I've never actually heard of moving an old log home like this in one piece. Old ones were rarely spiked. They generally held themselves together with the corner treatments. They also will have logs in them that are rotten and/or riddle with insects due to lack of upkeep. by taking the house apart to move it, you can examine each log from all sides and determine if its a keeper. (an awl is a great tool for deciding wheter or not to keep a log)

  6. #6

    another cabin moving inquiry

    This conversation is downright eerie. Klapton suggested that one would only want to bother with moving a log home if "your great grandfather was the guy who built the cabin or something". As it turns out, I am hoping to acquire a small log home built by my great great great grandfather. Unfortunately, it would need to be moved from the middle of a cow pasture. It stands a mile from the nearest paved road. Any insights into techniques, costs, or companies that offer this kind of service in Southwest Virginia would be great.

  7. #7
    LHBA Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Louisville Ky
    Posts
    534

    moving a cabin

    there is a guy that has a business in GA. he buys/sells/moves/restores. i had his info..but couldnt find it. youd be able to find him on CL.

  8. #8
    LHBA Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Somewhere between SanFran and Sandpoint...
    Posts
    605

    great great grandfahter

    Talk to any local historical societies in your area, and your township or whatever. You might be able to get some funds to preserve it if you have it declared a historical site. Sounds very cool to me.

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