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Thread: How have friends and family reacted to your plans and taking the class?

  1. #1

    How have friends and family reacted to your plans and taking the class?

    Hey all, I'm curious how friends and family have reacted to your plans and ideas for building a log home and going to the class and all... My husband and I have signed up for the May class, but we've been pretty quiet about it with everyone.

  2. #2
    LHBA Member StressMan79's Avatar
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    well, most ppl I have talked to try to convince me that I should buy a kit, or log homes are drafty/money pits, or I should build a "traditional log home." however, my close friends/family trust my judgement. Tell people who trust yours, and may want to help... don't bother with the naysayers...unfortunately, you won't take the class @ skip's place...The logs were massive, the doors were too... heated with a small direct vent propane heater in one corner of the 50 x 50 "cabin." I have seen it. I know it works, I have visited half a dozen builds/completed homes...I have never been disappointed. I see you are in PA. There are lots of ppl out there who can help you. You can do the same...go on a loghome sightseeing tour this summer and make up an album of things you like/mistakes to avoid. Enjoy the journey

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    LHBA Member loghousenut's Avatar
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    My Mother and Brother both went to the class a year after I did. I guess you could say that they were supportive. I waited so long to build my Wife's dream house that my Mother won't see it. What a shame... She'da liked it. Dad always thought it was a pipe dream but he seemed to get a kick out of the house I made for a movie 20 years ago. I think he woulda liked this one also.

    I think most folks will think you are nuts til you are done. Don't worry too much about it. They'll get over it.

  4. #4
    LHBA Member Shark's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by loghousenut View Post

    I think most folks will think you are nuts til you are done. Don't worry too much about it. They'll get over it.
    That about sums it up perfectly We had lots of weird looks, comments, and suggestions to do things differently, but stick to what the class teaches and you'll do great.
    Completed #1 - Sold #1.....#2 about to start
    http://jandjloghome.blogspot.com/

  5. #5
    LHBA Member
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    Lots of people told me I was making a big mistake, lots more told me I'd never get it done. The ones that knew me kept quiet, because they've seen my persistence and stubbornness. I had a several after I moved in, one was for the people that were involved and helpful, one was for the people that said I'd never get it done. It's funny, the people at both parties were equally supportive in hindsight, in their eyes...

    As you get the wheels turning, logs arrive, foundation done, walls are up, people will begin to see how this all works, and they'll start to be more supportive. While I was building I had several people pull in and ask for my card, that they really liked how I was building and wanted me to build their house too! I also had several that stopped by to ask me questions about Problems they had with their kit homes, and could I fix them...Even the guys that drove the trucks that delivered the logs came back to check my progress, it seemed that everyone was excited to see this house go up.

  6. #6
    LHBA Member rocklock's Avatar
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    Interesting question...

    I have done unusual things my entire life. I met my future wife in a national park, where this German lady warned her about this crazy person running around in his under ware. I was doing some serious road work.
    Most members that I have met are not your run of the mill, usual, folks. We, in general don't take the wide straight road. Which reminds me of a joke...

    How do crazy people go through the forest?
    They take the psycho path.

    Anyway, until I got my roof on, most of my F&R didn't say much. Now I get a little uncomfortable with the amount praise and how proud I should be... I guess I didn't know or care about what they said, I was too busy learning about the many things that I didn't know about.

    I guess I would suggest, just keep you head down, take it one step at a time.

    I would like to add one additional comment... It really helps me if you have your Profile filled out. If you are asking a question, take some pictures...
    Last edited by rocklock; 02-08-2011 at 12:26 PM. Reason: an additional comment
    Dave
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  7. #7
    LHBA Member hemlock77's Avatar
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    My family and friends that know me well are now very supportive. In the beginning the advise varied from "That's a lot of work" to "It will never happen". I have one brother that told me that I could not do this, that was his way of motivating my stubborn nature. Of coarse there is the condenses that I was and I am still pretty much out of my damned mind. The naysayers that are important in your life will come around as you progress toward the goal.
    Stu

  8. #8
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    We were already full swing into logging our dying hemlocks to build a D-log type cabin with logs cut three sided approximately 8"x10" and stacked with insulation between. We were doing so with almost no experience and no lhba. We had helped our brother build a 6"x6" square logs/sticks into a 24x24 {it actually is butt and pass of a sort} cabin with no experience and just some research. It worked out ok but there were some shrinking and bowing issues we were looking to find a fix for before we built ours. Then voila' there was lhba found in the nick of time. Since we were already doing crazy things most just thought ok, more crazy stuff. Even the brother that built his on the property next to us said, "why would anyone not want to square off the logs? Like Rocklock said, the fact that you actually clicked on the lhba site says something about you. You can vision outside the box. I think it is a journey that will be different in almost every way for each member and yet it will be the same in almost every way. Different in starting points, and circumstances but much the same in mental path from the concept, curiosity, and progressing through planning, gaining confidence, knowledge, and support system. I will say, I didn't have one moment of doubt that we could do this, probably from my first visit to the lhba site. My husband had enough concern about the shrinkage, and walls bowing, that occurred in our brothers house that it made it easier to talk him into a trip to WA for our 40th anniversary. I have no qualms about telling everyone including the builders and contractors in the family what we are doing. Yes many think we are nuts but they knew we were already. My husband does have one problem many don't. He will have to talk really hard to convince me we need to sell the tele when we get through.

  9. #9
    LHBA Member rreidnauer's Avatar
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    I got plenty of resistance from my parents, so much so that I believe they intentionally tried to derail my plans. I got the same regurgitated crap mentioned earlier. "They are drafty." "They are high maintenance." "You'll never be able to do that." Of course, they've always told me "I can't" for many previous things I succeeded at. Gosh, they were so supportive.
    All my bad forum habits I learned from LHN

    Rod Reidnauer
    Class of Apr. 9-10, 2005
    Thinking outside the vinyl sided box

  10. #10
    LHBA Member Upers's Avatar
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    Surprisingly plenty of support and interest - I usually get a few funny looks when I tell them it was a 2 day course - which I usually follow up with the explanation of the help from the forum.

    remember the only person qualified to tell you that you can't build as log home is the person who has actually done it... and that person - especially in this association - will usually encourage you that you actually can.
    Yoopers Pat
    "The joy is in the journey - not the destination" - at least that is what I keep telling myself!

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