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

  1. #21
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    Yeah I love the bigger logs too. The biggest I have used were 32-36 inch butts.Four rounds and the walls were done. It does increase the cost if your buying your logs by the cubic meter. Because the walls are so wide it adds cubic meters.
    I love all the diiferents styles. They all have their time and place. And I guess thats what this thread is all about. If it works for you and you love it don't let anyone stop you.

    I am curious tho how the lhba style stops all settling. The logs will shrink (they all do!) even dead standing or vaccuum kiln dried logs will shrink (there's actually a place here that kiln drys 50 foot logs and they shrink initially some moreand then swell with the weather/seasons). So the chinking you use needs to have enough elasticity to adhere to and move with the logs. The chinking that is popular here and works well is also very expensive and very time consuming to apply and clean up after and then maintain for years!
    So I guess heres my point if the logs aren't settling together and reducing the top round and wall height. They must be moving away from each other and sitting up on the pins to stop settling. This would exceed the limits of any chinking I have seen or heard of. Not to mention the sheer volume of chinking required to fill the huge spaces left from not being scribed anywhere near tight(it is very expensive) even with backers rods etc. Unless some form of no shrink masonry grout was used but I would bet that would fail quite quickly by not being able to move with the logs.

  2. #22
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    Yeah I love the bigger logs too. The biggest I have used were 32-36 inch butts.Four rounds and the walls were done. It does increase the cost if your buying your logs by the cubic meter. Because the walls are so wide it adds cubic meters.
    I love all the diiferents styles. They all have their time and place. And I guess thats what this thread is all about. If it works for you and you love it don't let anyone stop you.

    I am curious tho how the lhba style stops all settling. The logs will shrink (they all do!) even dead standing or vaccuum kiln dried logs will shrink (there's actually a place here that kiln drys 50 foot logs and they shrink initially some moreand then swell with the weather/seasons). So the chinking you use needs to have enough elasticity to adhere to and move with the logs. The chinking that is popular here and works well is also very expensive and very time consuming to apply and clean up after and then maintain for years!
    So I guess heres my point if the logs aren't settling together and reducing the top round and wall height. They must be moving away from each other and sitting up on the pins to stop settling. This would exceed the limits of any chinking I have seen or heard of. Not to mention the sheer volume of chinking required to fill the huge spaces left from not being scribed anywhere near tight(it is very expensive) even with backers rods etc. Unless some form of no shrink masonry grout was used but I would bet that would fail quite quickly by not being able to move with the logs.

  3. #23
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    Feb 2011
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    Omaha NE (suburb)
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    Superloggy...do a search for threads on here re: chinking, settling, etc. Also, look at photos of students' homes from the 60's-80's and tell me what you see. Chinking "touch-up" may be required on rare occasion, but it is not failing and falling out by any means, even after many years. It's a mystery to me too, but it's a fact you can see yourself. And, mortar is very inexpensive compared to latex chinking products.

    I have not taken the class yet (signed up for June class), but I've learned many valuable things on the public forum. Such as...it is best not to disturb the outer layer of the logs as this layer helps prevent rot, insect damage, checking, etc. Also, the logs shrink to their own centers which is very important for understanding why the Skip-style butt and pass method is so effective against settling, even with green logs (I would even propose that it is BETTER to use green logs with this method).

    Also, if the logs are chosen and erected properly (i.e., in accordance to the guidance given in the class), the spaces between them are not at all huge. And if the chinking is done at the proper time as well, and in the class-prescribed manner, then it is not necessary to have an expensive elastic chinking medium.

    I've been reading books on log home building for over 30 years (since my teens) and fully appreciate the art and craftmanship in scribing logs/notching, but I'm a fairly logical thinker and this process (LHBA style) just makes a whole lot more sense to ME personally. This method produces beautiful, sturdy, high-value, long-lasting homes but it is not nearly as time-consuming, labor-intensive, MATH-intensive nor costly as other methods I have read about and that makes it a more easily obtainable goal for more of us.

    Just my honest opinion, for what its worth. Anyway, read the posts, look at the gallery, take the class. There's a money-back guarantee for the membership if you don't feel you got your money's worth. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. And, continue questioning EVERYTHING. That is the only way to get to the real truth behind anything, and we're all better off knowing the truth as opposed to just believing whatever we hear or read. So, find out for yourself. I am.

  4. #24
    LHBA Member Timber's Avatar
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    building in ca

    Quote Originally Posted by edkemper View Post
    Mikey,

    About the only place I can think of that building a LHBA home would be a no brainer is in the north west of the state. A lot of alternative building goes on there. One county has no building codes for owner built places. But it's still CA.
    some1 is building/already built/ in big bear ca. its just about 120 miles or less from los angeles
    do a search for big bear log home--it is a nice one too.
    so if it can be done here in so cal it can be done in northern ca for sure!

  5. #25
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    BillnChristi,
    I might have taken the course but because I work in the log home industry I am not allowed. Also if I was a building inspector I would not be able to either. That made me a little worried about the lhba system and what they were hiding. I think you answered most of my suspicions. But it still remains the bestsafest way for a one/first time builder.

  6. #26
    LHBA Member loghousenut's Avatar
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    Whatever they/we are hiding, my building inspector loves this project and is on board 100%. Says he can't wait for the housewarming party. As for chinking, I expect to spend less than $400 for materials. Of course it is only a 2,000 sq ft house.

    I wholeheartedly agree with you superbuggy, LHBA teaches the best/safest way for a first time builder to accomplish his/her goal. Many of us don't stop at one.

  7. #27
    LHBA Member edkemper's Avatar
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    Timber,

    Please keep in mind, Big Bear CA (Where my family used to have a A-frame cabin) is up in the mountains and doesn't have the size of government that most of the other places in the state have. Big Bear is not like San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco or any other large CA city. With the exception of a few significantly rural areas, which are fewer and fewer in CA, the building departments maintain control over what is built. Most cities won't allow a log home built next door in a track of traditional style stick frame housing. Know what I mean?
    edkemper

    Class: Valentine's Day weekend 2009

    Feel the Bern!

  8. #28
    LHBA Member Timber's Avatar
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    gottcha ed

  9. #29
    LHBA Member LogSurfer2's Avatar
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    Feb 2011
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    San Jose, CA ~ Hoping to buy land & build up North
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    SF_Mikey, a fellow Californian here....from San Jose, CA. My husband and I stumbled on the LHBA while researching log home kits, and have not looked back since. I am 100% convinced this is the way for a city girl like myself to do a log home, which I have always wanted. In my homework so far in Santa Clara County (where I live and am looking for land.....tough but may be possible) I am finding that it will be very expensive. We are looking into the Property Tax Default auctions to find cheaper land. I spoke with a planner, and she made me aware of several things I had not known about yet, and could be costly, so it will help you to do your homework. Call your planning & bldg. dept. in the town or county you have land or want land, and just let them know what you are trying to do. If you get a rude or unhelpful person, just call back another day. We work with planning & bldg. dept.'s here for our business, and some of those planners & inspectors have a power trip, and others seem to want to help you & get their work done. I hope to take the June or Sept. course....let me know how you like the class! I'm sure you won't be the same after ;-)
    Judy

  10. #30
    When a person close to me expressed doubt that I could pull it off, it only fueled my fire to build log home. Doubt can be a real motivator sometimes.

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