Question about building in remote areas

[DarkVctry]

I was wondering on the methods of transporting the logs and even the equipment to build. Is there any vehicle that could haul maby 1 or 3 logs at a time ? My issue is that my land has a 3 mile road thats "off grid" its more like a trail path. Its not the widest dirt road by any means with trees bordering all sides. Id guess some log cabin builders have been through this issue since most log cabins are in a country side.

Im not familiar with the off road capabilities of some needed machinery to build log homes but my land has a 3 mile road (into national forest)
Thanks for all the information you all have here.

[loghousenut]

There are ways to haul one or two logs at a time behind a pickup, but if you can drive to your site you can probably get a log truck in there too. More about that in class. That takes care of the logs and the rest is just figuring out how much you want to do by hand. If you want to mix your concrete by hand, that's possible using the LHBA method. As for the actual log building and lifting tools, they can all fit in the back of a pickup.

Trust me, you won't be the first one to build a LHBA log home in the middle of nowhere.

[DarkVctry]

There are ways to haul one or two logs at a time behind a pickup, but if you can drive to your site you can probably get a log truck in there too. More about that in class. That takes care of the logs and the rest is just figuring out how much you want to do by hand. If you want to mix your concrete by hand, that's possible using the LHBA method. As for the actual log building and lifting tools, they can all fit in the back of a pickup.

Trust me, you won't be the first one to build a LHBA log home in the middle of nowhere.


Thank you so much for the response, you put my mind at ease. I am excited to build and take the class. Now all I have to worry about is getting these beavers to back off their ponds alittle bit.

[loghousenut]

Thank you so much for the response, you put my mind at ease. I am excited to build and take the class. Now all I have to worry about is getting these beavers to back off their ponds alittle bit.

Put your mind to rest. Ellsworth will discuss beaver control on the second day of class, just before noon break.

You're in good hands here.


PS... I should point out that I took the class from Ellsworth's Dad, Skip, over 30 years ago and can't remember for sure if it was before lunch or after that he discussed furry rodents.... I distinctly remember their was a lunch in there someplace... Welcome to LHBA.

[greenthumb]

Short answer- yes. Long answer- I built a pole trailer out of an old truck frame and hauled 24" logs for my place and another member because log trucks simply would not have made it onto the properties, we could haul 1-3 logs at a time, you could probably manage more with a real pole trailer. I've heard of other members hauling logs by boat, atv, horse, jeep, comealong, etc. Where there is a will, there is a way- improvise, adapt, overcome... :)

[BoFuller]

My logger told me that my site was the most remote he had ever delivered to. :)

[rckclmbr428]

Here's a modified deuce and a half 6 wheel drive truck modified to carry logs onto a very hard to access site on a mountain top were working on inWestern North Carolina. I've used horses to pull logs, four wheelers (small logs) half the fun of building is figuring it out fwiw the log here is over 55' long, and 3' at the base
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk122/rckclmbr428/IMAG1098.jpg

[Sasquatch]

Ron, that is hillbilly engineering at it's finest! I almost look at that picture as a sort of dare...

[Timberwolf]

Ron, that is hillbilly engineering at it's finest! I almost look at that picture as a sort of dare...

Hold my beer and watch this!

[loghousenut]

... Then he backed up to the basement hole and used the dump bed to set that RPSL upright. I sure did like that guy!




All joking aside, there are a skillion ways to get logs from here to there and. If you saw the road that big ole log had to go up, you'd see why they hauled it that way.

The tough part of building a LHBA home is having your ducks and your spouse in a row and on the same page. A family that wants the same LHBA goal will find the process to be simple and enjoyable.

[LogHomeFeverDan]

Here I was thinking I needed to google to find the next nearest "Deuce and a Half Jousting" night!

[exsailor]

Here I was thinking I needed to google to find the next nearest "Deuce and a Half Jousting" night!

It is now official, loghousenut has competion.

[loghousenut]

It is now official, loghousenut has competion.

I'm not even in the running.







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[rreidnauer]

Log jousting. A new Olympic sport is born!

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[Carolina Builder]

This was an experience of a lifetime. We moved over 200 logs up a very steep and winding road with now problems.

[LogHomeFeverDan]

WOAH!! Carolina Builder, care to share how you did it?

[rckclmbr428]

WOAH!! Carolina Builder, care to share how you did it?
That is Russ, he is the contractor on site of the big house that I designed and having been doing construction management on. I he was the one driving the truck.

[rckclmbr428]

WOAH!! Carolina Builder, care to share how you did it?
That is Russ, he is the contractor on site of the big house that I designed and having been doing construction management on. I he was the one driving the truck.

[loghousenut]

OOOOooooohhh... Double intro!

Glad to meet you Carolina Russ.

[rreidnauer]

Some things are worth repeating.
Some things are worth repeating.

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[LogHomeFeverDan]

<forehead slap> DOH Dan the deuce and a half .....wow 200 logs. Very nice!

Pleasure to meet you Russ!

[AkChas]

That is Russ, he is the contractor on site of the big house that I designed and having been doing construction management on. I he was the one driving the truck.

I see Ronnie is doing a little "recruiting" for LHBA. Good Job Ronnie!

[FishingAddict]

We've had more larger forest fires here in MN and WI the past couple years due to lightening, drought, and stupidity in a few cases. Maybe a bit more than normal
I guess since the media is now starting to put more print out.

Brings up a good point in some ways though - those who seem to have lost their houses had dense tree coverage all around their places. If they even cleared a moderate area the fires seemed to have raged around them but the structures mostly survived. Seems odd since fire likes to leap and jump wherever but it's fact if area is even slightly cleared they seem to make it.
I was in northern WI at the property of Bud Grant, the old Vikings coach. yesterday. The timber is gone ..... but structure remains. So sad to see .... he had some incredible property as did others. Buildings that had 30-40' clearance around them fine with 2 exceptions.

So how, if at all, do you all address this - if even a concern at all. Life has risks in general and I accept that. If one can somewhat minimize it w/o ruining the feel or vibe of the true northwoods feel I am with that. If that feeling has to go - nope. I'll take my chances.
Still - yesterday gave me extra pause. I've been around a lot of forest fires and never felt quite so ... helpless I guess ... as what I felt yesterday.
Curious on your thoughts and way you handle tree coverage and such

[John W]

Just throwing some thoughts out. Don't have any particular knowledge about it. But the 30-40 feet from the house seems reasonable. Then from the prevailing Spring/Summer wind side, think about thinning out a bit. Definitely keep the dead underbrush clear. What about having an emergency clearing plan? Know what trees you'd cut down and drag away in case it was coming towards you? That's assuming a few hours notice, a chainsaw and a tractor. Like I said, just blowing smoke.

[rreidnauer]

We've had more larger forest fires here in MN and WI the past couple years due to lightening, drought, and stupidity in a few cases. Maybe a bit more than normal
I guess since the media is now starting to put more print out.

Brings up a good point in some ways though - those who seem to have lost their houses had dense tree coverage all around their places. If they even cleared a moderate area the fires seemed to have raged around them but the structures mostly survived. Seems odd since fire likes to leap and jump wherever but it's fact if area is even slightly cleared they seem to make it.
I was in northern WI at the property of Bud Grant, the old Vikings coach. yesterday. The timber is gone ..... but structure remains. So sad to see .... he had some incredible property as did others. Buildings that had 30-40' clearance around them fine with 2 exceptions.

So how, if at all, do you all address this - if even a concern at all. Life has risks in general and I accept that. If one can somewhat minimize it w/o ruining the feel or vibe of the true northwoods feel I am with that. If that feeling has to go - nope. I'll take my chances.
Still - yesterday gave me extra pause. I've been around a lot of forest fires and never felt quite so ... helpless I guess ... as what I felt yesterday.
Curious on your thoughts and way you handle tree coverage and suchGeez, I hope this isn't a call for yet another gov't mandate!

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[FishingAddict]

I didn't get a sense it was headed towards a gubbermint regulation or mandate but getting the feeling from some of the insurance carriers they are re-thinking their internal underwriting positions. A lot of significant cash outflow in recent years due to drought and fires, etc. I sure have handled more than my fair share of claim losses in the past 5 anyway. Hate fire claims as they always mean loss of memories at minimum and often times way more.

I am mighty neutral on it as I have interest in being as far away as possible from it all yet have access to medical, etc
My job, and the size of the checks I have been issuing for losses, also sees the other side.
I'm just looking for common sense practices that have been in use by others. Nobody wants to become a char broiled hunk of flesh if possible. Fires happen everywhere. Just want to limit the risk as best possible while keeping the feel to what I want.

[Tom Featherstone]

When we purchased our property the area where our current humble abode sits was a Jack Pine Forest. It had recently taken over in the last 40-60 years, as this was an open field when the farm was in operation.

There was a small opening around where our fire pit currently sits, we parked a small trailer there our first year. Nothing wrong with "Jacks" except for their relative short life cycle and most of the ones here grew more like Apple trees than poles. Every year since we've had this parcel the "Jacks" continued to die and have created a hugh amount of cleanup work for me. I'm still working on this years. It won't go to waste, it's good sauna wood!

I understand people wanting to be near the "Trees", but having a potential Roman Candle 5' next to your home just doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense to me. You take your chances if you do.

We've created a lot of Green space around our place. We'll plant deciduous trees for shade after our place is built.

1656

[edkemper]

The bigger the parcel the better the fire prevention can be.

Fire breaks all around. Even along perimeter fence lines. I just don't want my neighbor's trees to ignite mine in a fire. So it's theoretically possible to have the only live trees and standing house in a forest fire, OR, the loss of the trees but keeping the house intact.

My brother recently retired from a career with Cal-Fire. I'll get my prevention design from him.

[John W]

Hey Ed, does your brother have general guidelines he could throw out there?

[edkemper]

Living in rural areas, more individually designed protection. It's a matter of enough fire brake (no burn material) between fire sources. Will the fire in the trees jump from one to another? Sufficient clear space between properties and between wood/brush and the structures.

Other part? A water supply, a portable pump and firehose.

But now that you ask, I'll have to ask him some general guidelines.

[Vermilion]

It's called having a green zone around the house 30 feet out. Trim up your trees 10 feet from the ground. Get rid of all the fuel out in the woods mow underbrush , take down all dead trees and don't pile firewood within 30 feet of house.

[FishingAddict]

Hi Vermillion - first time I have seen you post. Are you on Vermillion then or nearer Ely?
We have a old log cabin on Burntside Lake that belongs to my sister. I pray that fire never gets near that one. A smaller break out in 70sgot within 1 mile before they contained it. Thankfully it was small in nature - and incredible response by all involved to which everyone owes a great deal of gratitude.

Good friend lost his 2 places on the Gunflint Trail in recent years to fire. I know he had, in both case, at least cleared 65-70' and cleared annually all the dead under brush, etc even farther. Lots of downed dead wood from that July 4th, '09 blow down around and IMO that was a given it would happen. Just a question of when - hard to control the property that you don't own that surrounds you.

I am sensing one just uses common sense, clears as best they can as far as feasible and just prays disaster does not happen. No real magical bullet will do the trick.

At least up here we don't _usually_ have them ugly twisters to contend with.
Been thinking building an underground tornado shelter may be something worth investing in. Small and tight with oxygen source maybe. Something worth looking into I guess. Getting roasted and badly burned is one thing I never want to experience. 2 college mates were horrifically burned when our rental place went up years ago - if you ever go through that situation you never ever forget it.

Interesting topic-nothing is totally safe. We do the best we can and that's all we can do