Any info on my cabin (Santa Cruz Mountains)

[California_cabin]

Hi everyone!

We are located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, California. I have searched the Internet but found no info about our cabin. County records have varying dates of when it was built. The dates range from 1914 to 1920.

There are several other cabins in our neighborhood that have the same exact logs. Unfortunately, the people that own those cabins don't know any history either. We found a spare log in the basement and it appears to be made of redwood...not cedar.

Does any know who might have made my cabin? Or where I might be able to find out any info on the manufacturer?

Below are 2 pictures for reference.

Thank you!

https://www.flickr.com/gp/40811449@N04/0pL416

https://www.flickr.com/gp/40811449@N04/0Uj725

[rreidnauer]

I'm quite certain that was not built in the date range you wrote, and at the moment, I'm trying to decide whether you are just trying to pull the proverbial leg of this forum.

Taking into consideration you may not really know what you have there, please forgive my skepticism.

[blane]

I can't imagine that was built in the early 1900s. Looks like a D log home to me.

[Mosseyme]

Looks like plastic or vinyl or composite to me.

[California_cabin]

Looks like plastic or vinyl or composite to me.

Hi Mosseyme!

Yeah I know it looks plastic in the picture. Unfortunately, previous owners painted over the logs multiple times. The cabins in our area (which have the same exact logs) also have been painted over.

Luckily the spare redwood log we found in the basement is still in raw form. Here are 2 photos of it.
Front side
https://www.flickr.com/gp/40811449@N04/74e28H

Back side showing circular blade cuts
https://www.flickr.com/gp/40811449@N04/9HR205

We live in the redwood forest (Santa Cruz Mountains). So based on the abundance of redwoods in the area, it is not surprising that our entire home is built of redwood logs. Also, we are not too far from where a redwood sawmill company that existed in 1800s. Too bad it no longer exists for me to inquire there.

[California_cabin]

I'm quite certain that was not built in the date range you wrote, and at the moment, I'm trying to decide whether you are just trying to pull the proverbial leg of this forum.

Taking into consideration you may not really know what you have there, please forgive my skepticism.

Hi rreidnauer,

Not trying to pull anyone's leg. We are just trying to find out any history about our home.

The other cabins in our area (which have the same exact logs) are occupied by families that have lived here for over 70 years...handed down from generation to generation. Unfortunately, the history of how these cabins came to be did not get passed down with those generation. So our inquiries with them did not pan out.

By posting on this forum, I was hoping that someone may have a manufacturer name. Or even something like..."I don't know but I know someone that might."

Maybe we are just out of luck. Redwood sawmill companies were prevalent in our area. One sawmill (which was established in the 1800's) was located not too far from where we live. Perhaps in the 1920's a local sawmill made a handful of cabin kits for the locals...not some big time company. Maybe that's why I can't find any info on the internet.

[Mosseyme]

I wasn't Trying To Be Snarky,What Did They Do To Get That Groved Surface?
Good Luck On Getting Some info.

[BoFuller]

Looks less than 10 years old
I'm with Rod

[John W]

Can we get a picture of the whole cabin please? It's pretty amazing that a structure, no matter what it's made of, to look like that after around a hundred years. Also, for a raw piece of wood to look like that after being stored in a basement of a log cabin built a hundred years ago to look that pristine.

[rreidnauer]

OK, now I know you're serious.
I'm using Tapatalk right now. I'll provide a complete, detailed response to what I believe you have when I get to a real computer tonight.

[rreidnauer]

Alright, at a real computer now. So let's dissect the one photo.

http://i1169.photobucket.com/albums/r519/Liberty_Acres/milled_log_analysis.jpg

Comparing the areas boxed in red and blue, (put side-by-side to show it more clearly) you can see the logs have the same pattern. In fact, it appears all the logs contain the same pattern. One could have almost argued that they could have been cut from the same stick of lumber, but the red arrows clearly show two entirely different endgrains, making that impossible. The machine cut tongue and groove, the odd two piece, back-to-back "D" logs, and the artificial texture doesn't seem likely for the early 20th century. But you say the house has been there for generations.

I agree with that likelihood. However, NOT in it's current appearance. The blue arrows explain what I believe is going on here. (and why you have those split-piece overdangles) What you have is a fairly recently done (within the last 30 years maybe) log facade covering the original building. The blue arrow logs are against the original sheathing of the home. The back-to-back pieces were added to the overdangle to give it a somewhat "whole log" look. You can even see the one overdangle of the upper red arrow, that they aren't even in alignment to each other, confirming the stubby piece doesn't extend into the house.

I'd bet the farm that the inside walls of the house are not logs, and suspect if the home was built in the early 1900's is probably balloon framed, with plank sheathing, and lath and plaster interior.

Redwood lumber is still available today. Don't get in the mindset that it isn't available anymore.

[California_cabin]

I wasn't Trying To Be Snarky,What Did They Do To Get That Groved Surface?
Good Luck On Getting Some info.

Hi Mosseyme,

No worries. You didn't come across as being snarky at all.

Other people have made that same comment (about it looking like plastic) to us in the past. I have no idea why some people feel the need to paint over everything. The closest cabin which looks like ours (about 1/2 mile away) is painted red...even the stone chimney/fireplace is painted red. Such a shame because the stones are cool. In fact, they just put another coat of paint about 3 years ago to keep it looking fresh.

About the grooves in the logs...we were wondering the same exact thing. So curious!

[California_cabin]

Alright, at a real computer now. So let's dissect the one photo.

<photo>

Comparing the areas boxed in red and blue, (put side-by-side to show it more clearly) you can see the logs have the same pattern. In fact, it appears all the logs contain the same pattern. One could have almost argued that they could have been cut from the same stick of lumber, but the red arrows clearly show two entirely different endgrains, making that impossible. The machine cut tongue and groove, the odd two piece, back-to-back "D" logs, and the artificial texture doesn't seem likely for the early 20th century. But you say the house has been there for generations.

I agree with that likelihood. However, NOT in it's current appearance. The blue arrows explain what I believe is going on here. (and why you have those split-piece overdangles) What you have is a fairly recently done (within the last 30 years maybe) log facade covering the original building. The blue arrow logs are against the original sheathing of the home. The back-to-back pieces were added to the overdangle to give it a somewhat "whole log" look. You can even see the one overdangle of the upper red arrow, that they aren't even in alignment to each other, confirming the stubby piece doesn't extend into the house.

I'd bet the farm that the inside walls of the house are not logs, and suspect if the home was built in the early 1900's is probably balloon framed, with plank sheathing, and lath and plaster interior.

Redwood lumber is still available today. Don't get in the mindset that it isn't available anymore.

Hi rreidnauer,

Wow! Thanks for taking the time to write this out.

Just for some background. We have lived in this cabin for about 9 years now. The gentleman previous to us lived in the cabin since the early 1970s. He passed away and the cabin was for sale because his kids didn't want it. His friends came by when we first bought the house...they were curious to see who moved in. They were kind enough to show us some pictures dating back from the 70s showing how the cabin looked. The deck was different back then but the cabin was pretty much the same. That was really cool. I regret now that I didn't scan a copy of those photos for our scrapbook.

[California_cabin]

Here's a picture of the inside. Yup, just half a log and not a full log as rreidnauer wrote above. Luckily the wood wasn't painted over any inside.

Ignore the towel over the window...this picture was taken when we first moved in. We have since removed the crazy linoleum floor that was here.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/40811449@N04/649691

Every time I see how the corners are 2 pieces back-to-back, it make me laugh. Seriously? Who were they trying to fool. Ha!

[California_cabin]

Oops! It's been so long that I forgot.

Correction: The floor was parquet wood in the perimeter and blue shag carpet in the middle. Underneath that was 2 layers of linoleum. Wacky. The photo I shared above shows the room after we pulled the shag carpet.

[Mrs. Len]

Please post a picture of the entire exterior.

[rreidnauer]

I'm still not convinced. Too many things don't add up. If the walls were just the half D log, the narrow profile would be rather structurally poor. Do me a favor. Measure the width of one of them D log overdangles marked by blue arrows, then open a door and measure the outside face of a D log to the inside face of the interior wall.

[Septemberwheat]

I lived in the Bay Area for 20 years, just over the hill from Santa Cruz. I understand you wanting to find more history about your home, the problem is that part of the country has changed SO wildly in just the past ten or twenty years, let alone fifty or more. Redwood isn't harvested out there anymore, so if your place is indeed redwood, that will date it back at least to the 1970's.
I'm curious what did you pay per square foot? Are prices still crazy out there?
Best of luck.
Matt