Does your neighbor have a log home?

[Mrs. Len]

I was just over visiting our neighbor. Just before I left, I took a few pics of their log home. While theirs is a Scandinavian Saddle Notch and we are planning a Butt and Pass Log Home, being in the home really is beneficial to our planning process. The feel to the rooms allows me to gauge the size of the rooms we are planning for our home. When you look at these pics, remember that you are looking at a 30 year old log home. Here is their story, too:

Dorothy and Al went to school together. They met up again later, got married, and bought this property. They lived in a doublewide mobile while they planned and eventually built their home. They stringed off the proposed footprint, even stringed off every single room of the proposed home to be. Dorothy giggles when she talks about how they used to sit in the imaginary living room sipping coffee. They worked with a Log Home Builder. The logs were delivered and the shell of their home was assembled for them. The rest of the work was done by them, which included the chinking and the finish work on the interior and exterior. They built the small lofts, too. I believe the original chinking was done with mortar and Perma-chink was applied afterward. Yes, this home has been well maintained!

http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt67/lorichristie1/Sequim%20Property/IMG_2025_zpsd4ffda02.jpg (http://s598.photobucket.com/user/lorichristie1/media/Sequim%20Property/IMG_2025_zpsd4ffda02.jpg.html)

http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt67/lorichristie1/Sequim%20Property/IMG_2027_zpse609b248.jpg (http://s598.photobucket.com/user/lorichristie1/media/Sequim%20Property/IMG_2027_zpse609b248.jpg.html)

This is a 3 BR, 2 BA home with (2) small lofts; one was used as an office and the other a workout room. The footprint of this home is larger than we want, as ours will have one master bedroom on the main floor. Our log home will be substantially taller to accommodate the large loft. There will be a 2-car garage under our log home, so all the windows will be unobstructed. We are planning wrap around covered decks on 3 sides, and upper covered deck off the loft, and gable dormers. The owner and her daughter have given me permission to photograph their home as much as I want and measure it inside.

[StressMan79]

Great to have a resource like that.

I think you mean just "notched" Scandinavian chinkless is a style with no chinking lines. Takes a lifetime of practice to get right.

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[rreidnauer]

My neighbor has a kit loggy home. Nothing beneficial to take from it's design. ;)

[StressMan79]

Room size might be nice.

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[slamasha]

Our neighbor has a B&P log house built by Skip's student. The builder was a handy-man who built it for his girlfriend at the time. They are not together now, but she owns the house now...

We are currently renting a log cabin which somewhat looks similar to Mrs Len's neighbor style house. I've briefly mentioned about some of its features (positive & negative) and posted some pictures of it in our blog (http://community.loghomebuilders.org/entry.php?101-Log-cabin-features).

It was built by Log Home Builder contractor from good quality logs delivered from Montana in 1990. The family who built it (our landlords, now in their 70s) designed the floorplan, but they didn't build it themselves. However, they have a very unique approach to forestry and a special love towards trees. My landlord is a scientific environmentalist. He planted the trees on his property in return to the logs they've consumed for their build. Every loghouse I think has a story behind it.

[Mrs. Len]

Our neighbor has a B&P log house built by Skip's student. The builder was a handy-man who built it for his girlfriend at the time. They are not together now, but she owns the house now...

We are currently renting a log cabin which somewhat looks similar to Mrs Len's neighbor style house. I've briefly mentioned about some of its features (positive & negative) and posted some pictures of it in our blog (http://community.loghomebuilders.org/entry.php?101-Log-cabin-features).

It was built by Log Home Builder contractor from good quality logs delivered from Montana in 1990. The family who built it (our landlords, now in their 70s) designed the floorplan, but they didn't build it themselves. However, they have a very unique approach to forestry and a special love towards trees. My landlord is a scientific environmentalist. He planted the trees on his property in return to the logs they've consumed for their build. Every loghouse I think has a story behind it.

You are so right about the stories... Dorothy, now widowed, is 71. While she is suffering from Parkinson's, she is a very kind soul and loves to tell her life's stories.

Do you happen to have pics of your neighbor's log home?

[Mrs. Len]

slamasha, just checked our your blog, great critique points on your rental! I know also what I like and don't like about the log home next door. I have read some post disappointment over the sizes of some of the rooms of their log homes, etc... My goal is to avoid that, as our goal is to build this log home together to retire in.

[slamasha]

Do you happen to have pics of your neighbor's log home?

I wish... That neighbor is a bit unsocial person. There was a lawsuite originated by her against our landlords related to the CC&R's (it's a bit complicated, my landlords had totally righteous position in that case). She (the neighbor) lost this lawsuite and after that she put a tall fence, planted dense bushes and put some structures that totally barricades her B&P house & blocks the view. I hardly can imagine walking by and asking for a tour (given I am a tenant of someone she had negative interaction with in the past). The story about the build was told to me by my landloard - Skip visited that build too (it's been in late 80's). By the way, my landloards are outstanding people and it's a blessing for me to learn from them about forest and land management. The lady was a world-class marathon athlete (in 70's) , the 16 acres of the forest they have in the backyard along with all the trails they have built was a training ground for her to prepare for competitions. They wanted to build more log structures and turn it into a "Fit stop", but other things broke into their lives and they had to address them. Just a brief story...

[slamasha]

slamasha, just checked our your blog, great critique points on your rental! I know also what I like and don't like about the log home next door. I have read some post disappointment over the sizes of some of the rooms of their log homes, etc... My goal is to avoid that, as our goal is to build this log home together to retire in.

Open floorplan + smart storage solution + reasonably small (thinking 32x32) 2-story 1/4 loft simple design based on 30x30 plans + large-r(14"-16" tops) logs => we consider good for 2 of us. Loved your story in the "reality check" thread.

~Maria

[Mrs. Len]

Open floorplan + smart storage solution + reasonably small (thinking 32x32) 2-story 1/4 loft simple design based on 30x30 plans + large-r(14"-16" tops) logs => we consider good for 2 of us. Loved your story in the "reality check" thread.

~Maria

Hey Maria, thanks for the background on that neighbor, always a story, eh?! Len and I aren't sure about the size of the home we will build. We aren't far apart on the size we both want, but have agreed on a basic floorplan. We will have a more open design and now I will get my larger kitchen for sure (to house the kitchen we are being given). The main floor will have a master (my preference is for a larger room w/sitting area). We will have a walk-in closet and a slightly different bathroom. The main part will have a large soaking tub, walk in shower, and double sinks. A door from inside, will lead to a 1/2 bath. That will have a 2nd door leading to the living room area. The dining and living rooms will have the vaulted ceiling. I am not sure about the kitchen as we haven't yet confirmed the size of our loft (% of the area...). A utility room and pantry are in the plan. The stairway will be in the corner, lead up to a cat-walk on the dormer/gable side. Len will build us a Rumford Fireplace. He may also design and build us another wood stove. Otherwise, there will be covered porches on three sides, a covered entry on the 4th, and a covered deck off of the loft. We were discussing the building site location tonight.

If we build close to the septic and well, there is a spot where we will get a view of the Strait of Juan De Fuca from the top floor, however we would also see over the top of the log home next door. The down side to that? The views won't be nice from most of the main floor windows. Our other choice is near the top of our property. If we put the garage under our log home, there will be nice forest or foothill views from every window on the main floor and we may still get a view from the loft (not likely the water view).

Len and I both want to build with larger logs, too!