New here and want to build.

[eddienpk]

My wife and I just purchased 11.5 acres in east texas that is covered up with cedar trees. We would like to build a verticle log home. Any tips or suggestions ?

[JD]

I don't think any of our members have built with vertical logs. The best one I've seen was built by Dorothy Ainsworth. http://www.dorothyainsworth.com/build/fortress.html
Her site has lots of details about her process for the first house and the one she built after the first one burned. She is one gutsy lady who I'd like to meet some day.

[GT.]

This web site is offering courses for VL building metod:



http://www.loghomes.co.za/

[Loghomeguy]

Skip sometimes referred to these as "Hudson Bay" ( as opposed to Hudson's Bay Company) style log homes. I believe the crucial part of these is the corners. The advantage is that you can use shorter logs.


The disadvantage is the stability factor. Personally, I would not want to attempt anything more than a one story small home this way. I have seen different methods of framing these as in using a cap and sill log or timbers. It is in some respect like a set of dominoes, it can be done though and good work can come out of it.

With a conventional stack log home with scribing and notches, it settles on itself, with a butt and pass log home there is virtually no settling.

Regardless, logs shrink an average of 1" per foot in diameter and since vertical logs do not settle on each other you will eventually have some gaps to fill in in a vertical/stockade log home. You will also need to reverse taper as you go and plan ahead for fit. I think the best MO is to frame it first then insert the logs, then let the logs dry, then chink them.

Cedar is a good wall log but it is not recommended for structural spans.

If you are restricted by log length and need to hunker down for the winter and in a hurry, they can keep you warm and dry.

Here is a link for vertical "log" homes. These are turned dowels and not real logs.



http://verticalloghomes.com/Photogallery.html

Best wishes, Mikey Journeyman 1987

thanks for finding the link below GT ! Nice to have things on subject matter now.

[Klapton]

Mark and Lisa Sherrod built using the Piece en Piece method.

http://www.loghomebuilders.org/image-galleries/student-log-homes/mark-lisa-sherrodd

Basically, it's a timber frame, with the walls filled in with horizontal logs, rebar-pinned much like Butt and Pass. The advantage of this method is both simplicity and that you can do it with shorter logs.