Hi Hornshwangler and Zerobars
Did some research on the logs last year but dont have ;my notes to hand.
However, I did speak to a forestry advisor with Teagasc (agriculture advice type body) and he was very interested in my log home project. He suggest local timber. I also spoke to two guys in London and in Scotland and both use locally grown timber and had no problems so far.
As for planning regulations, this differs from county to county re County Development Plans. You should contact a planner in the local council about this. I dont think it should really be a big problem as the Government is now trying to promote sustainable development etc.. In Donegal we have a pre-plannning facility on the Councils website which is very helpful. Oh by the way either of you guys can email me on crscan@yahoo.com I would be interested in swapping notes etc... PS land is not cheap ANYWHERE in Ireland!!!
PPS Zerobars I dunno about them telegraph poles....
The Quicker house will probably rot quicker too!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zigzag
Well my wife and I live in northern Nova Scotia with 7acres of land and we want to build a log house. We looked at plans and kits, but thinking of buying logs (cedar) and mill them
ourselves ( we have a band mill ). Not sure what we will do ... kit is quicker,
Anyways, have a good one and good luck.
Zack
Your band mill should come in handy for making your own rough-cut joists and rafters and such. But if you want your new log home to be standing longer than you are (or your grandchildren, for that matter), you do NOT want to cut those lovely logs!
Milled "logs" expose the grain of the wood to moisture, whereas hand-peeling them takes advantage of their own natural protection. The other problem with milled logs or kits done in a chinkless style is wood directly against wood. When the wood gets wet, capillary action draws the water in between the logs, promoting rot. The butt and pass, chinked method taught by LHBA does not have this problem (nor the settling / shrinkage problems) that these kits have.
Looking forward to the April Class?
Hi. My name is Vicki and I just joined last night. I've been considering what to do with a piece of property I have in Idaho. I've always wanted to build a log cabin on it, but when I started looking into it, I found alot of sites for kit log homes that claimed building a log home was as expensive or more than wood frame construction. Not to mention that they claimed it was as complicated as a wood framed home and implied that a builder was necessary. Somehow, I found this website and have been practically glued to it since trying to learn as much as I can and make my decision to sign up for the April class. I have a couple of questions: 1) I had a trip planned up to Idaho during the summer.. if there was a class then, it would be convenient for me to drive up, take the class, and then on to Idaho. What are the chances of a summer class being offered? 2) Does the class address foundations on a sloped lot (my land is sloped). 3) Does the class get into how to install the electrical and plumbing? 4) Is it possible to build a log home with a garage below and 2 stories above? (requirements for my lot may mean that I need some garage area). Thanks! I'm excited!
Direct linkie to the picture
I'm afraid that thread got badly derailed, and became HIGHLY technical, so the mods moved it to the member's section. Let me see if I can get the picture linkied here...
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s...1/IMG_2765.jpg
A holiday to Ontario as a
A holiday to Ontario as a child gave me the dream for what LHBA is about.
I'm looking to sign up for class to start the ball rolling and get some focus.
Thanks For The Kola Update
Clapton,
Thanks for the Kola update. Glad he is doing okay. I hope he keeps us posted with his progress.
Thanks.
Stretch
They call it "work" because...
Interesting stories. I approaching 40 now, and have had an interesting ride in life. When I was younger, my "dream" career shifted several times. I did 4.5 years of active duty army (Army Band, stationed in Berlin, Germany,) so I could afford to go to college. I did some gen-ed coursework while I was in, then got out and pursued that oh-so-lucrative major of HISTORY, lol. I finished my degree at Penn State, was enrolled at Biblical Theological Seminary in Hatfield, PA to pursue a M.A. in "Christian Thought" (a blend of Church History and Systematic Theology). The next step was going to be a PHd in Historical Theology with concentration in Reformation Studies from Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, MI (home of the largest collection of original Swiss Reformation documents outside of Zurich!). Then after a post-doctoral fellowship in Switzerland, I would get a job teaching History at a univesity or seminary, and be the world's leading expert on Ulrich Zwingli.
But I found that I was working SO hard while I was in school (I worked full time while carrying a full load of classes, getting nearly straight As), but still DIRT POOR, and would have had to sink deeply into debt.
So I took a job cooking in a Rescue Mission (I did restaraunt and institutional cooking when I was a kid, and while an undergrad). While there, I got a job working in their Development office (fundraising) and met my first database. While there, I took a job at a business school teaching computer application courses at night (Word, Excel, Access, etc.). Before long, the school wanted me full time. While working there, I sat in on many of our IT / Programming courses, and then the recruited me to teach Programming. I did that for several years until declining enrollment in the program led to layoffs (including mine).
Now I make Vital Records database applications (electronic filing of birth certificates, death certificates, etc.) The real sweet thing about this job is that I telecommute. This will enable me to buy some property in the mountains of WA somewhere, and not worry about my commute. So now I will be able to have another one of the dreams I always had -- a log home in the middle of nowhere.
One of the small titbits of wisdom I used to tell my students is this: "They don't pay you because you like it. They pay you because it SUCKS. That's why they call it WORK. If you liked it, you'd do it for free." I remind myself of this from time to time. Because there was always SOMETHING about every job I ever had that I really disliked. If you truly HATE your job, yeah... you should find another one. But when you get right down to it, you do your job so you can have money and survive, and hopefully have a little left over to do what you actually like when you aren't working. But work has always sucked -- "Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return."
Hello to everyone. I just
Hello to everyone. I just found your website and I've been exploring much of what everyone has to say. I'm considering taking a class to be sure. I see that much of what is asked is often replied to with the phrase, "Wait for the class." I think I would consider taking the class if I knew about possibilities for purchasing logs. We put together a tipi years ago and went out to find our poles on National Forest land, cut them, drug them to the road, put them on my truck etc. I don't think I'm up to that kind of hauling anymore. I don't really trust my "eye" for good logs either. So, are there ways to buy logs that are already chosen by those with experience, and have them transported to the building site for a reasonable price? Certainly there are many log trucks in our area, but the idea that they might haul specially chosen logs for a private party would surely be something out of the ordinary.
Don't cut and haul your own...
Don't cut and haul your own logs, unless they are on your own property. Even then, LHBA strongly recommends leaving the logging to professional loggers. It's one of the most dangerous jobs there is. (History channel is doing a new series about logging called "Ax Men", very similar to the Ice Road Truckers and Deadliest Catch series.)
The do indeed go into detail in the class about different avenues for accquiring logs. Some avenues are cheaper than others, and there's some market savvy / luck involved too. But I would concur that you should have no trouble finding logs in Idaho.
Those loggers you see in the area? Put yourself in their shoes. Which job would you rather do: the same old mill run with all their paperwork, or that hippie building a log cabin who is paying CASH, hehe. I can't divulge all of our super-sekrets, but just use your imagination a bit. If what you will pay them is slightly better than what the mill will pay, whose job do you think they are going to take?
We're In The Dry - Finishing Is MY Job!
Hello everyone! I'm finally getting my dream home although it had to be slightly downsized. My husband and I sold our last home in August and are in the process of completing our log home. Because of health and age, we chose to have the heavy work done by Satterwhite Log Homes (a good choice if you are 65-70 yrs old and one of you is disabled). Our interior finish material arrived today (snowing in Texas today) and I am really excited about getting started. For those of you that think a log home is too expensive, you just have to consider what you're getting. Our budget is set in rock so we have no buffer for extras which means I watch the $$ really close and have had to make hard choices in order to achieve our dream. Would love for everyone to follow our progress and comment/ask questions if you have them. Catch our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/mayosdream
Ellen Mayo
Building Your Dream Home
http://buildingyourdreamhome.us
