Introduce yourself

Congrates on committing to the class. I took the class for the same reason. I plan on launching my business this spring. You won't be disappointing in the class. You will have a lot options available with your new found knowledge. You can build and sell for a profit. And repeat. And repeat. Or build a rental business. AKA B&B. Or in my case I plan to build a lodge building like Wallace Falls Lodge, built by a member with smaller individual cabins surrounding it. If you are leaning toward a B&B you should stay at Wallace Falls Lodge while taking the class. It will be during ski season so you should reserve it ASAP. Good Luck with your Career!!!


I love to talk logs and loghome businesses.
If you would like I can schedule some time to talk on the phone I have unlimited free calling. Just email me with your number and a good time to call. genogallo@hotmail.com

Hi all,

My name is Cheryl, and I am going to attend the January class, (giving the tuition to myself as a Christmas present.) I have my land ready and waiting to go, as I have found a great mountain top "off the beaten path" land development in-between Chattanooga and Nashville and I am so stoked! They did not remove any trees except to build the access roads and actually made the lands natural features part of their selling point rather than leveling them and making it a typical 'doze and grade' land development, very cool I think.

I'm excited to attend the class and plan on building right away. I've worked with the log home industry for years as an artist and decorator, and I agree that kit homes are all just a big sales pitch. Having been to waaaay to many log home expos as an art vendor it tends to feel like you're in a car sales covention....everybody's product is bigger and better than the next guys....lol

I'm happy to help anyone with their projects also, and I'm pretty darn good as a stone mason too - go figure....lol.

So anyway, hello to everyone and have a great day all! : )



The only limitations any one individual has, are the ones they impose upon themselves. ~

Ellsworth and Steve, this really is not the correct placement for the topics presented. Sorry to be hijacking the "introduce yourself" thread. Maybe once everyone has a chance to read and/or respond to it, it can be moved or deleted. Kola


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Gamma quote: Kola, you haven't offended me with your actual positions. Actual positions rarely offend me - certainly don't expect everyone to be as jaded and cynical as me. The only thing that offends me is the guy in the left lane who drives the speed limit and never gets out of the way, because he's not persecuting me for my beliefs - he's just clueless, and that's really offensive to me.
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That is good. I am glad. Let me assure I am far from the slow guy in the fast lane. I honestly admit that I do enjoy playing the simple-minded-chuckleheaded- redneck though. Although I have not built my loghome I would never offer advice to someone which would be potentially harmful. My suggestion to Snyderman about drilling pilotholes (which seemed to upset Dave) was safe and sound advice. I also believe Ellsworth and Steve (and Rock engineer) do a great job of overseeing the posts that are presented here. I have been a carpenter, a heavy equipment mechanic and have tackled several large remodeling projects, not to mention I have majored in physics, graduated pre-med and went on to get my doctorates degree in chiropractic. (yeah I know, I am not a REAL doctor but I didn't want to be one of "them". Anyway, the medical profession does not accept outlaw rebels and their style of service just ain't up my alley. No surprises there huh?
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Gamma quote :I frequent political sites almost as much as LHBA and voice my opinions there. This forum and the subsequent access to the members section is designated for a neutral topic of log home building for the home owner (though I'm sure some would argue log home building is anything but neutral) . I happen to believe it should be dedicated to the preservation and progress of that.
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I agree with you and there are those times when things gets overlapped which sometimes introduces bureaucratic/political opinions. I do not think we can completely eliminate them but I believe you are correct and that we can put on the brakes before going overboard with our(my) views. As I have said several times in the past, discussing politics and religion will surely sound the battle drums and it will be uglier than a pitbull on a porkchop.
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Gamma quote:If it seems like you have offended me it because I was being more antagonistic than anything. My family and wife will tell you I'm very good at that.
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Yeah, likewise Gamma.
I sometimes forget to respect other people choices and decisions. Every now and then I need a smack upside the noggin.,,and honestly it usually feels good......um, afterwards!........after the swelling goes down.....and the bleeding stops...and the med bills are paid. LOL.
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I think if anyone else was going to comment on this subject (the regs) they had time by now, so I hope we can dust this off and move on to better things. I dislike drama anyways. :)

Gamma, good luck and I hope there are no hard feelings between us,
Kola
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Dave, I welcome your opinions, either here or send via email. If not, hopefully LHBA will get some ignore buttons. Until then, just skip over my posts and do not read them. Thanks, and my apologies, again. Kola
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Just wanted to say hello to everyone and introduce myself. I'm from Beavercreek Ohio, just outside of Dayton. I'll be heading to the Jan 19-20 class and I'm really looking forward to it. Recently got divorced. Didn't want it, but it happened. Just turned 50, and I'm not going to just sit on the couch night after night, alone and watch the time go by. I'm still in good health and I still love life. I've always loved log homes, so I'm going to build myself one. Now is the time.

Looking foward to meeting some of you there in Jan.

Larry Charles

Hi Rick and thanks for your input, after many hours of research and reading a ton of posts on here we decided to take the plunge and attend the Jan. 19 & 20th class. I've also contacted another member (Vern Street) to come by his place near Tulsa OK, he's near completion of his structure and we hope to get up there soon. We're also looking for any other members who are within 4 or 5 hours away who are building or about to start, we'd love to get our hands dirty.

We're very excited to be taking the course and look forward to meeting everyone else attending,

John & Theresa

We recently lost our home in the Southern California fires (Witch Creek, Ramona) and we are seriously looking into log homes. Would love to come to the January class? trying to talk my husband into it!


Linda *

Linda, sorry to hear about the loss of your home. If you are serious about trying to build a log home yourself then the class is perfect for you. In the mean time here is a story about a very strong soul who overcame tragedy that should give you some inspiration!

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/ainsworth38.html

Once you access the page make sure you look up the other articles about her in Backwoods Home. Its truly an amazing story.

Take care!

hi my name iis joe from illinois im attending jan 19-20 2008 20 yrs hvac tech currently drive a redi-mix truck i have 5 acres in kentucky plan on building there with trees on property im very excited about this club and very greatfull for all who are involved to make it possible

Hi all
I was wondering if anyone has done this course and built a house in Australia. I am trying to find out if this can be done in Australia, what type of trees are available etc. Just in case you think I'm an aussie I'm not, originally from Zimbabwe, living in the UK, moving to Aus next year, any help would be appreciated
Thanks
Steve

Steve,

Don't know of any members on the forum who have built in Australia (though wouldn't be surprised if there are - definitely people from Australia who are members). There is a member from the RSA who build out of eucalyptus and it is gorgeous. He might pipe in here, or search under "South Africa" and I'm sure his post will pop up. don't know if any photos are in the non-members area, though.

Where in Oz are you moving too? I spent some time living in Victoria. Gorgeous country, and in quite a bit different situation than Zimbawe, right now. Condolences on the state of your home.

Whatever trees they use in Australia for framing lumber is probably good for log homes too. The other quality you want is straightness and minimal taper (how fast it goes from fat to skinny). Another clue might be what kind of trees are used for utility poles. Here in the US, Douglas Fir is perfect for all three applications. I'm sure there is some species in Australia that is similar.

A quick google search yielded this link: http://www.timber.net.au/species/

Here's one specifically about native Australian timber. (The above linkie includes a lot of imported species too.) Perhaps cross-referencing the info here might give you a clue to what you should look for. http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/good_wood/oz_pln.htm

Joek,
I am Keith from Owensboro, KY. I am attending the class in Feb. 08. What part of KY are you building? I have a couple of different properties that I intend to build on, all of them are in Western KY. Maybe we could swap ideas after the class. Are there any other members in the Kentucky or southern Indiana area?

Hi Im Chris and I'm taking the Jan. 19-20 class. I'm very excited to build log homes. This seems like a realy cool community and I'm looking forward to getting to know every one.

I just want to say hello and look forward to the Feb 02-03 class. I hope to start my first Log home with in the next year. Have the land , just need knowledge and tools!!!

I'm new at this so I hope this works.
I officialy got old (65 on thanksgiving day) last month and in the spring I want attend the timber show in Portland and go to one of the LHBA classes. Then start looking for land to build on in north central wash.
In my research I have found that the new chinking material is really expencive. I roughly figured I would spend 7-8 Grand chinking a house like this.
Is that the norm or is there a cheaper caulk/chink that is expandable to compensate for the shrinkage or can this be compensated for with mortor?
Thanks Ken

Whoa! $7,000 -$8,000 for chinking?
Some members have built homes for that amount.
Sounds like reason enough for me to stay away
from the commercial stuff. I know Skip's method
and receipe have been hashed and rehashed, but
it seems to have stood the test of time.

Where in NCW? Right now I'm living in Wenatchee (if you call that living). ;-)

-Rick

im just finishing up the outside chinking on my 30x30 and have spent $100 , one more reason to take the class and get skip's secret recipe !you'll save $6800 to$7800 on chinking alone

There are pros and cons to using mortar chinking. Others have already pointed out the biggest pro: COST. The other big pro is that it BREATHES. That is, moisture does not get trapped between the logs like it can with synthetic chinking. (One of the biggest misconceptions about log homes is that people think they should "seal out" moisture somehow. What really happens is moisture gets sealed IN.)

The cons are that it is NOT flexible, and it's harder to have special colors.

With the butt and pass method, depending on how green or dry your logs are, flexibility is not an issue. If the logs are very green, they can shrink and the upper log will pull away from the mortar. This is usually just a cosmetic problem, however. In Skip's house where the class is held, there are places where the chinking has separated enough from the wood to stick your little finger in it, but there is no draft. Apparently Skip didn't bother touching up the chinking because it was purely cosmetic. If you don't like the look, you can touch up the chinking after a year or so once the logs have fully seasoned. It's a time-consuming task, but not difficult. And again, it's WAY cheaper than going synthetic.

Color can also be applied, but it's a real pain in the butt, so most people don't do it. But it CAN be done, and done a LOT cheaper than buying synthetic chinking. It just means more time and effort. And most folks who build a butt and pass log home have a strong appreciation for the natural beauty and simplicity of their home, and don't do it.

Hello everyone
I became a member in March 2002 and have been following the posts and forums since. Great info and fantastic people in the Association. I'm currently working on an addition and the finishing touches on my home (work that may never be complete) but keeps me busy, out of trouble and perfect way to spend time.
Thanks Skip Ellsworth and The Log Home Builders Association.

Howdy My name is Ron and I have been checking this site out for some time now-read most of the threads that interested me. Trying to learn from someone else and there experiences. My neighbor-an ole timer (knows alot-amazing) says learing is expensive. So I have learned alot about trying to stay out of debt -its a great message. My Grandma used to say, "Its not how much you make...It's how much you save..." she is right!
Anyway I too plan taking the class. I own my land in Cody Wy. 11.33 acres beautiful lot. I am going to help a couple share the cost of bringing in power who are buying next to my lot and are ready to break ground and build. So I have water, & power will be there in 2 months. Trying to find a deal on houselogs. Nice people here and great web site.

My take on payments like a 30 year mortgage are you just look at the monthly payment and then say I can handle it. I am starting to see it in a better way. I will still need to go in debt but will be much more frugal about it--thanks to this site and those of us who learned the expensive way!


time is like money... if you dont have it you have to make it

Link below to the best looking home I have seen yet.
http://www.geocities.com/naniorr/mypage.html

I am Larry and my wife Candice are taking the course January 12/13th in 2008. We live in Langley, British Columbia. We have 6 kids (Caleb, Isaac, Lisette, Adam, Jessica, and Brianna) and run a construction company. We build a dozen high-end homes a year in the lower mainland. I have wanted to take this course for years and am excited to finally learn all that I hear about on this site. I have always had a passion for log homes and would love to build one when I am able. Time is my biggest issue while money is secondary. I sense there are a lot of like minded people on this forum who appreciate self-sufficiency, independence, and living with contentment without the plethora of wants of our culture. I guess that is about it so Hello from Canada. Larry and Candice

I attended the log home class last January (2007). It took the better part of a year watching NH land for sale, but my hubby and I just sealed a deal on a piece of land abutting a state forest on two sides. Front and back! (Unfortunately, it was logged recently - hence the reason we could afford a large parcel in such a great location - we won't be using any logs from the property, because they're all gone!). We'll probably be closing in early March - in time to watch the snows melting. We're in no hurry to own extra land we can't get to because of heavy snow cover this year.

Since the log cabin will be our retirement home, that doesn't mean we'll be starting soon, but I told him it's kind of nice have about a ten year window to get ahead on some of the things we insist on having on our own property - like blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and wild flowers. We'll be managing the land for recreation (read: cross country ski trails) and wildlife habitat, but even if it can't be logged again in our lifetime, it will eventually revert back to mostly forest.

On the plus side on buying a piece already logged, we can plan for solar heat and hot water and a nice bright home with NO problem!! We bought a south facing slope.

I have pictures of the land on my facebook site. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=16206&id=655911686 (unlimited picture posting. . . . )

most everything else about me is readily available by googling my real name on the web.

Paula Werme

Michael Simmons---

I first took Skip's weekend class in 1986. I did the apprentiship program in 1987. I made a lot of money when I stuck to Skip's plan.I lost a bit when I did not. Gosh, it has been twenty years !

Extravagance in building or "delusions of grandure" as Skip says are the key downfalls to new builders. You have seen the fancy log homes with loads of compound angles and "tricked out" featurettes and you want to copy that. Tighten the reighns for a minute,,,,,,,,

Listen up ! For the first one--- do as Skip reccommends, keep it very very simple.

Then, after your first one you will have a clearer picture of the obstacles you face. mostly governmental agencies that know no bounds and are a law unto themselves.

Skip has aided me in avoiding the slavery that is implicit in a thirty year mortgage, he is a purveyor of freedom.

The benefits I obtained from taking his courses make the course admission prices pale in comparison, the courses were worth to me many hundreds of times what I paid for them. I have used what I learned not only in log home construction but in ordinary construction , advising others and in obtaining employment , aiding homeless and too much more to mention here. My expertise has taken me to South America, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, Idaho, Montana, Washington, Utah, Colorado, and now to Afghanistan.

loghomeguy@msn.com

Michael Simmons I would go to AU and help you build, I took Skips course in 1986 and the journeyman program in 1987 Done 30 homes in the last 21 years planning placing finishing,

loghomeguy@msn.com

Michael Simmons,

You're a log home celebrity- having been given a 'Log Home of the Month' award. 30 homes is quite an accomplishment. Be sure to join the members section and stick around.

Andy

Looking forward to learning about log homes! Thank you.

Hello everyone! My name is Dennisa and I live in Forney, Tx., just 25 miles east of Dallas. I am so excited that I found this site. It seems as if there are some amazing people and interesting topics in this forum. For the last 2 days I have been glued to this forum reading everything I can. We would love to be able to attend the class in Feb. but hope there will be one in March as well. Look forward to getting to know all of you!

An Alaskan checking in...seems there are a number of members wanting to build up North. We're *prospective* builders just trying to figure out where and how to go about it and keep getting caught in the "gotta sell our old house", "can't work for this employer anymore move to another city", and "have to pay off our medical bills from our third child" downfalls. The house should be closing by the end of February, at which point we'll have to figure out what we're going to do --spend 7-8 years living in a small cabin while we slowly build the real deal with our own money, or get a building loan and hope that the market doesn't crash around us. Both of which will require another move to a more code friendly area.

We'll see what happens. Hopefully we can have a home mortgage-free in about 3 more years, either way!