Introduce yourself

My husband and I arrived this morning and it is actually fairly nice. The temps are about the same as Dallas, Tx. Its been raining on and off today but nothing bad. I will say, it is beautiful here with the all the snow dressed mountains. However, I could not imagine driving from OK. The flight was not bad at all (SeaTac Airport is another story), and this was only my 2nd time to fly. We are really excited about the class tomorrow. Just hope that it is EVERYTHING that everyone (members) claims it to be.

Dennisa

I bet you are excited about tomorrow! Thanks for the weather report. It is supposed to be pretty frigid here (for Oklahoma standards). Let us know how the class went when you get back. I love hearing from people after they have attended one!

Hello Irishlog,
I live in Co Cavan just wondering if you found the seminar useful considering the difference between Irish building regulations etc. We are considering building a log houme in the next two years.

Welcome to the forum zerobars! I lived in Ireland for 2 years in a small village called Greystones in County Wicklow. Beautiful country and the warmest people on the planet. I was back in country 2 years ago for almost a month on business and almost didn't leave. I hope someday to return and live out the rest of my life there. I would be interested in your view on the availability of suitable logs. I lived on the coast and, while there were some ancient trees that would make a great home, you couldn't cut these down for use. Additionally, land was very reasonable and could be acquired without a lot of money. Has this changed or are there still spots inland that can be had without sacrificing your life savings?

all the best
Dan

Land is becomming more and more expensive by the day. When I moved to Cavan 7 (inland) years ago I could have bought a plot of land on a lake for about ?30k. between 1/2 and 1 acre. Now the average price for same (without lake is ?100 k to ?150k as for Greystones well I'd say that would be mega being on the coast, it would now be viewed as prime location, ie mega expensive. Check out this Irish site, plenty of sites.
http://www.myhome.ie/residential/search/results.asp
As for logs I'm just researching that now, one site suggested I try to get rejected telephone poles!

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....

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

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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

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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.

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!

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Originally Posted by Surfsidevicki

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?

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Classes happen when there is demand, and when the instructors are available. The problem is that these guys make their living building log homes, and summer is prime building time. So it's hard to say if/when they will have another class. Sign up for the email notification, and keep visiting the site!

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2) Does the class address foundations on a sloped lot (my land is sloped).

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Yes, various foundation types are covered in the class, including "walk-out basements" or garages.

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3) Does the class get into how to install the electrical and plumbing?

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The class covers the challenges of electrical and plumbing that are unique to log homes. (Stuff like how do to get outlets in a log wall, etc.) It does NOT teach you everything you need to know about plumbing and electrical to do your own. If you don't already have construction experience, the class is merely the BEGINNING of your studies. Just yesterday I read a book about plumbing, and started another one today about electical, hehe. The nice thing is that there are LOTS of resources available to learn all the conventional stuff that goes into a log home.

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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!

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There are several things that will affect how you will be allowed to build your home. I use the word "allowed" because one thing you will face is local codes. For example, I was looking at a large, cheap propety on a flood plain. I am interested in having a garage below my 40x40 log home too, and the code in that county was cool, as long as that bottom floor was ONLY for vehicle storage and house access (and flood vents in the foundation wall, etc.) But then the other challenge was getting the whole thing to be 35' tall or less. Using a 4/12 roof pitch, and lower second floor cielings, I could do it.

The amount of slope, and the stability of the soils on your property will also determine if you can build there. It's for the best, however, since it sure would be a shame to build a beautiful log home only to have it slide away after a rain storn, hehe.

The cost of building a log home has a LOT of variables. Some folks here have built AMAZINGLY cheap, and others have built lovely EXPENSIVE log homes. The biggest variable is how much of the work you are able to do yourself. The next biggest is how much fancy stuff you want inside of it. If money was no object, for example, I could easily blow 100k building a kitchen, lol. How much your logs end up costing can very widely from FREE, if you have suitable timber on your land to expensive depending on the market (how much mills are paying for logs) and how far you have to ship them.

But if your desire is to build an extremely sturdy home for LESS than a rickety stick-built home would cost, it CAN be done, and the class will teach you how. After that, it's up to you and your determination to make it happen!

Welcome to the forums. I know what you mean about the kit homes. They're awful pretty but very expensive and the ones I've looked at up close did not impress me. One model I toured actually had a big flower pot, on the back deck, that was hiding a rotten hole the size of a silver dollar. I moved the pot and poked my finger through the caulk they had used in an attempt to plug the hole and could not feel anything but empty space and mushy, rotten wood inside. This "model" home couldn't be more than about 10 years old.
But to answer your questions before my rant gets any worse:
1. The classes are usually not scheduled that far out because of the instructor's schedules. However, you can sign to be notified by email when a new class is scheduled or there is a cancellation or you can just keep checking the site. Here's the link to the notification page. http://www.loghomebuilders.org/alert
2. Yes. The class covers foundations. If they don't put out the info you need about sloped land, just ask.
3. The class covers some of the tricks that are unigue to wiring a log home. However, it will not teach you how to do electrical work or make you an electrician. That's way beyond the scope of a weekend class. I recommend reading through the forum threads on this topic (when you have access to the member's section) and talking with other members who have already wired their homes. They'll be able to give you the best advice.
4. Yes. It is possible to build butt and pass homes with a foundation and multiple floors. Here's a link to another thread. About half way down the page, you'll find a post from Rocklock with a picture of his home with a basement. http://www.loghomebuilders.org/2-good-2-b-true

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 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.

Hi everyone !

Michael Simmons here.

I took the weekend class in 1987 and did the journeyman's course in 1988.

I cannot remember if i did the intro thing or not shows how OLD I am.

Just want to say hello to all of you. I have worked on dozens of log structures since 1987 and one "kit" home in 1973.

I am glad to be here and share what I know.

There have been many changes with regard to permits, plans etc over those years. The current staff is up on all that.

One of my areas of expertise is job site safety as I have worked several commercial projects including road bridge building and skyscraper downtown Seattle . Never stand with your back to a hole in a floor! never.

Housekeeping is another critical element of job site safety Keep it clean and it will go smoother

I am a terminally disorganized creative genius.

My trade has taken me as far as Puerto Varas , Chile, I have worked on structures in WA, ID, CA, MT and Louisiana.

I love this site and the people herein.

Glad to be back.

I am a terminally disorganized creative genius. -loghomeguy wrote

wow- leave out the genius part we might be brothers

Michael Simmons

I was just being funny, of course I am not a genius, but I am creative, leave out the sarcasm and we shall be fine!

i know you were joking no sarcasm intended only on my part/ its just i am unorganized as it goes! and i dont like that
i admire organized people
a place for everything and everything in its place

Klapton:
Thanks for your reply! I just figured out how these forums (I think) work and just found it today! Anyway, I signed up for the April class.. guess I couldn't wait! I am definately looking forward to it. I'll get my plumbing and electrical books out! I've done quite a bit of work on remodeling the house I'm in (some concrete work, tiling, drywall, finish woodworking) but hired a plumber and electrician, so I'm not afraid to work and am planning on doing much of the work on a log home myself (the more I can do, the better!). I like your idea of a 40' x 40' house with a garage below.. but I may even include the garage in a 2 story 40' x 40'. All of this is in the beginning stages of thought, so thanks for humoring me!
Vicki

Hello everyone,

I suppose after lurking and reading on this board for several months I should finally introduce myself. My name is Cy and I live in the Appalachian Mountains area of Virginia...33 y/o. I work as an accountant (yawn). I only live a few miles away from part of the Appalachian Trail. As you can imagine, there are trees in every direction I look here. The LHBA method looks like it would be a perfect fit for the area I live in.

Cy

I have been wanting to build a log home since I first discovered this site back in 85. Now that I have the right women, her name is Karen, to help me make this dream come true. We are going to be attending the April 19-20 class and just can't wait. We are so excited about this opportunity to learn a new skill, skills that we can share with others in our time left on this planet.

I'm "between" jobs and may be relocating to a less suburban area. I've always loved log homes and it looks like I may end up in a town close to a prison because of a new job. Prisons are generally out of town and I'm hoping for something in Lassen County, California with land and plenty of timber. The possibility of being able to build my own home is very appealing to me. I've always wanted to flip a home while living in it. This sounds like an even better idea. Time will tell and I will be scouring the boards in the interim. This looks like a great site and I'm glad they promote getting an "early start" in many areas.

Tom

Welcome
Hi Tom, Lassen is nice looking place=seen it on a TV program-my kind of place

I have been viewing your website for almost a year. I will be attending the April Class and have wanted to do so for quite a while. I'm real excited to be able to attend. December 2006 I bought 82 acres in Jacks Creek, Tn. It has 50 year old timber on it and Im, hoping to cut my own logs for my cabin. My goal is probably the same as everyone else. I want my home paid for. This will give me that opportunity. I love the pictures of the student log homes. I'm quite handy and believe I can do this. It is going to be a great experience. Can't wait to get there.

Rick Ratcliff

So I stumbled across this site a couple of months ago while reluctantly attempting to join the rat race via a kit home. (Thank God this shows up first in Google. ) Like I am sure many others feel/felt, my initial thought was "too good to be true" and "can it really be done?". Well, through countless hours of surfing and peeking around the boards, viewing some amazing homes in the students gallery, I've gone from a skeptic to a believer. So first off, thanks for having this forum and a special thanks to all the contributors. The sense of community around the boards was the final thing that help me commit to my new dream.
I pulled the trigger and signed up for class this morning, now if someone can tell me how I am supposed to wait for the class to start, I'd be all set. Keep in mind I wasn't born with patience (and I know I will need it to build the house :-) .
I'm a 33 yr old male, living in Des Moines Wa and soon to be moving out of what will hopefully be the last stick built I ever live in. In two weeks I should be relocated to a 5th wheel on some family property in North Bend. No TV, no internet (I'll still get LHBA forum time at work), just me and my unbuilt log home. So if anyone has any good recommendations on electrical or plumbing for the completely ignorant, let me know. It will help me pass the time until class starts (once again, is it April yet?).
Now for a couple of other questions-

Does anyone know about bear damaged trees. We have quite a few around our property that are going to die or are dead. When do those trees go bad?

Can you harvest some trees one year and some the next? Or does that cause problems as some logs would be seasoned (or at least more seasoned) than others. I know that you can build with Skips method with green logs and that it will all make sense with an "AAHH" sound once we get to class, but what about a combination of the two? (or does a year not make a difference)

It is my understanding that once the trees have fell, it is best to get the bark off them sooner as opposed to later because of insects. However, is it bad (or maybe I should say, how bad is it) to do this than move them to another site down the road.

Well, that it starters, I have a whole bunch of other questions popping around my head, but I am going to practice patience ;-)

P.S. I saw this on craigslist and was curious if it is a good or decent deal, and if it is please pass it on to the LHBA community, as this is to far out for me. http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/for/585184451.html

Thanks again and look forward to meeting and hearing from all of you.

Jason

This was not meant to be so long winded, I'm just excited.

P.S. I saw this on craigslist and was curious if it is a good or decent deal, and if it is please pass it on to the LHBA community, as this is to far out for me. http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/for/585184451.html

Thanks again and look forward to meeting and hearing from all of you.

Jason

Hey Jason-Bible says Love is patience -so get some love and you will have patience!-What can I say I am a preacher so I took my opportunity. Great your taking the class--when you say bear damage--you mean as in a bear damaged or bare wood?(big difference bare bear--as in Captin Ron guerrilla gorilla) As far as your ? goes on using different dried trees it wont matter but I would try and get them about all the same. Those big fir trees on craigslist--sounds like a great deal..........for the seller--but I could be wrong.


Captin Ron

I have been telling my husband about this site for a year now and finally he let me sign up for the April 19th class. I am tickled PINK! I am so happy to report that we own a lot outright with timber and hope that after the class we will build our own log house and never make another payment! However, since we are in our senior years I am hoping to meet up with some "Youngins" who might like to help us in the process. We live in the San Juan Islands, anybody near by want to lend a hand?

Howdy all. Wow!!! I have been following this site for a while and have been inspired by all of the folks here doing and following their dream. This is something I've wanted to do for a while and am glad I found this site. Although, it will be further down the road before I get ready to build and take the class, I'm eventually going to do it. Right now, I have other obligations and priorities, but, will be working to attain this goal as soon as I can.

Love all your stories, pictures, and the great information sharing. I have no construction experience, but, have managed to do some minor home repairs over the years. I know I have a lot to learn and want to do it right.

Where is Kola? He is the initial inspiration that I followed. Like to keep up with his progress as well as others. I'm hoping to take the class within the next couple of years and start building within 5 years. I hope to be able to retire in 8-10 years. I'm thinking of building on weekends which means a reasonable driving distance from dallas, probably east texas where there is plenty of pine forest. Eventually, once retired, I may do it again somewhere in the southwest, maybe southern Colorado, or northern New Mexico. I prefer drier climates with less humidity with milder winters and summers.

Also, I read recently about a lady from phoneix with 5 kids who lost her husband to cancer recently and is planning on building. May god bless you and give you the strength to accomplish your goals. I can relate since I too have lost my wife recently to cancer and have two boys. I'm 49 with 2 sons that are 20 and 13. The loss of a spouse and being a single parent has it's challenges. Going forward with the ideas of this community is one more challenge that should be worth the time and effort. I guess what I'm saying here is, go for it!

Thanks to all in this community for sharing and for Steve and the rest of the instructors. You are truely giving by helping many folks attain their dreams of financial freedom and quality of living. Thanks again.

Still smilin,

I'm not sure exactly what the bears have done to those trees. If it's just a matter of them eating the bark, and the wood is not seriously damaged, they should be fine. If they have cut into the grain of the log, it's not so good. One of the main reasons for hand-peeling whole logs is because of the natural moisture resistance of the log itself when left intact. I wouldn't say you CAN'T use em though. As Skip has been known to say, "the best logs are the ones you already have."

You can skid logs after they are peeled, you just have to be careful. Some folks use two-wheeled "carts" for the dragging end of logs when they skid with four-weelser or cars. One of these would be a good thing to help prevent damage when skidding a peeled log.

Using logs that are at different levels of seasoning should not be a huge problem when doing BnP. The biggest problem encountered with green logs in BnP is that as the logs shrink toward their centers, they can pull away from the chinking leaving a small gap. With some green logs and some seasoned, this will just happen more randomly -- i.e. where the greener logs are.

Lislenlee,

I do hope someone is able to come help you in the San Juans. We have several members building on Camano Island, so there are some folks who aren't too far away. I'm in the planning stages right now, and will be moving back home to WA in the next year or so (dunno where yet, probably around Index / Skykomish). The unfortunate thing about the San Juans is having to take a ferry to get there. I do hope that this does not dissuade folks too much. Is your husband taking the class too? I know it's a bit pricy to both go, but I would definitly recommend that you both go.

Stretch,

Kola decided to take a break from online activity. A handful of folks are in contact with him, and he's doing ok. He spent less time in his Tipi than he had hoped during this cold winter.