Introduce yourself

where are you going to school? How many dogs do you have? That Dalmatian doesn't look like he'd be happy in an RV! maybe 20 acres in the north woods would be good for him! Anyways, sounds like you have found the place to make your desired lifestyle happen.

I don't know About keeping those dogs in an RV parked somewhere, though. Maybe if you have a friend with a big fenced yard that will let you park close to campus. Then your dogs would have a place to run.

In any event, welcome to the association. great to have you.

Hi Codeman, My wife and I are not from your area but gonna go to the class in April, will be flying in the day before, we are looking for someone to share a ride from the airport, we are staying at the B&B. Look forward to meeting you.

I am planning on doing the course as soon as I can convince the wife we need a life style change. Have a great time.


David
Somerset England

David,
I lived in St Johns Wood London and grew up there 3 year left in 91. I think i might have some Brits in my family back ground. I miss that place so much but way way to expensive.

Hi StressMan, sorry I didn't really make myself clear about the dogs. I have 6, all of which have always been outdoor dogs, I have spent most of my adult life on farms and am used to being outdoors from morning to night and the dogs have always been around me (getting under my feet LOL) and have had their own outdoor sleeping quarters at night.
I believe 6 dogs is the general max. allowed without a permit and they aren't noisy or anything as long as they have their freedom to dig, chase rabbits etc. Their last sleeping quarters was actually an old converted mobile home next to the house, during the day when I was all dirty thru doing the usual dirty outdoor jobs I used to go in there for a break and I noticed how much they loved it so I put their beds in there and it became their home, they were always free to come and go as they pleased and that is just the way of life they are used to.
When I go off to class they will stay behind, I would always make sure someone was around at all times as I don't think you can be too careful nowadays. Where I used to live there was a spate of dog-nappings from secure areas, it was happening when the owners were out, it's kind of made me a bit paranoid and so I've always had live-in help or similar just for security.
At the moment I've several options re: college, I'm actually looking at a program of related study (animal related) but not all at the same location. It is currently between Colorado, California and Florida. I'm deciding the best compromise based on things such as land prices, travelling time and general logistics and the fact that only certain colleges are authorised for international students. I think the best bet so far is Florida but obviously the main problem there is land price and finding somewhere away from neighbors. I've actually just found a really interesting possibility, it is only 3 acres but has SR frontage and is completely landlocked by state and federal land and the owner will finance too. I'm going to look in to that one further I think, paws crossed!!
Michelle.

Hi Steve,
I really wanted to attend the class. Can I be put on a list in the case somebody cancels? Is there any other way I can get some information to get me started? I have the land I need and I'm excited to start building my log home. If I can't attend a class, maybe I can build the log garage as a starter. What is your recommendation for me at this time?

Very interested,
Garrett Smith

I am thinking about taking the class but it is full. What are some of the valuable things you learned at class and why is it worth it?

Hi Scott,
I am interested in taking the class this year, but it is full. I have the land to start, but lack the full understanding of why this class is so great. Can you give me some input about what makes it so good? If I can't get into the class this year, I would at least like to make as many preparations as possible this year. What can you suggest? Is there a list of tools I should be looking for?

Thanks,
Garrett Smith

at info@loghomebuilders.org
they can put you on the cancellation list. I think they are pretty good about refunding tuition, so once in a while someone cancells for one reason or another. You might get in.

However, I don't know what you can do without the class. I wouldn't recommend doing much (log related), maybe digging a well and moving a trailer up there for temporary (rent free) living.

-Peter

Hi, My name is Shawn and I am very interested in building my own log home some day. As of late, I have been getting into log furniture, and having pretty good success so far. Everything I build is currently out of Eastern Red Cedar. I have made 3 beds, an entertainment center, and a pub table. There will be a lot more to come in the near future. I would love to build my own log home from scratch some day. Currently I am a Mechanical Engineer. Used to be a Residential Designer. I'm looking for all the information i need to build this log home I've been designing for 2 years. Yes I have been working on this for some time. Well anyway, looking forward to talking to all of you and to, hopefully, get a good start in the right direction.
Thanks,
Shawn

Shawn,

welcome to the forums. you'll find tons of useful people and topics discussed.

Unfortunately, much of your design will likely get reworked once you take the class.

BTW, I am also a Mechanical engineer (stress analyst) for Boeing.

-Peter
stressman79@hotmail.com

Hello everyone!!
I am so glad we found this site. My husband Dean and
I (April) purchased some land last year and would really like to put a log home on it. We live in Arkansas and have 2 beautiful children. We realize after searching that we simply cannot afford to have someone build us home with what we paid for land. We hope to come take your class and become members and hopefully build our dream home!!! The houses that are pictured here are just beautiful!!!!

Probably the best investment you can make towards your dream of home (not bank) ownership/financial independence is the class. You can learn how to prioritize your life and build your home for cents on the dollar compared to a similar sized stick frame home ('log' homes are typically even more than stick frame).

Anyway, glad to have you with us. does your land have electric/water? how big is the land? HOW BIG ARE THE KIDS!? These are all questions that will make a huge difference in your log home building dreams.

FWIW, if you have two 8+ year old boys, and don't plan on a bigger family, then I would stick with ~30x30 footprint, you can start soon. boys will basically automatically dig this endeavor. Girls may take more convincing, but I have known some that would also jump right in.

Start saving money, networking with people near your property and near where you currently live. If you need a "first step" then try to get a free/cheap mobile home at your land and get your septic figured out. Then you can live rent free.

Also, you will note that many members are 'end of the world as we know it (EOTWAWKI)'types. I would hedge my bets. Guns, bullets, and tools don't lose value, if you can pick them up for a good price. so at the very least, you can get your money back out of them. If you have some extra cash, buy a new (used) tool, or 1000 rounds, etc.

I don't mean to scare you, but I don't know anything about you yet. many ppl want to know "I am signed up for the class -- what should I do till then?" I just wanted to fill the gap

Again, welcome.

Hi I just wanted to introduce myself , we are planning on attending the seminar in the next couple of mos. We are very excited and motivated to begin...SOON... ! We are in the process of looking for suitable land in Oregon and Washington states. We'd like to build in the next year, maybe even this summer.

We'd love to help out and gain some hands on expirience if any of you are in our general area, let us know when you are staring to build.

Hope to be meeting some of you soon at the meetings....
GOTTA GET to that seminar!!
Susan :D 8)

My husband and I have dreamed of a log home for a long time. we have our land, septic, driveway, well, electric, phone. Just need to build! had planned on a 'kit' until I found this site. you present some very interesting ideas and certainly challenge what I thought we knew (and how long we'd have to keep working to pay it off!!).

is anyone out there from MN, IA, ND, SD, WI?

would love to see what you've done and hear your story!

thanks for a very informative forum!

Hello everyone here from the deep south. I live in northern Mississippi and found this site while googling for building your own home and living a simpler, debt free life!



My family has some land in northern Arkansas that I could build on.? That is a great help financially, and belive me I need that!



My biggest question : Has any single woman built her own log home?? If so, I would love to hear from you.



I am interested in any type of sound home that I can build mortgage free and am working to get debt free...almost there!? My youngest child graduates from college this May!!!!



I truly want to have a mortgage free home, no debt, and living a? much simpler life!? I think that the way most Americans live is not really living at all, especially these days.



My biggest concern, really biggest fear, is that I will not be able to build a log home by myself.? I am not a?wilting southern flower by any means and I know that Dorothy Ainsworth built her home basically?all by herself.? I think she is a wonderwoman!? Just would love to know that other single women have done it and how.



Sorry for the long introduction.



Cindy?

Hi CindyLou. You and I have alot in common. I am a single woman and my one and only, my daughter, just graduated college in December. I have property up in the Adirondack foothills that I will be building on. I took the class in January of '08 after being disgusted by a log home show here in Tampa, Florida. After taking the class, I began doing renovations to my existing home to make it more marketable. I singularly replaced all my windows, rebuilt an entire bathroom from the studs in, installed a roof vent fan and right now I'm constructing two new doors as was taught in the class.

I will be building my own house. Of course, I will not be doing everything by my self. No one here does EVERYTHING by his or her self. Even Dorothy Ainsworth had her son and big strapping boyfriend helping her. I have my daughter who I have learned is perfectly capable of holding up the other side of a piece of drywall while I screw it into the ceiling! She has also helped me lift a double window into place. (However, she cannot boil an egg to keep from starving. That's my fault I guess.) I too want to live mortgage free and will be hiring various contractors to do whatever I need to have done if it is better than trying to do it myself. I get a little anxious sometimes too. I'm not totally confident all the time. But whenever I start feeling like that, I just consciously dismiss those fears and replace those thoughts with constructive plans for getting those doors planed.

A lot of women log onto this sight and express the same concern that they "can't do it". I don't think I ever read a post by a man who would say the same thing. Men had hammers and wrenches put in their hands as children. What did your mom put in your hand? A spatula? A dust rag? Directions to sorting laundry? Growing up "girlish" equated to cutting off your legs at the knees. You don't even know you can walk on your own. Well, you can. You put on your pants, climb the ladder, swing the hammer, cut the wood, call your old friend about how to fit a tub drain, ask the guy in Lowe's about constructing a new roof vent, take photos of problems that stump you, print them out, carry them to Home Depot and show them to everyone in the plumbing department. Then you buy the tool, buy the tile saw, buy the chainsaw, buy the hardware and if you buy the wrong one, you bring it back. Also, buy a few books, masonry, framing, electrical, plumbing, find some do-it-yourself sites online. Ask a couple of guys about how to do something. As time goes on, and you've been at it a while, building stuff, fixing stuff, you're going to find that you know more about how to do things than a lot of men do these days. It's why the guy at Lowe's last week was shocked when I told him I was building my own doors. All I needed from him was to find out where the glue was but he needed more details and wanted to give me instructions on whatever it was I was doing. Building doors was a little beyond his repetoire.

In a nutshell, the more you learn and do, the more confident of your skills and abilities you will become.

Frances

<img src="/sites/all/modules/tinymce/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-tongue-out.gif" alt="Tongue out" title="Tongue out" border="0" />?? Are milled logs logs, or are they timbers?

When I was peeling my logs, my daughter asked, "how many trees are we going to peel today." I said no trees today. She had a puzzled look on her face. I told her that when it is vertical it is a 'tree'. When it is horizontal it is a 'log'. We peeled 10 logs that day.

Hi Steve & Everyone Else,
My name is Ray, new to this forum, and VERY appreciative for it's existence. I am thinking on moving to Oregon, building a smaller Log Cabin, live off the grid, and start to live life. I did post in this general discussions section and all comments are welcome.
Thx Again

I'm still living outside of Sacramento, CA but bought land in So Central Oregon. Welcome to the family. When will you be taking the class is the first key question?

Hey Steve
Came across your site becauHey Steve
Logged onto your site because I am not building, but am think of buying a log home that was disassembled and moved then reassembled on site. The ad reads ?The logs are pre-Civil War and were disassembled from a vintage log home in Columbus, Wi. The logs were incorporated in to the structure of this home in 1986.This home was built by a master log home purist." About 6 years ago the mechanicals were updated or replaced. I have read a lot of your posts but I do seem to be lacking the a b c s of log homes. I?m hoping your team of experts can give me the 411 on what to look for and what to expect. I can send pics or post them if possible

without copius pictures. in general, we don't like homes that can be disassembled. I recommend taking the class, as it may save you the cost of making a mistake.

-Peter

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by softail

Hey Steve
Came across your site becauHey Steve
Logged onto your site because I am not building, but am think of buying a log home that was disassembled and moved then reassembled on site. The ad reads ?The logs are pre-Civil War and were disassembled from a vintage log home in Columbus, Wi. The logs were incorporated in to the structure of this home in 1986.This home was built by a master log home purist." About 6 years ago the mechanicals were updated or replaced. I have read a lot of your posts but I do seem to be lacking the a b c s of log homes. I?m hoping your team of experts can give me the 411 on what to look for and what to expect. I can send pics or post them if possible

---

It's probably worth taking a look at, if nothing for than curriousity. Depending on what they mean by log home purist, this guy might have built something great. Chances are probably more likely that there will be maintance issues over time.

The LHBA techniques focus very heavily on building in such a way that minimizes maintaince over time.

But now that you're here, you can always consider building your own :)

There are a lot of businesses that go around and reclaim wood from historic ruins. My neighbor's house in Oppenheim was built in 1830 and all the large timber beams in the roof are solid and the pegs are tight. However, the basement beams are a different story. They've been exposed to too much dampness and are soft and slimey. There were two old barns on the property and salvagers came and bought the huge floor planks to use in some famous person's house who was renovating. So you might see a house with some reclaimed or salvaged logs or beams or plank flooring out there. Old wood could be very distinctive even if it had had past infestations and is now clean of pests. I tore off damaged veneer from an old sewing bench to find interesting worm patterns on the cherry wood underneath.

I have to say though...we have some people on this forum who really know log homes, but a master log
home "purist"? What's dat????

Frances

My name is Matt and I am from the Pacific Northwest. My wife and I are expecting a child this September and I am interested in learning to build a log home for my family. I enjoy reading, listening to music and being outdoors.

Took the February class. Well worth the drive up from Oregon. If you're wanting info on building log home, spend the money and take the class. You won't be sorry and after the class you'll have access to a wealth of information and good help. Good luck.

Hello,

I have just booked my husband and I on the June course, we are both looking forward to it very much. We live in the UK and are both martial artists/ instructors. We will soon be leaving the UK at the end of the year (yippee!) to settle in the West Indies where we will continue on our martial arts journey, this course is our first step. I have been inspired by many of your members courage and conviction as we too pursue our dream. In the meantime however, we remain very much entrenched in the corporate world :-( ....... the end of the year can't come soon enough! We have no money but we have our dream!

Looking forward to meeting you Steve and the rest of the newbees!