Introduce yourself

[Seabass]

Just call me Seabass... we have a small log home and want to add an attached greenhouse and also build a covered stairway and porch. I'm hoping to find information here about design/engineering and building/builders in the Pacific Northwest. Looking forward to reading your posts.

[panderson03]

welcome,Seabass. glad you found us. others have added on additions to log homes built this way. what was the building method of your log home?

[Cabincrazy]

HELP!!!!

We have just purchased 40 acres of ridges & ravines, wanting to build a cabin within the year. Found out prices to get water, power & septic. Oh lord! What are some alternatives? Anybody Please?

[Blondie]

Okay, I will jump in. Power you can use solar panels for power. Water, you can truck in if necessary. But I would check out the laws in your state about drilling a well. See if the state requires you to be a licensed driller. Find out how deep the water table is.... Call a septic company or several excavation contractors and ask them about septic systems. Call the state and ask if you can put the septic system in yourself with their supervision.

Blondie

[BoFuller]

We had septic put in, I have solar panels ready, and we haul water. Love it.

[loghousenut]

Isn't anyone gonna say "Take the class"?

And where is this 40 acres, Mr. 'n Mrs. Crazy?

[Cabincrazy]

Isn't anyone gonna say "Take the class"?

And where is this 40 acres, Mr. 'n Mrs. Crazy?

The 40 acres are in East Tennessee!

[Cabincrazy]

Do you get all your power from solar panels? Stored in batteries? What brand of panels? Cost? What do you hold your water in? Thank you for any help! Cabin racy!

[loghousenut]

The 40 acres are in East Tennessee!

It's too late for me to be up and it's 3 hours later for you. Maybe I'm Nuts and you're Crazy.

Making juice beyond the end of the power line is totally doable and there are several ways to do it, depending on water, wind and solar resources. You already have the land so all you have to do is get a generator out there and then start playing around with ways to make power cheaper and quieter. Subscribe to "Home Power" magazine.

Read everything in "Solar Power and Alternative Energy" here on this site and wake me up at noon tomorrow (I think I must mean TODAY!).


PS... So what kind of a cabin are you figuring on. That's the part of this thing that we are all good at.

[Blondie]

Well Cabincrazy,

First you need to take the LHBA class. Mean while you need to dive into the web and do research. Learn how solor panels work, how to store power in batteries and how to use a generator. I purchased German made panels rather than Chinese made. I have purchased a 1500 gallon tank to store well water in. The well pump will be solor powered and will only run when solar power is available. Been looking a well pumps. kinda interesting. You have some time before the next class startes. After class there is alot here in the blog about solar power here. I have purchased 11 new Pella windoows of a Craigs list like site for $300.00. If you check prices most Pella windows start at $350.00.

Blondie

[rreidnauer]

I hauled water (artesian spring a mile away) until I got my rainwater catchment system going. I'm currently using a combo of solar and generator, but will be going full solar/wind in the near future. I installed my own septic, but was still pricey on materials alone. (~$10k)

[loghousenut]

If this all sounds overwhelming, just sit back and relax and know that it is only a series of steps in whatever direction you want to go. It can be as easy or as hard as you want it to be and it will never be over. It will be a very rewarding way to live.


Just think of all the poor saps who are sitting on a fake fur couch in an apartment somewhere wishing it were still the good old days when a couple could go out and build their own log home with their own hands. They just don't know.

On this site you'll meet people who can do anything they put their mind to.

[StressMan79]

HELP!!!!

We have just purchased 40 acres of ridges & ravines, wanting to build a cabin within the year. Found out prices to get water, power & septic. Oh lord! What are some alternatives? Anybody Please?

You will find that buying electricity will be much cheaper, around 30cents/kWh to generate vs. 12 to buy. Plus you only have what you have. It doesn't make any sense to generate power for tools w/ pv. Your shop will be run by a generator.

But if you are like me and predict currency collapse, it will be much better to have an off grid home.

[rocklock]

purchased 40 acres of ridges & ravines, wanting to build a cabin within the year. Found out prices to get water, power & septic. What are some alternatives?

There are many depending upon your life style.
Septic is not required if you have a composting toilet and a gray water system. Google humanure... It really doesn't smell. We have used something similar for our smaller site...
Drilling your own well is expensive no matter what, but if you have enough rain - snow you can collect water... In Hawaii this is fairly common. Water tanks are about a buck a gallon until you get past 1000 gal... I Hawaii 3500 gal tanks are fairly commom.
Solar and wind can work. If you have running water in those ravines, problem solved... I had to pay about 5 grand for local power. It was cheap. You can also power stuff with propane - Refrig and dryer for example... I bought my 250 gallon propane tank new for 900 bucks and paid $1.59 a gallon to fill it.

Remember, its life style that determines how expensive your infrastructure becomes.

About budgets, get your family discussions so everyone is agreed to a plan and everyone is working towards the same goal. Then the money will work out...

[Berniebeee]

Hi,

My name is Bernie and I hail from Ottawa, Canada. I have always been interested in log houses and all sorts of things construction and renovation related. My mom has been living in a log home for the past ten years and has nothing but praise for log homes. I have been lurking for some time and finally decided to join in the fun here.

[panderson03]

welcome Bernie. nice to hear from someone who's got colder winters than we do
we do members who've built in Canada. stick around!

[logmike]

just signed up for may class with my son. looking to build upstate ny. anyone that has built or will be building in ny would like to hear from you thanks mike.

[eagle]

just signed up for may class with my son. looking to build upstate ny. anyone that has built or will be building in ny would like to hear from you thanks mike.

What area exactly of NY?

[rckclmbr428]

I have built one outside of rochester, NY. there are a good amount of members up there

[StressMan79]

There are a good amount of members up there

Indeed there are, although I understand taxes will run you out of the state...

[logmike]

taxes will be an issue when I start looking for land. I live in nyc so I will be looking for land within 3 hours of the city.dont want to spend all my time traveling

[stuarty]

Booked for May. Got to be happy with that!

[panderson03]

congrats on taking that huge first step, Stuarty

[logmike]

any other new yorker's out there?

[lilpony]

Im eric
Im tired of living check to check. I want to buy a small piece of wooded land and axe my way to my own hand made log cabin with no building codes etc. For all they know im building a fort on my own property. Am in in the right place/forum?

[eagle]

Logmike, we are going to build in the western NY area near Franklinville. Taxes may be high compared to other states but it is hard to beat the country and weather there. I live in Texas now and I just can't seem to picture a log cabin without snow. The rest of my family lives there so that is the reason I don't go to Colorado or a place like that.

[WNYcabinplannin]

Log mike- there are several in west ny. I'm SE of Rochester, finger lakes area, Naples. Rush, Hamlin, more coming

[logmike]

my son and I are excited couple of weeks,we will be in vegas.