I'm curious whether any of you live in a log cabin. Did you build your own? From a kit or from scratch? How do you like it? Any problems? I'm thinking log cabin for when I get some acreage out in the country. Mine will be a year-round home, not a vacation place.

 

Log homes are hard to weather proof because of all the round surfaces. Here in the north people spend a lot more to heat them than they would a normal house, but I doubt thats much of a concern for you.
Cost is a major concern too. Its costs about twice as much to build a log homes than it would a traditional style home.
Octane

 

That's interesting. I always thought log homes were better insulated, due to the thick wood. Although heating isn't much of an issue in the South, air conditioning is. I also thought it would be cheaper to build a log home kit than a regular house. I know that completed log homes are expensive. I would really like to build my own house from the ground up, if I get the chance before I'm too old. I have the skills and equipment; I just thought a log home would be cheaper and quicker. We are planning on buying 5 acres or so in a rural area soon, and building a house when we can finally move (about 4-5 years). Doesn't have to be log; any rustic, 'country' style would be fine.

 

Well, you run into problems where the logs meet. Its often hard to keep a perfect seal between the logs.
Octane

 

They do make a Log cabin style of vinyl siding. It is very realistic except that there is no extra stick out in the corners.

 

look into log siding.
it might be an acceptable alternative for you.

 

Here's a good site for some cabins, not made from logs but still they will fit perfectly into a woodlot setting:

http://www.timberlinepnb.com/

Here is a log home website:
http://www.myloghome.com/index.html

 

Flies and a lot of them. Brother in law had a log home here. You would have to clean every day because of dead flies. They nest in the cracks. Spiders will soon move in to eat the flies.

I built a cedar log home for some people. It was lefted up to them to seal it on the outside. They didn't get it done and when it rained. The rain came in through the knots in the logs. It leaked very bad. After that, they have to seal it once a year.

Other than that, they look great. Cost, I don't know about.

Tom

 

We did build one and it was a great experience. The home is 1900sq ft and we built it from logs that were on the land along with the fieldstone for the basement walls. The home is cool in summer and warm in winter a 8" thick log has a "R" rating of almost R19 and when properly sealed inside and out they are a joy to own. You must like maintenance because there is plenty of it. We sealed it with sickins staina and sealer 2 step process and this has to be done every 3 years.. Good luck and have fun.

 

Its been a few yrs since I worked on a log home. The ones I worked on were called timberframe homes. They are about twice the price of a convential home but well made & insulated. I have a friend in La. that built his own 2500 ft log home with pine logs from his land. Its high maintaince but a great looking home.

 

I've not lived in one but I plan on having one someday. You can find some information about cost, insulation and what-not on this website: http://www.oldvaloghomes.com .
Like anything else, there are a lot of manufacturers out there with a wide price range and very wide range of quality. I'm biased because I know these folks, but I would have to say they are on the high end of both price and quality.

 

Wood = Work !

If you go the log cabin route, make sure you keep it stained real good. Our Fla. sun is hard on wood.

Our neighbor has a 2 story log cabin, beautiful home. He use to have to re-stain it every 2-3 years. He finally found a heavier stain with a better sealing component so now he only has to do it every 5-6 years. He still has to keep an eye on the caulking on the exterior because the intense sun tears it up, pops it out. When in season, he has a problem with wood bees boring holes.

Some people down the road just put up a Cracker Style house. If I were to go with wood, that's probably what I'd do. Nice extended roof covering wrap around porches, rough barnwood exterior, very sharp looking. Plus, with the roof covering as much of the siding as it does, the sun shouldn't be as harsh on it.

 

> I would really like to build my own house from the ground up

Use ICF (insulated concrete forms) and if you are handy you can build the whole house yourself and have a very tightly sealed house along with a house that will withstand almost anything nature can throw at it including trees falling on it (a concern in the south). Four to six inch walls are ideal and if you want the log cabin look, you can attach "D" logs to the outside.

Personally, I would just give it a thin layer of brick facade for the walls and then a metal roof, though put a coating on top of the metal roof so the raining does not drive you crazy.

 

I just built one a year ago in British Coloumbia. I did spend alot on it but it has been my dream for ever. I would highly suggest going with the full log house you will enjoy it much more then just siding.

This company put together mine for me. Check out the gallery, they are amazing.

http://www.nolteloghomes.com/

 

There's lots of options out there. I've thought about doing the same thing for years.

We have several companies here that build log home kits. They prebuild everything at the factory. There's so many log homes in central Oregon, the market can bear specialized companies that only reseal log homes. Unlike FL, the air is pretty dry there, but they get about 300 day of sun/year and they hold up if maintained.

Timber framers guild is also something to check out: http://www.tfguild.org/

ICF is great stuff. Everyone that I've talked to that's used it has been impressed. I've talked to the factory reps from a couple different manufactors and for the most part they seem receptive to the DIYer. If you have no expirence with it they like to have a regional rep. stop by to inspect. One neat thing they've found is the cool of the ground tends to wick up the walls and helps cool the building in summer and heat in winter, (earth temp is about 54 deg.) So, not only does the foam insulate, the concrete heat transfers.. The wall is so "tight" that it requires pretty much a standard footing.

I've thought about using all three - ICF, log and timber frame. Pour a pad with pep tubing. Come up about 4 foot above grade with ICF and cover it with river rock. then incorporate the logs and timber frame with the rest of the house. That gives me a lot of options for an open great room and bedrooms with log walls.

I've done some work on a few older log homes, (one was 100 years+), and the main downfall of the older ones was the roof construction. Some of the roof trusses were no more than 2" poles with slat and shingle on top, literally no insulation. So while the log walls were great insulators, they didn't take advantage of it and lost it through the roof. The modern freezer panel roof system they use now can have an R40 rating - not much of a problem any more.