Log Homes - Comparing Log Packages

One area of custom homes would include custom log homes. As any one knows that has even cracked open a log home magazine or attended a home show, there are abundant log home companies to choose from with various products.

For a milled log home there are two choices: Random Length and Precut Log Packages in the industry.

The first is random length logs. This is where we estimates how many logs you will need in order to build your home. The logs are shaped to either a Swedish Cope stack or a Double Tongue and Groove stack. The corners are prenotched before the log leave the yard, but the rest of the cutting is done on site. This allows the owners to change the window or door locations on the job site in the case they are not entirely sure where they would like to have each located. The random length log packages are less expensive than a precut package, but are more labor intensive on the job site.


A Precut Log Package comes with the door and window openings precut into the log shell and the corners premade. The logs are coded according to length and placement in the walls. Sometimes a color code is used on the ends of the logs to designate location. At other times an alpha-numeric code is stapled to the end of each log.

 

We have found as log home builders that the more precutting that is done to the log shell before it arrives at the job site, the quicker the log shell is built and the more accurate the location of the doors and windows.

We feel one key factor to building a log home is a very complete set of construction drawings. The investment of a few thousand dollars, depending on the size of the log home, in quality designs makes a tremendous difference in transforming a mediocre layout into an outstanding design. Taking the time to sit down and really figure out exactly where you want the windows, how large you desire your rooms to be, and all the other thousands of details is important.

Random length log packages do have their place in the log home world, but it seems to take a much more skilled builder to think though all of the issues on the job site as he is building when construction drawings are not first finalized with all of the details for the log home.

As you shop for your log home be sure to carefully evaluate each package. Ask if the package is random length or precut. A informed log home employee or owner should be able to answer that question very easily.

Cowboy Log Homes

Custom Log Home Floor Plans

Log home floor plans are were every custom log or timber home begins. Sometimes it can be daunting to take a flat piece of paper with lines on it and imagine your dream home. This was something I struggle with but my husband excelled at.

To help envision the reality of a floor plan that is sitting on the table in front of you, try these few steps. Look at the measurements of each room on the plan. Go get a tape measure. Take the flat floor plan, the tape measure, and a pencil. Then choose a room from the plan and visit the corresponding room in your existing home.

Let's say you begin in the kitchen. Measure the length and width of your existing kitchen. Write down that number. Then stand back and think if you would like your next home to have a wider kitchen, longer, smaller, larger, etc. If you want the kitchen two feet shorter, then get your measuring tape and mark that size. This helps to put actual spaces to the sizes on the floor plan.

Go through all the rooms of your home in the same manner. If you want a large great room, then take your living room, dining room, and kitchen and add together all of the measurements. Remember that great rooms can include a kitchen area or can be a separate area or room all together.

By measuring the rooms in your home it puts the reality of a 10 foot long bedroom is always going to be 10' long, no matter what house it is in. Not only measure length, but measure wall height. One log home we visited recently had a ceiling which was 6 inches lower than a standard one.

One of the best assets I have for home planning is a large floor plan book. With over 500 pages, it is packed with home ideas, floor plans, and outside elevations. Give yourself an advantage and have lots of background information before you begin final planning of your custom log home.

If you visit our website at http://cowboyloghomes.com we have capitalized on designing livable floor plans. Currently there are about 100 log home and log cabin plans to choose from. If you don't see what you like, then contact us and we can do a custom design. But remember, a quality log or timber home always begins with a quality log home floor plan.

Cowboy Log Homes