Does anyone here own a loghome? (Knoxville, Cookeville: house, employment, buy)

[v8eater]

I didn't want to hijack someone else thread but I was wondering the same thing.
Do you live in a Log home? What are you likes or dislikes? Any advise that you can give me. What manufacture or who built it?
We will be moving to surrounding Cookeville sometime this year and If we can't find something that we both like we will most likely build a home and a loghome was something we were considering.
Thanks James L.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by v8eater

I didn't want to hijack someone else thread but I was wondering the same thing.
Do you live in a Log home? What are you likes or dislikes? Any advise that you can give me. What manufacture or who built it?
We will be moving to surrounding Cookeville sometime this year and If we can't find something that we both like we will most likely build a home and a loghome was something we were considering.
Thanks James L.

On Hwy 111 just north of the Algood Wal-Mart in Cookeville is a log home dealer that's based out of Clay County, Tennessee (near Dale Hollow Lake). It's called Honest Abe log homes. I have several friends who have used them and absolutely LOVE their log homes.

Log homes are very energy efficient, for one thing. My family's log home up in the mountains just has a wood stove for heat, it's a 1400 square foot log home, and the wood stove keeps the entire place toasty warm even in the deep winter freezes.

I think log homes are also usually a bit cheaper than a conventional home, at least they used to be, or maybe it just depends on the kind of wood and shape of the logs, and the dealer. The interior walls don't have to be log, of course, in case you get tired of all that wood.

Log homes also usually can be built more quickly than a conventional home; it doesn't take long for the log walls to go up.

But I think log homes are beautiful, and certainly appropriate for Tennessee. But go by the Honest Abe place there on Hwy 111 and they'll give you some good ideas.

[WiscNativeAmerican]

I never, ever get tired of looking at my log walls & the big log beams in my ceiling! I simply love everything about my log home - except.....the splits that develop as the house settles. Some are big but most are small. The logs need to be caulked & stained & I have to make sure to spray for bugs around the outside. Other than that, I love my house! It's solid & I feel a bit safer when I hear the hunters shooting in the woods. Heavy wind & snow doesn't bother it either. I like all the natural features of this house too. It's just so beautiful - I sit & gaze at my ceiling & walls & can't imagine ever living in a regular house again! I love it!!!

[JMT]

Originally Posted by WiscNativeAmerican

I never, ever get tired of looking at my log walls & the big log beams in my ceiling! I simply love everything about my log home - except.....the splits that develop as the house settles. Some are big but most are small. The logs need to be caulked & stained & I have to make sure to spray for bugs around the outside. Other than that, I love my house! It's solid & I feel a bit safer when I hear the hunters shooting in the woods. Heavy wind & snow doesn't bother it either. I like all the natural features of this house too. It's just so beautiful - I sit & gaze at my ceiling & walls & can't imagine ever living in a regular house again! I love it!!!

You got that right! I love the look of a log home. It's almost a shame to put up pictures on the walls. I think there's nothing more beautiful than a log home up in the hills with a stone chimney.

Anyway, I concur with the earlier post, Honest Abe in Cookeville is an excellent log home company, a local Tennessee company founded by a graduate of Tennessee Tech University. They mill the logs in Clay County and provide employment to a lot of local people. Clay County has one of the state's highest unemployment rates, so Honest Abe is kind of a hometown hero there in Celina. You can even give them your own house plan and they'll customize the logs for it.

[firepower]

Friend of mine is having a log home built. More than 2,000 square feet with a complete wraparound porch.Completely done for about $90K !!
Not sure if it is Honest Abe or maybe Jim Varna. There's a place at the 280(Baxter) exit that deals,& I think that's where he went.
Course he had the lot already...


firepower

[Milo Bloom]

Originally Posted by firepower

Friend of mine is having a log home built. More than 2,000 square feet with a complete wraparound porch.Completely done for about $90K !!
Not sure if it is Honest Abe or maybe Jim Varna. There's a place at the 280(Baxter) exit that deals,& I think that's where he went.
Course he had the lot already...


firepower

I'd be interested to hear about this...that's pretty cheap for a finished house. And by complete, do you mean turnkey, or just weatherproof shell?

I would like to know more info, if you can get it.

Thanks!

[JMT]

Originally Posted by Milo Bloom

I'd be interested to hear about this...that's pretty cheap for a finished house. And by complete, do you mean turnkey, or just weatherproof shell?

I would like to know more info, if you can get it.

Thanks!

I know my parents spent about that much for a log cabin in the mountains, turnkey. The package from the log cabin manufacturer was just the shell with windows and doors, and that was about $35k for a 1400 square foot cabin. By the time we had the plumbing, electrical, floors, dry wall and roof done it came to about $80k. That was also in NC.

[MOVIN-n-012]

Hi, There is good and bad that have to be considered in building a log home. Firstly, unless you go with 10 inch wide logs, You will find the 8" are not as energy efficient as a well insulated 2x6" stud wall. I have the heating bills to prove it. Be ready to apply finish to ALL of the exterior every few years. And if I had my choise of finishes I would go oil base on the exterior Not the polyurathan based stuff as we did. The poly looks nice and shiny but in time you will find it soaks in with poor coverage in open grain and will flake with time on the tight smooth grain parts wher it builds quickly. Oil is a dull look but soaks in deeper with less sealing of the surface and you do not want a sealed surface or you run the risk of roting the logs on the inside. Logs must breath. 2 foot overhangs and hi off the ground skirt logs are a must in your lay out. Be sure you do not have off the deck rain splash on your base logs. We personaly like the clear Danish oil interior finish. Never buy or build a cabin with spiked logs. 3/8th lag bolts are the standard today.
Thats a short list off the top of my head but I must say a log home creates a very soothing mood inside to owner and visitors alike.
We'v been in our log home for 8 years now and when we move to TN, I will not have a log cabin high on my list of gotta haves due to the up keep involved. Id rather be fishing than srcapeing / pressure washing and finishing logs every few years. Im getting too old for this kinda thing. Vynal siding here we come. good luck in your decission

[Tinman313]

Look at Tennessee Log Homes,Based near Knoxville.They have a huge site and also seminars for people wondering about log homes.

[Old Crusty]

We really wanted a log home but after adding up the pros and cons, decided to build with 1/2 logs over a conventional 2x6 frame. I'm surprised to read the other posters comments about log homes being less expensive. That's definately not the case in northern Michigan.

At the end of the day, what prompted us to build over a standard frame was the insulation factors. It's very cold where we live and we planned to use the dwelling as a second home. If we were to heat the house at 50 degrees when we were away, it would take a long time to bring the structure back up to a comfortable living temperature when we arrived for the weekend. Then when we did leave, the thermal mass of the logs would hold the heat for a day or two after we had left.

Having said all of that... there is nothing prettier than a home built from logs.