Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Real Estate
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 05-23-2008, 08:37 PM
 
1,117 posts, read 2,032,868 times
Reputation: 680

Advertisements

I've always wanted to have a log home built in the Pacific Northwest. However, as a military family we've never owned a home and don't know much about the home buying process. We are now looking at the first steps in getting our retirement home built and to make our "final" move.

Should we buy an existing home or have a custom home built? What things should we plan for or expect in the process? Any tips or suggestions?

Thanks!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 05-23-2008, 08:49 PM
 
Location: Cary, NC
43,011 posts, read 76,500,303 times
Reputation: 45323
Quote:
Originally Posted by TailoredMaid View Post
I've always wanted to have a log home built in the Pacific Northwest. However, as a military family we've never owned a home and don't know much about the home buying process. We are now looking at the first steps in getting our retirement home built and to make our "final" move.

Should we buy an existing home or have a custom home built? What things should we plan for or expect in the process? Any tips or suggestions?

Thanks!
I used to want a log home so badly I could taste it.
Things change.

Definitely, I would build a conventional home, or even better, a masonry home, before I would build a log home.
You can take so much of the burden of energy costs off your backs long-term with a home that insulates better than logs.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-23-2008, 10:34 PM
 
Location: Murrells Inlet SC
245 posts, read 758,896 times
Reputation: 74
I had to go to "log" school at my former agency since we were a dealer.They require a lot of upkeep!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-23-2008, 10:50 PM
 
1,117 posts, read 2,032,868 times
Reputation: 680
Errrr....this isn't looking good. LOL

Okay, keep the pros and cons coming. Thanks everyone!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-24-2008, 04:22 PM
 
Location: The Woods
18,332 posts, read 26,352,341 times
Reputation: 11328
Build with dry logs not green logs to lower the maintenance. Green logs will shrink as they dry and things will settle more with them than with dry logs. Avoid the common V-groove under the log bottoms. It eliminates chinking but it makes the logs weak and prone to splitting. Use something like perma c h i n k and you won't need to re-c h i n k too much. Something like plain old mortar or clay or something is cheaper but often needs to be patched every year. Use log screws at the corners and rebar running top to bottom every few feet between the corners in the walls for reinforcing. A well built log home should survive a large earthquake. Have long overhangs on the roof to protect the walls from rain.

The thicker the logs and better chinked it is, the better insulated it will be. Thin logs and poor chinking will mean a cold, draft house, thick logs and well done chinking will mean a nice warm one.

Log construction is really quite simple, but it seems a lot of builders don't know what they're doing, and they come with some pretty bizarre statements for ignorant customers. I'd suggest educating yourself real well on all the various techniques and which are best, before examining their methods and selecting a builder, so you won't make a mistake or be mislead. There are many ways to build log homes, but not all of them are equal.

Note: filter tried blocking the word c h i n k above...
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-25-2008, 06:29 AM
 
Location: NJ
23,781 posts, read 33,224,108 times
Reputation: 30580
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeJaquish View Post
I used to want a log home so badly I could taste it.
Things change.

Definitely, I would build a conventional home, or even better, a masonry home, before I would build a log home.
You can take so much of the burden of energy costs off your backs long-term with a home that insulates better than logs.
we also liked them but not enough to build.

Quote:
Originally Posted by TailoredMaid View Post
I've always wanted to have a log home built in the Pacific Northwest. However, as a military family we've never owned a home and don't know much about the home buying process. We are now looking at the first steps in getting our retirement home built and to make our "final" move.

Should we buy an existing home or have a custom home built? What things should we plan for or expect in the process? Any tips or suggestions?

Thanks!
How much longer till you retire? I know someone that was going to retire this year and just as he was putting his paperwork in they were going to ship him overseas which would have kept him in past his time IIRC.

If it was me, I would build if I could but a rancher with a basement and an attic I could stand in that had actual steps going up. This will give you a 2nd floor if you need it later on for guests or whatever. I actually have a house plan I like.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-25-2008, 09:24 AM
 
Location: Knoxville
4,705 posts, read 25,182,234 times
Reputation: 6128
Rarely are homes just built from logs, they are usually built from "kits" or manufactured packages. Most modern log homes have tongue and goove joints, or "keys" that go between the logs and reduce the problem of chinking, that was a huge issue with older types.

The logs shrink as they dry out, and gaps appear between logs. The keys or T&G keep the air leaks at a minimum.

That said, unless the builder has experience with log homes, they can still mess it up. I have seen the corner dovetails cut backwards so they drain water into the house instead of away.

The floor system is common stick construction, but the foundation needs to be designed for the increased loads the logs, and design of the house (load paths).

Search the companies that build log homes in your area. Ask for references and then talk to the previous clients and visit the homes. You will get a very good idea of how good the builder is by talking to past customers. You should also hire a professional home inspector (one with experience with log homes) to inspect it along the way.

I have inspected hundreds of log homes, and have found the following...
1. some were built by Uncle Fred and his buddy and showed
2. Carpenter bees seem to really like some log homes
3. repair costs can be very high is something goes wrong (wood rot or damage to a log)
4. placement of wall outlets, switches, cabinets can be a challenge
5. people forget the never ending maintenance of the logs (staining/sealing/caulking), let it go, and the result is usually bad and expensive.

Just like anything, extra care needs to be taken during construction, and it has to be maintained to keep performing as designed.

Kind of like a Ferrari, not for everyone, big problems if not taken care of, but really cool for the owner that appreciates the machine and takes the time to care for it.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-25-2008, 09:33 AM
 
1,117 posts, read 2,032,868 times
Reputation: 680
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roselvr View Post
we also liked them but not enough to build.



How much longer till you retire? I know someone that was going to retire this year and just as he was putting his paperwork in they were going to ship him overseas which would have kept him in past his time IIRC.

If it was me, I would build if I could but a rancher with a basement and an attic I could stand in that had actual steps going up. This will give you a 2nd floor if you need it later on for guests or whatever. I actually have a house plan I like.
We are already retired, actually. He is 44 and I am 38. We are young retirees trying to figure out what to do with the rest of our days.

I saw a log home out in California that was for sale. You had to move it to a new location...because the hillside it was planted on disappeared after an earthquake. The house did not suffer any damage. I figured that was a good testiment to the fact they hold up well. The new construction we are in right now is already shifting and we don't live in an earthquake zone. Ugh!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-25-2008, 09:35 AM
 
1,117 posts, read 2,032,868 times
Reputation: 680
Quote:
Originally Posted by Barking Spider View Post

Just like anything, extra care needs to be taken during construction, and it has to be maintained to keep performing as designed.

Kind of like a Ferrari, not for everyone, big problems if not taken care of, but really cool for the owner that appreciates the machine and takes the time to care for it.
Very well put. Thanks so much for the info...very good stuff!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-30-2014, 04:12 AM
 
2 posts, read 3,594 times
Reputation: 16
Never heard of excessive energy costs when living in a log house. I mean, log houses have been hugely popular in both Northern and Southern Europe. Even apartment buildings of logs are a fast growing trend in Scandinavia. Roughly a fifth of new apartment buildings in Sweden are made of logs these days. Currently, a 14-story log home apartment building is under construction in Norway.
But yeah, I suppose having a log home build rather than buying an existing one is the way to go. With rapidly advancing technologies there are so many options on the table these days. Located in Southern Estonia myself, I can say that the log home industry is certainly a major one. Huge effort has been put into improving these technologies and it has paid off - Estonian log homes are recognized as top quality (they better be considerng the Nordic climate!) at an affordable price.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Real Estate

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top