Selecting a log home is like selecting a new car. What are you looking for? Porsche 911, Chevy Pickup, S Class Mercedes, Honda Civic, Jeep Wrangler or an Aston Martin – I think you get my point. You will want to shop for what fits your needs. Cost, size, style, quality, ability to deliver on time, warranties and references are some of the guidelines you should use in making your decision. There are plenty of log home manufacturers online, and most offer extensive visuals to help you understand their specialties. But when it comes to price comparisons the picture gets a bit fuzzy. You'll see references to walls-only packages, structural-shell packages, complete packages, and others. The only way to get an accurate price comparison is to compare packages side-by-side.
Cost:
Log home companies are very competitive in their pricing. In comparing costs, keep in mind the following: different kinds of wood, size of the logs (thickness), manner of construction, charges for plans, cost of freight (no such thing as free shipping – fuel costs money) and what is included in the package. This last item is, in my estimation, the most important. It is very difficult to compare “apples to apples” unless you know exactly what you are getting for your money. Will you be getting just the basic shell, or will you be getting everything necessary for drying in the house. Does your basic kit or shell include the roof system, or just the rafters? Is the sub floor and interior framing included in the price? Can you buy the materials locally necessary for drying in the house locally for less – most likely not!
Size:
Size is the singularly the most important factor in determining price. You will need to consider it carefully. Most companies can offer any size log home.
Style:
This is a very personal decision. There is a tremendous variety of styles available plus most companies will do a custom plan on request.
Quality:
Today’s log homes are a far cry from those of yesterday. You should consider a company that is a member within the Log Home Council of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). You will find the quality and technology offered by log home companies is excellent. You should consider a company that is a member within the Log Home Council of the (NHAB) National Home Builders Association. Overall you should, if at all possible visit the manufacturer and see their facility before you make a decision.
Delivery:
Most companies like Estemerwalt Log Homes guarantee delivery dates. Be sure that they do. When your subcontractor is ready for the kit, you want to make sure it will be there that day. The same holds true even is the company you buy from does the kit erection.
Warranties:
Again, most companies offer some form of a limited warranty. Check and compare each of the companies you are looking at.
References:
The internet can be the best tool in researching a company. You can search through Google or other search engines such as Yahoo, MSN, or Ask.com
When you are designing your home, make sure you evaluate what your needs are. With Estemerwalt, you can work with them on standard models, or custom plans designed specifically for you and your living needs. Ask to look at past plans to get ideas. Take notes about features you like in homes you’ve been in, lived in previously, seen in magazines, on TV – all of these will help you in ultimately deciding on your design.
Since size of the home is the single most important cost factor, it should be one of the first things you decide upon. Do you want multiple levels, or single floor living? What is large for one person may be small to someone else, so be specific with what you want. If you are trying to keep overall size to a minimum, it is suggested that you keep non-living areas as small as possible. These areas include bedrooms, baths and garages. As you design your home, consider flow - if you entertain a lot, you may want a large kitchen and dining area open to a great room (this is a very popular design feature for a log home).
You will find your Estemerwalt Log Home sales consultant very helpful in assisting you with the design process, and will help determine a rough ball park figure of the finished project (note that final costs will be determined when plans are drawn up). If you can dream it, they can build it!
- Kitchen Size & fuctionability
- Number of Bedroom
- Greatroom size
- Fireplace location(s)
- Closet and storage
- Open floorplan concept
- Size of logs
- Electronic features / media room
- Decks / porches
- Overhangs
- Window locations
Once you have a design in mind, you can start the land selection and site preparation. Before making a final decision on selecting land, have your surveyor indicate the best location for the home.
Some items to consider when selecting land:
- Location of house - The site plan should indicate any natural features you want to protect and any sediment control measures you plan.
- Well
- Septic system
- Driveway
- Utility lines
- Material storage areas – particularly where logs will be stored / material storage trailer
- Portable toilet for workers
- Topsoil and excavation soil mounds
- Stump Removal – rotting stumps are havens for insects and invitations to insect problems in your log home.
- Rock – Surface rock can often be cleared using heavy equipment. Larger obstructions may need dynamite.
- Drainage – make sure you know where you want run off to go during construction and when the final construction is completed of your log home. In most areas, building permits will require silt fences to protect water run off and adjoining properties.
- Clearing the land - Mark which trees you want to keep and remove so you can determine if your log home can be situated in that specific location.
Your new log home is going to need a good contractor to bring your new home to fruition. A good group of contractors can make your log home building experience enjoyable and satisfying.
Finding a good contactor should start with checking references. It is recommended that you get at least three to four references before you hire. References are important so that you can check quality and reliability.
Here are a few ways to find a good contractor:
- Log home company
- Realtors
- Attorneys
- Loan officers
- Insurance agents
- Surveyors and building inspectors
Contact the Log Home Council to obtain a list of builders who construct log homes in your area. The real estate section in your local newspaper is a great source for builders. Looking through ads and reading articles in the log home magazines can be an excellent resource as well.
Do Your Homework
Once you have a list of builders, do your research on their reputations and the quality of their work. Ask the builder for references of past clients and visit homes they have built – any reputable builder will happily provide this for you.
When you talk to builders and homeowners, take along a notebook to record the information you find and your personal impressions about specific builders and homes. Doing so will help you to make comparisons later. Ask past customers if they are you happy with their home, if they had any problems, and if so, were they fixed promptly and properly, and of course, if they would buy or build another home with this builder.
Building with logs is an American tradition dating back to the colonial days. However, most people today don't have the skills or time to prepare and assemble this type of structure. There are many different types of kits available for erecting a cabin. The Dreams to Reality home we chose used actual logs that were milled at the Estemerwalt facility in Honesdale, PA. The logs are notched and assembled for the entire "shell" of the cabin. The manufacturer we are working with, Estemerwalt Log Homes helped us with the plan, then will be delivering the logs to our site for assembly. If you're interested in building the cabin yourself, but prefer to work from professional plans and save time with pre-cut materials, cabin packages are a popular option that are available. Log Home packages offer frame, log and panel construction options and usually include the materials for the floor, roof, interior wall studs and exterior walls, as well as construction manuals, trim, fasteners, doors and windows. You should be aware that they generally don't include electrical or plumbing packages, foundations or insulation, and shipping charges aren't usually included in the listed cost. It's important to thoroughly review the literature for each company you consider and be sure to ask lots of questions before purchasing a cabin package.
Selecting a log home company from a Log Homes Council member is also very important. Log Home Council members are log home manufacturers and producers who have united to develop and promote quality building systems and ethical business practices. The council features both mandatory and voluntary programs designed to benefit log home customers. Considered the leaders of the industry, LHC members aim to advance log manufacturing by helping build the "American Dream."
The idea that log and timber homes are eco-friendly can come as a shock to many environmentalists, but trees are a renewable resource. Building with logs and timber effectively takes the carbon from decomposing trees out of circulation for the life of a home - and some log structures in Russia are more than 800 years old.
Like many critics whose understanding of forestry is based on emotion rather than ecology, several first-year students of Ed Burke, a professor of wood and forest science at the University of Montana College of Forestry and Conservation "think that any cutting of trees is bad." In truth, however, harvesting is the only controlled alternative available to maintaining a healthy forest.
Log Home Fast Facts:
- There are over 400 log home producers within the industry. Those that belong to the Log Homes Council agree to enter a certified log grading program, to produce a construction manual, and subscribe to a strict code of ethics.
- There are more than 500,000 log homes in the United States today. Log homes account for 7% of the custom homebuilding market.
- Log home popularity is rising. In the mid-1980’s about 15,000 log homes were sold a year. By 2003 that number increased 73% and currently more than 26,000 log homes are sold annually. Experts attribute this surge to more homeowners purchasing log homes as their primary residences.
- Handcrafted log homes, built with logs individually crafted by handheld tools, account for 10% of the log home market. The remaining 90% are built with milled logs, systematically designed for the home.
- Log homes are environmentally friendly: Wood’s thermal mass characteristics often exceed minimum energy efficiency code criteria while the most of a log home’s builder materials are naturally renewable.
- In 2003 (the most recent year complete figures are available), the most popular states for log home construction were Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio, New York, North Carolina, Michigan, Colorado, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Tennessee.
- In 2003 (the most recent year complete figures are available), the most popular states for log home manufacturers and producers were Montana, Colorado, Michigan, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, New York, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania.
We will soon be adding information about accents & furnishings. Check back again soon.
