Log Cabin Remodeling

Quite a few people currently have a log cabin or log home that they are thinking of adding onto with a remodeling project. It is just as important to research log home companies and log home builders for a project like that as it is for a new log construction project. Log homes are easily added on to but if you don't know who supplied the logs for the project you may have some searching to do. We bid a remodel and restoration project and contacted a Wisconsin log home company called Stevens Point Log Homes.They were able to mill and peel the logs to match the logs that were already there. They are a log home company the offers a great product and reasonable prices. It is hard to find a log home company that is willing to do custom sized logs too. Most just want to stick to their normal sized log and run it through their machines. When it comes to a rustic appearing half log with that draw knife look their logs can't be beat! Their half log with a partial coped corner makes for a great looking log home or cabin regardless if it is a remodel or new build. I'm happy I came across them and make sure to check them out for your next project. You too will be impressed with their rustic half log siding.

Wisconsin Log Home Builders

Road limits are off and spring is in full stride in the upper midwest. With the season brings the start for some and researching for others for Wisconsin log homes. In both Wisconsin and Minnesota there are several log home manufactures to choose from. Some offer only half log, others offer only full log but most offer both. Beyond type of construction you will also have choices of log style and size. Some log home companies offer round, pencil like logs with very little character to them. That is fine for some but most like a peeled, rustic looking log. To break it down further than that, some machine peel their logs and others have a random rustic peel. I'm not a fan of machine peeled logs due to the fact every few feet the pattern usually repeats itself. As we all know, nature doesn't usually repeat itself so neither should your logs. Stevens Point Log Homes offers true half log for your log home. They only control the height of the log and the face of it has a random and rustic peel to it. Hands down, they have one of the best looking logs on the market. They also have a network of Wisconsin log home builders to help you through the planning and construction stages of your project. I've said it before but there is no standard in the log home industry for materials or packages so it is up to you to stay researched and sort things out on your own.

Wisconsin Log Homes

Here in the northern tier of the U.S. spring has arrived. With the arrival of spring the finalizing of log home plans accelerates and the excitement to get started ramps up. Regardless of time of year and location, some of you are in the researching stage while others are planning and some are soon to start or underway already. The research side of log homes and log cabins is confusing. Everyone has something to offer but no two offer the same packages so it is nearly impossible to compare company to company. The best way is to work with a local/regional log home company and their builder to get an estimate of the whole project, not just materials. That is the only accurate way to compare costs. Species of wood and log size and style will also impact costs. A Wisconsin log homes company called Stevens Point Log Homes has one of the best looking milled logs available. Their log is available in both full log and half log options with several corner styles to choose from. Their half log is available in 7", 8", 10 and 12" options and their full log is available in 8", 10" and 12" with custom sizes available. They are one of the few out there that use actual measurements for their log heights. When it comes to rustic appearance, they can't be beat. They achieve the "true log" look with their rustic peeled log being they don't run their logs through a machine peeler. Nature doesn't have repetitive patterns and neither should your logs! For the best looking hand hewn half log check out Stevens Point Log Homes

Log styles

It has been awhile since I have posted anything here. Things have been busy with log home plans and getting spring starts ready. The end of '11 started getting busy and things have been wild ever since. One thing to bring up in comparing logs or half logs is the peel pattern. Some log home companies run their logs through a machine to peel it. That results in a repetitive machine peeled look that loses the rustic appeal pretty fast. A company that supplies log homes in Wisconsin and beyond is Stevens Point Log Homes. They have one of the best looking logs in the milled log market available. They control the heights of their log but the face of it is randomly peeled. This is the only way to get a random, draw knifed look to a log. Go to their website and take a look at their product. They have builder support as well which is great to see.

More Winter in Minnesota

More snow and an extension of winter with another snowstorm. For now, I don't mind it. I've said before that it is tough to beat the coziness of a log home in the winter. Add falling snow in a wooded setting and it is even better. Anyways, snow or no snow, the spring building season is getting closer by the day. Last weekend was the Lake Home and Cabin show in Minneapolis. The show was very well attended and quite a few people talking about building in 2011. A lot of questions regarding log home packages and prices, building schedules and how to get going on plans.

A few weeks ago an email came in from someone that found my log home website through google. It was an inquiry that was a first for me. The email asked if we would be interested in restoring a full log home that had partially burned from a chimney fire. It was close to home so I drove over to take a look. It is unreal what the homeowners went through but they all made it out safe and got their pets out as well. The house could be saved but one full log wall will have to be taken down and about a third of the roof system was beyond repair. The logs were delivered last week and it is a very interesting project to be part of. I believe the fact that the home was built with full log helped slow the spread of the fire which in turn saved the house.

As you are researching log home companies, dealers and going over plans keep in mind the package is only part of your log home equation. Wild River Log Homes who builds log homes in Minnesota reminds us that the build costs, well and septic are other parts of the budget as well. Too many people get caught up in the package and "forget" about the other factors that will be involved which in turn impact the total price. No two log home packages are the same so it is up to you to determine why the prices range so far between them. Some include exterior doors and windows and some don't. Also, if you are contacting dealers representing log home companies are they full time dealers? Quite a few in the log home business are part time dealers. Can you reach them during business hours? Will they be around during construction or at least reachable in case jobsite issues flare up? It is a long term relationship between you, the log home company and/or the dealer. You need to be comfortable with all involved and they need to be reachable when needed.

February

Well, here it already is February. Between building, snowplowing and fitting in some snowmobiling, January blew right on by. Quite the winter here in Minnesota. But, I guess if we are going to have winter we may as well have it. Finally got time to plow a two day old snow fall today. Good to get that out of the way. Plenty of emails, calls and a successful log home open house over the weekend to keep me busy. Also involved in a reconstruction of a full log home that burned a few weeks ago. It is a good thing it was full log. If it wasn't, the damage probably would've been a lot worse.

As I mentioned earlier, log home packages have changed with the new year. Make sure you analyze the log home package offerings so you are making closer comparisons. It can be confusing and it is left up to you to sort it all out.

With winter here log home and home show season is here. This is a perfect time to get out and about to get your log home researching done on log home packages and pricing.

Between keeping some job sites cleared out of snow and working log home shows there hasn't been a whole lot going on beyond that.

Where Did 2010 Go?

Wow! 2011 is almost here. It seems like '10 just arrived! A snowy winter is underway here in Minnesota. I don't mind it at all. Snowmobile trails are excellent and fun to get out and about. Log home jobsites on the other hand get a bit more challenging with all the snow. Luckily our project has windows installed and roof completed. Mechanicals are underway and interior progress underway while exterior log is being cleared of snow and ready to install. With new year arriving some log home companies will adjust their log home packages and prices. What they will do is hard to say. Some raw materials are going up in cost but most log home companies will do what they can to keep prices steady rather than raise them. Others I've noticed have changes their inclusions. Some are deleting items that used to be included, another is going with an economy window while others aren't changing anything. It will be up to you to follow the companies you are keeping an eye on to see what is and isn't changing. If you are close to getting plans underway and want to start construction this spring the company you work with will probably offer a lock in on the current price if they think they may be seeing an increase coming for some reason. With increased fuel costs it won't surprise me to see shipping rates increase for getting the materials to your site. Diesel here in my area is running at or just about $3.50/gallon right now. You research will pay off with time and now is a great time to get those plans started and build to take advantage of the current build costs. Happy New Year!