The Easy Guide To Making A Log House And Making It A Real Home
Log homes are becoming a popular choice for families that like their breathing space. Those who prefer living away from the hustle and bustle or just a place to retreat to now and then are turning to them in droves. So, how do you end up getting your own little slice of heaven away from it all? You can buy one, but the market can be unpredictable. So a lot choose to make their own. That’s right, building their own houses from scratch. A tremendously pricey and often complicated choice in urban and suburban zones can be a lot easier in the wild. Here’s how you get started.
Why choose a log home?
The first part to building your own log home is deciding you actually want one. Log homes have lots of benefits over conventional ones. They’re long lasting, with some European examples still working fine after 800 years. They’re able to survive natural disasters much better than most suburban constructions and warm, too. Above all that, sourcing logs for any upgrades or repairs is easy and you can find renewable sources for them easily.
Budgeting
An important part of any endeavour, especially a big one like building a home, requires a proper budget. Find out the cost of building the average log home. Shop around for different construction companies and take it all into account. Then budget for the individual rooms and any additions like heating and septic systems. Create a budget that you can manage and stick to it. You really don’t want to live in an unfinished log home so don’t go too over budget on any one aspect of your home. It might leave you unable to give the proper attention to the other parts.
Location
As with any home, the location of a log home is an important choice. You might have a degree more choice on where to purchase that land, but there’s still a lot to consider. How much of a commute to necessities and work is it? Can you build a well and a proper septic system? Where will your driveway connect to? Then you might find yourself needing to do some work on the land, like removing rotting tree stumps or surface rocks.
Getting your logs
There are a few different ways to get the logs that you need to build and sustain your home. If you learn the right practices of cutting, creating and finishing your own logs, you could very do just that. You need to make sure your technique is perfect, however, so you don’t end up with a house full of splits. Make sure any transport you use is well equipped for transporting logs without overflowing. A stray log is one of the most dangerous objects on the road. You can just as easily buy logs or hire a company to get them for you.
The plan
Take a look at the space you’ve acquired for the log home and use it to start your floor plan. Do you have enough space to keep everything on one floor or are you going to go for two? How many bathrooms and bedrooms do you want? Do you want a loft? A ranch? A garage? There are a lot of different plans to choose from, so consider which best fits your family’s needs and wants.
The build
When it comes to actually building the home, there are a few tips you might want to keep in mind. Orient your home to the path of the sun so you can use as much of the natural light as possible and live in a home that’s not full of shadows. Make use of spaces that serve more than one purpose so you have more room for bedrooms and bathrooms. Most importantly, hire builders that come with great testimonials and experience with log homes.
Sustaining it
Despite what some may tell you, log homes aren’t subject to falling to pieces. Nor are they energy inefficient. With the right sustaining practices, your home can be kept in good condition without much difficulty. Chinking your logs prevents the wind from getting into the home and fully insulates it. Wood retains more heat than artificial construction in general. So log homes are genuinely more energy efficient that most. To see the kind of sustaining options available for your log home, browse online at Weatherall.com.
Preventing any rot
With the correct sustaining practices done through the home, you shouldn’t be facing any problems with rot. That said, there are extra ways to protect your home to fight against the possibility, too. Sealing is the key to preventing moisture building up in your logs. Moisture and heat are the two keys to rotting wood. So if you’re haven’t sealed everything up right, you could find a humid summer doing plenty of damage. Make sure there are good overhangs, so rainwater doesn’t wear at the logs and keep the gutters clear.
The septic system
Given that your home will likely be quite far from any settlements, you’re going to need your own septic system. Most homes use a system made up of a tank, pump and drain field. You can make your own septic system, but they need to fit certain regulations with safety inspectors. You also need to make sure they’re a good distance from your well. That said, it’s just as easy to hire services that can install the system for you, as Bobvilla.com shows.
The mudroom
An important part of just about any home out in the wild is the mudroom. A good deal of hall space will need to be devoted to this room. Here is where people get out of their boots and coats so they’re not dragging any mud through your home. But you can make extra use of the space, too. Organisational space and a washing sink can make someone’s return all the easier before they relax in the home. If you have a stair landing, it can be the perfect place to keep shoes and boots so they’re not cluttering up the room.
As we have mentioned before, log homes are some of the best at sustaining heat. That said, you will still probably want heating options for those frozen winters. Contrary to some beliefs, log homes do not catch fire any easier than conventional ones. Big logs aren’t good sources of tinder for small flames, especially sealed logs. So installing a fireplace is a perfectly viable option. Radiant heating systems can provide heat to the whole home, too, without taking up any of your valuable open space. Browse Radiantec.com for more info.
Adding some heat
As we have mentioned before, log homes are some of the best at sustaining heat. That said, you will still probably want heating options for those frozen winters. Contrary to some beliefs, log homes do not catch fire any easier than conventional ones. Big logs aren’t good sources of tinder for small flames, especially sealed logs. So installing a fireplace is a perfectly viable option. Radiant heating systems can provide heat to the whole home, too, without taking up any of your valuable open space. Browse Radiantec.com for more info.
Adding some heart
The living room is an important part of the home, so make sure that you turn it into the heart of your family. Keeping the living room in the centre of the home is a good idea, so as many people pass through it in the day as possible. Just keep a path open around the furniture so people aren’t getting too in each other’s way. Wooden flooring is a clear option for a log home, so choose a rug to add some softness and focal point to the floor, instead. Log homes are perfect for rustic, simple looks, so you don’t have to go too far to make your living room a comfy place for the family.
Lighting
Log homes can darken easily, so it’s important you make good use of lighting. As said above, windows should be positioned to use maximum natural light. Besides them, wall sconces can be great options for hallways. Table lamps can add a great source of extra warmth when it comes to the visuals of the living room. For the kitchen and bathroom, however, use bright ceiling lights. Position them above prominent pieces of furniture so they cast as few shadows as possible.
The bathroom
The bathroom is supposed to be a place of cleanliness and comfort. Nowhere is this more true than in a log home. A big bath can fit to the rustic charms of log homes better than a shower, for a start. Give yourself enough space for a chair so you can relax and take your time as you get ready for the day, too. Providing it’s on the second floor and positioned high enough, using larger windows can give the bathroom plenty of light. This makes it easier to clean thoroughly and provides a feeling of freshness to the whole room. Homedesignlover.com shows plenty of bathroom designs for some inspiration.
The kitchen
Just because you’re going for that rustic look doesn’t mean you should lack the finer things. A choice of granite tops in the kitchen makes an excellent contrast against the wood. It’s also very easy to clean and sustains no moisture which is important in a log home. Make sure your kitchen has plenty of space for all your appliances and essential spaces. A long island can give you plenty of path to circulate, but space that doubles as preparation for food as well as dining space. Building a home from scratch gives you lots of space saving options, too, like using the walls more for storage.