When someone thinks of the word “kit” in conjunction with a log home or cabin they are typically thinking of a log home package that comes with the log shell and the other dryin materials. The dryin materials include things like the first floor subfloor, upper subfloor, exterior doors, windows, roofing, soffit, fascia, exterior door and window trim, interior framing lumber, and 1×6 pine tongue and groove for soffits and ceilings. So let’s take a minute and talk about small cabin kits which are provided by Cowboy Log Homes.

Mule Deer Log Cabin

Log Wall Kit

Now let me explain this in a little more detail. For a milled log cabin the logs would be either a 7, 8, 9, 10, or 12 inch diameter. The logs come in either a D shape, square,  double D, or Swedish Cope. The D-log is a flat profile to the interior and rounded on the exterior of the home. The square logs are flat on the inside and outside of the dwelling. The double D, or round on round profile, is round on the inside and outside.

The Swedish Cope log stack is round log with a coped underside and saddle notched corners. The D-log, square cut, and double D logs have a double tongue and groove stack between the logs. This provides two tongue and grooves between the interior and exterior of the home. The log corners are either posted corners, butt and pass, saddle notched, or dovetail.

Handcrafted Log Wall Kit

For a handcrafted log cabin the logs are a mean diameter of 13 inches and range in size from about 12 to 15 inches. The log package is fully precut and pre-numbered. The logs have a hand peeled draw knife finish. Scandinavian full scribe method is used to fit one log over the log beneath it. Each log is hand selected and cut to fit into a specific place in the wall. A slight Swedish Cope curve is utilized between each row of logs to provide a seal of wood on wood between each row. The corners are full saddle notch.

Between the logs to further seal them against the elements an insulating gasket is installed. This is a foam type material which is attached along the edges of each full scribe channel on the underside of the logs. The top logs are cut at an angle, pitch cut, so that the roofing material can be installed directly onto the cabin. All of our wall logs are full length. There are no end joints within a wall. Log lengths go up to 50 feet.

All of our handcrafted logs are recessed to receive the doors, windows, and dimensional lumber. This means that if you look at the window hole there is a flat area all the way around the window opening so that the window trim can be installed without any further cutting needed. This is very important with the roundness of the logs. Another issue with the roundness of the logs which we solve for the homeowner is pre-nothing of the exterior walls for the interior ones. This means that any time a framed wall intersects with a log wall, the log wall has a vertical channel cut into it. Then the framing lumber and finish material, such as drywall, is slid right into the channel. Looking to the wiring, all of the electric box hole and wire holes are precut and pre-drilled. Also all of the logs are recessed for the switch plate covers and outlet covers.

For the chinking lover, we also have a chink style handcrafted log home. The logs are stacked in their full round shape. Then insulating gaskets and chinking are added to finish between the rows of logs.

Roof Systems

There are three types of roof system available for either style of the small log homes. These include the round log roof system, square timber, or standard trusses. A nice combination with a milled log cabin is to include a handcrafted log roof system with it. Many times only a log ridge beam is needed and an interior supporting post.  Log cabins are typically too small to require a log truss, but as on the Mule Deer, one was added to further enhance the front. Square timbers are also solid wood but have a dimensional profile. And standard truss refers to a flat bottomed framed truss.

Exterior Doors and Windows

The next item of consideration for tiny log cabins is the exterior doors and windows. Either vinyl or wood clad windows can be chosen. Vinyl windows are more economical, but the wood clad is a better quality. We can provide whatever window brand you would like including: Anderson, Jeld-Wen, Pella, Martin, and Mill-Gaurd. Exterior doors include any of the above brand names or solid wood.

Roofing Inclusions

Mostly commonly we include the roof framing build up, sheathing, and titanium. Final metal or shingles should be purchased locally.

First Floor Sub Floor

Subfloor is an area that varies between handcrafted log cabins and milled log cabins. First floor subfloor materials typically include joists and sheathing.

Interior Staircases and Railing

Interior log staircases and railing add a nice touch to any cabin. Some small cabins require a ladder instead of a staircase as the footprint of the cabin is too narrow. A log ladder can be supplied upon request.

1×6 Pine Tongue and Groove

Cabins of all sizes many times have 1×6 pine tongue and groove on the underside of the ceilings. This gives a woodsy rustic feel to the cabin. Also this material is used on the outside of the cabin to finish the soffits. Pine tongue and groove can also be used on the gable ends. Some homeowners choose to place pine T&G on just the inside of the gable ends, while others choose to use it for both the interior and exterior of the home. Due to the small space within cabins, sometimes owners do not want to have to deal with drywall, so instead they purchase a little extra T&G and install it on the interior walls as well. Tongue and groove is available in 1×4, 1×6, 1×8, and 1×10 sizes. It is also available in Pine or Western Red Cedar.

Interior Framing Lumber

All of our packages include the lumber for the main framed walls. Framing lumber of 2×4’s and 2×6’s for interior walls of the home are included with all styles of cabins.

Exterior Door and Window Trim

To help limit trips to the local lumber yard once a log cabin project is underway, one option is to have all of the 1×6 Pine for the exterior door and window trim included with the package.

Upper Sub Floor

For a two story log home or one with an open loft there are two different types of second floor sub floors which can be utilized. For an upper level with no plumbing the most economical avenue is the use of 2×6 pine or fir tongue and groove loft decking. This flooring is installed directly on top of the loft floor joists and serves as the finished flooring and also as the ceiling of the first floor. Then the top side only needs lightly sanded, stained, and varnished to finish.

The second option entails 2x timber joists with ¾” sheathing. This style allows for plumbing lines to be run within the subfloor. 1×6 pine tongue and groove is also added to the underside of the subfloor to serve as the first floor ceiling. Then finished flooring is installed over the ¾” sheathing.

Upper Framed Walls

Milled log cabins can have either solid log gables or framed gables covered with 1×6 pine tongue and groove. Handcrafted log homes almost always have framed gables which are covered with wood siding or log siding. Our log packages will specify which we are including.

Covered Porches and Decks

We include the header beams and support posts for any covered porches in the plan. We can also supply log or timber rafters if a sloped ceiling is desired.

Final Construction Drawings

All of our small log cabin kits include the final construction drawings in blueprint size.

Just because a small cabin is not as large as a rambling luxury log home does not mean that it is not just as special and unique to its owners. Many times over our customers choose to build a cabin while still holding to the age old tradition of logs and handcrafted log home works. Even tiny log cabins such as the Mule Deer plan, still hold all of the craftsmanship that a our large log homes have.

Variations from this standard list can be made by the homeowner. An exact quote can be given based on the exact log home package inclusions that a customer desires for their small log cabin or luxury log cabin.

Cowboy Log Homes