Shipping is always a good question when considering a log home. There are several factors that should be remembered when asking this ‘loaded’ question. Recently a customer approached us about shipping to an Eastern State. With some figuring we came up with an estimated cost of about $7,000 per truck. That may sound astronomical to [...]

From Drafts to Turnkey… When planning for your home, it is very important to realize how much time each stage of your home will require. Here are realistic timelines from start to finish for an averaged sized milled and handcrafted home. (Scroll down for handcrafted log home timeline.)  FOR A MILLED HOME: 1) Choosing a [...]

Just as log homes are varied, so are our customers. Everyday it is so rewarding to talk with people from all sorts of backgrounds, professions, and interests; but one common thread is seen in all of them, their love for logs. This spring it seems the Douglas Fir handcrafted log homes seem to be ranking the [...]

Heavy Timber Post and Beam – Heavy Timber Framing- Heavy Timber Construction Timber Framing can have many meanings in the construction world. Let’s begin with the term “timber”. Timber denotes a square log, one that has been milled flat on each side to make the “square” shape. If someone says “log”, then it is really [...]

Get Your Cowboy Log Homes Plan Book Today! Many times sitting down with a plan book and a hot cut of coffee is more enjoyable for many future log home owners than browsing through page after page on a website. So for those who prefer a plan book, we recently completed our 72 page  full color [...]

Swedish Cope Log Homes Our Swedish Cope log homes feature heavy 10″ or 12″ diameter logs and are part of our handcrafted log home family. Swedish Cope Logs are at times referred to as ‘turned log homes’. (Read on to discover why…)      What makes a Swedish Cope log home unique? Swedish Cope logs are round on [...]

(CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE VERSION) Manufactured Log Profiles Our manufactured logs come with a double tongue and groove stack and full saddle notch corners. Log styles include D- log, Round On Round, and Square Log. Log sizes range from 5″x7″ to an 8″x8″. Please see below for more details.   Cowboy Log Homes

Lake Country Handcrafted 10″ and 12″ Swedish Cope Average Square Foot Pricing

FOR Log and Material Package $70-90

(CLICK HERE FOR PRINABLE VERSION)

Log Species: Lodge Pole Pine, Engelmann Spruce, Douglas Fir, and Western Red Cedar

Package Inclusions:

LOG WALLS:
Log walls, predrilled for through bolts, electric wiring, and boxes
Log wall assembly hardware including: lags, washers, SofRod gasket, and screw jacks
All other log elements shown on drawings including posts, beams, floor joists, purlins, rafters, ridge beams, and log trusses
Log siding is also available

ROOF SYSTEM:
Handcrafted Log roof system with rafters, purlins, log trusses, etc. Also manufactured trusses
Rafter or trusses, per plans and code requirements
1/2″ Roof sheathing, Western Red Cedar fascia, and 1×6 Pine tongue and groove for ceilings and soffits
30# roofing felt, ridge and soffit vents, ice and water barrier
Asphalt shingles, metal roofing, or Western Red Cedar shakes (home owner’s choice)
Notching for interior walls

SECOND FLOOR SYSTEM:
2x joists with ply wood sheathing
Log joists with 2×6 Douglas Fir loft decking OR log joists and sub-floor (2 x joists with 3/4″ sheathing)

GABLES:
2×6 framing as per design with 1/2″ sheathing, Tyvek housewrap, and Gable Flashing
Handcrafted Log Siding or Wood Siding for exterior of gables

PORCH MATERIALS (as per design)
Posts, beams, roof system, 1×6 Pine T&G paneling  for ceilings, decks, railing, and pressure treated floor framing

INTERIOR WALLS:
2×4 and 2×6 framing lumber AND/OR solid log interior walls (as per design)

WINDOWS:
Metal clad wood windows or vinyl with Low-E insulated glass, grills, screens, custom wood jambs,  log wall door and window flashing, 2×6 bucks

EXTERIOR DOORS:
Pre-hung fiberglass entry doors, metal clad wood French doors, metal clad wood or vinyl sliding patio doors, steel fire doors where required

EXTERIOR TRIM:
1×6 Pine trim for exterior doors and windows

DORMERS:
2×6 framing as per design with 1/2″ sheathing and Tyvek housewrap
Log siding and corner boards for exteriors

INTERIOR STAIRS AND RAILING:
Pre-assembled Douglas Fir Handcrafted Log or timber stairs, floor floor to upper with timber landing (if required)
Interior Railing – Western Red Cedar log Railing

Delivery to job site additional

Please allow approximately 12-16 weeks from initial deposit to delivery of your handcrafted Swedish Cope log and material package. (Based on average sized home).

Cowboy Log Builders LLC ~ Belgrade, Montana
Authroized Representatives ~ CowboyLogHomes.com ~ Lakecountrylog.com

Log Homes For Everyone?

One of the best ways to further evaluate a home is to hear what other people have to say about it. Log homes can sound and look great, but here is what some of our other customers have to say.

“After considering a wide variety of log home companies, we found the packages provided by Cowoby Log Builders to be the most complete and of the highest quality. Thanks Mike and Sue for your great customer service!” M. Ballentine

“The handcrafted log homes are especially outstanding. Who ever thought handpeeled logs feel that smooth.” J. Lynn

“For truely  beautiful Timber Frame work- this is the best there is!” A.M.L.

“We absolutely loved the revisions Mike was able to make to our floor plans. With several options to choose from, he showed us our ideas first on paper and then in the finished home. Our cabin is just what we have always wanted. Pleasure working with you all!” The Andersons

We are not satisfied until you are happy with your home. From pencil scratches on paper to computer layouts, homes owners with experience to some with no background at all, we have turned ideas into reality.

If log and timber homes are your passion, then bring your stack of ideas, come for a visit, and sit down with us. The most satisfied owners are those that do the most planning. Not sure what you want, not sure how you want your home laid out, or even what type of home you are looking for? That is OK. We are here to take your thoughts and ideals and turn them into reality.

Building Log Dreams,
Mike and Sue Lemmon
Cowboy Log Homes

Round Post and Beam Homes

Post and Beam homes are the medium between the solid log home and square timber frame. Post and Beam allow for more flexibility in design elements than the handcrafted log homes. Shrinkage does serve to limit some design options with log homes that post and beam do not face. Each log used is hand peeled and then hand scribed to fit into the log structure. There are no machine cuts, everything is done by hand. This makes each home unique.   

Handcrafted Round Post and Beam

Round post and beam construction allows for the roundness of the log to be seen on the inside and the outside of the home. The round posts are the superstructure and then framing lumber is used between the logs. Each of the log beams are the skeleton of the home that supports the framing lumber. The logs are flattened and grooved for the dimensional lumber and flooring. Additionally each time an interior wall intersects with the log structure the logs are pre- notched for the interior wall and finish material. If drywall will be hung on a particular wall, then there will be a channel cut into the log for the drywall to slide into. This greatly reduces time and labor on the jobsite.   

Mortise and Tenon Joinery.   

Mortise and Tenon Joinery

Log species for the post and beam homes include Western Red Cedar(top left of photo), Douglas Fir (top right), and Engelmann Spruce (bottom). Each has its own characteristics. One of the most noticeable is the color. Western Red Cedar gets its name from the red hue that is visible when the bark is removed. The Douglas Fir is a lighter color than the Western Red Cedar, but still retains more color than the Engelmann Spruce. Engelmann Spruce has a very clear white color.   

Western Red Cedar, Douglas Fir, Englemann Spruce

All logs are lifted with slings to prevent marking on the logs. The full super structure of these homes is completely assembled in the yard at Lake Country. Then they are hand sanded on all log surfaces, smoothing knots and buffing out any chain saw marks or scars. We have had many contractors comment that they can’t believe how smooth the logs are to touch.   

Log posts for our round post and beam construction are typically have a mean diameter of 13 inches and can range from 12 to 14. The logs are flattened and prepared for finish material and framing lumber.   

Motise and Tenon Posts

When a second floor is included in a plan, round log floor joist beams are used to support the upper floor.   

Double Log Beam is shown here.   

Doubel Log Beams

For ease of assembly on the job site, the ridge beam and the roof purlins are pitch cut (angle cut) for the roof system. Notice the ridge beam (the highest one) has two different angles cut into it. The purlins each have one.   

Log trusses are also used for these homes. Here is example an of a hand crafted log a scissor truss and a gable truss. The scissor truss allows for more lift to the interior ceiling. The gable truss allows for a simply stunning open ceiling.   

Handcrafted Scissor Truss

Tuck cuts are incorporated into the logs for interior finish framing material.   

Post and Beam Super Structure

Logs are also flattened for the gable ends of the second floor so that they will accept the framing materials.   

Post and beam are the type of home still gives the rustic log feel, but also allows for creativity. More homeowners are choosing this old world style of construction for everything from home additions to mansions.

Before you read further- TO GET A REALLY GOOD COMPARISON BETWEEN OUR LOG CABIN KITS AND OTHERS        

Here are some important things to consider.      **ALL** of our log cabin kits come with:FULLY PRECUT PRENUMBERED ~ROOF SYSTEM FULLY PRECUT     FINGER JOINERY ON ALL BUTT JOINTS **see photo below**        

ALL OF OUR HOMES COME WITH ROUND TIMBERS UNLESS OTHER WISE ORDERED        

ALL OF THE ELECTRIC BOXES AND WIRING HOLES ARE PREDRILLED**see photo below**          

Precut electric box holes and wire holes

 OUR HOMES ARE COMPUTER MILLED,  DOUBLE TONGUE AND GROOVE ON TOP AND BOTTOM OF LOGS, with FULL SADDLE NOTCH CORNERS     There is not better value on the market. As dealers we travel extensively for home shows. We are very up to date on other company’s products and services, and Lake Country over shadows the other companies when you really consider their quality and craftsmanship coupled with their price. There is no better value on the market.        

THE ABOVE ITEMS are so important because our log cabins  save the home builder, whether you or someone else, a whole lot of time! And you get a very professional finished product that is much better sealed against the wind and elements. No matter if you are building a huge log mansion or small log cabin kits, they all need to have the professional finished look.        

8x8 D Log Wall

Log homes are capable of better energy efficiency than a standard construction “stick frame” home. But when the logs have gaps between them you loose your R- value. There are log homes that you can walk around the edge of the rooms on a windy day and feel the breeze coming between the logs, BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE WITH LAKE COUNTRY HOMES!          

Lake Country Log Homes Inc. from British Columbia, CANADA, is a premier log home company. Feel free to visit their website at www.lakecountrylog.com . For over 20 years Lake Country has been providing both milled and handcrafted log homes all over the world… and I do mean all over the world. This internationally recognized company has shipped thousands of homes to Japan, Holland, Germany, and even the Philippians.       

Queest Under Construction 6x8 Log

We here at Cowboy Log Homes have been building high quality log homes and timber frame homes since 1997. Over the years we have build homes from a long parade of log home suppliers. With a log home, this is a very true- You either pay now or you pay later. Log homes are capable of even higher energy efficiency than a standard construction home, but only if they are assembled properly. You may find a log home package that is very, very inexpensive, but you had better be prepared to buy lots and lots of caulking to fill in the holes that the shrinking logs leave. The reason we became dealers for Lake Country Log was the extreme value and quality that our customers are able to receive from this mill. Log homes are a passion with us and the value obtained from a Lake Country home matches this passion.   Windows are an important concern in homes. We generally offer Jeld-Wen windows. More window information can also be obtained at the window guide.         

Log Wall Being Erected

Post and Beam

The Hunter Post and Beam

Post and beam construction is another specialty of Lake Country. With a team of specially trained log home master craftsman, under the shadow of the two cranes, these handcrafted post and beam homes superstructures take form. Post and beam construction is found in authentic turn of the century barns and homes. A traditional style applied to custom homes, make quite a combination. 

Our log packages for post and beam construction include just the structural elements of a log home. The post and beams are hand crafted to fit. Western Red Cedar, Douglas Fir, and Englemann Spruce are the three species of logs that are used to form these round log beauties. This type of post and beam home construction allows the homeowner or business owner to leave the logs exposed on both the inside of the structure and the outside. Only premium seasoned logs are used for the process. Logs can reach an average of 13″ and 14″ at the mid point and 12″ to 18″ at the ends. Those are some big logs! 

Not just any log is used. First each log is selected based on quality and strength for placement in the log structure. TPI grading and rating is what separates the logs. Then they are handpeeled. Then the craftsman use chain saws, micrometers, and other hand tools to form the logs into the desired lengths. For a unique home, this may be the choice for you. 

Log Gazebo

Round Post and Beam

Log Turret