Where the wind blows the log cabin needs to be really snug…

Log cabins are a passion of many, but there are several issues that concern future home owners. Within this small article I am going to strive to explain why these log cabin kits are so worry free. You want the most worry free construction and life for your log home, and yourself, that can be obtained. Right? So let me explain briefly why these homes are much less worry, and much more rewarding to own than many people give them credit for.

Let’s start with the construction of the log home. No matter who the contractor is that you hire, to make your log home dreams come true, the turn key price is what the whole thing will cost you. Turn key pricing is where the home is totally ready for you to move into when it is completed. No matter where the package is purchased, the bottom line is the turn key pricing. Construction costs are made of two main costs, material and labor. The more you pay for your package, the less labor the contractor does on site. With a fully pre-cut prenumbered manufactured log home package, such as we sell, you are gaining the advantage of having all of the cuts done by the computerized log home mill. Also all of the timber or log roof system is constructed by master craftsmen in our log home yard. The end result is much more accurate and precise cuts on your home than if the package had been fully cut or even partially cut on the job site. Also the log home shell erects in a few days versus an additional three to four months.

To make your home tighter, finger joinery is the best avaiable. Where one log ends and the next begins, the finger joinery goes the extra mile at sealing the joints. To futher weather tight a home we use a double tongue and groove stack to the logs. This provides a double row of solid log between the inside and the outside of the log cabin. Another very important consideration deals with the log corners. A full saddle notch is the best log corners available in the market. The logs fully stacking on the ends provides more of a air barrier. Also the ends of the logs are not exposed to the weather as in the case with the butt and pass style.

Two other things that provide a superior home on completion of a Lake Country Log Home package is that every log surface is hand sanded before it is shipped. Also, all electric box holes and wire holes are pre-cut and pre-drilled. It is amazing how much nicer the log home looks with these attention to detail improvements.

Now for the long term. Log homes DO NOT require the vast amount of maintenance that so many brand them with. It is a myth and an disillusion that a log home needs loads of time and care from their owners. The below pictured log home is the model at the Lake Country yard. It is painted every 4-6 years with one coat of sealant on the outside. That is all the time it takes.

Other things that do assist any home is wide eaves, gutters, downspouts, no shrubbery touching the home, and no yard sprinklers wetting the home do help to extend the life of your exterior sealant. The last necessity is a very good quality sealant such as name brands like San-Sin or Permachink. All custom log homes deserve very high quality sealants.

Thanks for reading!
Mike Lemmon
Cowboy Log Homes