A log shell is the cornerstone of what differentiates a log home from a conventional home. A log shell price sheet details the various log members that comprise the log shell. Log shells can be very simple, and only include the four exterior log walls, or they can be more complex and includes features such as log floor joists, solid log gables, log staircase, log railing, log support posts, log roof system, etc.

Exterior Log Walls

The first log shell element is the log walls. This is the four exterior log walls that go around the perimeter of the log home. This particular diagram is shown in an 8 inch Swedish Cope stacked log with saddle notched corners. All Swedish Cope stacked log homes come with saddle notched corners.

Log Knee Wall

The second log element is the the log knee wall. You can see it marked  just above the log support post. For this particular log cabin plan the owners wanted to retain a small cabin feel while still adding more usable space upstairs. To accomplish this three rows of logs were added to raise. This raises the roof on the second level.

Log Support Posts

The log support posts are any member of the log shell that stands vertically supporting a load. In the Ponderosa there is a set of support posts that come up the center of the front of the cabin supporting the ridge beam. There is a second set of support posts that support the ridge beam and girder beam in the center of the cabin.  Support posts are also visible on each side of the covered porch.

Log Header Beam

The log header beam is for the covered porch. This log is shown here as a double log beam and is located between the support posts for the covered porch.  Log header beams and support posts are a standard package inclusion if a covered porch is included in the plan.

Log Roof System

The log roof system consists of any logs that are in the roof structure of the log home. This can include log ridge beams, log purlins, log rafters, or log trusses. Due to the narrow footprint of this cabin, a log ridge beam is all that is needed.

Solid Log Gable Ends

The gable end of a log cabin is where the triangular part of the roof on the ends of the home are formed. For this log cabin plan we have included stacked logs up into the peak of the gables. Solid log gable ends provides a very nice appearance. It also the most standard way to build a Swedish Cope log home.

Log Floor Joists

The log floor joists are the logs that are visible between the first and second level of the home. These log member support the open loft. This home has a three-quarter loft. The log floor joists are exposed and visible from the first floor.

Log Staircase

A log staircase is a nice addition to any log home. The log staircase is typically half log tread and log stringers. Some small log cabin plans are too small of a footprint for a standard log staircase to be utilized.

Log Railing

Log railing is typically included for the loft edge and one side of the staircase. Log railing can be added for exterior porches, balconies, and open decks.

Log Shell Quotes

We are happy to provide a log shell quote on any floor plan. A log shell can include just the four exterior log walls, or a more complete log shell such as we have detailed above. A sample of the log shell perspective can be included with your log cabin floor plans. The cost of the log shell is the main cost difference between a conventional home and a log home.

Cowboy Log Homes