When you are building a log or timber home the soil around the home is going to be disrupted. From the excavators digging out the foundation, cement trucks rolling around on it, semis delivering the log package, a crane to set the logs, delivery trucks, materials being unloaded, and even the U-haul that ferries all of your belongings into the door, the yard– such as it is– will need major attention. But now we want to take the home to a more completed state by getting that muddy yard, grimly driveway, and nonexistent walkways into order.

At the end of the turnkey of your new log cabin your log cabin your general contractor usually gets the soil back to a ‘rough grade’. A rough grade means all of the scrap materials (at least what isn’t hiding under a fresh layer of snow) are removed, the back filling is completed, and the ground is level fairly level. It is perfectly normal to have tire tracks and even some ruts left from the construction of your new home. There is also usually some settling of the back filled materials that occurs around the home. This is normal.

I think the first thing that should be done is installation of any cement or stone walkways and paving of the driveway. In order to get the trucks close enough to the house for the sidewalks you are once again going to have a cement truck rolling around. For a sidewalk we usually bring in a skidsteer to remove the top layer under where the sidewalks will go, then we lay about 4 inches of gravel and any pipes that will be needed to direct the water from the gutters away from the house.

Then the cement contractor builds the forms for the sidewalks. Next the cement truck comes and pours them. And finally the cement contractor strips the forms off of the sidewalks.

Next comes the driveway. If you are going with a gravel driveway you may only need the excavator to level up the driveway, roll in some heavier gravel, place shallow ditches on each side of the drive, ‘crown’ the driveway, and then spread a layer or two of finer gravel on top.

If you desire to pave the driveway then the process is a little more involved. The excavator will need to do a few additional steps such as packing in the driveway and preparing it for the asphalt. After all the preparations are done then the paving company comes out and paves the driveway and whatever turnaround or parking areas you desire. And of course there is usually a few ruts left in their wake as well.

Finally, we have found it beneficial to have an excavator go over all of the disturbed ground around the house, along the driveway, and wherever any digging was done to lay in utility lines with the bucket of his machine. Smoothing out the ruts goes a long way to making the yard feel more completed. Some excavators also have special attachments for their skidsteers that can rake up all the rocks.

Once the driveway and sidewalks are done then you are ready to tackle the task of selecting trees, shrubs, flowers, and grass for your yard. In the next article we will explore selection of trees, fire hazards, and more landscaping ideas.

Cowboy Log Homes