Once again I want to visit the topic of Western Red Cedar homes, but with a focus specifically on Western Red Cedar post and beam homes. Cedar is a type of wood that offers awesome features that no other wood species contains.

Western Red Cedar provides a very rustic and dramatic appearance when the texture of the tree truck is preserved. Some select Red Cedar trees are harvested with a portion of the root system in tact. A back hoe is brought into the woods and the base of the tree is dug out, exposing the base. Then the loggers cut the tree down below the original ground level. Once the tree reaches the yard the craftsmen spend a lot of extra time working with the base of the tree. Through hand peeling chiseling, time, and patience a Red Cedar log flare post, like the photo below, is produced.

After a whole series of Western Red Cedar flair posts are prepared the the post and beam home can be assembled. The flares are used in key locations such as support posts for porches, ends of exposed header beams, and the base of a log staircase like as is shown here.

Often you will see a post and beam home covered in log siding. The reason for this is wider open spaces can be gained with post and beam construction than with stacked log walls. Also much more detailed stonework can be interspersed throughout the walls and mixed liberally with log siding. This gives a log and stone home appearance, but the secret is all the weight is being supported structurally through the post and beams.

Another common feature in an entirely uncommon home style is the octagonal shaped rooms. To support the roof system a scissor truss must be employed. Then hip beams and others are configured to tie into the walls. These rooms are sometimes called log gazebos, log turrets, and dining nooks.

There is a difference between old growth western red cedar and second growth cedar. The old growth cedar has tighter growth rings and less sapwood than does the second growth cedar. To most people they can’t see a difference between the two, but to the trained eye there is a big difference. Also there is a huge cost difference between the two. For most western red cedar log homes the second growth cedar is fine. But for some owners they only want the old growth cedar. So be sure to see what is included in the bid. But the natural flares are visible no matter if the flares are part of an old growth or second growth cedar tree.

For an awesome luxury log house consider a Western Red Cedar Post and Beam home. If you are not sure when you are going to start building, but you would like to get started on the planning of you home we do offer preliminary design contracts and full construction drawings contracts. If you are more than 2 years from building your home the preliminary drawings are all you should purchase at that time.

Cowboy Log Homes