Initial Planning For Your Log Home

Before your logs can be delivered, you will have to make sure that there is an access road to the site for heavy vehicles and the delivery truck. First you spread crushed stone on the road for heavy traffic. After delivery of the logs and heavy equipment have completed their work you can top of the access road with fine stone or asphalt and use it as your driveway to your home. When you have created the access road, the next step is to clear the trees and brush from your lot. You will also need to have your well installed. When the well is installed the drainage field and septic tank can be installed. Before beginning construction there is one more thing that you need in place, and that is to map out the homes location. Footings are the first part of the foundation to be built. They are then approved by the building inspector, and then the foundation walls can be constructed. Foundations are usually made of concrete blocks or poured concrete. Most of the time concrete blocks are used for log homes. Make sure your builder takes the steps to ensure a waterproof well-drained foundation.

Log Wall Shrinkage

Wood starts to contract and shrink as it dries. Many factors play a part in the amount of shrinkage that will occur in the logs. Newly cut or "green" logs retain water. After the tree is cut and the logs start to dry, water begins to evaporate until the moisture level reaches the saturation point, thats around 30 percent level. After it reaches the saturation point it continues to shrink until it reaches the next stage, which is 19 percent. As well, logs that have been kiln dried will shrink a little. Shrinkage will occur in the same direction as the logs growth rings, and it shrinks very little lengthway. Shrinkage across the logs cause the logs to split along the grain, known as checking. Shrinkage of green wood can be as much as 1 to 2 inches in height. If your home is constructed carefully according to the plans, you should not experience any shrinkage problems.

Know What's In You Log Home Package

Before you decide on your log home package, make sure you know what is included in the log home package kit. Kits can range from just enough materials to build the basic shell to all the materials and fixtures necessary to finish the home. Just about every producer will offer one or more log home packages with a variety of contents and costs, this helps to decide the buying process. Log home packages are not all inclusive. Packages do not include the cost of the land, the cost to clear the lot nor the cost to install the septic systems. Building the foundation and installing mechanical systems such as electric, plumbing, heating and cooling are extras. Also, remember that erection of the log walls and the delivery of the logs are all extra costs. Most everything inside the home, such as kitchens, bathrooms, plumbing fixtures, hardware, cabinets and appliances are extra. Companies that include windows and doors purchase them at a discount and some of those savings are passed on to you, making it a better idea than buying your own windows and doors yourself.

Log Home Manufacturers

While researching log home manufacturers you will notice that most log home manufacturers develop a master engineering plan with which all their homes comply. This plan will detail how the manufacturers components connect to one another. The building system ensures that all the manufacturers log homes are built in accordance with the system and how it will be structurally sound. When you purchase a log home kit, the kit will or should include blueprints and a construction manual that shows the contractor how to assemble the log walls. Some packages include windows, doors, roofing, interior partition walls and lumber needed to complete the house. When the kit is delivered, someone such as a contractor should be there to accept it. The log home producer wants their home as well built as possible, since their reputation is riding on it. As you compare log home manufacturers, ask about the types of onsite assistance that are available, and when it comes time to buy, make sure this assistance is written in the contract.

Solar Panels For Your Log Home

Standard pv solar panels are rectangular, up to 4 feet long and 2 feet wide, and has an aluminum frame around it a few inches thick. Each frame is then bolted to a larger frame to make an impressive display. This then can be mounted to piers in the ground, to a south facing deck or firmly mounted to a roof by mounting brackets. Before installing your panels there are some considerations for their exact location, like where the most sunshine is, the pitch of the roof, the way the house faces, or if you want to hide the solar panels. If your roof is metal you can use solar laminates with a minimum of 16 inches between seams, they are flexible peel-and-stick panels and less than a quarter-inch thick and designed to stick to your metal roof, and best of all you don't need any framing or mounting hardware, To connect between panels you would use connectors. Solar panels can be installed on shingled roofs as well and require you to install waterproof underlayment beneath the solar shingles.

Radiant Floor Heat For Your Log Home

Radiant floor heating is like geothermal heating its an alternative to a furnace. The way it works is it pumps hot water through many different tubes beneath the floor. If radiant heat is on the ground floor it will be embedded in concrete, but you can also staple it beneath a subfloor, so that you will have heat to the floor above. The end result of this type of heating is the warmth you feel from head to toe and you won't be spreading dust and allergens around your home. Although radiant heating has its advantages, its quite costly, its about twice the cost of conventional heating systems. Typically you can save anywhere from 40 to 60 percent on radiant heating compared to a forced air furnace. The return on the system will be within three to five years. Radiant floor heating has an even warmth throughout your log home, and will worth considering.

Cultured Stone For Your Log Home

Cultured stone is made by pouring concrete into moulds that take their shape like real pieces of rock. Cuts need to be hidden along the mortar lines to maintain the real look. You can use them for interior or exterior applications, and they are light and less expensive than the real stone. Cultured stone installs like tile. It can be applied over plywood, foam insulation, block walls, concrete or even drywall. You should organize your site for setting up your equipment . You would want all your materials close to where you are going to install the cultured stone. You will probably need a rubber hammer, stiff bristle brush, angle driver, and diamond cutting blades for cutting the stone. Open all the boxes of stone and choose an assortment of sizes and shapes from each box to make sure that the look always appears natural. If your new at this you might begin by laying out the pieces in front of your work area so that you have a variety of shapes and sizes to choose from. Try to fit two or three stones at a time.