Innholdsfortegnelse for Annual Buyers Guide 2017 i Log and Timber Home Living

Most log home buyers finance their purchase. The tax write-off alone makes getting a mortgage enticing even for those rare few who can pay cash. But how do you determine how much house you can afford, and how much of that will come from the bank? When you’re ready to buy your log home, calculate your target budget by adding your assets and how much you can borrow. It’s that simple. However, even though interest rates are still hovering at historical lows, the days of “no money down/no equity required” and so-called “exotic loans” are long gone. Like everyone else, banks need to protect their investments and doing so means reducing risk with sizeable down payments and proof of real collateral. “Money is still readily available for qualified buyers,” according…

1 Stick with Your Passion When you begin planning, never cut those pastimes short. “Your interests should dictate 90 percent of your decision,” says John Ricketson, a project manager with Hearthstone, Inc. “You want to be in a region close to the activities you like, whether it’s skiing, fishing, hunting or hiking.” With your hobbies as your compass, seek out conducive pieces of land in the mountains, at the lake or along the shore. 2 Check Out Hotspots When it comes to sought-after property, the Southeast — particularly North Carolina and north Georgia — are at the top of the post-recession list. These areas have loads of available and diverse land and are close to national forests and large lakes and boast world-class golf courses, hunting and fishing. These locations,…

MAKE THE GRADE How do you know the log package you buy is sturdy and strong? Building codes mandate that timber used for residential construction (ALL construction — not just log homes) must be graded, i.e., each piece of wood is examined for acceptable slope of grain, straightness, knot frequency and density and other attributes that could cause it to be structurally inferior (it does not take appearance into account). The National Association of Home Builders’ Log and Timber Homes Council (loghomes.org) and Timber Products Inspection (tpinspection.com) are two third-party agencies that ensure timbers are properly graded for log home construction. Make sure the manufacturer you choose complies. The “package,” (sometimes referred to as the “kit”) is the starting point of log homes for obvious reasons — it contains the…

Everyone is familiar with “the little log cabin in the woods.” It’s the quintessential log home style, and it’s a charmer to be sure. But don’t feel restricted by the expected. The beauty of log home design is in its versatility. Truly if you can envision it, there’s a designer and a log home producer out there who can make your vision a reality. As you embark on your design journey, gather a portfolio of photos, both exterior and interior, that appeal to you and spread them out. Group similar styles together — you’ll likely see a pattern emerge. Maybe you’ll find you’re partial to the look of a long, low ranch or you appreciate the contemporary side of log home construction with a mountainmodern look. There’s no wrong answer.…

Most houses’ weight is supported vertically, but a log home’s structural support comes horizontally, with the load of the house and its components resting almost entirely on its perimeter log walls. It’s critical that they be built to precision. This is known as the joinery system. The load-bearing surfaces that touch are known as the horizontal surfaces. These surfaces form the top and bottom of the log profile, or its shape as viewed from the end. The sides of logs are known as its visible surfaces and define the look of the logs when stacked. There are many different horizontal interface designs to account for the natural tendency of logs to shrink, swell and twist as they dry (for examples, turn to page 40). Wood species react differently during their…

Don’t get bogged down in the idea that log homes are harder to maintain than conventional stick-and-brick houses. They’re just a little different. Look at it this way: Would Vince Lombardi have tried to manage the Yankees? Would Joe Torre think about coaching the Packers? Of course not. Baseball and football are totally different sports, and strategies don’t transfer from one to the other. You require expertise. The same goes for home maintenance. When your house is a log home, you simply need a different game plan. If you’re new to the log home field, maintaining and preserving your wood should be your ultimate goal. And we’ve got your playbook to help you win big. YOUR OFFENSIVE LINE Be proactive with these areas and help ease your maintenance burden down…

Log homes may be viewed as a quintessentially American style of housing, but they weren’t born here. Historically speaking, the log cabin’s roots can be traced to Scandinavia and Eastern Europe as far back as 3500 B.C. The method was well-suited to these areas, as trees were plentiful and grew ramrod straight and tall. With a few sharp tools and a lot of sweat, a family could erect their own rudimentary log home in a matter of days. As settlers flooded the New World, they brought these traditions with them. And like Northern and Eastern Europe, they found North America to be a treasure trove of raw material ripe for the taking. Log cabins began popping up all over what is now the Northeastern United States and Canada. Even then,…

Any major purchase is stressful. The idea that as soon as you commit to a choice, it will be difficult — if not impossible — to change your mind can send even the most decisive buyer into a second-guessing frenzy. Buyer’s remorse is NOT something you envision in your dream-home scenario. With hundreds of log home manufacturers and handcrafters from which to choose, how do you know which one is right for you? The differences among log home companies go well beyond the looks of their homes. Each one offers diverse floor plans, wood species, log styles, components and other factors that go into determining the finished home. Each company believes that its way reigns supreme and does its level best to convince you as to why you should choose…

Along a wooded peninsula high above the gentle twists and turns of Wisconsin’s Eagle River — about 100 feet above to be exact — a bald eagle’s nest rests precariously in a pine tree. “The nests can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and are hanging from branches the size of your arm,” says Mike Manske, who has been watching the birds come and go from their dramatic treetop perches since he began visiting the area during family vacations as a child. Given the size of the nests, it’s no surprise that these sanctuaries are added onto over the course of many years. Soaring forcefully yet gracefully through the air, the eagles seem blissfully unaware of just how impressive their creations really are. In many ways, the eagles and their nests…

Each November, Jack and Patty Cartwright host a hayride, bonfire and campout at their log home in the mountains of north Georgia. On average, 250 to 300 friends and clients join the fun. Guests bunk up in the Cartwrights’ fivebedroom home, camp on their land or rent other cabins in the area. “Last year it snowed,” Jack remembers, making everyone glad for the bonfire and outdoor fireplaces. Whether it’s a weekend filled with visitors and activity or quieter days, the Cartwrights’ lodge-style home is the perfect setting, but it took some doing to get there. Smitten with the Ellijay, Georgia, area, the couple began their search for land in the 1990s. “We looked for five years,” Jack recalls. “One weekend we went up, and the broker said ‘he found it.’”…

THE COVER OF THE 2017 LOG HOME Living Annual Buyer’s Guide states that you’ve found THE #1 resource to help you plan, design and build your dream home. That’s not just a hollow slogan. For 33 years, people have subscribed to Log Home Living to guide them along the path to log home ownership. But just because this issue has the info you need, doesn’t mean it’s all there is. Outside of these pages (whether you’re reading our print or digital editions), we offer you additional resources, both live and virtual. For starters, you can attend one of our Log & Timber Home Shows and/or the Log & Timber University, where you can meet the people who actually design, manufacture and build the most amazing log homes you’ve ever seen…

If you’ve purchased a home in the past 40 years, you likely recall terms like TILA (the Truth in Lending Act) and RESPA (the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act). But as of August 1, 2015, these processes and forms that have been around since the mid-1970s were replaced with something called the TRID, which stands for the “TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure” rule. In addition, the previous use of the Good Faith Estimate and Truth in Lending disclosures were eliminated in favor of a new single Loan Estimate form, or “LE,” and the HUD-1 Settlement Statement was replaced by the Closing Disclosure, or “CD.” All of these changes sprung from the Dodd-Frank Act passed in 2010 by President Obama, which placed major regulations on the banking industry in the hopes of preventing…

So now that you know the timber options from which to choose, how do you turn this raw material into a home? First you need to choose whether you want the look of a milled or handcrafted home. The primary differences here are the size and uniformity of the logs (for a side by side comparison, see Milled vs. Handcrafted, p. 42-43) and the technique used to prepare them. Handcrafted logs are prepared as the name implies: People — not machines — strip, shape and cut the timbers until they are suitable for construction according to your plans. The shape of the logs is usually very organic and uneven, giving a home a distinctive look. Milled logs are run through an automated de-barker, then a computerized sawmill that shapes and…

When the modern log home industry was starting in the 1970s, many manufacturers found that a successful way to reach new clients was to enlist satisfied customers as sales representatives. These ambassadors of the log home lifestyle approached the work as a sideline or hobby and received little or no training. Over time, some turned their avocation into a livelihood; others became general contractors or log home builders. In was then, that log home producers realized the value of recruiting and training full-time professional salespeople. Since many of these reps also offered construction services, they became known as builder/dealers. Today, builder/dealers don’t just represent the companies they sell for. They also offer services that benefit prospective log home buyers. Even though they are very knowledgeable about their companies’ offerings, they…

A building system is a pre-determined way of assembling the various components to ensure high levels of structural integrity. Simply put, it’s a plan. How it pertains to log homes is that you can’t just start cutting down trees and setting the trunks on top of each other. The idea is to methodically plan how to stack the logs and hold them in place so that they’ll support each other, the weight of the roof, interior walls and floors — not to mention the furniture and people who live there. Log homes are built tough. Where other types of housing have succumbed to extreme weather like hurricanes and tornadoes, their log home neighbors have stood strong. Why? It’s all thanks to a carefully engineered building system. The basis of the…

The entire construction process for a modest log home (built by a pro) ranges from four to six months, but it can run a year or more for large or complex designs. Factors that affect construction time include seasons, weather, availability of labor/subcontractors and builder expertise. Builders’ processes may vary, but use this order of events as a guide to benchmark your log home’s progress. 1. Clearing & excavating ■ Cut or grade entrance road or driveway ■ Install culverts as needed ■ Clear building site and material storage area ■ Remove trees as needed ■ Remove topsoil and store for reuse ■ Excavate basement, haul or store soil ■ Install septic tank and drain field 2. Pouring footings ■ Stake foundation corners (surveyor may do this as part of…

Visit LogHome.com/info for FREE INFORMATION on log homes and products provided by these companies. The 54 log home companies—both manufacturers and handcrafters—listed in this directory are advertisers in this issue. The companies are given the opportunity to write their own listings, which allows readers to make comparative judgments based on the producers’ own words. (We do reserve the right to edit listings and challenge any claims made.) It isn’t possible to guarantee that all log home producers listed are quality companies that will always satisfy customers. We do, however, reserve the right to refuse to list companies with histories of consumer complaints. We also encourage you to contact us with unsatisfactory experiences you’ve had with log home companies. Buying Advice We do not rate or recommend individual companies. We believe…