Log cabins etc.

[Timbo]

http://www.naturalloghomes.com/NLHRecent2.html

I have always fancied a proper log cabin, and this site grabbed my attention. Any thoughts from those in countries where this type of building is commonplace, would be very welcome.
Are they warm and dry? Are they more than an obvious fire hazard? etc. etc.

[Surfer Chick]

Just my thoughts. Lovely website. I've searched the web and the so called log homes are not made of logs but have a sort of log cladding.

I've also read on one of the forums I'm on that log homes are not popular in New Zealand and therefore you have have a problem selling it if you build you. I just hope a few people will correct me.

[tigerlily]

They are quite popular here in the Pacific Northwest, as timber is very cheap (compared to much of the rest of the planet). I think of them as being a tremendous fire hazard, but mostly that is because this is a fire ecology. People build them in the forest, and the forest burns. Gone is house. So if you were building it in a place with less fire danger, that might put my mind at ease. I know Oz has bush fires to beat the band, but I haven't heard of any in NZ. Warm? Not particularly, since it is just the log and no more insulation than that, often times. They have made great strides in having more windows put in them, the old style ones were very dark.

Perhaps come on a little vacation here and give it a try before you build!

[Gran]

They are not popular here and indeed would be hard to sell. People seem to like open areas with lots of glass, its always good to look around at other houses before deciding on a style if you ever want to sell.

[leslie]

a friends father built a ski chalet with his own hands - notched wood etc. amazing when finished but massive project

[Surfer Chick]

Would love to see a photo of it Leslie

[leslie]

wish i had one. afraid went there last in teens ie. 20 yrs ago (it is in quebec, canada) and in those days we weren't overly interested in photographing log cabins. its probably featured somewhere though. search quebec listings for log cabins as i seem to remmeber there are a number of them around. the 'lumberjack' or 'boucheron (sp?)' being a fav quebec history icon, like the rest of canada has the mountie (now owned by disney).

[Danpoll]

Logs are treated if bought within kit form, the construction and science of log builidng is fascinating as you have to allow for settling of the logs as much as 4 inches. this means that if you screw something to a log it will end up further down. Logs have a terrific R value R-15, they are then filled with a flexible polymer which isulates the gaps. Tennesse North Carolina and that reigon seem to produce the majority of these style homes. Jim Branner log homes is one that sticks in my memory. I only know all this as my father in Law is leaving the UK to go to Tennesee to build these things.

Dan

[jo b]

Timbo
I have just stayed in my B-in-laws house in Te Puna which is a log cabin.

The only thing I didn't like was it was quite dark and it is difficult to hang things on the walls as the walls are obviously not flat.
Also many spiders webs as they get in all the nooks and crannies.

I can't say if it was warm or not as they always had the patio doors open so I was always cold!!

Not my taste but will post a pick at some point.

Jo