Building Cabin in Island Park stick build or logs pro and cons.
- Thread starter kahonies
- Start date
Stick built is going to be a 1/3 of the cost of log built. Log homes always have fly problems bad. You can stick build a house and put log siding on it to make if look like a log home. Stick built is more energy effeciant. Just my 2cents and opinion.
Logs can be done reasonably if you go with a smaller builder/GC, but the price advantage will always be with sticks. When my parents built thier place they went with some local log builders, they looked at the cabins those guys had built in the area (references) and it worked out good for them.
The large builders in the area with their fancy lots only wanted to build large lodges/homes, so that wasn't even an option. With the economy in the crapper I'll bet those guys would build for us now if we were going to break ground.
I prefer logs - there is nothing like a log home in the mountains IMO. A Sweedish cope will help save energy costs since the logs are stacked right on each other with insulation between them. I've got an album on my profile that has pictures of my parents place.
Either way - congrats! It will be well worth it.
The large builders in the area with their fancy lots only wanted to build large lodges/homes, so that wasn't even an option. With the economy in the crapper I'll bet those guys would build for us now if we were going to break ground.
I prefer logs - there is nothing like a log home in the mountains IMO. A Sweedish cope will help save energy costs since the logs are stacked right on each other with insulation between them. I've got an album on my profile that has pictures of my parents place.
Either way - congrats! It will be well worth it.
Go log.
Higher initial cost, higher maintenance, less R-Value....all of the well known liabilities......but you'll never look at 2x4's and Vinyl and love it as much as astained, chinked hand-built log building w/ a rock fireplace!
MD.
Higher initial cost, higher maintenance, less R-Value....all of the well known liabilities......but you'll never look at 2x4's and Vinyl and love it as much as astained, chinked hand-built log building w/ a rock fireplace!
MD.
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Whatever your decision if you go log make sure your builders know their stuff and ask for references at least 2 years old. Improperly done log homes settle a lot in the first couple years and next thing you know window and doors bind and don't open for chit. I have a friend that got burned on a $300K build (just the matl and labor for the build) because of improper planning for the settling.
I don't know anything about building log homes, but I have seen a few built near my place in Cle Elum, and it seems they almost always all build the shell and add the roof, and then let it sit for nearly a year before they add the doors and windows. My guess is that they wanted to wait for the logs to settle a bit before they framed these in. Maybe even let the wood dry out and check some too. Not sure if this means they were not built right or not. It seems to make sense to me.
So if this is required for log built, your spring 2010 cabin might not be usable until spring 2011.
Again, I don't know anything about building with logs, but this is what I have noticed.
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The builders used standing dead trees that were brought in from Idaho - the cabin "shell" was built and sat for nearly a year in the lot outside of Laramie before it was taken apart and put on the truck and taken up to the lot. We haven't had any settling issues (can see it settling in a spot or two, but no issues with windows, doors or leaks.
join the log home builders association, buy the code book, there are rules that should be followed for settling and general construction, different types of wood, length of seasoning etc.
My dad is a logger and in 2001 we had a job where we had access to some lodgepole pine that were dead standing that we cut and built a cabin out of. I was only 14 and my brother was 18 so it was a father/sons bonding experience. There is nothing like a log cabin in my mind. It is a 20' by 20' with a low pitch roof (trapper style cabin). It has a bathroom and shower located in one of the corners and a lazyboy couch hide-a-bed. We built everything in the inside, including the 16" by 16" by 27' beam that my dad cut with a chainsaw which is perfectly square. All he had was his chainsaw, a chalk line and a square (this is no joke). My brother did the cabinet design which he pretty much built. I would say it is much tougher working with logs rather than manufactured lumber just because nothing is square with logs like they are with boards. It took us 18 days to put up the frame and the rest of the finishing took us much longer because we didn't have time to work on it every day. I think it took us a little over 4 years for it to be completely what I would call "done" Log buildings do require more maintenance than a stick building but the look of logs is something that I love.
J
JSCC
Well-known member
As a builder that does both, if I was to build a cabin, it would be of logs. However, I would be torn on what style of logs to do it with. If you like the milled log look with a Swedish cope, you will have very little settling, and therefore be able to make a fairly tight cabin. If you prefer the look of a hand scraped log, you will have to deal with settling, gaps, and adjustments. I built both styles for customers in the same year. The milled log home has not settled 1/2". It was screwed together every 12-16". The hand scraped logs were from a supplier in Colorado that built it on there site, and then come and had my crew erect it on our site. Looks fantastic! However, it has settled three inches since the logs were set. Roughly 15 months. These logs had key ways in the doors and windows, to allow them to slide up the logs. We slotted the drywall where it attached to the logs, so that it can slide. But unless you can let it sit for at least a year with the roof on it, you will have issues somewhere. If you don't mind dealing with those issues, the hand scraped are by far better looking than milled, IMHO.
I have built a stick built cabin with the log siding. You can trim the inside to look great, and have a tight house. But stay away from the cheap log siding. They have some out that is basically half logs that lap over each other. It will cost you more money for this style but, you will be happy with it once you are done. Most log siding is a milled replica that has a thin nailing flange on the top, and usually is replicating a 7-8" log. It looks good from the street.....
As far as costs, you can build a stick built home with all wood trim and log siding for around 3/4 of the cost of a good quality log. Depending on your G.C and his subs...
Good luck with the build. I hope that helps.
I have built a stick built cabin with the log siding. You can trim the inside to look great, and have a tight house. But stay away from the cheap log siding. They have some out that is basically half logs that lap over each other. It will cost you more money for this style but, you will be happy with it once you are done. Most log siding is a milled replica that has a thin nailing flange on the top, and usually is replicating a 7-8" log. It looks good from the street.....
As far as costs, you can build a stick built home with all wood trim and log siding for around 3/4 of the cost of a good quality log. Depending on your G.C and his subs...
Good luck with the build. I hope that helps.
B
Bullcamp
Member
My wife and I built a cabin with the help of some strong backed friends. All the logs were layed up round with concrete used as the chinking. It's 24 X 32 with a loft in the back half. 2 woodstoves for heat. All the logs were cut standing dead. Have alot of sweat in it but not a ton of cash. Good luck with it whichever way you decide to go.
The guys that did ours used hand scraped logs and did the swedish cope - they had to chink in a few places, but the rebar 'stakes' they drove as they built it keep things pretty tight.
Go post & Beam.
I did spray foam insulation. The house is tight
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I did spray foam insulation. The house is tight
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Timber frame the inside. Dyed Concrete board exterior. Somewhat fire proof, and NO MAINTENANCE!
What's your guy's opinion on those log cabin kits? My friend and I are looking at some property in the Fairfield (Idaho) area and we were planning on getting a kit to put on it. Any experience/suggestions?
A
aksnomachinechic
Well-known member
My husband and I bought a kit home from Precision Craft Homes out of Meridian, Idaho and we love it. http://www.precisioncraft.com/
We acted as general contractors and built our home with the help of a subcontractor. We started building in 2000 and one year later we were completely finished.
Research, research, research about building and owning a log home. You will learn some from asking questions on here but you will learn more by researching different manufacturers on line and also pick up magazines and read articles about building a log home or cabin. Those articles have great info in them as well. We paid 56K for our log package - closed in. The kit we bought was 28 X 40 x 10" logs. The only maintenance we have is to clean the logs with an acid wash every 3 -4 years and re-oil them with the log oil (we like the natural look) that preserves them on the outside from the elements. Overall our mortgage was less the 200K.
You can't go wrong with a package.
and I disagree with the stick builders comments regarding expense. Log & stick are relative in expense - it really depends on how much you want to do yourself and or if you want someone else to do all the work for you - that's where the expense adds up fast. IMO 
Thanks for all the idea's and info.
One other question about water, to have a well drilled where I am is about 23,000 dollars. What do you guys do that don't have wells? I am thinking about putting a 800 gallon fresh water tank in the ground and fill it before the snow flies, anyone tried this? I figure that's 5 or 6 trips in the winter.
One other question about water, to have a well drilled where I am is about 23,000 dollars. What do you guys do that don't have wells? I am thinking about putting a 800 gallon fresh water tank in the ground and fill it before the snow flies, anyone tried this? I figure that's 5 or 6 trips in the winter.
Ask around and see if anyone around you is building ~the same time. Group your well/septic work together and go for bids. 2 or 3 of you drilling wells at the same time might be able to negotiate that down quite a bit.
Just don't get too many people on the same system, or your subject to arsenic rules.
The in ground tank works. But, you'll need to locate a source of cheap water, a tank for your truck, and you'll worry about water usage more. Be really cool, if you could go in ground, and find a neighbor, that would fill your tank for $40, from his well.
Try lodgelogs.com. They sell nice packages. But, ask for an easy package, if you are going to build yourself. Some of those packages, are complex.
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