Log home owners?
 

My cabin (house)is really starting to show its age. I am considering a log home instead of a traditional house. I live on a lake and it would look great and i have always liked the idea of having one. Any of you guys have one and could offer some advice. Or maybe the advice is run like hell. I have a co-worker who had had one for about 20 years and it very happy with it. I'm looking at about 2-3 years out.

i think post and beam pre-assembled Kit houses are a better value

My parents have had a log home for 20 years and love it. They are selling right now so they can move back to Mass (don't ask :doh:)

Here is the listing so you can look at it and see what they are like inside and out.

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3-...86799109_zpid/
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pretty Snazzy cabin......there.

same thing with post and beam kits :point: cathedral ceilings

you save more than 50% over conventional stick framing
and of course they're super strong... you get the "woody" look
with all the beams but you have flat walls that you can sheet rock
if desired. They'll deliver it un- assembled or assemble it as a do it yourself
for the rest.... your choice.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c6...b1/dlog1LG.jpg

TDF, beautiful home. You happen to know what company they bought it from?

I can ask....

My brother in law bought one 12y/o and I helped him build it. It was cheaper then conventional building,he just wishes it was bigger.
It was easy to asembel.
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First off..... you had better really really like wood.
Buy a completed kit of a plan you like. All plumbing and electrical are figured in from the get go. Changes during construction are expensive nightmares. I like them but would add some rock/plastered walls, especially in bedrooms, closets and partial kitchen. You can get any species, but some are expensive as they are not native and have to be trucked in from out west. I spent part of the very first week on one up around Gunstock and returned to install the kitchen at the end. Very interesting process. Don't forget that the wood does darken over time.....

Think about shrinkage ;)
Plaster walls will crack . A new log home will settle a lot over the first five years.
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Attachment 60415

I think this was built in the 20's. We just re-did the inside portion of the chimney. Only structure we have had to replace so far. The roof(which went to tin), and the porch were re-done as well.

Esthetically they can be very nice, but have some inherent issues. They have as many cracks as possible, can have no more wall insulation than R-1.4 x 8" = R-11.2, are pretty far from maintenance free.
You can actually buy good log siding that can go over a effective wall system and looks just like a sawn log cabin. Or maybe reside the home you have?

Thanks for the info guys. Not sure if a log home is the way to go or not. Coventry log home out of new hampshire is the company i am looking into. I have not done any cost comparison at all vs regular homes. Suppose that should be done.