Log Homes On the Internet

Handcrafted Log Homes by Mike and Sue Lemmon

Log homes are natural, lovely, and blend softly into their surroundings. Seeming part of the landscape into which they are integrated, it is only on second inspection that differences begin to show. To a trained eye, or to anyone who has shopped for a log home, it soon becomes apparent that there are two main styles of log homes: manufactured and handcrafted log homes.

Manufactured log homes, also known as milled log homes, are uniform down the entire length of the log. The outside of the logs are milled down until the heart of the log is exposed. Then the logs are processed so that each one is identical is size. Thus we have the standard D-log, or Swedish Cope logs, from which the vast majority of log homes are made.

Handcrafted log homes, though still made from the same material, solid log, utilize a different approach. Instead of milling away all of the deviations in size and uniqueness of each log, the handcrafted log home style preserves the individuality of each and every log.

A handcrafted log is hand peeled. The draw knife is applied in long strokes to remove the bark. As the log is touched with the knife, the natural beauty of each is exposed. Just as with any tree, the logs are wider at the bottom and narrower at the top. Smaller ends tend to be 12” in diameter and larger ends swell to 15”. Less than 10% of the log is wasted.

After the hand peeling, each full length log is hand scribed and placed on the log wall. The Scandinavian full scribe method grooves a channel on the underside of each log, allowing it to cleave even tighter together as the wall settles. Settling is normal and is to be expected with milled or handcrafted log homes and is planned for even in the blue print stage of the drawings. Screw jacks, through bolt system, over scribe, and blueprints all work together to accommodate the inevitable shrinkage. With these specialized methods of construction, the handcrafted homes remain air tight throughout the years.

Full length logs mean that butt joints are not used in the home. Full length logs can go up to 50 feet. Many times solid log interior walls are used. When this is done then the ends of logs can be visible on the long side of a home.

The corners of a handcrafted log home are many times either full saddle notch or diamond cut pattern. For the saddle notch, only the bottoms of the logs are cut. For the diamond cut pattern, the uppers and lowers are both cut. This makes the corner look as though it was weaved together with the massive logs.

To maintain straightness of a wall and to assist in settling, a through bolt is used from the top of the wall to the bottom.

Hand peeled solid log are also used for the log roof system and second floor, floor joists. All ridge beams and purloins have pitch cuts, thus leaving the roof system ready for roofing materials. The two main types of roof system are: log trusses and ridge beam with purlins. Another option is also to use standard trusses over the home and add decorative log trusses and accents.

Many times log home companies will erect the stacked logs to a height of nine or ten feet. Then the gable ends of the home and the dormers are framed and covered with log siding, or another exterior finish such as tongue and groove, stucco, or wood siding. When large windows are placed on the gable ends, some log companies utilize vertical posts between the windows and log siding on the extreme ends of the gable, in the eves. The main reason framing is used on the home is to limit shrinkage of the home. Instead of a wall, 22’ to the peak, being allowed to settle, the log is limited to about half of that.

Door and widow openings are also recessed so that the doors and windows can be installed as soon as the log package is restacked on the homeowner’s job site. This is a tremendous time savings for the builder.

Some hand crafted log home companies also precut and pre-drill the electric box holes and wire holes before the home is shipped. The advantage to this is two fold: the home is ready for electric on arrival, and secondly, the box holes are much smoother when they are cut in by the master craftsmen at the log home company.

To continue the handcrafted feel throughout the home, handcrafted half log stairs and hand peeled log railing can also be added to the home. Obtaining the stairs, landing, railing, and the log home package from the same company, is also a wise choice.

Once the entire log home shell is erected, some log home companies will also hand sand all of the log surfaces. This removes any marks the logs may have sustained during the erection process and leaves a surface smooth to touch.

After the logs are fully assembled and sanded, they are numbered and packaged for shipment.

When solid logs are stacked many home components are dealt with at one time. Instead of hanging sheetrock on the inside of the home and siding on the outside, the logs serve as the completion of the interior and exterior of the walls. Also the logs are the superstructure and insulation.

All logs are green when they are cut. For a handcrafted home, logs are ideally between 15 and 19 percent moisture content at the beginning of construction. High quality logs are stamped with a TPI grade stamp to insure the best possible materials are going into the home.

When a home is shipped overseas logs must be treated in a high temperature kiln. This insures that no insects, fungus, or rot will be shipped accidentally in the logs. Kiln dried logs are not suitable for making a handcrafted home from, so for overseas shipment of handcrafted log homes, only the log species Western Red Cedar is permitted. Western Red Cedar has natural oils that repel and prevent insects and fungus from attacking or attaching itself to the log.

Handcrafted homes, with the larger varied log sizes, are easy to recognize once you know some of the distinctions. So when you are driving in a rural area and see several log homes, take a minute and see if you can distinguish the milled from the handcrafted log homes.

Building Log Dreams Since 1997,
Mike and Sue Lemmon
Cowboy Log Homes
Belgrade, MT
406-388-3458