Hirsilinna hirsitalot ja hirsimökit

Just as I was telling how expensive it is to build a log home, I stumble on this article on local newspaper. A new log church is being constructed in Jyväskylä MLK, Finland. Church builders use traditional log building methods to erect the church, only few tasks are done by using modern equipment. All the logs are peeled and carved with an axe!

An idea for the log church sprung up while the church decision makers were thinking ways to put their forestland into use. Instead of selling the wood for sawmills they decided to use it for the church. Also they decided to use as much community effort as possible. Now they estimate that church’s total cost will ad up to 170 000 euro. That is not bad for a log building with 84 seats.

At first their progress was slow and all offers for construction were as expensive as ready-made log building solutions would have been. Luckily they managed to find a master builder that had log home construction experience and project got going. Now they are right on schedule and the construction team of three is making good progress.

Article reveals a surprising fact – of about hundred medieval log structures in Finland, three are not churches. This shows that log manors came into picture after medieval times.