LOG HOUSE SELLERS

Log house

These companies use huge outside images of log houses in their advertising. Clearly the message is directed to builders who want to tackle the building process by themselves or, at very least, be highly involved with the build. This segment values perks that are tied with the actual process of building the log house, therefore manufacturers offer benefits like roof tiles or foundation blocks to sweeten their offers.

Log home

LOG HOME SELLERS
Log manufacturing companies that fall into this category express themselves with wonderful photos of indoor log home cozyness. You can see the happy family doing chores or just taking it easy. Buyers are lured to sign the contract by offering household appliances, services by interior designers etc. These really appeal to convenience minded people of today.

OWNER-BUILDERS ARE A DYING BREED
There are fewer and fewer self-builders. In the future, people are buying ready log homes or custom log homes that are done to meet their requirements. Is it time for your company to rethink advertising?

AFTERTHOUGHT
Do you find it peculiar or fitting that in the Europe we talk about log houses and in the new world they talk about log homes?

Vinyl siding, vinyl shingle roofing, vinyl roll flooring, vinyl ceiling tiles, vinyl sheet covered drywalls, plastic covered couches, vinyl record player and rubber chicken (what?). Now that is a formula for low cost but dull housing, unless you have all the colours of a rainbow, then we got hideous housing or ginger bread housing. Nobody wants to live in a ginger bread house, but that evil witch. Let’s take a look at something completely different.

Log walls (pine), pine wood shingle roofing, pine wood flooring, pine wood panel ceiling, pine wood panel drywalls, log stairs (pine), log railings (pine), wooden cabinets (pine), wooden doors (pine), wood frame windows (pine)… this isn’t that much different, is it? We got high cost but dull housing solution, but show some paint and rainbow colours you shall have.

That was bit harsh, wasn’t it? It is so easy to go overboard with this log dream that I often have to present some eye opening questions to my customers. If you are thinking to build a log home, no matter what everybody say, you have more options than… wood. One especially bad but common advice is that you can use textiles and other decorative items to make it your own. Please do think about materials first and after that decide on decoration. You’ll thank yourself later.

Erlund is a log home manufacturer from Finland. A family company with an interesting enough product to be featured on a fantastic TV-series Grand Designs. Erlund has developed a fascinating panel-insulation-log wall that can keep up with rising European standards for energy efficiency of housing.

HOW TO GET IN
With Erlund House, I chose a fairly simple, classic model named Taru with two entrances, one from the side of the building and one from the terrace end of the log home. Side entrance has been planned as the main entrance so let’s go in through that.

INSIDE
In front of us we have a narrow corridor that curves to the right. No cabinets or space for clothes and outdoors gear. For families with kids, I can imagine this to be congested to the max. Corridor is lined with bedrooms and a bathroom, nothing much to comment but very efficient use of space. All the rooms are simple rectangles so there are no in-built closets.

AT THE END OF THE…
Not rainbow, but corridor and it opens to combined kitchen and living room (named lounge, but in my opinion it’s not lounge quality so I’ll just call it living room). Definitive plus here is that this open area just bathes in sun light thanks to those big windows.

WHAT ELSE?
Somewhat – was that it – experience, but one can’t expect much more from house of this size. Space has been utilized fairly well, even the hall area continues all the way through the house.

However, one thing especially troubles me, the only storage room in the house has entry from kitchen only. Given the severe space limitation, this storage room is bound to turn into utility room. Awkward positioning indeed and hampers the functionality (yes, I’m from Finland and here we are all for functionality) of the floor plan.

SUMMARY
Taru floor plan makes good use of the given floor area. Floor plan is slightly on the dull side, because of straight line designing, which also keeps the floor plan clean and simple.

Storage room area is desperately needed. Bedrooms are not that big and if you have to fill them up with closets, you have very little space left for log home living.

Definite plus in this plan are two toilets and their positioning. One can access them easily. However, in order to free that much needed storage space, I would be willing to give up the toilet or rearrange the workroom and bathroom/wc combo.

Like with any floor plans, one little change here creates many little changes here and there. It is often better to redraw the whole floor plan from the start for best results.

Now to what kind of family would this house be suitable? What do you think about it?

For the longest time I have not displayed any links on this site. I’m going to start doing it again. I’ll only include sites that provide quality information on log homes, log cabins and timber frame homes. The first one that I have decided to include on the list is a personal site of a dedicated family, which is building their dream home in Kentucky.

Log home building stories are usually quite dull (I’m probably alone with this opinion), they follow the same natural storyline:

Which log is the best?
Can you recommend a good manufacturer?
What about land?
Any good contractors?
Hurrah, we are weather-locked!
Decorating!

People need something to be inspired and motivated… people get this from their peers and given the growth of the industry most of us who live in log homes have done it by buying already finished log homes or employed contractor to build one. Isn’t it just natural that we follow people who have gone the beaten track before us?

Massie house blog is something different. The scale of their undertaking is so huge that you can’t get away with it by just working hard. One has to work determined to reach one single goal. Following how they learn as they go is eye opening and I can’t recommend their website enough. ]]> http://www.hirsilinna.com/log-houses/timber-frame-house/feed/ 0 http://www.hirsilinna.com/log-houses/turf-roof/ http://www.hirsilinna.com/log-houses/turf-roof/#comments Sun, 21 Feb 2010 13:51:53 +0000 Jake http://www.hirsilinna.com/?p=523 [...]]]>

Vintage turf roof

Turf roofs used to be very common and there were some good reasons for that too.

First of all they have terrific ability to withstand sunlight. Even vampires would love to use turf roofs because they can handle sunlight much better than any other traditional roofing material. Actually they thrive in sunlight, where other materials wear down.

Another important reason is insulation capability. Turf roof is instant protection against elements, but also gives the better insulation the thicker the roof layer. Hard to achieve same result with tiles, eh? As a result, turf roofs provide warmth during winter and soothing coolness during summer.

Third reason for their past popularity comes from durability. Like I said, turf roofs are especially good in dealing with sunlight, but it doesn’t end there. Thick layer of soil gives good foundation for small plants, which keep pushing new sprouts, no matter how much wind, snow and rain the roof gets – sort of a regenerating roof, how cool is that?

We are never going to run out of people who like cheap. Turf roofs are your thing if you happen to like cheap things. Materials are readily available and building is rather straight-forward. Maintenance is also easy, just occasional watering during long dry spells.

Here is a photo showing that turf roofs are not only yesterday’s news, but defend their place in modern log home building. Photo from Norway, a country where turf roof can put all its good features in good use.

Modern turf roof
]]> http://www.hirsilinna.com/log-houses/turf-roof/feed/ 0 http://www.hirsilinna.com/log-houses/house-expo-first-impressions/ http://www.hirsilinna.com/log-houses/house-expo-first-impressions/#comments Sun, 21 Feb 2010 13:43:44 +0000 Jake http://www.hirsilinna.com/?p=518

Yes, I was there and took over 600 photos. Here are just few of them, I’ll try to make some sense out of them during the coming week. They did have couple of log homes, though…

]]> http://www.hirsilinna.com/log-houses/house-expo-first-impressions/feed/ 1 http://www.hirsilinna.com/log-houses/7-reasons-why-log-homes-won%e2%80%99t-be-swept-away-by-finance-crisis/ http://www.hirsilinna.com/log-houses/7-reasons-why-log-homes-won%e2%80%99t-be-swept-away-by-finance-crisis/#comments Sun, 21 Feb 2010 13:30:19 +0000 Jake http://www.hirsilinna.com/?p=515 [...]]]>

As any homeowner, log homeowners are deeply concerned about effects of current financial crisis on their homes. Foreclosures are happening left and right, maybe our friends are affected or maybe a family member. I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to worry about your log home’s or log cabin’s value and I’m going to give you a list of seven good reasons to stop worrying. For other valuable log home tips, subscribe my feed.

1. LOG HOME IS A DREAM
Some call it longing for times long gone or sentimentality, some call it the ultimate way of life, but they all have one thing in common – log home is a matter of heart and soul. Dreams are difficult to value in money, but we all know that they are worth a LOT. This means that log home dreams are highly valued by the people who live in them and therefore log homes and log cabins prices remain high.

Living in a dream home makes people cling to it. If everything is perfect, why change anything? However, if you are not yet living in your dream home, it just might be that during rough times, flipping down would be easier. No flipping down in log homes, we love and live them.

2. LOG HOME STANDS AMONG GREAT BEAUTY
Lakeside, mountain top, prairie, riverside, woods, slope, resorts and some other beautiful locations are places where you find most of log homes. Suburban log home… nah, not really and this shows in the price of log homes and log cabins. Many log home lots cost more than our everyday single home in the midst of other similar houses.

Mark Twain said along the lines that land is always a good investment because nobody’s making more of it. Make sure your log home stands in a special environment and value appreciation is guaranteed.

3. LOG HOME RESIDENTS ARE OLDER
How many young families that you know live in log home? Not many, because log homes tend to be luxuriously designed by using unused space (now that’s a funny term), those cathedral ceilings or large foyers and what about those outrageously large fire places… Yes, log home is not a place for young family, which is fighting with the bills and commuting between school, daycare, work, hobbies etc. When would you have time to enjoy your home?

Log homes are for people who have time to enjoy environment, staying home and doing little chores, all part of the lifestyle, which comes along with a log home. There’s a big chance that these people have already stepped into retirement, there are no sudden changes in every day life (4th baby! We need a bigger home and we need it now!) and years of work life have brought enough to get by without working. So, as a result, these log home enthusiasts stay in their log home and have a ball while doing it. Not many log homes are coming to markets to be sold and market prices of log houses stay high.

4. LOG HOME MAINTAINS ITS VALUE
Log home is very special in the way it’s built. Builders have to solve many structural challenges while creating someone’s dream. Robust structure and thick walls set the log home for decades and while lesser homes get torn down, log homes get renovated and remodeled to suit the likings of different generations. When log homes age, they age like fine wines, bringing more meaning to the story of the house and to the people who live in it.

5. LOG HOME IS MADE OF QUALITY MATERIALS
It ain’t no way to dream without silk and satin sheets. Log homes are all about wood, stone and steel. No one is going to water down their dreams with vinyl, plastics or polyester. Another angle with materials is down right cold cash. Poor materials devalue home and increase upkeep costs over time, because cheap must be fixed more often. Also people who value quality know that there is price tag included, moreover they look what they get with their money not how much it costs.

6. LOG HOME IS UNIQUE
Just about every log home is built according somebody’s special plan. The plan might have been brooding up for years. Before building project starts, the planning book can contain clippings from magazines, textile samples, photos of real life log homes around the country, news stories, wood material samples, floorplan sketches, coffee stains… Log home is a labor of love.

People recognize love and dedication to unique details and in turn fall in love with the place. Sometimes it might be bit of a wait, but the right person is bound to find the right home and match is made to last. These perfect matches create so much value to the owners of log home that benefits easily outweigh monthly payments.

7. LOG HOME BUILDER LOANS ARE A PAIN TO GET
Because large part of log home crowds love to have the deluxe log home experience, they end up building the home from ground up. Unfortunately banks are not too trusting towards the combination of owner/builder and log home therefore loans are hard to come by. Luckily, today this means that log home owners are less likely to fall into the turmoil of financial crisis. Also it means that many log homes have been built with lot of elbow grease, which has helped to keep the building costs at check. Living in a home that was relatively cheap to build and sports high market value is a perfect combination.

Do you have a good point that wasn’t mentioned, please, help me and post a comment.

Which company is the best American log home manufacturer? I’m playing with an idea of representing an American log home company here in Finland. I know this is tough market, because half of world’s biggest log home companies come from Finland. Still, I believe that American rustic log homes have a suitable and distinctive style, which is hard to imitate. Log cabin rental business is growing by leaps and bounds in Lapland and rental companies need specialties to compete efficiently.

AMERICAN LOG HOMES HAVE CHARACTER
That’s true, say what you will, but American log homes are one of a kind, bit like American cars – big, bulky, powerful and cool. Unfortunately, American car manufacturers are in a bit of a trouble, markets cry for efficient cars and companies can’t deliver. Let’s hope the log home industry understands to jump the energy efficiency bandwagon and doesn’t just lull itself into thinking that people will buy those dream log homes no matter what. I’m all for dreams but if we can’t afford them, then we just have to change our dreams. Anyway, back to the topic.

LOCAL FINNISH LOG HOUSE IN LAPLAND

Now, here is a photo of competition. You will see this sort of new log homes and log cabins in ski resorts of Lapland. Good thing with this style is that it reads log home all over it. However, like most Finnish log homes, design is so Scandinavian that it starts to lack character. This kind of Scandinavian-styled log cabin will surely loose against rustic American log home. The victory prize is yet another happy family of overnight renters. So, any recommendations? Please, just type it down to comments.

I must disappoint you, because there is no specific and right way to get a log home or log cabin. However I try to demonstrate how to build a log home. I will show the process from the start to finish and explain the details and motivation. There will be pictures, video, articles and interviews that document the whole project from the idea to the finished log home.

I am able to do this, because it’s me who is going to build the log home. Time frame is staggering because I have reserved three years for the whole project, starting from the beginning of the year 2007. I don’t know how many of you will have the patience to follow the progress or the lack of it, but I publish the information here anyway.

I have noticed that many people start to chase their log home dream from the wrong side of the street. What these people do is that first they are mesmerized by some of those stunning pictures at log home magazines. The second thing they do is to start shuffling through some floor plans, because those log home magazines are all about floor plans and log home dreams.

Together those trends put people in situation where they have high hopes, possibly unrealistic budget expectations and tentative contacts with log home dealers about the price of building a log home. Inexperienced and inspired are two adjectives that make sales people think about money.

I am not saying that you shouldn’t be inspired, after all, burning desire and passion are often the last two resorts, which keep any project running while facing hardships. However, I would like you to decide between – are you a log home owner-buyer or are you a log home owner-builder?

If you envision yourself as a buyer then you don’t have to worry much, just be careful while choosing your realtor and follow normal home buying process. If you want to have the whole big log home dream of building the log home on your own land with your own hands, boy, are you in a heap of trouble…

Long gone are those days when it was possible to quickly build a half decent log home. Nowadays log homes incorporate modern utilities and technology and given the special nature of log construction – well – log homes are more difficult to build than normal timber frame or element houses. Prepare yourself! I’m going to write a series of articles that will get you started, but as you will see, it is a long road.