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Maybe when you have just bought a log home for yourself you have no idea as to why you need to stain your log home every now and then. Therefore is it important that you find out how vital it is to stain the walls of your log home. The walls need to be stained not only when the home is built but also during the period of maintenance.
Now what staining does is that it keeps the natural color of the wood intact and this gives the home a great and newly look. But staining also helps in sealing the wood. And therefore the wood gets protected from the moisture in the air. Any kind of damage to the wood of your home is thus prevented by staining whether for now or for the future.
You should know now that there is a difference between interior and exterior stains. Exterior staining contains fungicide as well as mildicide. But this type of staining is not good for the interior part of the log home. The salesperson of the stains will help you out in deciding which one is for exterior use and which one is for interior parts. This is important as exterior stains used in the interior walls will cause instability.
As the logs tend to shrink and crack it is vitally important to get the walls stained within one year of the home being build. The stain on the walls will gradually wear off and so you should have a proper maintenance plan to keep these things in mind and in check.
When a person comes to your house the first thing that he or she will notice is always the exterior decoration and the finishing of the walls and therefore the staining of the exteriors walls is of course your main concern. The exterior finishing of your log home depends on a lot of factors and issues - the quality of the ingredients, the application of the stain and its preparation before that and of course the exposure it gets to the weather.
You can control some of these issues when you are planning the architecture of your log home. You should make sure that you have wide overhanging roofs and also porches on the sides of the home so that all this bears the roughest of weather - be it rain or wind. If you choose a stain with a higher pigmentation level then it will probably help the coloration of the exterior walls last much longer than otherwise. The decision that you take regarding the fact as to how often you will stain your home is also important.
To get a natural look the best thing that you can do is choose a stain that matches with the color of your wood and then you should apply the pigmented finish in order to even out the color. Finishing and staining of your log home is something that will give your home that definition and so you should give it a lot of importance.
April 16th, 2009 | Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments
Landscaping will certainly increase the value and appeal of your property and home and you just may enjoy spending more time and quality time outdoors with your family and pets. When you decide to light your backyard and the area in and around it you will get to spend more and more time outdoors and even do your cooking and stuff there. You may like to entertain your friends and guests outdoors and that too anytime of the day. It would be safer for the children to play out in the light rather than in the dark. It will also help keep your family rooms as well as your kitchen clean as you will be doing a lot of the work outdoors. The entire family will get to relax and chill out outdoors whether in the pool or the hot tub or the spa and this will be a great time out for all of you.
For the safety as well as for the beauty of your log home landscape lighting becomes very important. When you have a deck near the house you can certainly choose to get bright spotlights on the eaves of your home to shine onto the deck or patio. One important aspect that you can think of is of course accent lighting. You have several types of accent lighting like, up light fixtures that aims upward from the ground at trees, plants or any beautiful focal point in the yard. Then there are shadows fixtures focus on an object but throw a shadow against the wall. There are lights used specifically for the walkways as well as the pathways and these are the walk lights. Then there are moonlighting fixtures which are installed high in the trees to provide dim light like the moon. In order to get the light focused to a particular point people make use of side lighting fixtures.
If certainly would not like to install any electrical wiring in your backyard and instead of electrical lighting you have several options for creating light. Luminaries, oil lamps, garden torches, rechargeable candle lights, candles, fire pits, outdoor fireplaces and solar-charged electrical lighting - any of these can be used individually or in combination if you want. When you use an oil lamp the light that you get is natural as well as rustic and therefore it makes you feel at home and very good.
You would need to determine the best qualities of your backyard so that you can also determine what kind of paths, trees, vegetation and flowers to plant and what patios, ponds, decks, gazebos, water fountains, fireplace, swimming pool, outdoor kitchen or walls you are going to build to enhance your backyard. A good design is one in which you make full use of the best views, perhaps a river, streams, trees, rocks, and mountains. You will need to create some natural elements to increase the beauty of your home in case you have none.
April 16th, 2009 | Posted in Tips for Log Homes | No Comments
It is highly likely that when you choose your land for a log home you select such a place which is far distanced from any other locality and neighborhood. In that case one of your concerns can turn out to be how to get the power supply to your log home. You might wonder how you will get your bulbs and other machines to run when you have moved in to such a remote location. But there is no need for you to worry so much as you can always get a power supply to even the remotest corners of the world.
Maybe you have never heard of a remote area power supply or RAPS. They are mini grids built in to provide the power required in the remote areas of the country - those areas that can not get the power from the main lines and main grids. This is of course how you can get the power for your own log home and easily run all your lights as well as your computers with the help of it.
For this type of power supply you should think of the renewable power as well as energy sources and this brings us to the alternative energy sources. Whether it is the power of the sun or the power of the wind that you are planning to use - it is going to be renewable as well as plentiful source of energy and so you will have no problem at all to get yourself and your family the supply of energy.
For cooking as well as for heating and cooling and for everything else you can think of using the solar power as an alternative source of energy. Wind turbines are also an open option that you can choose in order to get the power that you would need for your home. If you are living in an area where the ground temperature is quite hot and stays that way all the year round then you ought to go for geothermal energy where the heat from the earth is used as an energy source and this heat is used in heating pumps.
In case you are living nearby a water body you should go for hydro power and think of water turbines instead of a wind turbine. So even if you are living far off from the main supply of power to the cities and the suburbs, you have a multiple choice of options to get power to your log home which is situated at a remote point of the country or state - it would be no problem or concern at all.
December 21st, 2008 | Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments
Before you decide to get yourself and your family a beautiful dream log home you should know that the appraisal for the log home is as important as the building of the log home itself . It is also true that getting the appraisal for a home that you are about to have built is far more important than getting an appraisal for a home that already has been built or already exists. In order for granting a construction loan to you what the appraiser will do is check out the plans and specifications of the building so that they can compare it with the other similar buildings in the locality. The appraisal is therefore regarded as the assessment of the real value of the building at the time when it is built by a licensed person or appraiser.
There are certain rules that this appraiser needs to follow according to the state which has given him the license for appraisals. The appraiser needs to find comparables which means he needs to find similar buildings close to the one that you are about to build, i.e. within a few miles, and also buildings that are built upon the same size of land as yours is going to be. So it means that if you have decided to build a three thousand square foot log home on 2 acres then the appraiser will have to find at least three other three thousand square feet log homes built on two acres. If he is unable to do that then it gets very difficult to determine the value of the home and in that case the very construction loan can be denied or the lender will have to lower the value.
What you can do to increase your chances of getting a construction loan is to choose one such area for your home that is quite a favorite for log homes and where there are at least a few homes from which the appraiser can find comparables.
In order to get an appraisal you ought to remember that the type of construction is also a very important factor. Therefore it is always a difficulty when it comes to a log home. Because it would mean that you would need similar log home sales around the area at a closer proximity or at least log homes that have been sold within the last six months.
Another very common concern with getting the appraisal for a log home is the location of the home. It is either to be in a rural or a suburban or an urban setting. This is another thing that will decide how tough or easy it will be for the appraiser to find a comparable. For the urban setting finding the comparables might be a very easy job as it might be just a few miles off but in a suburban or a rural setting finding a similar kind of log home can get very difficult.
December 21st, 2008 | Posted in Tips for Log Homes | No Comments
Not only is a log home a dream house because of its beauty but such a home has serious advantages. Log structures and log homes do a lot to reduce the pollution that we face everyday. When it comes to noise pollution one should go for the log home as a log home reduces noise and sound pollution to a great degree whereas the other wooden structures like a house of timber can not do anything similar to this. A log home wall keeps sound off and at the same time creates a very comfortable situation within the home and this helps the family to be at ease with each other and thus bond.
Log walls are more fire resistant than any other wood is and this has been proved by the various studies. Therefore alot of people these days prefer log homes over timber homes. It is much less likely that a log wall will burn or catch fire very easily whereas timber can not be so fire resistant and can certainly catch fire pretty easily.
Any wooden structure has got a lot of cavities through which fire moves once it has caught one part of the wooden frame but in log structures there are no such holes or cavities within and therefore fire is unable to travel through. This is the main reason why people prefer log homes over timber homes nowadays. Whenever it comes to a home with lots of electrical cords and wires and also a kitchen where cooking goes on and wherever there is gas and gasoline there is always chance of the place catching fire. The more fire resistant the home is, the safer it is and is the first choice of a lot of people when they decide to build there dream homes.
The energy efficiency of a log home is much higher than that of a timber house. The energy that the log walls preserve is much more than a timber wall can ever preserve. Therefore when it comes to the chilling winters you can depend on the log walls to keep you warm whereas you would need a really powerful heating system to keep you warm in a timber house. In spite of that heating system it is likely that you will feel cold within the house as the walls would not be able to store the heat that is produced by the system as well. This is not very good news for you when you live in a very cold region of the country and when you are looking for a cozy and comfortable log home for yourself and your family. So you should better go for those log walls that will help preserve the heat and keep you warm.
December 21st, 2008 | Posted in Tips for Log Homes | No Comments
There are many kinds of decks and porches that you can build for your dream log home. When you imagine your first warm night during spring, your first casual dinner with family and friends on your deck with candlelight, colorful tablecloth and beautiful pots with blooming flowers it certainly makes you feel great. You can simply make your dreams come true if you look into the matter a little more closely.
Deck building ideas are all over the net and you can take some of them into consideration for your new log home. Outdoor decks are usually attached to your home and are the most commonly built ones. The most convenient location for an outdoor deck is off the family room or kitchen. Destination decks are usually placed in a special place with a great view. It is never connected to the house and you may have to walk through a beautiful garden and winding path to get to it. This very idea can be a very lucrative one. Connector decks on the other hand are several decks of any shape or size connected to each other with pathways. An island-like deck is just a great stress-buster after a really tiresome day and that too with your family.
If the land and property that you own is not very large and at the same time if you are not expecting to entertain any huge number of guests then it is highly unlikely that you would need a huge deck. You should therefore try to keep it simple, but should never be afraid to add an angle or two to the deck design. Think of dividing the area into two sections - one for lounging where you get more sun and another section for dining and cooking.
Those plans and ideas that have been implemented before are the right choices for you of course. You should check out great deck building plans online of offline to get better yet simple ideas. Then you can of course consider using planters or flower pots with beautiful plants, overhead structures or trellis, benches and steps to create a transition between areas in the backyard. You can still create a certain landscape with shrubs and other low plants that would not require much do.
In order for you to decide on the deck you need to consider your budget first and foremost. You should have a general idea as to when you can start with your project and by when it will be over. You need to make a plan that includes all the details about your property like your exact property lines, the fences and gates. You ought to draw the location of your garage and driveway and the location of existing outdoor lighting; outdoor electrical outlets and outdoor faucets are to be considered. You should have a list of outdoor structures like dog kennels, sheds, gazebos, patio covers.
December 21st, 2008 | Posted in Tips for Log Homes | No Comments
Flooring in the log home that you own or want to own is an important part of your planning because the look of the home will solely depend on the flooring. Some log home owners want their floors to look old and distressed. The flooring decorations and designs depend a lot on the life style of the owner. There are hundreds of floor styles that you can choose from. There are various websites from where you can gather information on flooring for your log home and get the names of the various designs.
Looking at the catalogues you can choose the design that you like the most and the one that you feel will suit your life style and fit the definition of your own log home. Not only by names you also get to choose the floor design according to the size of the floor that you are about to design. This gives you more options than one and might make it easier for you to decide on the type of flooring that you need for your home.
It is highly likely that you might have visited a friend’s place some time back and you liked the design of the floor and have kept that particular design in mind. Now that you take a look at the catalogues you might just spot the design that you liked so much. If by any chance you had asked your friend about the name of the floor design and had remembered that then it would be much easier for you to find that particular design out for yourself and for your own log home.
The design and quality of the flooring would vary and this would of course be according to the wood that it is made of. There are many floor plans depending on both the design as well as the size of the floor. The planning is to be made according to your budget as well. It is a vital factor that you should decide on before you go ahead with the plan. You can ask your designer about all kinds of flooring in details but at the same time let him or her know about the amount of money that you are willing to spend on the flooring of your log home.
According to your budget your designer would be able to select for you the design as well as the quality of the wood that you can get for your home. This will be a big help for you if you are new at making the decisions about flooring in a log home. The designs would vary as you move on from one builder to another and of course the price will vary as well. It is up to you to choose from a variety of choices presented to you and get your log home the perfect flooring to make it look as beautiful as ever. Even if you go for an old and distressed look it can be unique in its own way
December 21st, 2008 | Posted in Tips for Log Homes | No Comments
Electrical wiring for a new log home is always a thing that worries owners. As wood is organic it can easily get burned and so a perfect kind of electrical wiring is needed for a material like wood. The electrician performs his main task once the dry-in phase of construction is complete. The electrician should be contracted and he also should be consulted early in the construction process to approve and supervise wiring in the second floor system, roof system, and in the log wall system. All the wiring practices are to be approved by and supervised by your electrician.
In order to wire the outlet boxes many holes would be needed and so they should be drilled and this is to be done when your log erection crew is installing the logs and not later than that. The construction crew will want to mark the location of the holes when they drill these holes on the sub floor. You need to make sure the drilled holes go all the way through the sub floor. The outlet box holes are to be cut then.
A very good way to notch out an outlet box is something you should know about. That is to mark the outline of the box on the log wall, using the actual box as the pattern. Then you would need to drill a series of 1-inch to 1-1/2-inch holes within the perimeter of that outline using a butterfly bit or hole-saw bit. Cleaning the holes is to be done with a chisel. Then plunge the wiring hole to remove chips and sawdust with a stiff piece of wire. The dry in process is to see the holes being drilled and the outlet boxes being cut.
The wires need to be drilled through the rafter or rather the ridge beam when it comes to light fixtures and these wires should hang directly underneath the rafter. A block of wood is needed for rafters that run at an angle to mount to the bottom of the rafter. Even this block is to be cut at the angle of the roof pitch. This is done in order to create a bottom flat surface that is level with the house floor. At the bottom of the block is where the light should be mounted.
When it comes to the wiring for cable and phone lines as well as burglar alarms and so on you would need to consider the process of the wiring before and throughout the construction process and wiring runs coordinated with your electrician. All this wiring is normally run under the sub floor with legs branching upwards at windows or the doors, stud walls etc.
Wiring to overhead lights under a the roof system can run from under the sub floor, up through exterior door jambs and for that you would need to drill through logs above doorway, or interior stud walls, or over the top of the roof decking to the proper location, then down through drilled holes to the light fixture location.
December 21st, 2008 | Posted in Tips for Log Homes | No Comments
If you are someone who has a log home and is now thinking of building various cabinets for the home then this is the page that you should be reading. You can think of getting yourself an office space and nothing could be better than a space built with logs as that would make a beautiful, natural and cozy environment. When the clients come in for meetings and appointments they would simply love this office space of yours as it will be inviting and very attractive to be in.
It is possible that you are thinking of giving classes in a cabinet made out of log. This is also a very good idea because a log cabinet provides a very peaceful and tranquil environment because of its connection with nature and that is why students would find it easier to concentrate here than any place else. No matter what the classes are it is going to be a successful one.
But it is very important when you are thinking about a kitchen cabinet in a log house because this is a key to its beauty. You can choose to have a kitchen that will include the dining space or maybe one such cabinet where there would be a separate dining space.
These types of log kitchens will help you bring in the nature from outdoors to your own home. There is an amazing kind of rustic beauty that is to be found in kitchens like this. The wood as well as the design that you choose for your log kitchen cabinet will define the taste of your home. Many modern elements can easily be incorporated in the look to give it a more polished touch which you might be looking for.
The design of the kitchen that has open beams and also introduces wood and stone wherever possible is a very good idea. An oak cabinetry along with a stone flooring adds the touch of beauty to the entire design. Slate countertops and groove walls would go great with this design as well as chandelier made up of wood elements or antlers – in case you have the dinning table within the kitchen space.
Adding a fireplace or a wood stove to the kitchen when you have space for it, is not a bad idea. You can use stainless steel appliances with black accents to bring in that modern touch. Recessed lighting above the task areas as well as under the cabinets would be great. For a clean flow hardwood flooring can be introduced.
These are some of the great ideas that you can think of when you are going to build cabinets for your log home. You should think about the spirit of the cabinet and the space in order to decide on the designs and elements of the build. Each of your cabinets should match well with the rest of the cabinets in your log home and everything should go along well with each other.
September 19th, 2008 | Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments
The kitchen place of your home becomes a very important center for social gathering whether you decide to host a family breakfast or an elaborate dinner party. So you need a perfect floor plan for this space where you would be doing the multi-tasking.
You should have a small prep sink and no other appliances on the cook top as that will give you more space and make it easier for you to cook. The sink, the refrigerator and the stove should be kept close to each other so that you do not have to run around the entire kitchen when you are cooking a meal. You should not fall for attractive fixtures because it is important to keep the space available for the preparation of a meal.
When you are planning the kitchen space you need to micro analyze what you will use each of the cabinets for. To store dry food, house plates etc – everything is to be planned so that you do not end of building cabinets that are larger or smaller than what you need. The kitchen should be large enough to accommodate two cooks and there should be at least a five feet distance between the two stoves.
You need not have real high ceilings but rather go for lower ceilings to keep the place cozy and warm and to keep the people closer to each other. If the length and the width of the space is kept the same then it would be easier to divide the space for the various functions like dinning and fireplace and game space.
From the rooms the view outside should be clear and should not be blocked by an adjoining porch and you should be using clear glasses for the windows so that the view is clear. The television is always a focal point in most families these days and so you should consider the TV’s placement before you start planning anything else about the great room. Before choosing the layout the furniture that is going to go to the great room needs to be decided for sure. Even window sizes and the placement of windows is a vitally important thing to be considered while figuring out the layout of each room.
A large dressing closet should be planned within the bedroom. You need to think very carefully about the master bedroom as well as about the master bath especially if you are going to have over night guests visiting your place every now and then. A master bedroom space can also work for a home office when ever there are no guests staying at your place and so in this way the same space will serve for two functions. The guest room and/or office room should be long and narrow so that one end of the bed faces the window and the other end faces the freestanding table and chair.
September 19th, 2008 | Posted in Tips for Log Homes | No Comments
