Designing / BuildingHome & Garden

Underdecking For Your Upstairs Patios, Decks, Porches & Balconies

We will probably be adding some underdecking to at least 1 or 2 of the 4 overhead decks and porches that we have on our log home. I have explored 2 underdecking manufacturers at this point: Undercover Systems and TimberTech's DrySpace. Here's what I've learned...

Pre-Cast Basement Walls & Foundation From Superior Walls

We are considering using Superior Walls for concrete walls in the basement of our log home. Superior Walls are a pre-cast -- not pre-fab -- concrete foundation and insulated wall system. These basement walls are the BEST if you're wanting an energy-efficient home.

Knowledge Is Power When You’re Building A Log Home

I went to the Nashville Home and Remodeling Show this weekend. While it's not a log home show, it had all of the key vendors I was most interested in seeing. Here's what I've learned about going to shows like this...

What Do You Think About Geothermal Energy & Prefab Basement Walls?

We're trying to 'build green' with our new log home, but there are some challenges. Here are our thoughts on geothermal energy and prefab basements.

My Dream Home Idea Notebook: Version 4.0

Phase II of the Idea Notebook has definitely made the process of designing and decorating our log home even easier: One notebook just for DESIGN ideas that have to be determined early in the process... structural details that a contractor would need to know. And one notebook just for DECORATING ideas that can still be fine-tuned along the way... up until the final moment that we purchase each item.

How We Found A Log Home Designer… Eventually

Here are the steps we went through when looking for a home designer to draw up the blueprints for our custom log home. There are also some recommendations here if you're looking for home designers in Williamson County, Tennessee.

Clearing The Land: Day One of Bush Hogging

First photos after we cleared the land to build our log home in Williamson County Tennessee.

Preparing To Clear The Land For The Homesite

Our first official step toward building this log home was to clear the land. We decided to hire a professional team to take out most of the trees & brush that we knew would be in the way of the home. They had all the right equipment for heavy duty bush hogging, and they were even set up to deal with all the rock they encountered on the property.

What To Look For When Comparing Log Home Floorplans

Some tips for deciding on the right log home floorplan for you... based on your family's wants and needs, as well as how your family plans to utilize the spaces within your home.

How Do You Measure Square Footage?

Do you know how many square feet are in your home? Here's how to determine square footage in a house.

Got Creeks? What Is A Blue Line Stream, Anyway?

I had no idea what a 'blue line creek' or 'blue line stream' was... until recently. The 5+ acres of land we purchased has 3 creeks running through it and one of them is a blue line creek, and it is controlled by FEMA. Here's what you need to know.

Can’t You See It???

When you're trying to decide on which property to buy for your new log home, sometimes it's hard to visualize how things will look. Here are a few tips...

FREE Home Design Tools To Help You Design & Decorate Any Room In Your House

Floorplanner.com and other online programs like this make it easy to design and decorate all the rooms in your house! They're great because they let you to see exactly how things will look inside the rooms of your house without having to just visualize it in your mind. Most of these tools also permit you to enter your exact room dimensions. Some even allow you to draw in objects of your own choosing. Here are some free online design tools to consider.

Exterior Log Siding vs Full Log Walls

While looking at log homes along Center Hill Lake in Smithville, Tennessee last week, we saw close-up for the very first time was a home that looked like a log home, but wasn't. It had log siding -- or tongue & groove -- inside and out.

Can You Build A Log Home For $150/SF?… Apparently In Middle Tennessee You Can’t!

This article is one of the few in which we have actually vented our yearlong frustrations in dealing with finding a general contractor to build our home, topped off with some of the runaround we've received from the banks who seem unwilling to finance log homes in this area.

Orvis Sells Log Cabins

The Orvis Company has teemed with Rocky Mountain Log Homes to sell 6 different log cabins to outdoor enthusiasts. The Orvis log homes range in size from 1,500 SF to 3,944 SF and range in price from $141,000 to over a million dollars, for a top-of-the-line custom-built log home.

Where To Put The Hot Water Heater… Keep Your Master Bathroom In Mind

Since the master bathroom will be utilized several times each day by both Jim and myself, adequate amounts of hot water AND water pressure are a necessity for our new master bath shower & wet room. See why the placement of the hot water heater is so important...

Log Cabins Sold At Bass Pro Shops

Bass Pro Shops has partnered with Barna Log Homes to sell log cabins in their Fall catalog! The RedHead line of Barna log cabins were designed with weekend adventurers who are seeking a cost-effective retreat for outdoor activities in mind.

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