See standard Shower sizes & dimensions, Toilet sizes & space requirements, bathroom Sink spacing issues, Tub placement & sizes, and overall Bathroom Room Sizes for a full bath, small bath, half bath, and water closet / powder room. Plus, ADA bathroom requirements and online tools to save time & money designing a bathroom.
Designing / Building A Log Home
Log Home Kits: 7 Things To Think About Before You Build From A Log Home Kit
Thinking of building your new log home from a log cabin kit? Here’s what you need to know BEFORE you start exploring log home kits!
History And Examples Of Craftsman / Arts & Crafts Style Log Homes
Read about one of the first log homes built in the Craftsman or Arts & Crafts style here. Then examine pictures of actual log homes built to incorporate many of the same features. In effect, these Craftsman style log homes are log home bungalows!
Before You Buy A Front Door For Your New Log Home… Some Reasons To Consider Composite Doors (Or Fiberglass Doors)
Why would you put a non-wood door on a log home? Because you can’t tell the difference – see for yourself! 13 reasons to choose fiberglass doors/composite doors.
Fireplace Design & Placement Ideas To Help You Answer The Question: Fireplace Or No Fireplace?
A tribute to all the fireplaces we never used… and the one we’re putting in our new log home. Fireplace design & placement ideas that helped me…you too!
Honest Abe Log Home Kits: See How Honest Abe Builds Log Homes
We went to an Honest Abe log raising and learned the following random tidbits about how Honest Abe builds log homes.Some of these things we specifically asked about, others were simply gems of info that they revealed to everyone at the event. I figure if I found these things interesting, then someone else might too. So I’m sharing them here.
Choose A Wood Heating System For Your Home, The Environment Will Thank You
Considering a wood heating system for your home? Here are the reasons why wood burning home heating can be a positive change for you as a homeowner, as well as for the environment.
New Home Design & Must-Have “Necessities”… If Money Were No Object
If money were no object, which posh amenities would be on your wish list? Here are the things that Jim & I have talked about including in our dream home…
Log Home Financing Doesn’t Come Easy These Days – Banks Are Balking At The Last Minute
I told myself that I wasn’t going to be negative — especially about any one company — when it came to talking about all the hoops we’ve had to jump through in order to get our log home financed. But let me just say this: We’ve had a change of heart about a couple of […]
New Home Building Costs: Things That Affect The Price Of Your New Log Home
There are a number of factors which can ultimately increase (or decrease) the costs associated with building your new home. Some things to keep in mind…
One-Room Log Cabins Are Cozy, Cheap, And Environmentally Friendly
Building and living in a one-room log cabin can offer you many benefits that would make log home living exciting, adventurous, and fun.
Current Log Home Trends & Up-To-Date News About Building Log Homes
With so many changes, updates, and new innovations available to those who are building or living in log homes these days, it’s important — and fun! — to know what the current log home trends are. Jim Young keeps you up to date on all the latest news and current building trends in the log home industry.
When Should You Finish The Wood For Your Log Home?… Before Or After It’s Built?
Should you stain the logs or finish the wood for your log home before the home is completed or after? See the advantages to both methods.
Green Log Awards Recognize Green Products For Log Homes
The Green Log Awards recognize the best green products which help make people comfortable and safe in their homes and at work without damaging the planet.
How To Build A Cheap Log Home
Did you know you can build a log home for less than $11,000? One man built the log home of his dreams for under $11,000! You can build a cheap log home, too. Here’s how.
How To Finance Your Log Home
Log home lending is different for some banks than taking out a mortgage for a tract house or other conventional housing structure. Knowing what avenues to take when seeking log home financing will make your goals of obtaining a mortgage for your log home an easier, happier journey.
How Draw Schedules Affect The Financing Of Your Log Home
One of the biggest hang-ups in the process of finding a bank to finance our log home was the ‘draw schedule’. The draw schedule is that unique timeline that spells out exactly when the logs themselves will be paid for, when the next installment of payments will be doled out by the bank, etc. It became difficult to get the bank and the log home company to agree on when the actual money would exchange hands. Here’s how it went for us.
Reasons To Consider Log Siding On Your Home’s Walls And For Other Projects Around The House
Following are some tips for working with log siding, plus lots of fun ways to use log siding in other projects around the house.
Bathroom Door Dilemmas… Pocket Doors To The Rescue!
The number and placement of bathroom doors is one thing that people tend to overlook — until it’s too late. I’ve learned a few things that might save you some headaches later on, if you’re able to address these things before you build.
How To Choose The Right Doors For Your Home
A collection of facts about doors that will come in handy when choosing the placement of your interior and exterior doors, plus tips that should help when deciding which type of doors to buy.
Log Home Financing (Or Lack Thereof) Halts Our Log Home Construction Plans
We qualify for the loans, but there just aren’t enough log homes that have been sold recently around here for the banks to use as ‘comps’ in order to determine a fair appraisal value for our proposed log home. They’re coming in way lower than we can build this log home for. And the banks won’t budge.
If We Could Build Our Log Home Over Again… Some Things We Would Do Differently
We built a log cabin that is CLOSE to our dream log home, but a few things are lacking. Here are a few things that we would do differently if we were to build a log home again.
How To Obtain Log Home Financing In The Midst Of A Mortgage Crisis… Here’s What Worked For Us
Here I summarize our personal experience with log home financing, as well as provide information and tips that will hopefully help you finance your log home.
Reasons This Old House Is The Best Magazine For Log Home Owners
It’s hard for me NOT to re-subscribe to the 3 log home magazines I’ve been subscribing to. I mean, we got so much great info from them during that first year of the subscription. But now, we’re craving more than these magazines seem willing to provide. If you’re contemplating resubscribing to a log home magazine, I’m here to tell you, you may want to check out This Old House magazine instead. Especially if you’re already living in your log home… chances are, the log home magazines won’t have much to offer you at all.
Log Home Landscape Ideas: Quick Tips Before You Start Landscaping!
Take it from us… prior to building a log home, it would be wise to have your contractor survey your lot ahead of time and remove any trees that could compromise your log home site. Several trees fell a little too close to our log home, and we were inches away from serious log home damage.
Log Home Staining Issues & Tips For Ongoing Log Home Maintenance
How often you need to stain your log home will depend on the color of stain you choose and how well you did the log staining prep work mentioned here. Lighter stains will need to be reapplied every 2-3 years. Darker stains can last 4-5 years. Here are more log home maintenance tips and things to watch for.
Reasons To Add A Basement To Your Log Home, Plus How To Build A Basement On A Budget
Need more space in your log home?… Consider a walk out basement! Here are some great reasons to consider building a log home with a basement, plus tips for building your basement while still staying within your log home budget.
Before You Stain Your Log Home’s Exterior: 4 Important Steps
Your log home is built, the weather is right, and now it’s time for the exterior of your log home to be stained. For the record, they say that the best time to stain a log home is when the logs have a moisture content less than 19%. Here are the 4 necessary steps prior to staining a log home.
How We Chose A Log Staircase For Our Log Cabin
We fell in love with the log staircase that Hiawatha had in their model log home. It was comprised of half logs for steps and fit perfectly into the home’s layout. It was something that we just ‘had to have’ in our log cabin. We researched the cost, and then compared the various log staircases that were available. Here’s what we’ve learned about log stairs…
Log Home Kits vs Handcrafted Log Homes: Why We Chose A Log Cabin Kit
See why Shelley and Greg decided to build their log home from a manufactured log cabin kit, rather than a handcrafted log home.
Looking For Green Log Home Products & Building Supplies?
Here’s a great list of environmentally-friendly green log home products and suppliers. So, if you’re trying to make your currently log home more green or you’ll soon be building your very own green log home, here are some companies that will make your life easier!
Concrete Log Homes: An Unusual Type Of Log Cabin
If you’re comparing the characteristics between concrete log homes and traditional log homes, it’s fair to say that with log homes made of wood, you have to worry about mold, rot, insects, and fire — over time. But with concrete log homes you do not. Nor do you have to apply stain to the home’s exterior every few years. And, since you don’t have to chop down any trees for concrete log homes, concrete log homes are also considered to be environmentally-friendly.
All These Delays & Changes May Actually Be A GOOD Thing…
It’s been about 2 years since we started the process of building our log home. We had the land picked out, the bank picked out, the GC picked out, the builder picked out, the logs picked out, the floorplan designed the way we wanted it, and we even started clearing the land. Then why isn’t our log home done yet? Why haven’t we even raised the first log yet?
See What Your Log Home Would Look Like With Different Colors Of Stains, Chinking, Decks & Trim
Weatherall has a fun — and FREE — program you can download to see what your log home would look like with different color schemes. Yep, change the stain color on the logs, the deck, the trim work. Change the color of the chinking — if any. You can even change the style and color of the roof. Download Weatherall Color Viewer here.
Instructions For Building Your Own Log Home Using Linear Logs Or A Log Home Kit
Log cabin kits that include machine-cut logs can be purchased from a number of different log providers. If you want to build your own log cabin, then check out these tips for getting DIY instructions from the experts, log raising events, and some books to guide you through the steps.
Personal Highs Matched With Regional Lows
The first official sign that construction is about to take place on our new log home site: the posting of the Building Permit! But it was a day of highs and lows, thanks to a series of tornadoes that hit in Williamson County the night before.
Williamson County TN Building Permits & Fees: What You Need To Know
We got our Building Permit today. Who knew the cost for a Building Permit in Williamson County TN could be so much?… $9,177! It’s mostly due to the county’s Privilege Tax. And boy do we feel privileged to live in Franklin, TN!
Now Is NOT A Good Time To Get A Log Home Construction Loan
This past Fall was a very difficult time for us to try & get a log home construction loan to build our new log home. There were several reasons for this — all spelled out here.
Where We Are Now On This Log Home Roller Coaster Ride…
No, we haven’t secured our log home loan yet. But the good news is… time is on our side. Because the mortgage rates have already come down since our previous closing date in October of 2007, and they are projected to drop even more in the coming months.
Getting The Lay Of The Land… Surveying The Property
Of the 5 acres we own, there is only one tiny little spot where the home can actually go. The rest will be hilly trails and a forest of thick trees lining the creeks. So, to ease our mind, and clarify for all involved — including the bank, the County, and ourselves — we asked the surveyor to come back out and re-survey it again for us.
Question About Staggered Shake Shingle Siding
A question: ‘We are in the beginning stages of building our log home and seriously thinking of using Staggered Shake Shingle Vinyl Siding on the second story. Our reasoning for doing so was the maintenance of the home. Have you heard or have you seen any log homes which have done the same?’
Tips For Exploring Log Home Companies
Joe — our guest reporter — shares with us a few more practical tips for buying or building a log home. In this installment, he offers some recommendations to help you decide between one log home company and another.
Why We Decided To Build Our Log Home With Honest Abe Log Homes As The Log Provider
We are very fortunate to have found them all: a log provider, a builder, and a general contractor that we are completely comfortable with. Here’s why we chose Honest Abe Log Homes and why we stuck with them through lots of changes, ups & downs.
How We Found The Best General Contractor In Tennessee
Here’s why we chose John Roach to be the general contractor to build our new log home in Williamson County Tennessee. Plus, some tips for what to look for in a GC, and some recommendations for general contractors in Middle Tennessee.
Underdecking Update: Another Meeting With Undercover Systems Of Tennessee
I met with reps at Undercover Systems… again. We’ve been considering their underdecking for awhile now. And I have to say, I really like this company. They’re no-pressure, honest & upfront. Here are the details of what it would take — and what it would cost — to install underdecking on our new log home…
The Exciting Process Of Digging A Ditch And Putting In A Culvert
If you’re building a home on a private piece of property, chances are you’ll have to put in a ditch and a culvert. Here’s how it went for us… including photos of the culvert, ditch, and driveway.
Which Is Best?… A Basement Garage, A Separate Attached Garage, Or A Detached Garage?
I learned a few things about the differences between attached garages vs detached garages vs basement garages. Here’s what I found…
See How We Incorporated The Craftsman / Arts & Crafts Style Into Our Log Home Bungalow
Without a doubt, our log home will be more like a bungalow with some interesting angles, curves & unique hardware, rather than purely straight lines and squares. But it wasn’t until we started fine-tuning the details like a big wooden speakeasy door with a dentil shelf — Arts & Crafts; prairie style windows — Craftsman; tapered columns and wide steps on the porches — bungalow that we even realized we were gravitating toward the Craftsman style of home architecture and decor which encompasses all of these things, and more.
Digging A Well: What You Need To Know
Little known facts about wells and water usage. Here’s everything we’ve learned about digging a well, including proposed costs to dig a well in Williamson County, Tennessee.
Unique Features & Design Elements Found In An Arts & Crafts Style Home Or Craftsman Bungalow
Here are some easy ways to spot a Craftsman style home… What to look for and what to include if you wish to build a Craftsman style home or an Arts & Crafts style log home.
