Hearts Content Log Homes: Nova Scotia's Premier Supplier of Kiln Dried Log Homes

Log Home Spring Special from Kuhns Bros Log Homes

2012-01-26T16:47:00.000-04:00

Exterior Foundation Insulation Options: To Parge or not to Parge.

2011-09-06T10:07:00.000-03:00

With all the hype about rising energy costs, r-value, energy 2000, energuide 80 and so on, R24 is quickly becoming the new code standard for exterior walls. A stick built home with 2 x 6 studs is now faced with another 2" of exterior, closed cell Styrofoam to meet this code, while log homes in northern areas are now pretty much required to have an 8" minimum thickness. Energy 2000 and energuide 80 guidelines are currently the way to go when you're looking for ways to prevent heat loss and reduce energy dollar expenditures. Wall thickness of course is only one part of the energy efficiency equation and not a very significant part at that, when you consider the potential for leaks and drafts around windows, sill plates, roofs and basements. Doesn't make a lot of sense to increase your wall thickness without addressing the other, more significant, heat lose areas. One of these areas is the foundation. There is not a lot of code requirement, that I'm aware of, for foundations, which is a little strange to say the least. Most new home owners and builders however are quick to realize the value of a well insulated basement and are mainly opting for an R-20 (2 x 4 insulated framing and vapour barrier) on the interior walls and 2" of Styrofoam on the exterior, below grade, walls. That still leaves two or three feet, or more with walk out basements, of uninsulated exterior foundation walls. Currently, there is not a lot of information or guidance out there on the web on the best approach to insulate this exposed exterior space. New, insulated R-10 products are available that imitate everything from stone to timber, however the cost is often 14.00 to 18.00/ sq. ft., and with most walk outs averaging over 200 sq ft + costs can quickly exceed 5 or 6k installed. At this cost, installing 2" Styrofoam, from footer to sill, and parging is one option that should be explored.

Our home has a 9 ft basement with exterior Styrofoam insulation from the footer to the sill. I added another foot of Styrofoam to the top of the standard 8 x2 sheet. The problem with parging Styrofoam is not necessarily a product issue (will it stick and not crack in sub zero temperatures) but rather the lack of success stories and buyer confidence. During my Internet research I could not find one single example of someone who used 'styrofoam parge'. Nevertheless, the cost difference was too great to ignore, not to mention the artifical look of insulated imitations on a log home. Professional masons tell me that with all the bonding agents available today it should not be a problem to find the right parge mix. In fact, masons often develop their own blend of mixing agents to match the requirement of any finished surface. While this may not be an option for the DIY crowd, there are a couple of manufacturers who produce a pre mix product specifically for use on Styrofoam. We opted for a product called Parge Plus by True Foam. http://www.truefoam.com/.

Here's a few snaps of before and after the application.

HEARTS CONTENT LOG HOMES: Who we are?

2011-07-15T14:32:00.023-03:00

Hearts Content Log Homes Inc. is the authorized sales representative for Kuhns Bros Log Homes in Atlantic Canada. After moving into our Kuhns Bros home in April of 2010, Phyllis and I decided to get into the log home business and assist people in achieving their dream of owning a log home.
Our home is located along the banks of the beautiful Mira River on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.
Join us on September 17th and 18th for an open house and experience first hand the value of a Kuhns Bros log home.

Cape Breton was recently voted the #1 Island Destination in Continental US and Canada, #3 in the WORLD! by 2011 Travel + Leisure.

Check out the link by Destination Cape Breton: http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/worlds-best-islands-cape-breton-canada) for a complete island over view.

Acting as our own general contractors and completing most of the finishing work ourselves was an extremely exciting and rewarding experience. This experience combined with years of research has given us a very unique perspective on the value of log home living and what to look for when choosing the log home of your dreams. From the selection of wood species to environmentally friendly log stains, from flat trusses to beam and purlin roof structures, and 21st century, energy efficient, energuide 80 homes, we've pretty much cover all bases.

Over the next few months on our blog I'll be getting into the basics of log home construction from our perspective as log home builders and owners. The choices available today in building a log home are many; and, the decisions are not always easy, considering it's probably a once in a life time investment.

So stay tuned, and I'll try to ease many of the fears that most people have when it comes to building a warm or cool, comfortable log home that will last for generations.

Winter Wonder Land on the Mira

2011-01-30T14:01:00.001-04:00

Winter arrived on the Mira just after New Years Eve 2011. See a few of our winter wonderland snaps.

Nova Scotia, Heart's Content Log Homes

2010-07-22T19:41:00.003-03:00

Log Home Sales Reps. for Nova Scotia

2010-05-09T06:51:00.009-03:00

Hi Folks,

We're back again and it's now official, we're the Authorized Sales Representative in Nova Scotia for Kuhns Bros Log Homes. Phyllis and I can't say enough about how the log home experience over the past year has truly exceeded our expectations. We were so impressed with the quality of the kiln dried logs, the construction process and the solid comfortable feeling that you get from a Kuhns Bros. log home that we decided to join the Kuhns Bros family. We're currently building a dedicated web site to share our experience and promote the dream of log home living. It truly is incredible. Feel free to drop by and take a look.

In the mean time, be sure to check out the Kuhns Bros web site for up-to-date informtion and pricing.

Our Contact Info:

Willis and Phyllis Stevens
34 Eagle View Drive
Albert Bridge, Nova Scotia B1K 2P1

Phone: 902-567-2953

E mail: willisstevens@kuhnsbros.com

Have a good one,

Willis

Last Log Home Construction Post - we're moving in.

2010-03-21T07:20:00.022-03:00

That's it folks, the last post. We received our occupancy permit last week (March 15/10) and can move in any time. The lose ends (mouldings, closet organizers, dusting, cleaning) will be sorted out and furniture set up in a week or two. It's been an incredible journey and now it's time to sit back and enjoy. It seems like we've been working evenings and weekends forever. It was fun, frustrating, challenging, a tremendous learning experience, and I wouldn't hesitate to start it all over again tomorrow. We have a beautiful log home, our dream home, on the shores of the picturesque Mira River, Cape Breton Island, and our choice of Kuhns Bros Log Homes and Larry Begg of Begg Construction made it all possible. There are of course lots of other contractors and personal friends to thank, however the combination of a quality log product and skilled craftsmanship are essential and the folks at Kuhns Bros and Begg Construction exceed all expectations.

The past month or so was spent laying engineered hard wood (hickory)in the great room, installing cupboards and counter tops, and moulding and window trim. The floor is floating and I would highly recommend this type of installation rather than gluing. There is virtually no movement and no mess with very expensive glue.

We'll be in by Easter and plan on starting up Hearts Content Log Homes Ltd as the Nova Scotia representative for Kuhns Bros Log Homes.

Last Tip of the week: If you're seriously considering a log home, take a look at Kuhn's Bros Log Homes you won't be disappointed.

Have a good one.

Gallery

2010-02-08T21:43:00.011-04:00

Getting Close to Move In

2010-01-25T21:26:00.012-04:00

We're just about there. Now looking at March 1 for move in. There's been a few delays with kitchen cabinets lost in shipment, hardwood floor on back order and final electrical dependent on every fixture in the house being installed. And since we're still trying to decide what to put in the dining room (fan, chandelier type, or other) this is a problem. Without cabinets and a bathroom vanity, no sinks and no final plumbing, without flooring no occupancy permit and without every fixture (inside and outside) installed, no final electrical inspection and no change over to time of day billing and cheaper off hour rates.

Cabinets - our choice of wood was alder with a moca glaze. Lots of character in alder which should match the pine logs. I haven't actually seen the finished results. We're picking most of them up this week and plan to install them on the weekend. The missing cabinets are the pantry cupboards which can be added later and by going ahead with the install now the plumbing and counter tops can be finished. Our counter top choice was ceramic tile with a stainless steel edging. The choice of ceramic was primarily based on price and budget priority. At a quarter of the cost of granite or corion, it was a no brainer. I'll post a few snaps when the kitchen is complete.

Tiling on the kitchen floor, entrance and bathroom was completed last week in anticipation of the cabinets/vanity arriving. A wavy edge, terra cotta style was substituted for our first choice, Mexican saltillo. However, a quote of 10.00/sq ft., plus installation for saltillo, quickly ended that debate. Go figure, 2.00 in Sante Fe and 10.00 in Cape Breton. We installed most of the tile ourselves directly onto the cement over pour. Never done it before and it looks great. If you have the time, don't hesitate to do it yourself. It's not that difficult with new construction and you'll save yourself a bundle. Installation costs can run anywhere from 2.00 to 4.00 a sq ft for a 400 sq ft job and that's a major rip off for a 2 day job. Don't know about you, but I don't make 400 bucks a day. The rest of the main floor, including the bedroom and bathroom, is also tile, except for the living room which is engineered hardwood. Some of the best engineered hardwood out there, in my opinion, is made by Homerwood (5/8" thick). We're going with hickory, again for the character that it brings to a log home and of course hardness. The question now remains, to glue or float the hardwood on a not so level cement over pour.

Window trim - We're in the middle of triming out our windows and we stayed with the Kuhn's Bros design of 1 x 4 pine and a heavier 2 x 6 ledge. The 2 x 6 was substitued for the 3 1/2" x 1 3/4" pine used on the exterior when I realized that the window, trim design plans were for a 6 x 8 log and not an 8 x 8 log. More on trim, bottom line it looks great.

More snaps in a few days.

Heat On and Mason on Site

2009-12-20T08:49:00.028-04:00

Update Summary

The heat is up and running and everything seems to be working as planned. It's nice and cozy. The heat is everywhere. Not a like a forced air or hot water radiator system where you feel warm and cool areas throughout the house. We've finished applying the first coat of varathane, to be followed by dry wall taping (interior walls), second coat of varathane, wall painting, flooring (ceramic and hardwood), cupboards and fixture installation. Here's a few of our recent experiences. Move in date is February 2010.

Heating

The electric furnace is design to be installed with 'time of day' billing. In Nova Scotia that means the furnace will come on between 11PM and 7Am when electric rates are at their lowest cost. The theory is the in floor heating matrix (in this case the cement over pour) will hold the heat all day and only turn on during the night hours with the lowest rates. The problem, at least initially during the final construction phase, is that until you get the final electrical inspection Nova Scotia Power won't switch you over to 'time of day'. In order to get a final inspection all rooms have to dry walled and painted, at least with primer. This of course could take months, and unless you actually turn the system off, the electric meter just keeps on spinning. We have turned the heat down somewhat, however you also have to keep the humidity under control. So we've put a drive on to complete the dry wall taping and mudding, and get 'time of day' ASAP.

Rather than hire a contractor we decided to do it ourselves, against all advice. With almost 9 foot ceilings the challenge of mudding is much greater with a 6" horizontal strip of dry wall in the middle of the wall. This creates a double seam between a bevelled (finished) edge and a straight edge. Lots of info on the web that explains the mudding process so I won't get into that here. Suffice it to say we're doing it ourselves. The primer goes on tomorrow in the bedroom, closet and bath. Thought we'd use these areas to practise on before doing the entrance way.

Fireplace

It's 5 days before Christmas 09 and our mason starts laying stone tomorrow. In my last post I mentioned the folks at Captured Stone Impressions . I can't say enough about this local, Nova Scotia, business venture. They showed a ton of patience with our delayed decisions, offered lots helpful suggestions and arranged the shipping. We ordered approximately 500 sq feet which weighed in at just over 5000 lbs on 6 skids. This included corners, ledges and hearth stones. The plan is to face the walk out portion of the basement (facing the river) and the fireplace with a grey river stone, colored stone mix. There was a snap of the fireplace construction on my last posting. Here's the latest update with the mantel and cement board chimney box completed. The mantel was built from left over stair well threads (4" x 12" x 6' pine) and 8" posts. One advantage of going with Captured Stone Impression is that there is a stipple on the flat portion of the stone (not all cultured stone has this) which allows for better adherence to the mortared mesh.

Outside

Before laying the stone the wall has to be covered with wire mesh leaving an air space between the mesh and wall. The mesh comes in 2 x 8 sheets and fastened with shingle nails. The mesh is filled with mortar, allowed to dry and then the stone is layed up. Remember to leave enough space for the stone to be fitted around the the outside electrical fixtures.

Tip of the Week: Now is the time to watch your humidity. Try not to let it slip below 40%, use this indicator as your thermostat temperature guide.

Well and Septic

2009-11-23T20:47:00.033-04:00

Hi Folks,

It's been a while since my last update (Oct. 15), however the truth of the matter is, there wasn't a lot to report on until the last week. When I left off we were still waiting for our well, septic and heat. Fortunately, we've had an exceptional fall, no snow yet and not a lot of heavy frost. Here's a shot of the house from the river looking up, which gives a good perspective on the hill we're on over looking the river. I'm actually standing alongside the dug well. The well is about 30 feet from the river. We hit water at 10 feet, went another 2 feet and dropped in 6 cement crocks. The well promptly filled up with 4 feet of water. A high pressure pump, run for 2 hours, failed to draw down the water level even an inch. Lots of water, now we wait for the water quality test. We used a witcher to locate a water vein and he was bang on.

A dug well is much preferred to a drilled well in our area. Cheaper to install, more water and better quality. The distance to the house was just over 200 feet. We installed a submersible pump and ran the line around 5 feet deep to avoid frost. In the basement we installed a large, fiberglass, cold water tank, 35 gallons vs 20 galleons. The larger the tank the less wear and tear on the pump, and in the long run we felt the extra 200 bucks would be well worth the extra cost. So the well is ready to go and today the lads installed the electric furnace and a 60 gallon hot water tank. Tomorrow we'll crank up the in floor hot water system and see what happens. This is big deal, we've been waiting for heat for a while, and until the system is up and running we were unable to finish the dry walling or apply the 2 coats of varathane. We sanded the complete interior, stair well and all. Like the outside we used 40 and 60 grit to removed dirt and lighten up the pine. After the first coat we'll use a much finer grit before applying the finshing coat. It's now starting to get pretty chilly over night and we have to get control of the humidity. Bring on the heat.

Septic System

The septic system is also installed and ready for all interior hook ups. We had plenty of options for locating the bed, and the soil was rated as C1, the top choice for soil drainage. Our basement is a living area, meaning it has a full bath room and laundry, and a rough in for a sink. Although we could have selected a bed location in front of the house and avoided a basement pump out, we opted to place the bed off to one side. This will allow us to leave many of the trees in place between the house the river, which otherwise would have to be cut down to make room for the 85' x 5' bed.

Fireplace Installation

The gas (propane) fireplace was installed last week. We chose a Napolean fireplace, 35,000 BTU. The hearth and boxed in area will be finished with cultured, river stone from floor to ceiling which will be about 14 feet high when completed. The mantle (6' x 1') will be cut from left over stair threads (4 x 12 pine). To support the mantle we'll use the butt ends from 2 of the 8" stair casing posts. The stone was purchased from Captured Stone Impressions. These folks were great, having built their own log home some 25 years ago. Check out their web site. http://www.capturedstone.ca/.

The power service was also completed this week and we're no longer on temporary service. All electrical and phone lines were buried and run under the driveway. The lines are buried 3 feet deep, surrounded by sand and a cautionary strip placed over the top.

Where the line enters the basement you'll also see the propane tank and the ventilation (HRV)vents. The vent furthest from the tank (15 feet+) is the intake and both have code restrictions in relation to the propane and electrical service.

As I said earlier, the furnace is now installed and we'll see what tomorrow brings. It'll take several days to get the system up to a comforable, operating temperature. You can't rush in floor start up, it needs to be gradual. The heat will be nice and we can start the varathane on the week end.

Later,

Tip of the week: Patience. If you're going to do your own general contracting, you'll need lots of patience. Dealing with all the different trades will be a challenge, however the return in personal satisfaction is well worth effort.

Exterior Finished: Latest Snap

2009-10-15T20:26:00.005-03:00

Here's a finished view of the back entrance facing the driveway. The large loft windows are 5' x 5' and provide excellent solar warm, due to the south facing. The cutting out of the arch and the finishing trim was a major challenge. The house has now received 2 coats of Sashco stain, just in time for the cold weather. We're starting to get frost, and the well and septic are still not installed. No water means no heat, hopefully this will be week.

Stay tuned.

Awesome Stair Well

2009-10-15T19:58:00.006-03:00

Check out the stair well. 8" main posts, 4" railings and 2" balusters. The treads are 4" x 12" x 4', all pine. This stair well is absolutely amazing, definitely the focal point of the entire home. More on the construction issues later. To say the least, it was challenging. Hats off to builder.

In Floor Heating

2009-10-12T08:20:00.012-03:00

Is in floor heating the right choice for you?

You read so much about the efficiency and effectiveness of radiant heating it's hard to ignore it as an heating option. We opted for a total home, hot water system. The two illustrations show the tubing in the kitchen/dining room area. The installation is pretty standard stuff, however, there are a few options when it comes to the heat source. We don't have access to natural gas, which leaves oil, electricity or wood for fuel options. Geo thermal is still too expensive for any reasonable period of cost recovery, especially with only 2 occupants. We did the wood thing 30 years ago, too much work at this stage in our lives. Air conditioning is not a big deal in our area, there goes the heat pump, and forced air can be a bit dusty in a log home. We decided on a hot water system driven by a 25 Kw, Hydra electric hot water furnace with an off hours regulator to capture the best kw price. Tubing was installed in the basement and on the main floor. Nothing in the loft. In my opinion the cost of installation for this type of heating seems to be a bit over priced, however I wouldn't fool around with the fly by night lads. Track down the professionals and get them to do it right the first time. You'll pay more, but it's guaranteed, and trust me you'll sleep a lot better. Our layout is fairly open so we settled on 5 zones, 4 on the main floor and a single zone in the basement. In hind sight, an extra zone in the basement would have been better. The biggest issue with the installation of in floor heating is the over pour. A basement usually has about a 4" over pour, no problem to use a power trowel and create a surface you could eat off of. The main floor however, only has an inch and a half to work with. Remember, all walls, exterior and interior, sit on a 2 x 6 pressure treated sill to allow for the over pour. Once the tubing is layed you might have an inch or so of over pour. Most contractors won't use a power trowel for fear of nicking a hose and instead try to smooth the surface out by hand. Bad idea. I was shocked when I seen the results. The basement surface was excellent, the main floor another story. There was no way that ceramic tile or hardwood could be layed directly on top. Too rough and uneven, it was bad. Four days later one of the over pour crew came back to grind the entire floor using an 8" grinder. Three an a half hours later there was cement dust from floor to ceiling. I spent an entire day with a shop vac cleaning up he mess, however the floor is now level and ready for finishing. Advice: ask how they plan to smooth out the floor and get a guarantee that it will be level and ready for whatever finishing material you plan to use.

Tips of the week:

1. Make the sure the air pressure in the heating tubes is between 40 and 50 psi before the over pour. This keeps the tubes from collapsing due to the weight of the cement.

2. Place some protective sheeting over the logs to prevent the cement from splashing on them, it won't come of.

3. Ask the installer how they plan to achieve a smooth finish and get a guarantee that it will be level and ready for whatever finish material you plan to use.

Sanding and Staining

2009-09-23T21:13:00.022-03:00

If you're keen on building a log home, and you don't have an unlimited budget, you can save yourself a lot of money by doing your own sanding and staining. This job is not for the faint of heart, especially if there there 2 stories. The height of our front peak, above the walk out basement, is close to 35 feet. The back peak, above the driveway is a comparatively short 25 feet. By far the hardest part is sanding. Every inch has to be sanded and while it could be all done with a ladder, a good set of staging is the way to go. Even with staging we had to strap an extension ladder to top section to reach the peak. Why sand? I've heard arguments for and against sanding. Bottom line, if it's a milled log, it will have a heat glaze on the outer surface and the glaze will limit, but not prevent, stain absorbtion. We chose to sand to get maxinum stain penetration. It's hard work, however the level of satisfaction through personal contribution is extremely gratifying and well worth the effort. A small tip on the seletion of a sander and sand paper. Don't cheap out, go for a good palm sander like a Dewalt or something of equilvalent value. For paper, use 60 grit, not 80 as often recommended.

The actual stain that we used was Sashco Transformation. Color was 'golden tone medium'. We had originally selected the 'golden tone light', however settled on the medium for the extra UV protection. It looks great after two coats. We used brushes. I suppose you could use a sprayer, however the stain will run and someone will have follow along to brush out the runs. It took approximately 7 gallons for the first coat and 5 gallons for the second. Each 5 gallon container was treated with insect repellent to prevent nesting and infestations.

We also have to stain the interior and plan to use a polyurethane. However that's another story.

Later.

Shingles On, Windows In, Staining Started

2009-09-14T21:14:00.017-03:00

Hi Folks, a quick update:

Just posted the electrical review. More to come on electrical later as the main panel is installed and we run underground conduit from the power line to eliminate overhead hydro wires.

The house is pretty much weather tight. Shingles on, Everest 40 year, architectural shingles. A couple of doors have been left off to facilitate the over pour for in floor heating in the basement and main floor. Basement is being poured tomorrow which will allow us to start the log framed stair well.

The windows are Andersen and are highly recommended by Kuhns Bros. These are a vinyl clad, wood window. They look great, however they're not cheap. The top of the line, solid vinyl, window is also a good choice, especially considering the cheaper price. They don't have the same insulation value and to be honest, there's something about a log home and solid vinyl, it just don't look right. Wood inside and vinyl outside seems to be is a nice compromise. We'll see if the extra investment was worth it a few years down the road. More on window installation and window trim later.

The stain is from Sashco. An excellent company to deal with. We received good advice and lots of sample containers before our final selection. You might find an equivalent stain, however it's tough to beat their service and customer help department. More on the application and color selection later.

Here's a few of the latest pics: Absolutely amazing!

Roof On

2009-09-01T21:02:00.016-03:00

The roof is complete except for the shingles (about 32 squares) which will go on in next couple of days. We settled on 40 yr, architectural, asphalt shingles (boreal green) after pricing a 24 gauge metal roof. 3k vs 28k. Metal looks good, however unless you've got an unlimited budget, it's a no brainer. Since this is our retirement home, I don't expect we'll have to worry about redoing the roof. Good luck kids. The soffits are a continuation of the T&G and the fascia is pine. Our builder did an awesome finishing job and with the decorative bracing at the peak, it's pretty impressive. Most log companies will give you a number of choices for the deco bracing and from our perspective it was a cheap option which really accents the log appearance. Go for it.

One of the most important decisions you'll have to make with reference to the roof is insulation. In our case we have 3 different roof structures, beam and purlin in the living room, flat trusses in the bedroom and scissor trusses in the kitchen/dining room. Your choice of roof structure will dictate your choice of insulation due to the different pitchs and building codes. In most of Canada an R40 roof is a minimum. For the B&P we had 3 choices: a) spray foam, which as I mentioned elsewhere is way over priced, b) 8 inches of SM (four layers of 2" high density foam, R5/inch) or c) two layers of 3 1/2" Ener Foil. We opted for Ener Foil: pros: 4 x 8 sheets, less installation labour, foil both sides, a higher R value (R6/inch), cheaper than SM; cons: haven't found any yet. Since the BP roof is pretty close to a 12/12 pitch, the R value is over R50, that's pretty impressive. Rmax insulation, only available in the US, is 3" and is also a great value. This stuff is put on over the T&G pine, and yes a vapour barrier should be installed between the pine and Ener Foil. Two x fours @ 24" centers are fastened to the top of the insulation using 12" screws which go through to the perlins. The 2 x 4's serve a number of purposes: create an airflow space between the sofffits and ridge vent, provide a space to run wiring (ceiling fans) and a nailing surface for roof sheathing. The whole structure is simple to build, extremely well insulated and very attractive, inside and out, when completed.

The current plan for the other roof structures will be blown in cellulose (18" thick) in the bedroom and pink fibreglass in the scissors. I think, the jury's still out on this one. Stay tuned.

Electrical: We're in the middle of running all the wiring right now. It's a piece of cake, with the right planning. More on this later.

Tip of the week: Cover your entire roof with water shield, not just the first 3 or 4 feet in from the roof edge. You'll never have a leak, even if shingles get blown off in a wind storm. Thanks Larry.

Electrical Heads Up

2009-09-01T17:42:00.022-03:00

Planning the Electrical Layout

I decided to add a few comments on the issue of log homes and wiring after I couldn't find much on the web regarding layout and fixtures; and, after I approached a few contractors for a quote.

With all the planning that goes into a log home, electrical help was one of the most difficult topics to research. Primarily because every home is unique, every region has different code requirements and most folks are reluctant to approach a contractor for advice without committing to that contractor. While it's not necessary to have an electrical layout plan 6 months in advance of construction, it is important to review local codes and at least know the minimum requirements, (ie. distance between plugs, smoke detector locations, mandatory lighting, the number of outdoor plugs, etc.). You won't really get down to detailed planning until you receive your final floor plans with the construction drawings. Once you have the floor plans, ask around for the names of some good electricians. Most contractors I spoke to, electrical (there were a few) or otherwise, had little or no experience with log construction; and while most are willing to listen, the first and most common response from electricians was : "a log home? Oh, they can be pretty complicated", and the first thought that goes through your mind is, I'm being set up for the big quote. Truth is though a log home should be no more expensive than a stick built home and in some case it'll be cheaper. Any electrician that tells you different doesn't understand the basics of a well planned log home. In our case we lucked out with an excellent electrician, creative, lots of suggestions, doesn't mind very early mornings and basically provided the guidance and experience we needed to stay within within the budget. As with every contractor, do not take the first one that comes along, have patience; comfort and confidence with your selection will follow, and who knows it might end up being the first quote.

A successful electrical installation requires good planning on your part and a helpful design team on the part of the log home manufacturer. The Kuhns Bros design, pre construction workshop, the information in the construction manual and on-site tutoring was simply the best in the business, to meet our needs.

Without getting into too much detail, sit down with your electrician and draw up an outline of the floor plan. At this stage you're really only interested in the outline of the log walls. Non log, interior partitions can come later. Identify the location of all plugs, switches and fixtures that will be in the log walls and transfer (magic marker) this information directly unto the actual, wooden platform, sub floor, before any logs are layed. At this point, a 1" hole is drilled at every location through to the basement or crawl space. Thus every plug/switch/fixture has it's own direct line to the under floor where, in our case, the main electrical panel is located. In some cases, switches and fixtures, for example, can use the same hole. Subsequently, every log is drilled and every electrical box cut out, before laying, to match up with the predilled holes in the floor. We put our plugs in the second course, switches in the 7th course and fixtures in the 11th course, all with holes going through to the basement. The builder will drill the holes, and this is where a professional and conscientious builder is a must. The builder that we were lucky enough to hire, in my, albeit, subjective opinion, is not one of the best, he and his family team are the best residential builders in our region.

When done correctly the electrician can easily and quickly (no drilling in exterior walls) pull wires and do the usual routing and panel design.

Tip of the Week

Run a couple of extra conduit lines from the basement to the attic. This will allow for easy installation of additional wiring if the need arises later down the road.

Roof Taking Shape

2009-08-22T09:22:00.013-03:00

Hi again folks. Thanks for the comments. We're well into the roof and it's looking pretty awesome. It's one thing to see it in plan, quite another to see it taking shape. The solid log gable with scissor trusses is a real head turning and the exposed beam and purlin in the loft/living room is also impressive with heavy gussets and bolts. The beam and purlin ceiling is starting to get filled in with 1" x 6" T&G pine. The design called for 1" x 8", however 1 x 6 was cheaper even with the extra footage and we like the extra accent created by the more narrow dimension. There will be 2 ceiling fans, one above the loft and one centered over the living room. The 1"electrical holes for these fans have to be drilled before installing the T&G, vapour barrier and insulation. The wiring will run up through the ridge beam, through the rigid insulation and along the top of the insulation down to an interior wall where the T&G meets the log. This wiring will eventually be covered by the roof sheeting, however do not cover it until the inspector gives the OK. Regulations will vary from region to region and in some case you made need conduit over the top of the rigid insulation.

Pot lights in the pine soffits will also have to wired before the roof sheathing is installed. The wiring for these will run down the soffit to the juncture of the T&G and log and then drilled through to the loft level and run in the same groove as the fan wiring. I'll post some snaps to show the route when the wiring is complete.

An important part of any roof system is insulation and for the BP roof we chose a commercial grade 3 1/2"high density, rigid Styrofoam with foil on both sides. Spray foam is an option, if you can afford it. In these parts it sells for anywhere between 5.00 to 6.00 dollars/square foot for 4" inches. You could also use the 2" blue/pink board, however you'll need 4 layers to get R40 and it's much more labour intensive.

More later.

Tip of the week: Most prefab gable trusses (2 x 4) do not have the structural integrity to meet code requirements for these high roof lines. A 2 x 6 custom truss will often have to built on site. Mr. Holmes would be happy with this added value to structural integrity.

Gable Wall/Stair Well Taking Shape

2009-08-16T18:17:00.007-03:00

There's little question that this gable wall is going to be a striking interior feature. With scissor trusses (cathedral ceiling and beams) most of this wall will be exposed through the kitchen and dining room.

Most of the stair well support is through 8" posts. The stair threads and risers will be cut from 4" x 12" plank. More on this later.

Project Review

2009-08-12T21:35:00.008-03:00

Quick review of the past 7 days. After completing the 9' basement, and the support floor, we're now into the main beam and purlin ceiling, 6 x 6 purlins and 6 x 8 rafters with collar ties.

The foundation was extremely accurate (thanks Mike), however with a log home the foundation to sill plate anchor points have to be at least 4" in from the outside wall edge. This allows the 3 1/2" thick perimeter board to lie flat on the sill plate. Parallams were used through the support floor, including the columns, one of the main beams was 22' feet long and weighed 800 lbs, however we now have a large open area in the basement, in case a hockey game breaks out. At 16" centers this makes for an awesome floor, extremely solid. I would highly recommend the parallam floor system. I know Mr. M. Holmes likes 12" centres, however for the average Joe, 12" centers really are over kill. Glue and screw all 4 x 8 sheets to the joists. Include separate lines for weeping tile and basement floor drains (hard pipe).

A heat recovery ventilator (HRV) is code in these parts, so a 4" vent plan is essential. You'll find that many of your interior walls are over beams to support the roof, which prevents using these interior partitions as duct ways.

Key points up to this point:

Skilled and conscientious builder and crew, bring in a manufacture rep, careful laying of logs so as not to disturb sealant (butylog tape), ensure all log checks are drilled and caulked. While a thorough understanding of the construction process, through manuals and DVDs is essential, these key elements in the process will ensure an air and water tight structure.

More later.

More Progress Snaps

2009-08-11T22:37:00.007-03:00

Just a few more snaps, great progress last week. Check it out.

11 Courses high and Rising

2009-08-05T21:50:00.007-03:00

More progress today. Check out the latest snaps. We're up to the 11th course and if the weather holds we should be into the loft joists in another day. Back filling was completed and sona tubes installed to support the two decks off the bedroom and dining room. The 11th course also is where the outside fixtures are located. There are several installation options, we settled for cutting into the round surface creating a flat base for the fixture to sit on. This means drilling the wiring holes from the floor to the 11th course and trying not to forget a course.

Tip: Always check the electrical holes from course to course for alignment. It's not a big deal to drill out one course, however if you have to drill two or more courses, good luck.

Laying Logs

2009-08-04T21:27:00.018-03:00

With the foundation in and floor deck complete, it was time to get serious and start laying log (8 x 8 D profile in our case). A word of caution at this stage, don't rush to get the logs installed. The more time you spend laying out the deck, checking chalk lines and marking electrical outlets, switches, fixtures (inside and outside), doors and windows, the less mistakes you'll make down the road. It is extremely important that the deck diagonals are within 1/8" , maximum, preferably 1/16" or less.
Laying log is a methodological process and requires patience and planning. Once the deck is marked out, the first step is drilling the electrical holes through the perimiter board into the basement. You'll need an angle drill and a 1" bit. Once all outlets are drilled, you can start lying logs. Logs with electrical outlets are drilled from the bottom up, to coincide with the deck holes. Plugs are located in the third or second course, switches and kitchen plugs are drill through to the 7th course, outside fixtures are in the 11th course. Electrical boxes also needed to cut out.

Before laying the first course, a generous line of caulking (Sika Flex 219 LM) is put down on the deck and the log is placed along a chalk line previously snapped around the perimeter. Each log is placed based on the overall design provided by the supplier and lagged every 30". The butt ends are joined by a spline which also caulked. To start the second course, a line of butylog tape seal is placed on the outside of the tongue (these logs all have a single T&G). These sealant is extremely sticky, don't expect to move the log easily once the second course has been positioned on top of course #1. The first course is the most important. Keeping checking diagonals, plumb and square and you'll have no problems erecting walls. After 1 and 1/2 days we had 5 courses layed. House size is 52' x 30' (1650 sq ft + a 300 sq ft loft).

Tip of the week: Take your time, check, measure and check again before fastening the log. Eventually, the checks and balances will become routine and you'll be surprised how quickly things go together. Later.

Progress:

Logs On Site

2009-07-26T21:20:00.013-03:00

Logs are now on site. It took the better part of a day transferring the logs from a tractor trailer to a boom truck and then up to the site. Everything went extremely well, the boom operator was exceptional. Once on the ground we covered every bundle with tarps. The foundation is pretty much complete, final touches on July 27th.

Progress at Last

2009-07-22T19:58:00.010-03:00

Well folks we're finally starting to see some progress. The temporary service is in with a new hydro pole and transformer added, and footers have been poured. It was a bit of a job creating access for the cement trucks. A temporary road has been built around 3 sides in order to pour the footer. A pumper will be used to fill the main forms which in the end will be 9 feet high. We preferred a 9' basement as the the plan is for a complete living area in this space. The foundation will be well insulated on both sides with 2" of Styrofoam SM.

The logs will arrive on July 24th and since the primary flat beds are too larger to make it up our driveway, all logs will be carefully transferred to a boom truck for a trip to the construction site. The area around the house has been prepared by laying freshly cut trees to serve as pallets and keep the house logs off the ground. All log bundles will then be tarped.

Since our switch from an ICF foundation to standard cement, we are now framing the walk out basement. A little extra work, however we had no choice once ICF was dropped. I now believe even with ICF all basement walkouts should be wood framed. The weight of cement over the windows and doors in this area is far too heavy to be safely support by window and door bucks.

The builder starts on July 28th, and first course of log is scheduled to be layed on August 3rd.

Stay tuned.

Tip of the Week

Each flat bed truck load of logs requires at least 16oo sq ft of space to properly lay out the log bundles.

Delays

2009-07-03T21:24:00.005-03:00

Well Folks,

Bad news: We ran into a few problems last week that has put us several weeks behind schedule. First the permit office has seen very few log homes and we had to hire an engineer to review the construction plans. Three issues were identified: 1. can't use in ICF foundation with a log home unless we go with 10" thick concrete core. This of course would drive the price through the ceiling and our budget. We're now back to a standard concrete form basement, 10" along the 52' wall and 8" on the other 3 sides. 2. The gable truss for the log siding on one end needs to be frame rather than a gable truss. Not a big deal, just more time and labour. 3. The beam and purlin ceiling structure is being question due to the number of rafters, which may not be sufficient.

We'll sort these issues out next week after meeting with the inspector and engineer. We're hoping the permit will be approved by the middle of next week.

Good news: The temporary hydro service has been installed and will be inspected next week and a new pole and transformer installed.

We also started preparing the site for the arrival of the logs which are to be delivered on July 16th. We're laying a series of trees down to act as pallets to keep the logs off the ground. All material will be covered with tarps to keep the wood dry. Still need to book a rubber tire forklift to unload.

That's it for now folks, stay tuned.

Tip of the week: Hire an engineer, licensed in your state or province, at least 3 months or earlier prior to start of construction to review and stamp your plans.

Update # 3

2009-06-07T18:53:00.006-03:00

Not much happening this week, waiting for the permits to come through. Joist and truss plans are complete. The joist manufacturer supplies the joist layout design including the confirmation of weight bearing points location. If you have a basement and want to minimize posts, talk to your joist supplier, these lads can pretty much engineer their way around any obstacle.

Tip of the week.

If you're using glulams for headers or for other support areas, and they're going to be exposed, consider parallams. Their stronger (more expensive) and can span greater distances, however, they'll have less of an impact on overhead clearance, and they can be stained after sanding for a much nicer appearance.

Later

log home on the mira update

2009-05-30T08:31:00.007-03:00

We've pretty much finalize dates and contracts with the subs. House location, septic and well have all been surveyed on a location plan and we're waiting on the foundation footer permit to dig the hole. The hydro/power folks have been on site and are installing a new pole (hydro line is close by) and a transformer for 200 amp service. Heads up: the power temp. hook up tripod used during construction has to be built to code.

Met with the shipper and reviewed site access for the 48' flat bed. The package we purchased requires 2 full truck loads. I plan to rent an all terrain fork lift for an afternoon with a 6000 pound lift capacity. This is important, you don't want problems in dropping logs, a back hoe can be used if fitted with forks, however I wouldn't recommend it. It's difficult and costly to replace the logs if something goes wrong, and for 500.00/600.00 the rental of the proper fork lift is the way to go.

We'll be laying pallets and tarps for the logs once they arrive to keep them dry and out of the sun during construction. A good rapport with the local inspector is essential and most of all helpful. These folks know their stuff, have all sorts of helpful tips and will insure that your home is safe and sound.

Tip of the week: meet directly with your joist and truss supplier. Don't depend on our local building center/retailer to get the load design right. Go with engineered joists.

How it all began!

2009-05-10T16:17:00.003-03:00

Hi Folks,

Well our dream of a log home began many years ago, however it's only been in the last 5 years that things started to come together. Originally from Cape Breton and Newfoundland, Phyllis and I left the east coast and moved to Russell, Ontario. Now 28 years later we're back in Cape Breton building a log home on the beautiful Mira River. We cleared the land ourselves with the help of a Husgavarna 340 chain saw. A great, light weight reliable saw, highly recommended.

The land has been cleared and levelled, the driveway put in and we're ready to start construction in June.

How did we get to this point?

After about 2 years of research we selected, Kuhns Bros. out of Lewisburg, PA as our log home supplier. We decided that for us kiln dried logs were the only way to go. No slotted bucks in windows and doors, no issue with settling, kitchen cabinets fastened directly to the wall, light weight and little checking. The logs are pine, 8 x 8, kiln dried logs, D profile. The land is sloped toward the river so we're going with a full, walk out basement.

In an effort to save money (log homes are more expensive than stick built) we decided to be our own general contractors and have arranged for a shipper, a surveyor, builder, a heating plumbing contractor, an electrician, well and septic installer, etc., etc., etc.

As construction starts to get underway, I'll post regular updates and tips for others who may interested on the in's and out's, the do's and don't's of log construction.

Later