Log Cabins

Most of the unloading work can be accomplished with the help of machines capable of lifting the bundles of logs, dimension lumber, siding, and all the many parts of a Lincoln Logs, Ltd. home.

This little Kabota showed alot of guts, but wasn't capable of handling full bundles. With the help of some manual labor, the bundles were downsized to what the machine could safely handle, and the unloading progressed smoothly.

The windows for this package were part of this delivery, which means that storage and protection are problems that the homeowners must worry about. Our homes are delivered in increments, bringing materials to the site as the builder (or homeowner) requests them. This takes much of the pressure off keeping materials protected from rain and sun. Windows/doors are delivered last thing or as soon as the builder is ready to install.

Notice the deck & foundation to the right of the trailer. This was constructed the previous fall, covered over the winter, and is now ready and waiting for the building to begin.

Summer started off with a bang, and some beautiful weather. The gang all showed up to help with the unloading of this package - it turned out to be one of the very few dry days of the summer.

Having the logs stacked on the deck makes for less handling of the logs as they are needed for the construction of the walls.

The homeowners of this package took active roles in the building of their home. What they didn't know, they learned, and being part of a team made the work move along at a steady pace. Rain became the standard forecast for the weekends, which was when the majority of the work was done on this package.

All logs are marked so that the proper timbers are used in the building of walls where windows or doors create openings in walls.

Taking the time to make the window & door openings precisely as they should be, eliminates having to go back to square up the openings later when it's time to install the doors & windows. Either technique is acceptable.

You've seen the inside of the walls on previous pages, here are some of the outside connections. This contractor opted to 'finish' the window openings as it was built. Each log was squared off and the window openings were ready for the windows when the log work was done. Another method is to square off the bottom and top logs of the window, then draw a chalk line and square the remaining logs in the opening 'in place'. Either method is acceptable.

Above is the front left of the home. You can see the door or main entry just behind the truck body. This will eventually be all front porch.

At right is the side or gable end of the home, with another doorway which will eventually connect to a breezeway and two-car garage. The last remaining courses of logs are being put into place. Next will be second floor trusses and decking, then the support for the main center beam.

Setting the main beam on which this raftered roof will be formed. Depending on the situation, a crane may be necessary. This one was small enough the homeowners were able to use a logger's cherry picker, though it was pretty close to not being able to get it in place.

The main beam is the frame on which the rafters are placed for the roof system. Insulation is placed between the rafters.

The right side of this home will be open, cathedral ceiling, and the left half will be master bedroom and master bathroom, with the dormer (below) provided for full head space in the upstairs rooms.

Here is the dormer for the upstairs master bedroom & bathroom as it looks finished. What is noteworthy is the homeowners decision to use corner boards at the corners and not use Log Corners.

If you look back through other pictures in this site of homes under construction, you will notice that other dormers have been finished with Log Corners to carry the log home look even to the dormers. All our homes are standard construction above the 13 courses of logs. The use of log siding and log corners allows the log look to carry all the way to the peaks of the roof.

Also note that Sikkens Exterior Wood Preservative is being applied here, which is why there is a difference in color on the logs.

At left, the messy job of building the fireplace is done long before the house is finished.

Some choose to wait until after to build their fireplace. It doesn't matter but it will be easier if preparations for the footing to support the fireplace have been included in the plans and poured at the time you put in the foundation.

Newer models of fireplaces and woodstoves may not require any specialized support. Innovations and new technology have produced many efficient alternatives to the more expensive old fashioned fireplace.

At left is the porch roof rafters being added and tied into the roof. It really is starting to take shape now.

Note the open rafters to the right of the chimney. This is the eight foot roof extension that becomes covered gable end porch, creating the "wrap-around" porch for this home.

With the roof in place, things are starting to focus on the inside. Note the skylights in the roof, and the fact that all the windows have been placed.

The exterior of this home has been treated with Sikkens to protect and seal from the elements.

At right is the view of the porch created by the roof extension of this home. Normally, this model has a bedroom in the upstairs space located in this area, but it was removed from the plans to allow for a cathedral ceiling over the living room & eat-in kitchen. The fixed window openings for this area have been framed out, but the windows have not yet been installed. The french swing patio door will allow easy access from the Kitchen/Dining area to this area of the porch.

Note the tongue & groove ceiling below, and the view as you would look up to the peak of the roof extension porch. If you look closely, you can see the recessed lighting that has already been placed in the ceiling. Lincoln takes great pride in providing quality finishing materials such as the tongue & groove for all soffits as well as their porch ceilings. Eave soffits are fitted with a ventilation strip for necessary air circulation.

Above, at left, we are standing back to look at the roof extension and resulting porch. When finished, the flooring and railings of this porch, including the part that wraps around to the front will be of cedar. We provide all materials for a porch or deck, including any support beams and joists for the flooring. What they don't include are the posts from the bottom of the floor into the ground.

Each site will be different, and building codes for each area differ. It makes better sense to have the contractor provide these posts from local sources. For this home, the homeowner can tell you exactly how many bags of concrete he prepared for the footings for this wrap-around porch!

With fall well underway and winter just around the corner, the homeowner is working towards a totally closed in home so that he can continue working inside. Heating unit is in place, so once all the windows and doors are in place, they should be able to comfortably work on the details of finishing the inside. The process can be slow if you only have weekends to devote to your project.