Log Homes

Have anyone built or bought a log home in the last 5 years or so in a cold climate like we have in Wis?

What size logs did you use? Thanks Bart

I haven't, but from all I hear, use the widest logs you can afford, cause the lil ones twist up, and leak air!

This company use kiln dried cedar tongue & grove D shaped. The equipment they use to make them is high tech every log is the same, I am wondering about the 6inch in wis winters. 6x8

Does any one have a house built with 6 inch in a cold climate? Thanks a lot guys for all the replies so far.

i would love to have a log home, i think they are really neat, love the interiors of all the wood. (i hate drywall), we have redone some of our walls in our home with wood planks, knotty pine and sealed them. made new cabinet doors with knotty pine too. we love the natural wood look. one of the stockholders has a log home, they don't take care of it as they should, nor do they clean the interior walls, the top 1/2 of the logs inside are covered in dust.  we looked at a log home on a lake a few years ago, it was an estate sale, the exterior needed some sealant applied in areas, the family paid someone to spray on a plastic covering all over the exterior. just ruined the looks and i'm sure it couldn't have been a good choice for the logs. we didn't get the home, but looked at it a year later and the people that bought it had someone remove that plastic covering and seal it the way it was supposed to be. i'm sure that was pretty expensive.    

shameless dude wrote: i delivered propane to some folks that had a log home, was a neat looking one, had 6 inch logs, they burned ALOT of propane in winter to heat it. more than a stick built house. i think Dave is right, get the biggest logs you can. i've seen so many log homes that people have studded up the insides and put insulation in and drywall. kinda takes the log home effect away!

Modern log homes have to be adjusted. All interior walls are attached to the perimeter walls with slip joints. Loft and deck roof posts gave a big adjustment but on the bottom of each.
They need to be sealed every so often and with a quality product. Modern logs are treated for bugs n fit at the factory. They have gas kits and sealing strips on every joint.
Every window and door have a dead space above to allow shrinkage. Every so often the trim needs a little work to keep it tight and looking good. Some shrink/ settle more than others depending on location.

We were in Montreal Canada several Years ago. There were several dealers there that were willing to sell and ship one clear down here. We didn't buy one, neighbor gal put one up about a year before her hubby passed over. That's been 4 or 5 years ago. I wonder how she's keeping up with it? Are there homes with log veneer siding on them? Seems like I remember sumptin like that.

there is log siding out there, Menards has the best selections. there is 4-6-8-10 inch siding. the smaller sizes just don't look right on the outside of the home, but prolly would on the interior!

Yes, we have 2 walls in our house that I have log siding on the inside, bought from the manufactor of the siding and it's seconds, we love it. We have friend with a log home and they have trouble with woodpecker putting holes in the logs.

My brother bought a quality log home about 30  years ago. As Thad mentioned, the interior stud walls were attached to the studs with lag bolts in slotted holes. The "LOG WALLS" were suppose to shrink about 1.5 - 2 inches over a  few year period.. He left a big gap above each door and window.. I do remember after 7-8 years there was NO GAP left above the door or windows.. One window was TIGHT and had to remove the trim and shove a chain saw above the window casing and get a 1/2 inch gap again. The stuff they used on the outside to seal between the logs, he has to redo about every 10 years. The logs were probably 10 inches in diameter and milled top and bottom to be about 8 inches tall.  They were cut as a tongue and groove to lock together with a foam strip inside the groove.  I dont remember him saying much about the heating. He sets close to a river so they drilled a well and some type geothermal heater... pump takes well water and runs it thru a 80 gallon hot water heater, then feeds the house with heat.

Built a log home 26 years ago, logs are D=cut double tounge and groove 8 inches thick. I have them resealed every 3 to 4 years. The logs came from a Missouri company called Gastineau. There was a sealant tape put on both tounges and hole 1inch in diameter where the logs butted and filled with spray foam. Has heated as good as my sons new stick home of the same size. Logs are Pine and were kiln dried. Lyle