Top 5 Things We Wish We Knew BEFORE Buying a Log Cabin
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- Опубліковано 14 лип 2024
- We discuss in depth all the things we with we knew before we bought our log cabin, including some of our own personal hardships and what we did to overcome those challenges. Follow us on Instagram @bellwetherfields.
Top 5 Things we Wish We Knew Before Buying a Log Cabin
Log Cabins are EXPENSIVE. It is a specialized skill that not a lot of people have and because of it being a bit more rare, it is expensive. Now there are some things that a log cabin contractor really can help you out with, including the replacement of rotten sill logs and helping put back together an older foundation but be aware that the quote that they give you may not be accurate, our quote was very reasonable until it turned into 4X that amount and the time frame was 6 months to finish the entire job, which after 6 months and 4X the amount of money quoted the cabin was still basically a shell that we had to finish ourselves.
Log Cabins are nothing like a modern home. It never really occurred to us that walls made out of antique wood, built over 150 years ago would not be square, plumb, the walls wouldn’t even be flat, that there would be sharp object sticking out of the wood that would scratch you or tear your clothing as you walked by, that you could run your hand down the wall and walk away with several splinters. It makes sense now, but as novices there were things about a modern style house that we just took for granted and we wish we had realized some of those things before we purchased a log cabin, it would have saved us a bunch of heartache.
Confusing or few DIY resources. We were not afraid of DIY and for this project, we needed to Do-It-Ourselves because of the huge inflation of costs (see item 1), but there again we made the assumption that UA-cam and the internet would have all the resources we needed to get this project done. Well they didn’t. Finding log cabin DIY resources is actually quite challenging and most of the information we found was in conflict with one another. Chinking was a perfect example of that. Some people only use the PermaChink, which we didn’t use but I believe is a man-made product that expands and contracts with the logs, it comes in a tube. Other people used plaster like we did, then others only used a cement mix, each of these resources would say that their way was the “right way” to do it. In the end, we realized, particularly with chinking that all ways might be the right way and you just have to go and pick something that works for you. Again, that would have been easier if we knew that before we spend an incredible amount of time researching and stressing out about it.
Everything in a log cabin takes 2-3 times longer than you think it will. Renovations take a long time, but when you are working them on weekends and holiday and you are working on a log cabin, expect that everything is going to take way longer than you think it will. We worked on restoring our windows and thought it would take a week, in reality it took a full month and that was working on them EVERY DAY. Things just take longer than you think.
Accepting things as they are. Finally, the most helpful thing we wish we knew is that at some point you are going to have to accept things as they are. An antique log cabin is going to have a lot of character and there might be some things you need to replace for structural or safety reasons. It is after those items are fixed that you run into issues if you aren’t careful. You could walk around and want to fix this or replace that but at the end of the day it might be better to accept those things the way they are and embrace that charm of your unique log home. - Навчання та стиль
Have lived in a log home for the last 24 years.. Bought the home when it was 8 years old without knowing anything about the maintenance problems of log homes.....but I was lucky. Here's my advice: Build or buy a home with a wraparound porch. This will perfectly protect your logs from rot and the ravages of sun, rain, and other natural intrusions provided you keep a proper stain coating. Anything above the porch roof stay with traditional construction, NOT LOGS. My gables are board and batten construction. Standard maintenance here....easy to replace a board if needed.
This is great advice! In the holler we’re in, weather generally blows in from the northwest. We noticed the logs on that side of the cabin were getting soaked, so we did as you suggest here; we put in a porch with a metal roof that covers most of the logs. So now our north and east facing surfaces have porch roofs, our south facing logs are generally shielded from most of the weather naturally, and our west surface is board and batten in the back.
On top of all of this we applied Q8 log oil to all surfaces, a very effective water resistant treatment with a natural additive repelling wood boring insects that still allows the wood to breathe. We did a video detailing everything we did with the products in the description.
Dad and I built a log cabin almost entirely from scratch in 1980-1982. Every step seemed to take a month as you say. We harvested the southern yellow pine from off his 11 ac. and would drag them up to the site with his tractor, then scribe and hand hew the logs flat on two sides, then treat for bugs and strip stack them in a drying shed. Meanwhile we had a mason build the full basement foundation, then proceeded to assemble the logs making the half dovetail corners as we proceeded row upon row, and also install the floor joists and sub flooring. The cabin was actually two cabins joined at the middle, one end is 26'x26', and joined by a 24'x24' on the other end. The flooring was boughten for the main floor and loft, but the roof rafters and decking were all milled from logs we took to the mill and/or planer. Each roof deck board was hand stained with white oil based paint, then wiped off to show the grain of the wood. After we finished the metal tin roofing we let the structure sit for about 9 months. We then cut and framed the openings for the windows and doors and installed modern windows with a hand made front door. We also hand built a double flue chimney up the middle of the house, and a fireplace at one end, using stone veneer from rocks we collected from a new road project, . For the chinking between the logs we used a half and half mix of masonry cement and concrete cement. We custom fit 1" thick styrofoam insulation, and fastened expanded wire mesh on either side of the insulation, which we then applied the mortar mix to on either side of each chink joint.
Wow, what a project! You both did some amazing work. How challenging were the notches to cut? And is that cabin still in your life? Would have loved to have watched it go up.
@@bellwetherfields6476 They were quite challenging. We would lay the log in place (using an A frame hoist on the back of the tractor) Them proceed to mark out the dovetail and rough it out (often with the chainsaw or bow saw for the cross cut part) then dress it out with a hatchet and 1" wide chisel. We would then lay it on top of the bottom log cut to check for fit (both ends had to fit in relation to each other) then turn it upside down again to readjust the fit as may times as it took. The tricky part was making sure the logs ascended plumb with the flat sides plumb on top of each other. Mom and my brother still live in the cabin, I have had to replace the metal roof once, using a five v metal called galvalume .
Wow, that’s a lot of work. Getting them plumb as a cabin face was the challenge, along with level. Glad to hear family still lives there. We’re living here at the cabin full time now, still trying to finish it. Out here there are more than a few houses from the late 1700s still in full time use, but this is the only log structure we know of.
Wow!!!!
Just came across your channel and wish I knew 30 years ago what I know now. My wife and I built our "dream" home when we were about your ages. We had a log home company erect the shell on a foundation then hired a local contractor to do all the finish carpentry. Our logs were 6 x 12 with hand hewn finish and dovetail corners. I did my own wiring and plumbing. My wife and I did the permachink ourselves which has lasted very well. We had front and back porches with open gable ends.
It didn't take long to realize that those exposed ends would be a major source of trouble along with the notched corners. We ended up sawing the notched ends flush and capping with cedar planks . The gable ends were covered with a fake stone veneer to make them weather proof. So the place ended up looking like a combination log and stone home. When it was new our home was show piece and we were very proud of our accomplishment. But after about 5 or so years , reality set in.
Not only carpenter bees , but flat headed wood borders attacked the exposed wood. Woodpeckers followed after , chiseling out where the bees laid eggs.
Wood ants got into the roof and have tunneled through the foam insulation leaving little piles of powder on the floor.
One thing different between modern "replica" log homes and their antique counterparts is the type of wood used.
Today's homes are generally pine or cedar which is relatively soft. The oldtimers used American Chestnut which is a harder wood and has a natural bug repelling oil in it.
To sum it up, if I had to do it over again I wouldn't. We had a $100k construction loan to work with and if we would have built a conventional home, we would have been much better off.
Maybe a log home in the desert or some semi arid place would be fine. But hey, to each his own.
I wish you well in your life's journey.
Thank you very much for the well wishes. What your saying is resonating…we’re at that five year point and I’m seeing the work I’m going to have to do again and again, year after year, and it’s a lot. But we love living here and as long as I’m able I’m going to keep after it.
That combo of log/stone sounds really cool.
If only chestnuts weren’t pretty much extinct now.
@@selecttravelvacations7472 they are slowly making a comeback, but still a sensitive species that needs help.
I don't know you guys, and I immediately love you both. We bought an older house (not a lot cabin) but we can relate to a lot of the experiences you described.
Aw thanks! Back atcha 😘 Yep, you know how it is. What kind of house is it? Whereabouts?
I’m doing a custom crafted round log home. Builders are on a 2-3 year wait list that can do these. So, we are starting a small kit for a small guest cabin first, to build this summer. Excited about it but sounds like it will be a long journey. I like that you were able to do so much yourselves. I love the way you’ve integrated the old logs. My designer says I’ll be able to hang art on my walls (I’m an artist/painter), apparently round logs are easier to hang art than the square logs. I thought it’d be the other way around. Great job you’ve done! Keep living your log cabin dreams!
Gotta love the special character of them though! Laughing watching this. We didn’t buy a log cabin, but are fixing up an old cabin from the 50’s and yup- similar findings. Lots of fun fixing things up. I got a quote of 45k to put a foundation under it. 😱 Ended up doing it myself for under 2k. Your place looks great! Glad you were able to restore it. The extra time and hard work was worth it! -Robert
Nice! Geez, 45k...huge savings. Ha, so you know how it is. Thanks Robert!
We used hidden "shims" behind pictures to somewhat level or flatten artwork...but the majority of our walls are used as a gallery to hang antique quilts. You covered all the 😕 "pitfalls" of owning one of these beauties. 👍💚
Shims are a great suggestion, I didn't even think about that. Thanks so much for your feedback, we love this little cabin so much but we definitely did not know what we were getting into!
@@bellwetherfields6476 Most definitely a labor of love. But it's so worth it in the long run...I promise you both.
@@PossumLady8262 Thank you! That's exactly what we call it, a "labor of love" which I think fits log cabins perfectly. We couldn't love this little cabin more, we never feel better than when we are here working away on it, or walking our land. Thank you for sharing your experience, it means so much to us.
Great video! I bought a log home 2 years ago, and have learned a lot of hard lessons much like you folks have. The logs and structure need to be sealed, so if you're thinking of buying a log home make sure you know what it's going to take to do this if it's not already, and it's not a once and done operation. Mine hadn't been stained in over 15 years (down to the wood fibers exposed), and was poorly sealed. I'm in a wooded rural area in East TN, and the carpenter bees were a nightmare. I just had it stained, sealed, and had all the bee damage repaired. I absolutely love it now, and it's like a new home. I'm going to need to re-stain the weather exposed sides in probably another 5 years. Owning a log home is definitely not maintenance free. You need to be prepared to put money and effort in to maintain it, but is extremely rewarding if you do so.
Thank You for being honest .
We have an 1860s era cabin like this on your family farm in WI. My grandmother lived in while teaching. It's still standing, but needs a lot of rehab. I'm aim to try a self-build in FL within the next few years. Thanks for sharing -this is rare info!
Hey man, I hope you needed duo doing the build! Let us know how it’s going.
We own a 1840 hand hewn log home as well…. I relate to everything your saying!!!!!! You did a great job none the less👍
Nice! Thank you. How long have you been living in it? We’re getting to the point where time is passing and now we’re wrapping our minds around the maintenance we need to do…reapplication of log oil to the exterior every couple years, relaxing the wood floors every five years, that kind of stuff.
1. literally anything about log cabins
Ha! Fair. Also fair: we hired a builder to do the whole thing. It didn’t work out, and we had to take over; that wasn’t the plan when we started but was the best thing that could have possibly happened to us.
@@bellwetherfields6476 to know how to build your own house is precious life lesson and it's totally worth it. :) Where I live is building a house for a newlyweds thing for both families, knowledges passed down by generations. :D I know a three brothers which are able to do exact copy of cottage 300 years old with modern features like floor heating and what not. ITS ART :D
HEY ! We love your vids! We are about to buy a log cabin as our primary home and your video helped alot!
Hey, I’m so sorry we missed your comment! That is AWESOME, have you closed on it yet? Let us know if you have an account we can follow back on to check out what you’re doing! And while we’re not exactly experts, feel free to ask us anything as we do have a little experience. Good luck!
Bellwether Fields we close Friday and we are super excited !!! Couple things to update and will make sure to ask when we start to roll up our sleeves!
Instagram: 710LogCabinCouple
Thank you for being honest and thinking of others who are thinking of buying a log cabin 😉🥳
We’ll, we had wanted to avoid the classic social media tendency to show only the rosy parts, the “look how fun restoring log cabins is!” We wanted to show the other side of it, but hope it doesn’t put anyone off log cabins if they really want one. We’ve lived in ours for nearly two years and absolutely love it.
Be thankful for your accomplishments and feel proud. It's called life my friends.
Thanks for being honest! Your home is beautiful!
Aw, thank you friend!!
i love that you guys have taken this on - and shared this - but I do really think you could have been a lot more specific about just about everything you are sharing here
Thank you for a great presentation ! 👍
Thank you for watching!
Thanks SO much! Good info
Thank you for watching!
Nice advice! Thanks!
Thank YOU for watching!
Should have spoke to Noah Bradley for insight on rustic log home builds or restoration.
That is the last person anyone should talk to if actually trying to restore an historic cabin...He would be the first person to speak with if there is not regard for traditional and sustainable methods or wishing to adulterate a piece of history with modern materials...
@@JayCWhiteCloud I've always said if you trying to keep a rustic look to a log cabin or you want to use a combination of modern and traditional you need to do your homework without over-analyzing the project. Furthermore you need to plan your project accordingly to take into account variables that may come about during your restoration project or construction project.
Jay C. Have you ever worked with Noah? I’m a guild member of his building academy and he is a huge fan of using vintage and reclaimed products. Just because you incorporate some new materials to ensure a quality end product doesn’t make you a bad person. Particularly with floors and roofing.
When it’s all said and done, the cabin belongs to you and it should fit your expectations.
Been living in Paris for almost 2 years now, a lot of the same problems you've listed also occur in these apartments. Renovations are expensive that's why most people diy themselves. Most floors are old wooden planks filled with splinters, windows and walls are crooked, there are many holes or slits where cold air enters which are impossible to find, unless it's a very windy day and you finally find where the howling is coming from. While diy is popular, it's difficult to find anything reasonably priced (this is paris afterall, god forbid anything be cheap), best option is always go second hand and scavenge the streets, though during covid it's really a problem about hygiene. There is nothing perfect looking in most of these apartments. There will always be some type of problem with something (unless you're higher middle class then you'll have the cash to fix anything), and you learn to live with it. Point is, having also lived in a cabin in the woods before, it's not too different. The major ones would really just be noise, electricity, internet, people, and groceries, everything else is pretty much the same. xd
Wow, yes...it really does sound the same. I think it’s interesting commentary on modern building and how accustomed we’ve become to machined, perfectly straight lines. It’s the exception historically, not the rule. We’ll take the worts along with the quiet beauty we have out here. Hope you’re enjoying Paris, it’s always sounded like a wonderful experience!
You forgot those mostly peaceful stabbings
@@juankarron9215 Sounds like someone doesn't understand how statistics work. Do you live in the country? Let's take all the stabbings that happen in your county, and multiply them by the population of Paris. Turns out you'd have one every 12 seconds!
In Finland you can have a 2 bedroom cabin plus lounge, kitchen and toilet/shower for 30K Euros new. You just assemble yourself on site. Or you can purchase old cabin in Lapland from 10K to 100K depending on what you want. I think you are very specific about your 5 tips, its seem this is with old logs alone hey?.
exactly, they know nothing about log houses, they just bought some old crap and now are spreading FUD.
truth is, logcabins are fookin expensive in US n Canada, not as in Europe. price of wood i guess.
You convinced me. To heck with log cabins
Noooooooooo they’re actually great! We’re nearly finished now and have been living in it since March 2020. Check out our newest video to see the progress!
Tks for sharing been in house over 20 years & I have the splinters to prove it. But it's going to be a great story for G-kid & hope they remember some of it. In Fla
Ah, that’s cool! I’m sure the kid will remember it well. Hope all is well!
I am feeling this times 100. I bought a cabin 4 years ago with a very handy partner.. and then we split. So I’ve been learning as I go. The smallest things have so much more consideration around them- like the exterior maintenance… my cabin came with hideous stain and I want to redo it. Either a contractor mugs your retirement fund or it’s time consuming and exhausting. Anyway, good luck! It’s somehow feels all worth it regardless. I hope.
Best thumbnail ever 😄
Thanks!!😂💀
Thank you just looking into buying a log cabin myself
judging by the gaps in between each log.... that was a smoke house someone converted sometime in thr late 50's lol ...
Haha, nope! It was originally a tobacco barn though. Any other guesses?
Home projects always take way longer and cost much more than people that aren’t used to doing remodeling or new construction think it will. People give up because they don’t have what it takes to see it through. At least you two stuck it out. We have an opportunity to buy 10 acres with a cabin from the mid 80’s. It’s solid but needs a ton of work that the previous owner let go. Watching this gives me pause
Oh man, don’t let it discourage you. It’s been more rewarding than we could have imagined. You’re right, we never had any doubt we would finish eventually (still not done). If you’re going into it with eyes open and you’re committed, we say do it! And let us know what you decide.
I would still love to have one no matter how much work they is something bout a hand hewn log cabin.
It’s totally worth it! We’ve been living in it since the pandemic hit full time while we finish the kitchen. Love it here. Special house in beautiful place. Thanks for watching!
@@bellwetherfields6476 do y'all any video's of yall putting cabin up.
@@courtneyclark995 sorry, just saw this! Sadly no, we were just dabbling in social media and hadn’t even thought of a UA-cam video. We have almost no footage.
I think it important to realize a hobby from a domicile. My question to the both of you is what would you do different and are you happy with your results?
I agree. We’re trying to build a house to live in for the foreseeable future, so we’re learning as we go out of necessity more than a desire for a hobby. Our actual goal is to build a small regenerative farm and orchard, it’s just taking us a lot longer to get to where we can do that than we had planned.
Oh man, that’s such a good question. The short answer is we are ecstatic with the result, but also with having gone through the process of actually doing it. We all get caught up in our day to day, but I get actual happiness whenever I see something we’ve worked hard to do like the tile in the bathroom, the metal roof we put on, or the plaster ceiling in the sleeping loft.
What we would do different...it’s hard to say. We’d have definitely taken the project over from our builder sooner. The polite way to say it is that we realized we weren’t getting good value for the work he was doing beyond replacing some of the logs and fixing the foundation. But beyond that it’s all been a learning process, and while it’s not always pleasant it’s very rewarding. We’ll talk about it more in one of our next videos. Thanks for your comment!
Good luck with your project
Thank you! It mostly finished and we’ve been living in it since 2020. We’ll be posting more videos about what we’ve been up to, hope to see you there.
I worked on a 3-1/2 Story Log Cabin in Colorado.
It had been started, then laid in a field unprotected, then finished.
The Logs used in any cabin have to be treated in a way that they resist checking. Sealing the ends properly is extremely important.
The owner of the gigantic house only wanted certain area's of the logs repaired. (Bad idea)
Attempting to explain that the crack that is open a 1/4" now will be a 1/2" in 8 months add infinitum.
They were convinced they were being taken advantage of.
Then there were the Pack Rats.
They can fit through a hole the size of their skull.
Needless to say, the job came to an end without ever completing it.
There is a process that involves;
Moisture Content
Sealing each log Completely
Proper Chinking.
It is a very delicate balance.
Know the complete history of the cabin you build or choose.
And the pack rats, it's their turf if you're in the woods.
Great googely moogely! 3+ stories?? Gotta listen to the experts, we totally did. It was expensive, but we replaced logs that had water damage and kept only logs that were in ideal shape. I can’t imagine ignoring that kind of advice.
We put a lot of effort into sealing the place up as best we could, and it appears to have paid off. We had a stray cat adopt us last year and haven’t seen a single rodent inside since. Just the “presents” we get on our front porch lol.
😂
Don’t live in a cabin…but have bounced the idea of getting one for a vacation spot. … won’t be saying I wish I knew before hand; thanks to your video! I actually found your video looking how to paint faux painted cabin walls for the grandkids playroom. 😂
Which at this point I am thinking more budget friendly and less intensive and a vacation spot down the hallway.😂
Seriously…thank you all for the video, I feel a bit euphoric to start painting!
Cheers!!!
I love your charming cabin.
Thank you. She's a real gem and we are so grateful to have found her.
Greet video guys thanks
Thank you so much!!🥰
thanks that did cover a lot of questions ,I figure it was more cost then what the log designers have as mark prices or more people would have log home , I know if they are maintained they will last longer then most brick and sided homes but they do require a lot of work.
Yeah, it’s trade off for sure. In reality getting someone to restore a log cabin for you is a rich man’s game. We’ve probably saved ourselves *at least* $200k by doing the bulk of the finishing work ourselves. But now we know how to fix everything and do the maintenance. Much of it should last 20-30 years without having to do too much. 🤞🏻
Good video.
Thanks, glad you liked it!
This is the first vid I watched on y’alls channel and I must say I loved it!
P.S. Cristina you look like Michele from 3%. :)
(Hope I spelled your name right)
You have no idea how much you just made Cristina’s day! Everyone misspells her name all the time but you nailed it. Haha, I (Gabe) had to look that up. She kinda does! Thanks, glad you like the videos!
Our family purchased a log cabin over a year ago. I’m the one in charge of renovating because I’m the contractor in the family. But I’ve decided to use the man made chinking on the inside and then I’m going to use plaster on the outside
Sounds good! Drop us a line and let us know how it’s going. Would love to hear pros/cons of the man-made chinking and exterior plaster.
I don't know how your exterior plaster is going, but in Maryland is was quite common to face the log cabin with brick. The cabins were 50 years old and then in the early 1900's they would drive spikes into the logs periodically to hold the courses of brick. I assumed they dug a footer for a brick ledger and then bricked up off of that.
Something I just found out this week.
I have a Victorian home. 4 out of 5 of those apply to our house as well. Character and history have major trade-offs.
Wish we could see what your cabin looks like.
We have a couple videos for you...this one explores local stories around how it was built:
ua-cam.com/video/CzbWSnKEH6Y/v-deo.html
...and in these we give you a tour of our progress up to that point. We’ll do another one after Christmas when we’re done. 🤞🏻
Here’s the outside:
ua-cam.com/video/QFZwnkmlZCM/v-deo.html
And inside:
ua-cam.com/video/TYIEWynKBh4/v-deo.html
Let us know if there’s anything in particular you’re curious about.
@@bellwetherfields6476 would have been relevant to show the entire cabin.. in THIS video
But obviously planning is not your forte.
🙄
omg I wanna live like this when I grow up 🥺
Come on out to the mountains and be our neighbor!
@@bellwetherfields6476 can I be? 😅
The bottom 1/3 of the log cabin I'm looking to buy is made of concrete and big rocks like 8-20in brown rocks and white mortar or concrete maybe. I've seen abandoned houses with similar lower sections. Do u think they're solid? How long do they last. The fire place is similar but smaller brown rocks. Probably 3-6 in.
fantastic! from Japan!
Thank you! Hello from all the way over here!
All it takes wood, that stuff in beatween can be made from clay and hay. Base can ce made of cement, stones or bloks. Logs all the way down WILL need changing after about 10-20 ears.
I'm curious how you heat and cool your cabin?
I live in a studio as well, but my landlord is stingy with the heat, so I got an infrared heater from Amazon that has made all the difference. (It's not an old school space heater). I know they have indoor a/c units as well.
Ah yes, I've been researching the indoor AC units lately for some other projects we're considering. The infrared heater sounds interesting. I'll have to look into it. That sucks about your landlord, but glad you have found some solutions.
We use the Mitsubishi mini split system for heat and AC. We have one split upstairs in the loft, and another downstairs in the kitchen. We plan on converting the fireplace to a wood stove, it gets pretty chilly in the main cabin room. But in the summer the house stays nice and cool, so we're pretty happy with the set up.
I’m in Florida I’m having a/c and only 65$ per month and constantly at 73
Post and beam framing is better than authentic log homes. Then apply log siding that is back primed with sold coat primer sealer. Then the interior walls to the outside can be built and insulated normally. Much more efficiency for heating and cooling. But from outside it would look like a log home.
Sounds like a good idea, although with other materials such as stone I think I can always tell it’s not the real deal. If it could be indistinguishable from the real thing it would be a fantastic way to keep the elements
One thing we appreciate about our home is the thermal mass of the logs combined with the modern materials used to chink and daub in between. Especially in the summer, it tends to stay nice and cool.
Noah Bradley and the Bearded Carpenter have great chinking information and instructions.
10000%. I'm signing up in his Academy when I build mine.
I’m interested in building a ~3000ft2 log home (“modern log cabin”). I’ve looked at Golden Eagle Timber Homes and Precision Craft. Any tips for how to start this process? Any suggestions as to where I should learn more before I hire a contractor/builder?
We don’t know too much about the process you’re describing, ours was an existing structure that we restored. But the guys over at Log and Timber Solutions could probably help. They’ve been really helpful on advising us on a few things, nice guys. We found them via Instagram @logandtimbersolutions . We’d hire them in heartbeat to help us with a new project.
Next week I am going to look at a 1840’s log cabin. I want to make sure the bones of the house are sturdy. I have no idea what I should be looking at as far as making sure things are solid though.
How exciting! While we don’t know everything one needs to know about evaluating logs, here’s what we did. When we evaluated ours we poked many of the visible logs with a pocketknife to see if they were solid. We observed that the house had collapsed at one corner, which made rot and/or water damage almost a certainty, but this is fixable when it is just in one, maybe two places. The ones we could see were all good, but the whole house was covered in siding and we had to gamble. We ended up replacing that sunken corner, which was maybe 10% of the logs. That’s really good. I think when you start getting up to 20-30% replacement it may not make as much sense, but that depends entirely on how much money you’re bringing to the project! I would also be looking to see if any of the exterior logs had been “sealed”, or covered with paint. Things like this prevent the wood from breathing and will accelerate rot. Our friends at Log and Timber Solutions might have more info for you, they’ve been very helpful for us. Good luck, let us know what you find!
Bellwether Fields thank you for the insights ☺️
Insect damage is a big red flag. Get a very good inspection.
For me the only way to go for a country house or lake house is a log cabin. Best way to detach from the city concrete jungle.
Congratulations !!!
Thank you, we love it here! We left the concrete jungle permanently and couldn’t be happier about it.
do you know How to keep the wood from cracking? I have noticed that a lot of the wood inside my cabin house is cracking. not sure if I have to some sort of sealer or stain it to keep it from doing that.
My understanding is the cracking is related to the drying process before the house is built. I’m not positive but there may not be much you can do about it now. Dustin at Log and Timber Solutions would be a good guy to ask to get the final word @logandtimbersolutions on IG.
We just daubed most of the cracks, we like the aesthetics.
1: love bears, they love you back
2: love the mountains and being far from cities
3: GET A FUCKING HOT TUB
Hahahahaha, yes! Our friends down the road recently got a hot tub, would love one. Also planning a wood fired sauna at some point.
I’m just curious how easy is it to heat a log cabin in the winter time? What does the Home hold it’s heat?? Do you insulate a log cabin home?
Hey there! Catching up on comments here, thanks for watching! With antique doors and windows it can be difficult to keep warm. This fall we replaced 3 of the 4 doors with modern, sealed doors and it made all the difference! We haven’t turned on the heat upstairs, the wood stove is more than enough. And it’s been easier to heat the kitchen for sure.
Hey guys! I’m dealing with carpenter bees right now, besides wood filler do you have a recommendation for the wood holes, especially the bigger ones?
I need some sheet rock to paint. I love wood but not too much.
I love old architecture but need it to be modernized for energy efficiency and convenience.
We are 💯 with you on that! We’ve installed our washer/dryer finally, an induction stove, and have mini-split HVAC on both floors. Rustic look, modern function is key!
I’ve been out of my log home that was built in 1987 for 2 years now. We bought it in 1997 at 10 years old in Upstate South Carolina. Yes, it is pine and EVERYTHING within a 100 miles radius wants to eat your home. Yes, the upkeep is expensive and when you can’t repair something, you get to call in a qualified contractor and crew to do the work. Just the simple stripping of stain, application of chemicals for the external eaters usually by Terminix, the reapplication of stain after . . .
Do yourselves a favor. Invest in bricks and mortar! At least you don’t have to hunt down squirrels that eat the exterior cross beams!
I think we have it pretty well squared away now! Should be fairly doable maintenance the next decade or two. Things like termite treatments every few years, log oil w natural insecticide applications to the logs every few years, and Mango the cat is taking care of the critters for us. We feel pretty confident having done things like putting on our own metal roof and doing all the log prep, chinking, plaster, and other finishes ourselves. But yeah, I see your point and I’m glad things are easier for you now!
@@bellwetherfields6476 Very nice! Seriously, I never knew just how destructive squirrels could be! I would hear them filing down their teeth on the external logs in the mornings, afternoons and just before they needed to scamper off to the trees! 😭
Whoa! Glad we only have ground squirrels at the log home we are purchasing. That gives me more time to worry about something else.
would you mind telling me what exactly is the type of chinking you did use. it looks like concrete. thx
We used Gold Bond gypsum base coat plaster for the interior chink lines. It will dry to a light gray, so we used Portola Paints lime wash in Antique White as paint. Though I’m not sure they were painted yet when this was filmed.
INCREDIBLY difficult to hang a painting? lol
Call Barnwood Builders. From the TV. LOL......Couldn't resist.....
Ha! We love that show! For reals, we looked into doing that but they don’t do any actual work on log structures outside of West Virginia.
Well you got cheated! I'm so serious you really got cheated! If you're going through all of that, with your log house/cabin, man, sorry!
My only worry would be trying to find long enough logs lol
Yep! Lol. Thankfully it was the space between the corner and the chimney that we needed to replace and we didn’t need anything too long.
That nail was bothering me the whole video 🤣
Ha!!
Remove it?
Ha ha ha ,,,, same
Cabins are great
They are! We’ve really enjoyed the first year of living in our (mostly) finished cabin.
We have a muskey smell in upstairs bedroom. We later all new floors. Has a new roof & noticed the smell a couple of months later.We use damp rid but want to fix the problem thinking one log could be it. Built in early 70's.
Hmmm, could be a rotted log but hope it’s not. Did you end up figuring out the problem?
@@bellwetherfields6476 No, not yet. Husband needs to retire so he can have the time to find & fix. TKS for checking on us. If you know of any reliable log home companies that do home inspect & repair around Central Florida give us a shout.
@@villiehaizlip7626 our go to resource for log house work is here, let them know we sent you. They have been really nice and such a good resource for us.
www.logandtimbersolutions.net
here’s a company that got in touch with us through our page, they’re based in TX. Might have some good suggestions too.
www.timberandstonebuilders.com/custom-homes-1
Keep us updated!
Please tell me if you know how to remove stain that has polyurethane in it from my hand hewn logs? My biggggg mistake. Ty
Oh no!!!!!! Ugh, we don’t really have a good answer for that one, but I can point you to someone who might. The guys Log and Timber Solutions have been really great and know their stuff. They’ve been super nice to us and helped us with a thing our two. You can find them on Instagram or just google them. I hope they can help!!!! That’s just the worst feeling.
Ty , i ended up using stripper. Tons of work but i got it done and am so glad to see my beautiful logs again
Is this specific to it being an "antique" log cabin? I've heard of people building their own cabin kits with no experience in about three months... 🤷♀️
It kind of is when restoring an antique. You have to take it as it is and make a plan to heal the structure before aesthetics. I love those kits and don’t get me wrong, it’s a lot of work. But you have a plan in front of you with instructions for step by step. With a restoration YOU have to come up with the plan for this thing you don’t understand. And it is always incomplete, not in quite the right order, and you don’t get to know what tools you’ll end up needing. For us, the biggest time suck was the fact the cabin was 3 hours from our home and jobs. When all you have is weekends and holidays l it ends up being a lot of start/stop. It’s like you get into it just when it’s time to pack up everything and go home. I’m a little jealous of those kits! Thanks for watching our video.
Thank you for making this! Not very many videos showing the FAQS or unbiased pros and cons for log homes. I live in Houston which is really wet and hot for a good chunk of the year. I'm not sure I'd want to invest in a home that can seep water through the walls.
Hi James! Thank you, we appreciate your comment. Yes, as homes go, log cabins are an incredible amount of upkeep and that comes at a cost of time and money. They are definitely not structures like modern homes and they require a lot more energy to keep them in good condition.
And people love stucco Spanish Mission style which is designed for a hot dry environment and not Houston's tropical environment and torrential downpours.
Ive just finished building my log home its about 15,000 square foot took me about 2 and a half years to build im fitting the electric tomorrow then i just gotta buy furniture a tv ect and i just have to do a driveway then im all set 🙂
Holy cow!! 15k feet?? Damn man, more powers to you, that awesome! Congratulations!
I've wanted a home like this all my life. I may find one, may not. It's a crazy market out there right now trying to both buy and sell and aligning them. arg. I'm young retired due to a disability. And I just want the peace of the lovely indoors, outdoors and privacy PLUS. My realtor's face when I said that was the one I wanted to go for... it was like I could have said "I want you to drive me to 9 homes today and then I want to right up an offer and have you call the selling agent with the offer before we quit for the day". Just a look like "oh. I really wish that wasn't something you liked cuz 'log cabin virgins' don't know anything and want me to teach them, and I can't teach them all that. It's too much. Where am I going to start in my slow process of talking her out of it". I don't need things even. I once had to teach a good friend of mine that in photography, surely there is a place and situation for "even". But.. centering images in photography is not art most of the time. Things can be off center. It is a more natural state of being. Our bodies are not even balanced on each side. I love the idea of having a home that is never supposed to be perfect, just like people :) I think it's a good message, a good theme in life, and parents of youngsters REALLY need to know this in the best interest of a child's understanding of life, and love-that they never have to be perfect to be loved. Neither does a house or spouse, not even the earth or moon is completely symmetrical. The IMBALANCE of the shape of the EARTH keeps us from spinning and wobbling out of control-not a perfect circle. So "perfect" is not for nature. But it is for certain sciences such as rockets with people in them, etc.
You make such a great point! I have to tell my clients they need to be okay with their body asymmetry all the time and I don’t think I ever connected it to the house. We have really come to love the house FOR all of its imperfections. I hope you get to realize your log cabin dream!
MissRY Answers if you want, but I thought it had some thoughtful insight in it. Sorry it didn’t work out. :(
@@bellwetherfields6476 thank u for this message. It keeps giving me rewards every few months :)
The market up north in places like Ely is not effected that much at all, so getting a piece of land on a lake and a log home built by Golden eagle maybe one of their smaller models, you can have a great cabin.
😊😊p🎉😂
I have log cabin since 2007 in Florida. Rains and gets water damage constantly.
Nothing is standard size. I can’t have dishwasher because everything is handmade. Now I have to seal my walls again.
Oh cool! What part of FL? Yeah, the rain is a problem we’re working solving. Because of the lack of sufficient overhang we get drenched. We’re just waiting for a few consecutive dry days to apply log oil to help repel the moisture, we’ll let you know how it goes. Yeah, nothing plumb or square can be a hassle.
Central Florida
Very little town. Bushnell. Sumter County. Sand and log cabin isn’t working very good. Constantly repair and deck and patio chemicals are not 💯 for log cabins.
I have dream of changing my bathroom tiles to river stone. It will be expensive but area is small. Like you said you can’t do so many decorating ideas. Everything is brown. 🤪
Wood in Florida ! That's a big huge NO !
@@rterry2752 I thought the exact same...
If you had a “quote” and did not hold the contractor to his contract, you have no one to blame but yourselves. If you didn’t have experience and know what your doing you should have hired someone, an owners agent, to protect your interests.
Agree, if something went wrong it’s our fault. However, it wasn’t a quote, it was an estimate. We couldn’t know what was under the siding until it came off. It was possible that ALL of the logs would be bad and we would be screwed. As it was, only a small corner needed to be replaced but those matching logs cost money. The foundation was worse than expected and it turned out the addition needed new subfloor, which is money. We replaced the porch, that wasn’t in the estimate. It all piles up and doesn’t mean our builder was just ripping us off.
When we realized we weren’t getting good value to continue, we decided to finish it ourselves to save money. That has taken over three years of weekends and holidays, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Very rewarding experience to learn so many new skills and shape your house with your own hands. Priceless.
Y'all's contractor should have told you all this ahead of time.. one beam 20' * 8" *8" is going to cost you around $700 to $1200 depending on the wood and it's background. Slot of the wood we refurbished was at the bottom of the Mississippi from the civil war which adds tremendous value obviously.. also if it's poplar, pine, oak, walnut ,etc will vary in price. That's even through the distribution companies.. slot of them don't take that in consideration but you need to know the difference bc it makes the difference of how well your house is insulated an many others things including how long your house will stand. Most of the logs are from the 1700 to mid 1800s so if they're still solid you can bet you're bottom dollar that they'll withstand another few centuries at very least! If fumigated properly and sealed as well. All these things make a huge difference! Also you can build a modern style home and use vaneers either inside or out or both
That way you get the same look but your indoor walls can be sheetrock ,rock, whatever you want .. that works for slot of people plus you'll save a lot ALOT of money!!! 💰 The foundation is debatable but I would never use original foundation . That's just asking for problems and definitely doesn't appreciate the value of your house.. if anything I hate to say it depreciates it.. but y'all are good you got it down.. I would shop around for other quotes and opinions though to anyone who watches this . I do all conventional , commercial, and log cabin style building. Combining them it the best way to go and garranteed to last for even you great great great grandchildren to enjoy
We hope it’s good for another century or two for sure! Thanks for the positivity, and check out our latest video for the progress, it’s towards the end. We’ve been living in it for a couple years now and love it. Yes, shopping quotes and opinions was a step we skipped to our own detriment, that’s great advice!
Thank God you didn't go into a speech about how you and your husband went to the moon 5 times and survived an alligator bite while floating the Nile before actually telling us the main point of story.
Ha, nice! We thought about leading with all the times we had lunch with Merlin Olson, our leather-bound book collection, and how the cabin smells of rich mahogany but decided not to at the last minute.😂
If you what to do it your self you will need special tools and or machinery for making boards and logs.
Anyone recommend a kit that is good construction and easy assembly?
Don’t know if any kits, unfortunately. Let us know what you find!
How many of the logs need to be replaced before it is no longer antique?
Ha, not sure! Our replacements were antiques from the mid 1800s, but they weren’t quite the same as the original old-growth chestnuts logs from the late 1700s.
@@bellwetherfields6476 If you eventually replace all the logs is it still the same cabin?
The Finnish use planes on the interior of their log wals to make them smoother and less splintery.
Great idea!
My favorites are the small brand new log cabins which are cheap. I don’t think they will have most of the concerns you spoke of, but they won’t have the vibe of yours either.
I love log cabins!
Can you waterproof your logs on the outside
Wonderful question Lissette! So there are a two definitive schools on thought on this, one side says that the logs don't need it and the other side says that it should be done to preserve the logs. We still have a bit of issues with seepage, we don't have leaks anymore, but if there's a heavy rain and the logs get waterlogged, they do seep some water inside and it leads to staining of the chinking. So we are probably going to oil the logs on the outside to give them a little bit of waterproofing protection this year and we will see if that improves things. We really want to avoid anything that would trap water in the logs, so oil would allow the logs to breathe but also repel some of that moisture. Thank you so much for the excellent comment!
breathable fabric then shingles. 'nuff said.
I’d say it would be easy enough common sanse but then again I’ve been in the construction trade on and of from 16 not trying to be big headed just saying if I can do it you can to save money :)
We had 0 handy skills going into it and had expected our contractor to finish, so you’re right; common sense was something we had to work to gain. We definitely saved ourselves a ton of money by finishing ourselves and built up our skills along the way! Thanks for watching, Jaime. Check out the progress we’ve made on our latest video, we show it at the end.
As far as exterior stain goes, what stain do you prefer?
We’ve researched a few products and decided to go with log oil instead of stain. Because we don’t want to change the patina on the logs, we opted with a clear oil. Why oil? It protects the logs from moisture while giving it the ability to breathe. We can also mix in a couple of anti-pest substances to protect the wood from a variety of bugs, including carpenter bees, power post beetles, and termites. So we don’t have anything against stains, but found more functionality in using log oil.
@@bellwetherfields6476 What is "log oil?"
@@floridafrontiersmeninc.1473 It's not clear exactly what ours was made from. Here's a link to what we used:
www.westernloghomesupply.com/outlast-q8-log-oil.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwlvT8BRDeARIsAACRFiVAf6fdrmsA45ZmfVWh-yL8qbgnXeFHNHqE2QN9NnJMfuKlPHP00hkaAs3YEALw_wcB
As far as I know stains are composed mostly of oil. That’s why I use stains often. Ive pigmented my own oil mix before also. I used concrete powder pigment for coloring concrete.
We inherited a 1980 log cabin. it had been painted over with exterior paint. this puke purple color. im guess it was done to avoid retaining the house every few years. i have no idea how to take care of it. im thinking to keep my life “easy” just paint over the purple with white paint. what are your thoughts on painting log cabins?
You are right. there are no resources on how to maintain, fix, remodeling a log cabin.
HELP!
Ugh...it was painted purple??? What the...what were they thinking? Paint over log cabins is an atrocity. So sorry you have to figure this out. You can find a log cabin company and ask if they can do something called media blasting. You could also do this yourself with DIY corncob blasting from Home Depot if you wanted. In theory you could blast the paint right off and start over. Dustin over at Log and Timber Solutions is someone you could contact for advice on this as well. It’s a good idea to get the paint off if you can, the wood can’t breathe with it on and will rot much faster than if uncovered. Hope you can get it off, good luck! Let us know how it goes.
I believe you can sand-paper it off if it's just a coating of paint. If there's plaster on it you could probably just chip the first couple of layers off of it. Please don't take my word for it, look it up because i have no idea what i'm talking about.
WHO PAINTS A LOG CABIN??!! It totally defeats the purpose.Sand (or water) blast it! That oughta doit. Good luck and happy cabining.
Don’t ever paint a log home. As they state in this video, logs breath. Logs need to have a finish that allows them to do so.
@@nachomane35 The top, bottom and inside of the log will breathe. It's OK to seal the outside from weather.
I would simply repaint the purple cabin after a proper cleaning with a brownish log looking color and save thousands and thousands of dollars. Latex stains and paint flex with the movement of the logs. Will save you high maintenance costs of the simple log oil products that need attention every 2,3 years.
40 years, painting contractor.
Bugs coming inside is the worst
It’s gotten a lot better since we installed modern doors. Better seal to keep the bugs out and the heat in too.
How do you get wifi in a log cabin?
We just got fiber run on our street last fall. We’re right off the road.
Might move to Canada! 🍁
Should I purchase a cabin?
Hey, that’s cool! Well, you know what we would do🙂, but that may not be right for you. I’d say if you’re okay with old-house quirks, don’t mind doing some of the work yourself (or paying $$ to have someone else do it), and have patience to finish it...go for it! Let us know what you decide!
@@bellwetherfields6476 Thanks for the advice! I've already decided a few days ago.. I'm definitely moving to Canada some time next year. I might not purchase a cabin next year (when I move to Canada) but I'll definitely be living in one in a decade or so. And I'll definitely be doing some sorta work on the cabin when built or purchased.
Hey, that’s great! Good luck to you! Check back in any time, we’d love to see what you end up doing.
You have to learn to live in them. They're not conventional homes and the only regret that I have is not being able to paint the walls in my living room and my bedroom. Other than that - our home is just great. We have two cabins (22 x 16 / Master Bedroom & 22 X 18 / Living Room) and both are two story with a bedroom above the living room, and a bedroom, that isn't used as a bedroom above our Master Bedroom. We have 40' that hooks these cabins together and an open 40' loft above that also houses a full bath with a large walk in closet. I have no complaints. We're in the country and we have a 56' front porch and a large back porch. Everything we need on a daily basis is on the first floor and in one end of the house. The rest of the house is not a necessity for when we can no longer maneuver as much. It is correct that these homes take longer to build and use no blueprints because they are what they are and I wouldn't trade our home for a stick built home for anything. If you're considering building using an original cabin or two - have twice as much $$$$ and it will take twice as much time but will be a jewel when completed.
Ha! Twice as much everything! So true. Wow, your house sounds AMAZING. So much porch! Hope you’re having a fabulous new year!
Did you all use a insecticide of any kind before oil?,such as to not? Just had my cabin corn blasted and want to do things right this time around.
We are going to use a log oil and mix insecticide into it.We recently power washed and used a special log cleaner on the outside to prep for this but we are waiting until we get a few clear, rain free days to get the oil on. We are using the outlast products if you want to look them up! We did not clean the cabin until this year which was about 4 years after we bought it and we feel the same, we wish we had done it sooner! Good luck and let us know how it goes!
Should have called this a Renovation! Im not sure if they are embracing the Adventure? Or complaining?
😀😀😀😀😀 what did they do in the old days
It not supposed to be perfect . Y'all got it. That's the best part. They shouldn't use original foundation ever bc it will creek.. alot of things you have to redo modern style. Doesn't had value! Absolutely not!
so ,,, buy something that someone is selling or build from the ground up ?
I mean, it depends on what they’re selling I guess. But generally, yes start from scratch and build from the ground up. That would be something I might want to try for another smaller building on our property. But not for a long time!
Someone's got that terror teacher aura and look 😳😳😳
Not gonna lie, had to look it up and the internet says that describes “someone who really wants others to learn and is very strict”. You’re not wrong!
@@bellwetherfields6476 What a classy and gracious way to respond to a mildly rude comment! And also hilariously a bit teacherish a way to respond, too (which is of course a good thing) 😂
Time to chuck the hat.
Ha. It’s BEEN time to chuck that hat.
hello! I first sand, then remove the dust, then I make an antiseptic for wood, and 2 layers of oil or paint, I apply with a brush! both a log and a board! I in Russia earn for 1 square meter of turnkey work, my consumables and tools, the customer buys only paint and sealant and antiseptic! his material and I take $ 10 per square for the whole complex. How much does this work cost you? I pay the workers $ 7 for work per 1 square meter !!! I will be grateful if you answer !!!
Hey, that’s cool! Your process sounds different from ours. We just scrubbed the logs with a brush and a little soap and water. After that we applied a termite treatment and left them alone inside. Outside we power washed the logs and applied log oil as a moisture barrier. But otherwise left them alone so they can breathe. We did it all ourselves, so not sure what it costs to have someone do it. 🤷🏻♂️
@@bellwetherfields6476 😉👍👍👍💥
Add value
Let’s see what your talking about would be nice 👍
Hey there. Most of our other videos do show the cabin, check them out. We have two separate tours, one for outside and one for inside.
Thank you
I love your show by the way.
@@danielvrana9444 thank you!
What are your thoughts on Permachink?
Hey there. We don’t have much we can say about it as we’ve never used it. We opt for as natural a product as we can wherever possible. People seem to like it, though.
We used permachink and it worked really well- looks great, and really helps w bug issues in rooms
@@bellwetherfields6476 What chinking material did you use? Where can it be purchased? Are you satisfied with the results?
I build log cabins .. actually look up "Timber & Stone" Builders in Fredericksburg TX, I'm in the video. It's an expertise for sure .. take artistic talent.. y'alls cabin shouldn't be that way. Whoever y'all's contractor was did slot of cheap con artist short cuts.. It should have foam in-between also everything should be fumigated as well as wire cup brushed to get all the splinters out but still have the antique visual aspects. Hanging pictures shouldn't be a problem at all, as far as building shelves ,well, yes you have to take measurements accordingly to fit the structure. And it shouldn't take longer than 6 months unless you have to remember the material isnt just a quick pick up at home Depot or Lowes
We like to say he didn’t provide us with “good value”.😂 We’ve figured out a lot of your suggestions and we’re nearing the finish line! Thanks again for watching and commenting. We’ll check out your biz!
Okay, I looked and…wow! Y’all do some excellent work. Cheers.