THE CARPENtER'S TOUCH

LOG HOME

Q.  What is included in a Log Home Kit?
A.  Logs, Log Fasteners, Backer Rod Log Insulation, Dowel Pins, Log Screws, Instructions and Blue Prints. We prefer to ship only the materials not available locally.  Our approach is that the customer can actually save money by negotiating with a local building supply company for all these conventional materials such as windows, doors, roofing, etc. This also saves on shipping charges for transporting these readily available materials from our plant to your construction site.

Q.  Can I alter the interior layout of an existing design?
A.  Yes, and most of the time there is no additional cost to you. Our Log Homes can be built as a completely empty shell when roof trusses are used, since all support is to the outside walls. This allows you to get your house under roof in the least possible time, which often saves you money in cases where weather might be a factor. You can then arrange the partition walls to suit your individual needs and tastes.

Q.  Is insulation necessary in a Log Home?
A.  Wood is one of the best natural insulators. A concrete wall would need to be ten feet thick to equal the insulation qualities of our 8-inch thick logs. Wood is six times better than brick and 1600 times better than aluminum. Consideration should be given to properly insulating the floors and roof and we recommend the use of storm or insulating windows.

Q.  What do you provide in the way of construction or written materials?
A.  Each homebuyer is provided with as many sets of blue prints as is needed, as well as printed and numbered instructions for building the home. Any builder or qualified “do-it-yourselfer” should be able to construct our Log Home by studying the materials we provide. 

Q.  What kind of timber is used in our Log Homes?
A.  Our homes are all cut from native southern yellow pine, which we feel is the best because of it's strength, durability and availability. They are uniform in size to eliminate water or snow ledges on the outer walls, and to allow flexibility in finishing the interior walls. All logs are 8 inches thick, inside to outside and 6 inches high, top to bottom.  They are kiln-dried and saturated with zinc naphthenate to keep bugs and termites from being a problem.

Q.  How are the interior walls built in a log home?
A.  Just as in a conventional home. Any type of interior wall is acceptable, from sheetrock to wood paneling. There are clever ways to tie the interior partition walls into the curved log outer walls with no necessity of molding of any kind. This is another savings over conventional homes.

Q.  How are the logs delivered to the construction site and what is the cost?
A.  The log home kits are shipped from our plant via flat bed trailer. The logs can be unloaded by hand with the proper amount of help. Since this method is rather slow, it might be wise to consider renting the service of a forklift and operator to unload the logs. This method would save time as well as wear and tear on the logs. A 1-1/2 ton forklift is recommended to allow unloading complete bundles.  The cost to SW Virginia is approximately $800.

Q.  How soon can I have the logs delivered?
A.  We guarantee delivery within 30 days of receiving payment!

Q.  Is it difficult to install electrical wiring and plumbing?
A.  Not at all.  It may be even more simple than the wiring and plumbing of a conventional home.

Q.  How are the logs joined together?
A.  See diagram below. With the tight-fitting, interlocking corner feature of our log home, plus our fastening system, you can be assured of a weather tight home.