# Store bought cabins?



## MOSSYNUT (Aug 8, 2014)

I have seen log cabins premade on line from the Amish and such and was wondering if anyone has one. If so what is the quality like? Are you happy with it? Would you have done something differently? I don't have the ability physically or mentally to build one but it has always been my dream to live in a log cabin. So it seems that I will have to have someone else do all the heavy lifting. Does anyone have a particular company they know that does such a thing? Where this will be built is still in question. That is why I was looking at the Amish cabin because it can be delivered but it also seems a lot like a trailer.


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## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

dont do it. I have a 5 bedroom log home and its very hard to heat and cool.lots of drafts. It is a kit, you pick out the style you want they pre cut most of the logs and it shows up on trucks. The builder make any finish or change cuts as needed. But the log shrink so they have to leave spaces around window and door. If I had it to do all over I would build a stick built home good insulation windows door ect. then have log siding and log ends put on. you can even have the inside done that way, I have bass wood 6 inch toung and grove on all the rooms inside looks just like the out side walls that are logs.no dry wall. my garage is done that way and no one can tell the difference it looks the same as the real logs. My home was a non chinked log home and I think that is also a problem. I went with the non chinked because of having to re ***** and it cost alot. But as I said its hard to deal with all the drafts.


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## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

I just re read you post are you saying they are pre built and moved on site already built on a trailer?


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## MOSSYNUT (Aug 8, 2014)

Forcast said:


> I just re read you post are you saying they are pre built and moved on site already built on a trailer?


Yes also I'm only wanting about a 600 sqft or so cabin. Here is the link to what I was looking at.
http://www.amishcabincompany.com/


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## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9vmzq7b4n0[/ame]
is that them? It looks like it is log siding not real 8 inch thick logs. so never mind. it has insulation in the walls ect.


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## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

what do they cost? looks pretty nice to me.


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## MOSSYNUT (Aug 8, 2014)

Click on the link they have their prices. Just depends on how big and extras you want solar furniture all kinds of stuff.


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## Jluck (Jul 26, 2014)

Pre-fab cabins are about the least efficient use of money and materials from my research. I so so bad want one but I don't know how someone could hemorrhage more money per square foot (except maybe our federal government) on a living structure...

Keep in mind too.. Real log cabins are about the highest in maintenance and lowest in R-value/ Thermal efficiency.


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## MOSSYNUT (Aug 8, 2014)

Jluck said:


> Pre-fab cabins are about the least efficient use of money and materials from my research. I so so bad want one but I don't know how someone could hemorrhage more money per square foot (except maybe our federal government) on a living structure...
> 
> Keep in mind too.. Real log cabins are about the highest in maintenance and lowest in R-value/ Thermal efficiency.


As far as r-value I've always heard the complete opposite. Is it just a pipe dream to want the log cabin tucked away in the woods? Would I be better off with a stick built? I'm so green I know I gotta lot to learn but this is what I've dreamed about but I don't want to freeze my ... off or waste money or resources trying to keep the place warm or cold.


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## glenn amolenaar (Mar 3, 2007)

Hey, Log homes need to be built correctly not just stuck together like a chicken coop. If you do not build it correctly it will fail. They do require stains and sealers but if put the correct overhang on roof you save high costs to refinish. DONT Knock something that you have built incorrectly and then blame the materials. DO Research and use correct building methods.

A Long Time Log Home Owner
glenn


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## Jluck (Jul 26, 2014)

MOSSYNUT said:


> As far as r-value I've always heard the complete opposite. Is it just a pipe dream to want the log cabin tucked away in the woods? Would I be better off with a stick built? I'm so green I know I gotta lot to learn but this is what I've dreamed about but I don't want to freeze my ... off or waste money or resources trying to keep the place warm or cold.


R-Value is about .7-1.4 per inch of solid log. Modern spray in foam can exceed R-7 per inch.


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## bryant (Aug 8, 2014)

MOSSYNUT said:


> As far as r-value I've always heard the complete opposite. Is it just a pipe dream to want the log cabin tucked away in the woods? Would I be better off with a stick built? I'm so green I know I gotta lot to learn but this is what I've dreamed about but I don't want to freeze my ... off or waste money or resources trying to keep the place warm or cold.


Living in Florida I doubt you need to concern yourself with sub zero temps for any length of time. That said I have lived in log homes in New York, they can be quite cozy, it is totally dependent on the ability of the contractor you get to put your cabin up. I would find a very reputable contractor through the company that I was buying the log home from. They usually have a list of qualified contractors.


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## MOSSYNUT (Aug 8, 2014)

Thanks bryant but I have no intentions on staying down here in the sand box. My wife and I want to move up north. We still have parents down here and neither one of us want to leave them so we will wait for now. We've talked about Kentucky for years. But we aren't dead set on there but close.


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

I've looked at them, but they are rather pricey for the square footage. The logs are just facing on the outside, so not a true log cabin. I love the interiors -- all wood and many have galvanized tin on accent walls and/ or ceilings. 

I will say they are very nicely built and extremely well insulated. Think of a mobile home on steroids. The ones we can get here are made by a Mennonite company with a good reputation -- Leland's. Here's a link to one of my favourites -- http://www.lelandscabins.com/products/61-settlement-harbor


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## StickyFloors (Aug 4, 2014)

Belfry,

Those look AWESOME. Thanks for sharing. I want it. I want it BADDDDDD.


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## Phil V. (May 31, 2013)

If you are willing to do the snail mail route Creekside Sawmill build log cabins to your needs. You may not be interested in them because of distance because they are in NE Indiana. They have several pics of cabins they have done and are willing to travel to your location to help get the building process started. They went to the Rockies to help start building a cabin at 5,000 ft. elevation. They stayed for 2 weeks to help get everything good. the address for them is Creekside Sawmill 5565 W 400 S Topeka, IN. 46751.


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## MOSSYNUT (Aug 8, 2014)

They don't build the whole thing?


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## Phil V. (May 31, 2013)

Yes they can. They will bring a crew out and get it done. They will sit down with you and draw up the floorplans to your specs and cut the logs to the specs. They do the floorboards as well.


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## just_sawing (Jan 15, 2006)

First of all I am not bashing these builders in any way. Log homes have maintenance period. Now that I have stated the obvious here are some tidbits, even though the R value is low what is not taken consideration is the thermal mass. When you try to heat a empty room it is fairly easy but at the first door opening you have lost all the heat. That is where a log cabin shines. Once you have it warm it stays warm. This also works on other constructions and is a tool to use in your design, think of where you insulate in the wall. 
Now for some maintenance tips. When people tell me of there draft problems I tell them to use the draft to their benefit. Personnel ezperiance living in a 100 year old house with wood heat. I brought in outside air to the heater and any drafts turned into an outlet for a house that has a positive pressure and heats to the leaks. When yo came in heat drafted to the door you came in to. 
This is also how you seal the cracks. Put plastic up on the doors to get more possitive pressure and then give your rooms a sealing. If you don't want to varnish the wall wax them with a wood finish floor wax. The positive pressure is going to help the wax go into the cracks deep and over time it will make a difference. 
If you purchase one of these homes hire someone to help the crew run caulking guns and purchase extra caulking. They should not be offended by this and having a customer happy will sell more homes. If you can not furnish extra people negotiate for them to double seal. This is not chinking but a clear silicone that will help seal the joints and such.


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## Malamute (Sep 15, 2011)

Poorly done log is a nuisance. Many of the so-called chinkless system owners end up chinking/caulking them because many of systems aren't all that effective. I haven't been very impressed by any that I've seen, despite their advertising claims as to their excellence of design and features. Logs shrink and twist some, its part of their nature. It needs to be planned for in setting door and window bucks. Most will probably need to be checked and resealed after a year or two of settling.

As to the milled logs, they do in fact look like log siding. I do full round natural logs, and decided that anything else I built would be frame with log siding, inside and out. They are easier to make very tight, to wire, plumb and insulate. If you like the flat walls inside, like many milled logs are, then regular tongue and groove looks the same and has all the advantages of frame noted above. To me, milled logs have all the disadvantages of log, with none of the real character of handbuilt log work.

Log performance isn't the same as frame. Log has thermal mass rather than R value. They work fine when heated well, and made as airtight as is reasonable. I've lived in log for most of the past 25 years and truly cant imagine living in anything else.


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## mike554 (Jun 9, 2012)

I'm only posting this because we really want to build smaller timber frames. Everything we are building is over 1400 sq. ft. which isn't big by todays standards but still bigger than we want to build. We can provide white pine timber frames and the sips to cover them for around $25 per sq. ft. which would cover the materials, assembly and raising and installing the sips on your foundation. Very energy efficient with the beauty of wood without the maintenance problems of a log home.

www.mktimberworks.com


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