Gravitas Blog

This is an article our favorite engineer wrote about the importance of engineering your residential project. Professional engineering is recommended on all projects and more and more it is being required by many local jurisdictions or on the state level. All of our projects in California, Colorado, New Mexico, New York require the project be stamped by a professional engineer. We wanted to share with our readers why it is important on all projects from the engineer’s perspective, enjoy. -Derek

Structural Engineering: Assurance for Your Insurance

The common goal on any log cabin design and construction is to have an experience that is built on trust and understanding. From the beginning, there are a lot of decisions that need to be made with building a log cabin structure. Often referred to as the ‘process’, one must decide on several key items such as budgets, the style of log cabin, floor plan layouts and total square footages, what log cabin company to use and the general building contractor. One often overlooked decision in this process is the need for structural engineering design and review.

The structural engineering of your log cabin ensures that all elements of your final construction documents are:
• Well coordinated
• Have been properly sized for structural components such as roof beams, floor joists, girders, headers, decks, foundations and retaining walls
• Adequately designed connections and details using the correct loads and load paths
• Designed for the proper resistance of building lateral loads (out-of-plane wind or earthquake loads)

Often the question is asked, “When is structural engineering required for my log cabin structure?” Based upon where you are building your structure, some of the local building departments and/or local governing jurisdictions will require some form of professional structural engineering construction documents and calculations that are stamped and signed by a licensed professional engineer. These documents would include your foundation plan, floor framing plans, roof framing plan, building sections, structural details, general structural notes and structural engineering calculations.

Several factors that would require or cause recommendation for structural engineering include, but are not limited to:
1) You are building within a high snow load area,
2) You are located within a high wind or earthquake zone,
3) The complexity of your final floor plans and building elevations (i.e. how does each floor level stack up, is there a prow, are there a lot of exterior window or opening placements, what is the column/post spacing, what are the beam/girder spans, is there a basement, etc.),
4) Does the local governing building jurisdiction require it for issuance of building permits
5) What are the site requirements in which you are building your log cabin structure on (i.e. is the building pad site flat or sloped, are you building into a hillside and what are the native soil bearing types).

A structural engineer can work with your local jurisdiction to help streamline the ‘process’ and obtain your building permit in a timely fashion, then allowing you, your log cabin company and your general building contractor to begin work. A structural engineer can also be available through the construction process to answer or clarify any questions that can arise during construction.
Whether or not it is required, it is highly recommended to consult with a licensed professional structural engineer on any log cabin structure that you build. The common goal for any structural engineer is to safeguard life, health, property and public welfare through design and implementation. When put into perspective with what typical structural engineering fees are in relation to the overall cost of your project, you will find that these fees are typically less than 1% of your overall construction budget. For the quality assurance that you are given knowing your log cabin residence is designed and coordinated properly by a professional, it provides additional insurance in protecting your life long investment.

Brian J. Sielaff, P.E., Tamarack Grove Engineering, PLLC

There are quite a few myths about log homes that are circulating among folks who are already having enough problems with sorting log facts from fiction.  Here’s my take on one of the biggest myths in the log home industry – How to get the “final“  total price of a log home from a manufacturer.  Time and time again, when I was selling log homes, customers would ask me to verify how to come to the final price on their new log home – to take the log package price and multiply it by 4, to take the advertised SF of a plan and multiply that by $150 a square foot, to see what the maximum they qualified for and add 10-25%.  The short answer to that question is – it depends.  Not very reassuring.  Here’s why.  Using multiplier won’t work because every log home manufacturer’s components package is different.  Company A’s product may be pre-cut, contain fastening hardware, with doors and windows.  Company B’s product may contain only the raw, random length wall logs and other log components.  If you use a static multiplier for either package, you’re going to get some fictional number that won’t do your budget any good.  There are just too many factors involved in getting an accurate job cost to just throw out “just multiply the log package price by “x” and you’ll have your budget.”  That won’t even get you in the ball park.  If someone gives you that advice, politely thank them and run the other direction.

When someone gives you an estimate of “x”  dollars per sqaure foot – take a few more mintues to ask this person some follow up questions.  If you are talking to a local builder, and your project is going into his territory, you might have a starting point to begin working out the details on your budget.  As you get close to selecting a builder/supplier, be sure to talk to some of their recent references, and be candid about your budget concerns – how close was this person to the original budget proposed (barring change orders).  Talk to the banks that they worked with.  Check them out with the Better Business Bureau or the State’s Attorney Generals office.  This is most likely the biggest financial investment you’ll make in your life – take the time to make sure the people you involve are capable and trustworthy.

If you are at a Log Home Show, and you get a quote of “x” dollars per square foot – I’d take that information with a grain of salt, unless they are truly a local builder.  Quite of a few of the log home companies travel across the country to the log and timber home trade shows, and they just don’t have the local contacts to give out accurate building costs.  For example – If you were to attend a Denver, CO show, depending on where your were building in the state of Colorado, your square foot building costs could range from $150 a SF to $300 a SF and up, for the EXACT SAME LOG HOME PLAN!  To get accurate figures, your best bet would be to work with some of the local businesses and trades from your building area.

In order to get any accurate budget information, you’ll need to start with a good and detailed set of plans.  If you’ve already decided on a manufacturer, and you’d like to proceed with their designs, be sure to take a look at a set of their final construction documents.  Make sure everything is spelled out.  Get your builder’s opinion on them – can he build from them.  Any information that’s left out is time and money on the job spent figuring it out.

The best way to take charge of your budget is to come into things fully prepared.  If you use an independent design firm, like Gravitas, you are calling the shots from the beginning.  You can go through the design process – including and many or as few of the log and timber components you like.  I say this because, the log and timber frame companies are in the business of selling wood.  It’s only natural for them to try to include as many components into your log package as they can – sacrificing elements of your design and budget to pad their sales figures.  With an independent design firm, you get the elements you want, where you want them.  Some people want to see log and timber everywhere – others only want log walls, with drywall and plaster to break up the exposed woodwork. Either way, you get the design elements you want.  The biggest advantage is that when you shop around, you have the power.  The log home companies are all bidding on the same set of plans, and they know you’re out there shopping around.  It’s in their best interest to give you the best price possible in order to stay competitive.  An independent set of plans forces them to sit down and dissect your house in order to get accurate figures.  When the preliminary bids come in – you’ll have the ability to compare the apples to apples.  Only when you decide on a manufacturer, should you begin the Final Construction Document phase of your plans.  By waiting until you choose a manufacturer, the designer can then incorporate the specific details pertinent to their particular construction system (thru-bolt, lags, mechanical settling devices, etc) into your plans set, giving more than enough details for the builder to generate an accurate budget for your new log house.

Bottom line is, if you don’t have a detailed set of plans – specific to not only your building site, but to your tastes and budget, how can you expect to get anyone to give you any sense of how much things will cost.  A good set of plans may run several thousand dollars, and if they’re done right and they are thorough, they can end up saving you thousands in the end.  Like it or not, you’re paying the same $$ when a builder and his crew are standing around trying to “figure out” a detail as you are when they are hard at work, building your dream home.  Doesn’t it make sense to arm them with the best information and plans?

Hope this was helpful.  Let me know if you have any questions.

Happy stacking!

Paul

Often when we think of materials suppliers for building our homes, or even working on a DIY home improvement project, we instinctively include the big box home improvement store or regional contractor oriented building supplier. I have found a few sources locally that I want to suggest and bring to your attention. Some are specific to Boise, but the concepts are not, and chances are they can be found in your city with a quick search.

• Green building supply stores. Many city’s have storefronts that contain sustainable building products under one roof where you can educate yourself on how a product’s choice may impact your health, or the energy used to create it, or replace it (lifecycle costs). Locally we have a store called Green Foundations that has many products for all areas of construction. I suggest you stop by if you are in the Treasure Valley or find a similar store in your area where you can make an informed decision about the products that are going into your home.
• Recycled Building Materials Supply. All buildings have a life cycle, and even more so the styles and functions of the interior of the home. Although I am a proponent of heirloom homes that last many, many generations and investing in timeless design for interior furnishing and fixtures, many things have their day. In addition to style considerations though, there are many functional materials that can be refashioned or reconditioned for new uses. I think there is more soul in materials that already have a history and stories. We are working with a client now on an extensive remodel and the pride of her new home will be the reuse of the front door from her existing home. Another client of ours makes sure to point out the structural beam in their new home that was worked in from the house that he grew up in. Whether your sources are from a major remodel or moving a home, if you look around, there are materials everywhere that are just waiting to be put to good use. We have a local architectural salvage, recycled building materials supply store in Boise called Second Chance. I just got a solid wood closet door for $25 that was quoted at $125 from the big box. Last summer I got wood shingles for a shed, real chunks of wood, not the see through wood shakes you see at retail stores. Browse your local store to see what they have and you can add some character to your project and save a sink, door, or light switch from being created. Finally on Second Chance, or your local equivalent, take your extra stuff down there. They take all useable building materials, it might be closer than the dump.
• Craigslist. Craigslist isn’t just for finding a used car or football tickets, it’s also a great place for renewable building materials. This source of materials is another two way street, its a great place to keep your unused things out of the garbage and a great place to pick up new and used materials for your new home or remodel. I recently purchased two bathroom sinks for a remodel we are working on. This had many advantages, the most obvious is financial, two flawless Kohler sinks and fixtures for 40% of the retail cost. Equally important to me though is knowing that the embodied energy of those sinks is not entirely my responsibility. I also enjoy the community aspect of Craigslist, through all of my buying and selling transactions comes interaction with my neighbors. In the sink example, I met a builder who I had seen her work all over town for the last few years but had never met and we talked about her work. Those kind of contacts don’t happen at the self checkout at Home Depot. Windows, flooring, granite for your countertops, trusses for a garden shed, its new every day under the materials category on Craigslist.

So I encourage you to think about different sources for the materials in your home whether they be new green, reconditioned or reused. There are sources out there to be found if you think outside the big box….get it?