Recently we created a gem of a home with Hand-Crafted Log Homes from Dublin, Virginia.  It holds 3,760 SF of traditional log home appeal, with 4 bedrooms, and 4 1/2 baths.

The Madison is the quintessential log home plan with a few features that you don’t always see. A large Grand Entry with a double fireplace and curved stairway greets guests. Outdoor living space is not in short supply with decks and covered porches wrapping the entire home. The main floor is the traditional log home layout with an expanded dining area for entertaining and an enlarged pantry storage area right off the entry on the way to the kitchen for convenient grocery drop off. The Upper Level has two bedrooms but in the Madison they both share one side and have their own bath. This leaves the other side open for a large Flex space for an exercise, room, hobby room, or bunk room. The upper level also shares the chimney from below and allows a cozy fire in the library & study area.

The Fraser was designed for a dramatic site outside of Breckenridge, Colorado for Atrium Log Homes.  This design utilizes logs milled in Finland by Honka.  It contains 2306 SF on three levels, with 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms, and a 2 car garage.

Honka’s unique milling capabilities, and Atrium Log Homes building expertise were leveraged to create a unique, livable design that meets the owners needs.

Don’t forget to view our other plans.

Since Gravitas started over 7 years ago, we have worked with many clients located throughout North America as you can see by the map below.  Being located a continent away from many of our clients, site visits are often out of the question.  Typically, we only get to walk the site on less than 10% of our projects.  That brings the question: How can we work without meeting face to face?

Typically, an Architect will sit down with a client across the table, and sketch out ideas, point to photographs and carry on a conversation face to face.  Following up the meetings, there might be phone calls and E-mails passed back and forth.  In the “old days”, you might have faxes going back and forth.  Times have changed.

We are always very conscious of our clients budgets, both regarding the construction of their home, but also in the design of it.  Not only do budget issues present themselves, but environmental concerns are becoming more and more important.  A phone call, video and photos can be more efficient than a car drive to the property.  A quick online meeting is more appropriate to answer standard questions, than getting on the plane and flying a thousand miles.  To address these items, we have developed a method of working remotely with our clients.  This leverages our talent, time, and puts our clients money to best use.

A site visit, and a face to face meeting are encouraged if the budget allows.  There is benefit in walking the land with the you, the future home owner, and discussing your needs over lunch.  This, however, is not always possible, or, at times, even necessary.  Also, the amount of resources used to carry the designer across country, and to the building location (or your home), is also not insignificant.  Whenever we can reduce our travels, we do.  This saves not only time and money, but also reduces our carbon footprint.

So the question is, how can we still provide the best service available, and not meet face to face throughout the project?  Thankfully, with all of the developments in virtual computer software and hardware, the distances between people are getting closer and closer every day.  We have been using GotoMeeting software (www.gotomeeting.com) for the last few years very successfully.  It allows you to see our computer screen on your screen at home and draw on it while we are talking on phone with each other.  This goes a long way in breaking down the communication barriers.  If you have some interesting web examples or pictures that you want to share, and talk about, then we can see your screen on ours as we discuss them.

The above image is a screen capture of an online meeting using the Goto software. This allows us to have virtual design and construction meetings with the contractor, you, the engineer, etc.  This has been a great resource.  the software also allows you to record the sessions, so if there is a presentation, you can capture it for future viewing.

As a small business, we are always looking for opportunities to provide you with better services, and not add costs.  There are many project coordination software suites out there, but as a simple collection point, we have found it hard to beat Google Sites.  It is a low cost alternative to software such as Basecamp, Active Collab, and many others out there. This tool allows us to post project information in one location that is accessible to the entire team as well as coordinating note and timelines.

Of course sometimes the quickest, and easiest solution is to pick up the telephone and call.  Sending emails back and forth is still a very useful tool, and here is the record of the conversation for reference and clarity.  Because of this, we find it very useful to follow up our phone calls with an email.  This makes certain that we heard what you said before we move forward with design work. Working remotely has taught us the value and benefit of close and frequent communication with our clients in many different formats.

One of the initial communication tools we use is an Idea Book that we ask that our clients put together.  This is simply a binder with cutouts from magazines, prints from the Internet, observations, sketches, or anything else that will help us understand who you are, how you live your life, and what you envision your home to be.  This is a great resource for both us, and you.  It helps to communicate your ideas to us, but it also helps you to crystallize what you are thinking.

This is just a brief summary of some of the tools we use in working with clients remotely. When you can’t meet face to face, these successfully address the problem. Our history and project portfolio from coast to coast has shown that our communication tools are proven and successful. Even if we have never met face to face, by the end of the project we have a close and connected relationship that has been built through all of our varied communication techniques.

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?

With my last post, I wanted to give you some background on myself and my experience in the Log Home Industry.  I hope that if you have any questions at any time during this series, you’ll either leave comment or contact me.

First things first - one of the most important things during the whole process of building your log home is going to be the architectural design of it.  This home will most likely be the most expensive thing that you’ve ever financed, and you want to make sure that everything fits your lifestyle perfectly, and I believe that using an independent design firm is the best way to achieve this.  I’m obviously a strong advocate for independent designers (this is what I do for a living).  Here are my reasons for encouraging you to think outside the box.

Nearly every log home manufacturer has some sort of catalog of their “signature” floor plans.  Don’t get me wrong, these are a great starting point.  These generic plans give you a basic sense of space and aesthetics, and can also give you a starting point on pricing out one of their packages.  Sometimes a company will even claim that if you purchase your log package from them, the plans are free!  Here’s the problem with that - someone had to get paid for the plans, one way or the other.  If they promise that the plans are free, then they’ve just buried the cost somewhere in your log package price.  Be sure to check and see what it would cost to modify one of the stock plans.  I sold log homes for nearly three years, and I can’t think of one instance where someone came in off the street and said that they wanted our “model A” plan, with absolutely no changes.  This also goes with people I worked with who’d been in the industry since the early 70’s.

Here’s what I think is the biggest problem with working with a company’s stock plan.  It’s extremely difficult to take that plan and shop it around (copyright issues aside).  Every manufacturer packages their product differently.  Some of the differences are:  pre-cut logs vs. random length, grade of logs and poles, is the fastening hardware included, milled vs. handcrafted logs, on-site technical support, shipping costs, sales tax, various degrees of building materials - doors, windows, floor decks, roofing material, log siding, stains and finishes, just to name a few.  This is where having your house designed by an independent design firm has it’s advantages.  Not only is the house uniquely designed to fit your lifestyle, but its also designed to include (or exclude) as many of the log components you want.  Manufactures make the bulk of their money on the logs, so it’s only natural that they might push as much product on you as possible (to help offset the costs of their “Free” design department).  When you come through the door with your design work done independently (not your final construction documents - those should wait until you settle on a manufacturer), every log home producer is bidding on “the exact same set of plans”.  This allows you to get a closer apples to apples comparison, and you can see why one company may be $15K less than another (no hardware, random length vs. pre-cut and hardware included).

One thing most folks don’t think about when shopping stock log home plans is will this home work in my jurisdiction.  A stock plan may work perfectly fine off the shelf if it’s build in mid-western Kansas where the snow load can be 20PSF.  Now take that same stock plan and drop it it in Aspen, Colorado where it’s not unheard of to have a 150PSF snow load.  We’re talking about completely different structural components necessary for either homes.  Different roof systems, foundations - structurally speaking, different houses.  A 10 inch diameter spruce/pine ridge beam in Kansas could turn into a 22 inch diameter douglas fir ridge beam in Colorado.  By using an independent design firm like Gravitas, you’ll have your house specifically designed for your jurisdiction, conforming to the local codes and building department’s requirements, the first time around.  It will also be much easier to track and manage your building budget with a set of plans specifically designed for you, opposed to something that’s generically detailed out and vague.

These are just a few ideas to think about when designing your log home.  When you figure that your home may cost $300K and up to build, it’s well worth spending a relatively small amount to prepare a set of quality construction documents, specifically designed to your needs, and your location, and they communicate how to construct your dream log home?  This will reduce the number of surprises that tend to come up during the construction process, and often save you more than the cost of drawings because everything is thought out, and it doesn’t conform to a generic client.  If you have any thoughts or comments for me, please feel free to do so.

Happy stacking!

Paul

I thought I’d take a few minutes and give you some idea as to how the log home industry works, from a couple of different “inside” industry positions.  First, a little background on myself.  I’ve got a B.S. in Forest Products - Wood Construction & Design from the University of Idaho (Go Vandals!).  After graduation, I went to work for one of the leading national log home manufacturers in the country.  While employed there, I had a couple of different jobs (at the same time).  At first, I was working in the design department as a production drafter.  Basically, I was breaking down each house package to their individual logs and poles, preparing the shop order for manufacturing.  With all the growth the company was experiencing, they needed another traveling Technical Adviser, and I was called in.  With this position, I travelled all around the country and worked with different builders and their crews, and basically trained them how to correctly assemble the log packages.  I was typically on site for the first 2 days of log stacking (usually if something is wrong, you’ll find it at this time), hands on, working to get as much of the house stacked as we could in that time.  I’d also get sent to “problem” job sites, where the builder either needed some help, or the company needed to remedy an issue (log shortage, miscut logs, etc.).  I did this for almost 3 years before I burned out on all the travel (stacking is fun, it’s the traveling that’s a chore).  When I wasn’t on the road, I was in the office, working in the production drafting department.

From there, I moved to a different National Log Home manufacturer, initially as a technical consultant and sales backup.  That lasted about 3 months, before I was named their National Sales & Marketing Director.  It was here that I was really able to get behind the industry curtain and see how things work.  From an initial client meeting to watching them move in to their new log home, I was able to participate in just about every facet of this industry.

It’s with these 6 years of direct Log Home Industry involvement, and the last 3 years of designing custom log and timber homes for Gravitas, that I hope to be of some assistance to you.  I’ve been on site, hand stacked logs (milled and handcrafted), set rafters, notched corners, and many other tasks.  From the sales office I’ve created customer estimates, shop orders, cut lists, log home contracts, design revisions, helped to find qualified builders, find log home mortgages, created & maintained local and national marketing campaigns, worked trade shows nation wide, and answered lots of questions from people looking to build their perfect log home.

In the following weeks, I’ll try to break down what I know about the industry in order to help you with your log home journey.  I’ll cover topics from design, budget, builders, log components, how to best shop the different manufacturers, myths in the industry, and any other questions that may come up from  comments I receive.  I hope this helps, and I’m looking forward to hearing back from you.  Good luck and happy stacking!

Paul

The Escalante was designed for the Roaring Fork Valley in Colorado.  It contains 4514 SF of mountain living in three levels, with 4 bedrooms, 4 1/2 bathrooms, a 2 car garage, and enlarged shop area.

Capturing the amazing valley views was of prime importance with this home. Outdoor living was maximized with a large terrace over the garage, and an intimate covered porch off of the Gathering Room.

This plan combines log accents with Contemporary design in an elegant, yet simple way.

Don’t forget to view our other plans.