anyone ever buy a log cabin kit?
any idea if this issues were with the building, or the way they finished it?
im just mulling all this over (and chances are it will never happen) but log cabins look so much cooler then stick build homes, and if the price is similar, i thought it might be an option
come to think of it, you can run all sorts of wiring, plumbing, and HVACs behind drywall, i dont see that happening quite as quickly with logs
perhaps thats where the issues lies?
all cards on the table, this wouldnt be something i would keep anyway
the idea is to buy a plot of land, put a structure on it and sell most of the land, keeping just a few acres
take the profits, roll over and do it again
They built their cabin as a "true" log cabin (emphasis mine), and thus without sheetrock/paneled/insulated walls their biggest complaint was comfort in the winter.
When he was designing it he asked for my input/opinion (as an HVAC Designer & Engineer), but when I tried to discuss insulated walls, R-values, joints, and heat loss with him, did he listen to me? No! 'Cuz his wfe wanted that "rustic feel" of a true log cabin, both inside as well as out, and their Builder said everything would be ok. They put-in a full basement, and a boiler with HW/hydronic heat, but he chose to ignore me, and the Laws of Thermodynamics, and guess what? The walls were cold where the logs joined together (along the hortizontal seam, if you get me). I don't remember the exact temp, but somewhere around 15 degrees or so they had pretty thick frost along those seams.
Which, in northern Wisconsin, is damn near all damn winter!
If you do this, at the very least insulate the damn walls and don't count on the R-value of the logs to keep you warm.
The other issue they had was maintenance, as like most of us here, they're getting older and they didn't fully appreciate how much work this would require.
Don't get me wrong- it's an absolutely
beautful place, and I love going there....during the summer.
