anyone ever buy a log cabin kit?

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diymirage

diymirage

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im playing around with the idea of buying a small plot of land and putting a little cabin on it

someone local to me had a log cabin kit for sale and that got me thinking about those...anyone ever put together one of them?
 
I had these when I was a kid, I got pretty good at building the log cabin. If you need any help or assistance, I can help you.

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diymirage said:
im playing around with the idea of buying a small plot of land and putting a little cabin on it

someone local to me had a log cabin kit for sale and that got me thinking about those...anyone ever put together one of them?
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While I personally have not, I had a buddy that did. He bemoaned the fact every time the cabin got mentioned he would go on and on about the perpetual maint issues with it. He said he wished he had not done it. Maybe he got a cheap one? I dunno?
 
Sublime one said:
While I personally have not, I had a buddy that did. He bemoaned the fact every time the cabin got mentioned he would go on and on about the perpetual maint issues with it. He said he wished he had not done it. Maybe he got a cheap one? I dunno?
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I have a similar tale here. A good friend of mine built one in northern Wisconsin on some family property about 15 years ago. Beautiful place on a scenic lake, etc, etc, so when he and his wife retired, they moved-in full-time. Big mistake, for several reasons, and after only three winters they ended-up moving back to the same area where they originally lived.

They still have the cabin, but they only use it in the summer now.
 
Car Nut said:
I had these when I was a kid, I got pretty good at building the log cabin. If you need any help or assistance, I can help you.

View attachment 1716220896
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you are showing your age

funny story, my dad loves watching this show "barnyard builders" (i think its called)
some guy goes around the country finding old log cabins, buys them and sells them

pretty etertaining

after sitting through a few episodes with my dad, i got him a set of lincoln logs for his birthday
 
ProjectBazza said:
I have a similar tale here. A good friend of mine built one in northern Wisconsin on some family property about 15 years ago. Beautiful place on a scenic lake, etc, etc, so when he and his wife retired, they moved-in full-time. Big mistake, for several reasons, and after only three winters they ended-up moving back to the same area where they originally lived.

They still have the cabin, but they only use it in the summer now.
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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
 
My cousin builds log cabins in Northern Wisconsin. He said they are for rich people due to maintenance and pests. Everything in the woods will come for the wood in your cabin. Woodpeckers will make it their home and that invites smaller birds to use the holes and live in your walls. Porcupines will chew the wood, ants and bugs will use it as their home. Don't forget that wood needs to be treated every other year. Build a shouse instead. Shed/House. Steel building, insulated and done. Just my 2 cents and the advice from a long time log cabin builder
 
dartindanno said:
My cousin builds log cabins in Northern Wisconsin. He said they are for rich people due to maintenance and pests. Everything in the woods will come for the wood in your cabin. Woodpeckers will make it their home and that invites smaller birds to use the holes and live in your walls. Porcupines will chew the wood, ants and bugs will use it as their home. Don't forget that wood needs to be treated every other year. Build a shouse instead. Shed/House. Steel building, insulated and done. Just my 2 cents and the advice from a long time log cabin builder
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Barndominiums are what we are looking into... Big, Tall garage space and a small living space attached to it. All metal building too.
 
Yes find the show Barnwood Builders. I forget what channel, maybe Discovery ,NO changed to Magnolia.
I know people that have them and yes they require more maintainance but those that love them, LOVE them.

Remember barndomeniums are a little cheaper than conventional stick (unless YOU do most of the work) but get hit on resale.
 
barbee6043 said:
Yes find the show Barnwood Builders. I forget what channel, maybe Discovery ,NO changed to Magnolia.
I know people that have them and yes they require more maintainance but those that love them, LOVE them.

Remember barndomeniums are a little cheaper than conventional stick (unless YOU do most of the work) but get hit on resale.
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It'll be my last move. I'm not concerned about resale. My nieces can deal with it.
 
barbee6043 said:
Yes find the show Barnwood Builders. I forget what channel, maybe Discovery ,NO changed to Magnolia.
I know people that have them and yes they require more maintainance but those that love them, LOVE them.

Remember barndomeniums are a little cheaper than conventional stick (unless YOU do most of the work) but get hit on resale.
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thats the show my dad watches

yeah, i will be doing most of the work myself (and by that i mean that i got a friend whose got a small crew who will work for me for less then what they would work for someone else for, but of course id still pay them an honest day)
 
diymirage said:
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
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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.
 
ProjectBazza said:
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.
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It's kind of a two edged sword

The main goal here is profit
I want to build this to sell it

However, owning a cabin IS a pipe dream of mine, so you could say this first one is going to be a trial run for what may be my own home one day

Of course, just because this isn't something I intend to hold on to doesn't mean I'm willing to deliver a sub par product
 
85glht said:
Barndominiums are what we are looking into... Big, Tall garage space and a small living space attached to it. All metal building too.
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We built and lived in a barndominiom for several years, but again it was a modern steel building. It is very cool very reasonable to build and quite comfortable. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
 
Sublime one said:
We built and lived in a barndominiom for several years, but again it was a modern steel building. It is very cool very reasonable to build and quite comfortable. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
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Good to know
 
85glht said:
Good to know
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We did 18 ft eves so pretty much exactly as you describe. In the event you want any pictures or insight into what I would do differently just send me a PM. I can send you pix of any part of it you need. I have a full two bedroom apartment in it, a classroom that seats twenty, an instructors lounge which has a full bar and pool table, a two post lift, and the standard equipment stuff, mill,lathe etc etc. it is very efficient. And functional. I can easily store three to four cars in it as well.
 
Sublime one said:
We did 18 ft eves so pretty much exactly as you describe. In the event you want any pictures or insight into what I would do differently just send me a PM. I can send you pix of any part of it you need. I have a full two bedroom apartment in it, a classroom that seats twenty, an instructors lounge which has a full bar and pool table, a two post lift, and the standard equipment stuff, mill,lathe etc etc. it is very efficient. And functional. I can easily store three to four cars in it as well.
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Noted!! Sounds like paradise!! :thumbsup:

And thank you... When the time comes, I'll look you up!
 
My father built a Canadian log home kit in the '80s it came on three tractor trailer loads he paid $18,500 for it in 1983 no telling what they cost these days this was the Square log with the mortar in between it was beautiful with an open loft...Put it on a $10,000 /2 acre lot @ Lake Wateree and sold it in the 90's for $230,000...we missed it...built another lake house but not near as nice as the cabin....
 
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