My Dream Log Cabin- Log Cabin Construction Discussion and Stories of How Others Achieved The Log Cabin Dream - Tune In to learn more about how you can live the log cabin lifestyle!

Worried your floor plan isn't truly complete? Wondering if there are any last minute changes you should make? 

This episode wraps up our mini series on design by offering thought provoking questions designed to help you evaluate your floor plan to ensure it will fit your lifestyle in the best possible way. 

Find the Ultimate Log Home Planning Guide Here -- > https://cariboucreek.com/pre-order-your-ultimate-log-home-planning-guide/

Check out the Kootenai Floor Plan --> https://cariboucreek.com/kootenai/

Is Hiring an Interior Designer Beneficial? https://cariboucreek.com/log-home-decorating-is-hiring-an-interior-designer-beneficial/

Topics we discuss:

- How to determine if your floor plan is too large?

- How to consolidate space?

-Laundry Room design

- How to light a log house well

- The kitchen work triangle and how it can help you design your kitchen space

- Ensuring you have enough space in hallways and door ways and why this matters

- How to evaluate how you use space and infuse your new floor plan creatively as a result of that evaluation

 

Today host Lindsay is joined by founder and owner of Caribou Creek Log Homes, David Byler, as we discuss HVAC systems, heating and cooling options for log cabins and log homes. 

We cover:

- How to design a log cabin floor plan with HVAC systems in mind

- Various heating and cooling options

- Strategies to hide HVAC ducts and units

- Cooling and heating efficiency

-Log home thermal mass and how it relates to heating and cooling

This episode is sponsored by Caribou Creek Log Homes www.cariboucreek.com

Visit our podcast website at www.mydreamloghome.com

 

So often, while dreaming of a log cabin, cabin lovers start planning out their design. Many often sketch out an ideal layout and make changes to it over the years as they ponder their dream home. Sometimes what happens is the perfect land and the perfect floor plan don't match up as dreamily as we hope. That is no problem for Caribou Creek draftsmen! We can adjust your floor plan to fit on your site. 

Today, our episode features our newest team-member Jack Phillips, an architectural draftsman with a passion for designing log homes. Jack and Lindsay discuss 5 elements to consider about a land site and how they can affect the floor plan design.

Topics we discuss

-Geo technical engineering - soil load bearing conditions

- Water flow and how water can be incorporated into design

- How approach and view should be considered when planning a design

- How a house can be designed to get the most amount of sunlight without the side affects of blaring heat

- Thermal mass of log homes - controlling heating and cooling inside a house

- Topography - How your building sits on your site

- Context and layout of the land and how that affects home placement

Check out Caribou Creek online at www.Cariboucreek.com

 

Recently a Caribou Creek customer listed their dream home for sale because they are ready to downsize as they move into retirement.  After pouring their heart and sweat into their dream, they are sad to sell, but plan to build another log home that is easier to manage. 

This situation is something the owners of Caribou Creek have seen over the years. Clients build their dream home only to discover it isn't right for them in a few short years because it was over designed or their needs have changed.

Today we are offering solutions to help you plan a floor plan design that can age with you making your forever home last as long a you do!

This episode is sponsored by Caribou Creek Log Homes - Handcrafting Custom Log Homes since 1989. www.cariboucreek.com

Follow us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/cariboucreek

 

Special guest Warren, shares the story of how he and his wife built their dream log home. He tells us about his experience finding and buying land and deciding on a log contractor. Because of his experience in construction, Warren acted as his own General Contractor so, he shares about this experience with that and some minor hiccups along the way.

What is so incredible to hear is about the awesome personal touches he and his wife did to the home such as hand polished copper railings on the stair case and hand-selecting river rock for the stone fire place. Warren and his wife worked hard to make this house a home and they have truly enjoyed it for many years.

As they move into retirement, they have decided to downsize and sell this home. They are open to serious inquiries ONLY please - Follow this link - https://bit.ly/35JKbFZ

Also, visit our website to see more pics. https://cariboucreek.com/guest-shares-sto…harming-log-home/

This episode is sponsored by Caribou Creek Log Homes. Follow us on Instagram or visit www.cariboucreek.com.

Handcrafting charming log homes since 1989.

This episode is for you if you are ready to dive into designing your dream log home floor plan! We cover four common challenges homeowners face when preparing for design or coming to a design meeting with their own ideas.

Some of these are actually funny, and they are ALL useful. You won't want to miss this episode!

This episode is sponsored by Caribou Creek Log Homes. Find us online at www.cariboucreek.com

Follow us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/cariboucreek

 

Read the blog to see pictures: https://cariboucreek.com/hybrid-dovetail-timber-frame/

 

Not long ago, a couple stopped in, curious about what Caribou Creek offers. Their dream was about elegance, being closer to family, and building a forever home in a beautiful place they loved as they transition into retirement. 

Overlooking a beautiful nearby lake, the couple had chosen the perfect place to build and they were ready to begin designing the home they had been imagining.

Our draftsman Stuart, worked with the clients to create a floor plan and log home design that met their wishes and customizations.

The clients were ready to treat themselves with the amenities and luxuries that fueled their dreams. What resulted is a gorgeous custom home design that was finished in the first quarter of 2021.

The focal point of the home is an impressive 23 foot tall entry with a huge arched truss supported by two pillars. Each pillar is constructed with four tall posts. Looking at the renderings it’s evident walking up to this home will inspire a feeling of awe.

Inside the 7 foot front door is a hundred square foot foyer with an open ceiling two stories high. Past the foyer, is a catwalk which joins the two upstair wings. The expansive 400 square foot great room opens up just pass the foyer accented with matching trusses for that jaw drop effect. 

The basement is complete with a guest bedroom, full kitchen and a bathroom. An open living room adds plenty of space for entertaining guests and family. The 13′ by 7′ wine room completes the basement adding its sophisticated flare.

The upper story holds space for a spacious guest bedroom and bathroom as well as a large home office room allowing for the couple to continue working from home as they ease into retirement.

From top to bottom this home is filled with elegant luxuries including the massive walk in closet with a window to capture the picturesque views.

Initially, this home was designed to be a complete dovetail log home package. However, after the initial building estimation came in slightly over the clients intended budget, Caribou Creek value engineered the design to fit within the budget without compromising the size or amenities the home offered.

As a result the home became a classy hybrid of dovetail log walls throughout the center of the home and wings designed with traditional framing methods. Handcrafted specialty timbers will lace throughout the framed portion of the home to maintain the rustic charm.

After the design was approved and construction contract signed, Caribou Creek began the process of ordering material. We reached out to our normal timber suppliers and were told they were too backed up with orders to fill our needs. Our log acquisitions manager continued sourcing timbers only to discover prices had drastically increased. 

Using Douglas fir timbers from available sources would have increased the price by approximately $40,000 due to the sudden influx of lumber prices across the US. The management team at Caribou was aware that the budget was very close to the clients threshold and an increase that large would be a significant impact on them. 

The Caribou Creek team put their heads together to come up with a solution that would satisfy the clients budget and design choice. Although timber prices coming from mills had skyrocketed, our log prices had not fluctuated very much and supply was still meeting demand. After explaining the situation to the client, Jenna Magee, the log consultant managing the project, explained the solution the team had discussed.

Dovetail cants crafted from round logs, rather than full square timbers, would give the client the look they wanted without costing them the exorbitant extra the market prices were demanding. 

A ‘cant’ is when a round log is sawed on two sides creating two flat sides and two curved sides. The log package is constructed in the traditional chink-style method. The primary difference is that the extensions of the logs are crafted into four flat sides. After chining is installed, the rounded edges of the cants will not be visible and the home will appear to be full dovetail. The only consolation is that the chink lines will have a more variated line giving it a more rustic appearance.

This project is slated to begin in August and be delivered in the fall of 2021. Site prep has begun while the logs have been cut and placed in the kilns to dry. The employees of Caribou Creek are excited to see this project get underway. Despite the hiccups in the process it brings us great joy to help our clients experience a dream home that gives them years of pleasure.

Although Caribou Creek is designing the entire home, we are only crafting the log and timber portion. The client has hired a General Contractor to finish out the project.

By making the changes we did we scaled back the log portion of the project considerably because helping our clients achieve their dream without having to compromise important design elements or overall square footage is the most important part of what we do. If you would like to discuss your project or idea with one of our log consultants don’t hesitate to call. 800-619-1156. This is our passion and our joy is helping people realize their dream.

Often people start out planning to build their dream log cabin, but in the process of shopping for land come across a cozy cabin that is perfect for them. Instead of building they end up buying an already existing log home.

Today we want to give you some pointers on things to look for when considering purchasing a log home. Also, a word of caution - Not all home inspectors are educated about log homes. Make sure you ask the inspector about their experience with log homes or consider hiring an log home builder or restoration company to offer an inspection of the logs in addition to a traditional home inspection.

Here are some things you can look for and a secret to helping you avoid getting a log home with unforeseen problems such as log rot, settling issues, and lack of maintenance. We offer tips to help you get to the truth of what you are walking into to help you avoid overpaying for a log house.

Caribou Creek has been handcrafting Log Homes since 1989. Visit us at www.cariboucreek.com

Or Follow us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/cariboucreek

 

Shopping for an already built home is drastically different from planning to build a custom log home. In this podcast episode host Lindsay discusses 3 tips everyone should know when planning to build a dream home instead of buying.

The beauty of shopping for homes is we have the luxury of seeing the home as it is and deciding what we like or what we don't. We can decide how our furniture will look and how we will use each room. In essence, we can look at the home and decide how we can work our lives around the existing structure.

However, when designing and building a log home it is not quite that simple. We have to imagine the space we are creating, be mindful of how we are accustomed to having our home arranged for our convenience and preference. Things we often take for granted or are not even aware of.

Additionally, when going into the process of building there are many unknowns that we won't know until we have been through the process completely. Working diligently to determine our budget and to stay within those perimeters can be challenging as well as concerning for anyone who is on a tight budget. This podcast offers solutions to help cabin lovers like you prepare yourself for the process of designing and building your dream log home.

Follow Caribou Creek on Instagram at www.instagram.com/cariboucreek

For more information on our building process visit https://cariboucreek.com/products/

Visit us online at www.cariboucreek.com

 

Join us as Jon and Cathy, of Idaho, share their story of meeting in Turkey and traveling back and forth from the states to Turkey while she was teaching abroad. Cathy, having grown up in a military family, had fallen in love with log cabins while living in Alaska. In her early 20's she found a log home company in Eastern Texas and bought a book of floor plans which she kept with her all through the years as she traveled to Europe and back. She used the packet to thumb through to envision her dream log cabin time and again.

Eventually, Jon and Cathy got tired of spending summers visiting family and decided to find a place of their own. They bought some land in Montana and were planning out their cabin build.

Meanwhile, while visiting Jon's parents in Idaho, a friend told them about a log home he knew of that was for sale. Thinking it wouldn't hurt to take a look, Jon and Cathy fell in love with the cabin the moment they laid eyes on the enormous fireplace, the focal point of the home. 

Although they were already "sold" on the place, they continued to walk through the home. Cathy fell in love with the unique stained glass window and adorable "his and hers" bathrooms.  The ladies bathroom was decorated in Purple, Cathy's favorite color. That sealed the deal for them!

The home was in very poor condition. The previous owner had used pink fiberglass insulation between the logs instead of chinking. The home was drafty and open for all the bugs of the neighborhood to make a home. 

Jon spent the first summer chinking the home and later they stained the inside and outside.

After 20 years in the home, they have made beautiful improvements including landscaping, flooring, a kitchen remodel, window upgrades, and adding stone to the exterior. The home is a beautiful log home that will surly last for years to come because of how well they have taken care of it.

We hope you enjoy this episode. Make sure to join our community on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mydreamlogcabin/?multi_permalinks=497171301473210

Also, if you would like to be a guest or know someone who would be a wonderful addition to the show, please visit us at www.mydreamloghome.com to sign up to be a guest.

Thank you to our sponsor Caribou Creek Log Homes www.cariboucreek.com.