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October 1999 through
February 2000
Titles:
How does the builder deal with a crooked log?
Opportunities for saving money when designing and building your dream log home.
Where do I start and where do I go from there? Part 1.
How much does a log home cost?
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March 2000 through
August 2000
Titles: Where do I start and where do
I go from there? Part 2.
A sad but true story.
Where do I start and where do I go from there? Part 3.
Why is it Important to use an
Experienced Log Builder.
New at the B and H Cedar Log Homes' web site.
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September 2000 through
February 2001
Titles: Comparing Kit Prices Quoted by
Different Manufacturers or Dealers.
Log Homes and Energy Efficiency.
So Now Its Winter and Your Kit is On the Way!
Fasteners for Log Walls.
Roof Systems.
So You Want to Do it Yourself!
March 2001 to the present
Titles: Delivery of Your Log Home Kit.
Where can I find, or how do I prepare,
a log home plan that fits my lifestyle?
The Carpenter Bee.
Bees, Builders and Braggarts.
Windows.
What Can I Expect from my Log Home Dealer?
You are here. ^^ Scroll down for the
newsletters.
March 2001 - Delivery of Your Log Home Kit.
April 2001 - Where can I find, or how do I prepare, a log home plan that fits my lifestyle?
May 2001 - The Carpenter Bee.
June 2001 - Bees, Builders and Braggarts.
July 2001 - Windows
May 2002 - What Can I Expect from my Log Home Dealer?
March 2001 - Delivery of Your Log Home Kit.
There are two different methods of delivering your log home kit; both require delivery by tractor trailers. First, there is delivery by the tractor trailer owned by the log home company. And then there is delivery by the independent trucking company. Since our experience is only with the latter, this article will focus on delivery by the independent trucker.
A successful, smooth delivery by the independent trucker is dependent on the dealer and trucking company working together. First and foremost, we believe it is absolutely essential that the dealer visit the job site even before the delivery is scheduled. Why? Rarely does a customer understand the very limited mobility of an 80,000 pound tractor trailer (rig) that is over 70 feet long. Even most builders have unrealistic expectations. However, an experienced dealer has been on several deliveries and must be the intermediary between the home owner, builder and trucker.
Ideally, the rig drives up to the foundation and the kit is off loaded on the subfloor and/or ground. Unfortunately, there is usually a considerable "gap" between the ideal and reality. When the dealer inspects the job site he/she will be looking for tight turns and soft ground. If in fact the rig can safely reach the foundation and return to the highway then there is no problem. But what can be done if conditions prevent the rig from leaving the hard top road? Remember, the truck driver is equivalent to the captain of a ship. He/She will not take the truck into a situation he/she believes will damage or delay the rig. In situations such as this, B and H recommends that the customer or builder have a fork lift on hand (usually renting for $300 - $400 per day) and unload the kit with the tractor trailer on the road. If a fork lift is available that can reach across the trailer bed and unload from one side, so much the better. If the load is to be unloaded at the highway, it is wise to notify local law enforcement and essential to post road guards to caution and slow down traffic.
However, the above does not apply when the rig cannot get within several hundred yards of the construction site, e. g., at the end of a one lane gravel road on a mountain top. In this situation it is best to have the rig unloaded at a lumber yard and then have the kit trucked to the construction site by smaller trucks. Yes, be prepared to pay for this service.
An independent trucker quotes delivery by the miles traveled and allows for an unloading time of about three hours. If the unloading takes too long, the trucker may miss a "back haul." Back hauls are essential if the company is to operate at a profit. On the other hand, the trucker must understand that the customer is counting on the delivery to arrive on time, especially if a rented fork lift is waiting. An exchange of cell phone numbers is most helpful.
A successful delivery depends on cooperation and understanding by the dealer, trucker, builder and homeowner. The dealer is the key. Yes, even the best laid plans sometime fall apart. There is no magic potion to deal with such a situation but, again, the dealer is the best hope for mediating these situations.
See you next month,
Sandy Helms
April 2001 - Where can I find, or how do I prepare, a log home plan that fits my lifestyle?
Once a person makes a decision to build a dream log home, preparation of the
floor plan and construction drawings will be the first priority. Unfortunately, this is a daunting task for many - and it need not be. So where or how does one begin? There are several options, each is discussed in detail in this newsletter.Use an Existing Construction Drawing that is "Very Close" to Fitting Your
Needs - If your changes are minor and the local building code officials are open minded, it is possible to build without paying for a new set of construction drawings.Begin From Scratch - This is the first thought for many who have decided to
build a log home. The concept is simple enough, i.e., sketch your original floor plan on a piece of paper and send it to the company you have selected to supply your kit. A log home designer will follow up with questions to clarify uncertainties and suggestions for lowering cost and improving the design before starting the construction drawings. This process is "business as usual" for the log home company; however, for many log home buyers, developing an original design is easier said than done. There is another, easier way to prepare custom log home plans.
Start with a Floor Plan that is Close to Your Ideal Plan - This is
always
- Of course, our first recommendation is the B and H list of plans at
http://www.cedar-log-homes.com/log_home_plans_links.htm; aol users <a
href="http://www.cedar-log-homes.com/log_home_plans_links.htm">Click
here</a>.
- Our second recommendation is a site with links to log home plans offered
by several manufacturers. This site was developed and is maintained by B and H
at http://www.log-home-plans.com/; aol users <a
href="http://www.log-home-plans.com/">Click here</a>.
- Also, any conventional house plan can be constructed with logs. Here is a
link to a site with over 4,000 house plans in a searchable data base:
http://www.coolhouseplans.com/index.html?SponsorID=24726251; aol users <a
href="http://www.coolhouseplans.com/index.html?SponsorID=24726251;">Click
here</a>.
- For those of you who have not followed the evolution of a custom log home
construction drawing on the B and H site, visit
http://www.cedar-log-homes.com/Log_home_construction_drawings.htm, aol
users<a
href="http://www.cedar-log-homes.com/Log_home_construction_drawings.htm">Click
here</a>. This set of plans started with a standard B and H model. The
home
is presently under construction in North Carolina.
Use a Set of Construction Drawings Prepared by One Log Home Company to Build a Kit Supplied by Another Company - Is this legal? So long as the plans are purchased (not copied) there should be no problem. B and H has sold many construction drawings from our web site without a following order for a log kit.
As always, your comments and suggestions on both our newsletter and website are welcomed.
See you next month.
SANDY HELMS
May 2001- Carpenter Bees
The Carpenter Bee is more than a nuisance. Left unchecked, she (the female is the culprit) can damage your dream log home.
You will first become aware of the Carpenter Bee when you see bits of saw dust drifting in the air or collecting on surfaces beneath porch roofs or house soffits. Upon closer investigation you will discover perfectly round holes, about 3/8" in diameter, in unpainted wood surfaces. You may actually hear the lady chewing away as she excavates her nesting chamber. At the same time you may be harassed my the male Carpenter Bee as he "protects" his territory. "Protects" is in quotes because the male is one for natures jokes - he is totally harmless! Only the female can sting, and rarely at that. [ As I proof read this paragraph, I see potential for humorous parallels between the relationships of the bees and us humans. If you are so moved, click on <reply> in your tool bar above and send them to me. After removing any inappropriate for children, I'll distribute them via the next newsletter.]
The female's nesting tunnel makes an immediate 90 degree turn in the wood and can extend a few feet. Unfortunately, the female does not ingest the wood; she simply spits it out and kicks it out of the tunnel. This makes exterminating her something of a challenge because poisoning the wood surfaces is at best only a very temporary solution. There appears to be only two effective solutions in Carpenter Bee literature. First, all exposed wood surfaces can be painted. Eventually, the pest will attack even Cedar and pressure treated lumber but avoids painted surfaces. Stained wood surfaces are no challenge at all for the Carpenter Bee; she readily drills through stained surfaces. Since most of us "loggies" would never consider painting our home, that leaves us with the second choice - treatment of each tunnel. Both liquid sprays and dust insecticides are effective when sprayed in the tunnels. To complete the job, it is recommended that the tunnels be plugged a few days after treatment. Holes can be plugged with steel wool and caulk or natural cork plugs - to name a couple of techniques. Left unplugged, later generations will return to the same nests.
In our case, after five years of doing little to control the critters, we chose to contract with a local pest control company. Our costs are $350 for the first Carpenter Bee treatment (this initial fee is a bit on the high side because there is a lot of ladder work) and $80 per quarter. The quarterly fee covers the Carpenter Bee and all other pests.
For further information on the Carpenter Bee, we recommend that you go to www.google.com (the best search engine on the net - in our opinion) and search on <carpenter bee>. Here you will find several papers published by universities and state extension agencies, plus sites that sell Carpenter Bee kits. You may also, visit the University of Kentucky's article, " Carpenter Bees." Click your browser's back button to return here.
As always, your comments are welcomed.
See you next month.
Sandy Helms
June 2001 - Bees, Builders and Braggarts.
As you can tell from the subject, this month's newsletter is a bit of a
"mixed bag."
---- BEES ----
Two readers sent comments on last month's newsletter entitled "Carpenter
Bees." If you need to refresh your memory visit http://www.cedar-log-homes.com/newsletter_archives.htm#May%202001.>From Herb: Sandy and Joy, Good morning! Great information on Carpenter Bees.
I must have been married to one. After twenty-three years she chewed me up and spit me out. Sounds like Carpenter ants, but worse.>From Sarah: Hi! Thanks for the bulletin. Very useful information for all of
us who live in wood and glass. I heartily suggest you investigate borax based wood treatments, BoraCare is one. Environmental Building News website has a good article in archives about wood treatment with BoraCare, also links to other sites. I believe the article discusses the many log home kit companies pretreat with BoraCare, or something similar. You'll be interested. We had a rot infestation in one of our main beams. When we replaced the rotted part of the beam, our local termite guy impregnated the new Douglas fir piece with A Borocare solution and also drilled holes in the remaining old part, which he then filled with Borocare and plugged with teak dowels. He has termite treated a number of movie star homes on Malibu's beaches where rot and termites have a field day in the seaside dampness. Many Hollywood people seem to be environmentally concerned on a personal and a public level and don't want to be exposed to toxins like copper arsenate. The neat thing about BoroCare is that it does spread through wood, which can then be sealed, or can be retreated as needed. And the stuff is not expensive. Since the BoraCare spraying was done on the terrace outside our kitchen, we rarely see an ant because they don't seem to nest there anymore. Check it out and, if it seems a good thing, tell your readers. Thanks again for the bulletin.Editorial comments from Sandy and Joy: We spoke to a log builder last week
about the Carpenter Bee problem. He applied a very popular wood finish to the exterior of his log home, mixing in an insecticide (supplied with the finish) prior to the application. He said this technique did not slow down the Carpenter Bee.We have heard that Sarah's borax approach may be effective but we found no
information on Environmental Building News' web site regarding the Carpenter Bee. Anyone else out there have any experience with borax or boron based products?---- BUILDERS ----
We are compiling a list of independent log home builders. By "independent"
we mean builders not affiliated with any one log home dealer or manufacturer. In other words, these builders are free to quote construction of your log home no matter which dealer you purchased the kit from or who manufactured the kit. This list should be helpful to those dealers who do not have their own construction crews and, also, to home buyers that purchase the kits. You can view the list at http://www.cedar-log-homes.com/log_homes_prodandserv.htm#Log%20Home%20BuildersIf you know of independent log home builders in your area, please forward a
phone number or email address. We will contact each and offer them an opportunity to be included in the list. Our service includes: listing each builder and the areas they build in, linking to their web site (if they have a site), and creating a free, two page site (if they so desire). When we create the free site, we will submit it to five log home directories and four of the most popular search engines. For a sample of our free site, please visit this newly created site www.geocities.com/log_home_builders_nichols/.How effective is our directory and search engine registration? If you visit www.google.com and search on <log home builders> or <log home construction>, you should find Tellico and Hartman Log Home Builders on the first page returned by Google. Open either site and scroll to the bottom of the home page where you will see a counter that records the number of visitors since the Fall of 1999.
If you need an independent builder but cannot find one on this list that will build in your area, please revisit often. I anticipate that the list will grow rapidly.
---- BRAGGARTS ----
Braggarts??? OK, that's us! That's B and H Cedar Log Homes!
If you visit www.google.com (the best search engine in cyber space, IMHO), and search on <log homes>, the most popular search phrase in our industry, you should find us on the first page returned by Google. Near the top of the page you will find the Google category: Business > Industries > ... > Heavy Timber Construction > Log Buildings. Clicking on that category takes you to the log home sites listed by Google's "PageRank order". The first site is "B and H Cedar Log Homes" (at least it was first on 6/30/01 and for several weeks prior to that date). Quoting from Google: "Unlike other directories that can only list web pages alphabetically regardless of how good they are, the web pages in the Google directory are ordered according to Google's patent-pending PageRankTM technology. This means that the most relevant and highly-regarded sites on any topic are listed first ..." Amazing!!! The B and H site is considered by Google to be more "relevant and highly regarded" than sites prepared by professional webmasters and layout artists - sites that cost tens of thousands of dollars to create. We are listed above log home directories that generate major income for the publishers. If fact, one of these sites charges $200 per year for a listing on their site (B and H is not listed).
How was B and H able to achieve Google's #1 PageRank? We like to think it is because our focus is content, not "bells and whistles."
Oh well, our apologies for this ego fodder. One thing is for sure, the internet has a way of humbling the braggart. No doubt, one day soon, our competition will be serving us Crow for dinner!
Until next month, God bless,
Sandy and Joy
B and H Cedar Log Homes' Newsletter for July 2001.
Subject: Windows.
As mentioned in earlier newsletters, there are many choices in window styles and manufacturers. Which brand you select can have a significant impact on the final cost of your log home. The log home buyer would be wise to determine the cost of all windows needed in the home by consulting with a local building supply yard. Ask the sales people to price the same window package from at least two manufacturers - a high end and a mid-range or low end price range. Inspect show room displays and quiz the sales people regarding the options available in the various brands and styles.
Through the magic of the Internet, it is possible to view window styles from the comfort of your home. Visit www.andersenwindows.com, or www.pella.com, and click through to the window size and style charts. Pella and Andersen windows are generally acknowledged to be first quality and, therefore, expensive windows. We are not recommending these brand names over all others; rather, we are recommending their style and size charts as a good starting point in the selection of your windows.
Things to keep in mind:
- Most window styles are offered by several manufacturers. In other words, if you find a style you like on the sites above, it will be possible to purchase a lower cost version from another manufacturer. Consult with your local building materials supply yard.
- The same comment above applies to the window sizes.
- Do not be afraid to mix window styles in the same house. Casement windows look good in the center of the home, with double hungs on either side.
- If yours is to be a large home with many windows, you may qualify for a "van load" price. You may recall that one B and H customer was quoted $23,000 for his over-the-counter Andersen Windows but the van load price fell to $15,000.
- Price fixed glass (also called "fixed frame") from your window supplier AND from a local glass company. You can expect significant saving from the local glass company.
Once you have identified the window styles and sizes, you must now select the features you desire. For example:
- All wood without outside clad or all wood with aluminum or vinyl clad.
- If you select a clad window you must select a color.
- All wood or all vinyl.
- Double glazed or single glazed. Given the energy conservation concerns today, it is increasingly difficult to find single glazed windows.
- Tinted or not.
- If double glazed, Argon gas filled or not.
- Grills or not.
- If double hung, tilt sashes (for easy cleaning) or not.
- Blinds inside the double glazing or not.
Unlike window sizes and styles, the features above are not widely available from each manufacturer. Again, once you have selected the window styles, it is time to visit your local supply yard and consult with a knowledgeable window sales person.
As you may have suspected by now, not every sales person is qualified to advise you on your choice of window styles and features. If the sales person working with you is not knowledgeable, insist on one who is; otherwise, move on to another supply yard. Window selection is too important to settle for bad advice.
As always, your comments are welcome.
See you next month,
SANDY and JOY HELMS
B and H Cedar Log Homes' Newsletter for May 2002
Subject: What Can I Expect from my Log Home Dealer?
Yes, this month's newsletter is the first in several months. We have not
posted for some time because our previous publisher terminated the service
without notice and it has taken a while to make the transition to another
publisher. Meanwhile, we have been busy. If you have not found our growing list
of independent log home builders,
click here. We have also added a page of color photographs. Please visit our
page of
log home pictures. On to the newsletter! Subject: What Can I Expect from my Log Home
Dealer? In the broadest of terms, you have a right to advice and support from
your dealer.
Let's list specifics:
- First, you should ask for and receive references. You should visit at least
one home sold by your dealer, inspect the finished product and talk to the
occupants. While you are visiting, ask the homeowners if they can refer you to
another satisfied customer. If the dealer can offer only references via the
telephone, you should be concerned and skeptical.
- Your dealer should recommend lenders willing to work with you. In fact, ask for more than one such lender. We encourage log home prospects to shop for financing like they shop for cars or groceries - look for the best deal.
- Your dealer should recommend experienced log home builders. However, you should also have a builder's name after visiting the satisfied customer above.
- If the dealer does not know of an experienced log builder in the vicinity of your job site (this is not all that unusual), is there a good stick builder nearby willing to construct his first log home? If so, your dealer should be willing to spend a few days on the job to make sure the inexperienced log builder understands the techniques involved. Compared to stick construction, log construction is not difficult, but it is different.
- If you are playing the role of the general contractor, the dealer should have a list of recommended subcontractors.
- The dealer should visit the construction site before delivery of the kit. Yes, even if the site is a 100 miles or more from his/her office, the dealer should make the trip. We have found that few builders or buyers appreciate the extremely limited maneuverability of a 65 foot long, 70,000 pound (or more) tractor trailer rig. The truck driver is the equivalent of a ship's captain; he/she will not risk damage to the $80,000 (or more) investment in an attempt to maneuver close to the foundation. After inspecting the site, the dealer should offer suggestions as to how the load is to be transferred from the trailer to the immediate vicinity of the foundation.
- Most definitely, the dealer should be on site when the kit is delivered.
- During the course of the log construction, the dealer should visit the site occasionally. By all means, he/she should stay in touch with both the builder and the buyer. Have there been any construction difficulties or delays? Are the builder and buyer still on good terms? Is a shortage of caulking, fasteners, foam, etc. a potential problem?
These are but a few of the concerns of a conscientious log home dealer. Remember, you are paying a considerable amount of money for your dream log home. The vast majority of log home dealers understand this and will work hard to assure that your experience is a pleasant one. And, you are entitled to this support.
As always, your comments and suggestions are both welcomed and encouraged.
Yes, it has been awhile since we published a newsletter. We have kinda run out of topics so feel free to send a suggested topic via email >> info@cedar-log-homes.com or call 540-752-4106.
God Bless!
Sandy and Joy Helms
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