Luxury Log Cabins

When one thinks of luxury log cabins the thoughts of plush leather couches, a huge stone fireplace with a crackling blaze, and a thick Navajo rug on the floor may come to mind. For others these words may bring thoughts of rustic logs, snow falling, and an icy steam just out side of the door. But no matter where you locate them, a luxury log home is where you would like to be.

The luxury of cabins begins with the log material themselves and style of home that is sought. Handcrafted logs are the most posh of all. They are so natural, using the varied diameters and lengths instead of to their advantage, instead of milling all of the character and deviations away-- as a machine cut log home does. For a handcrafted log cabin log diameters usually stay in the 12 to 15 inch range. Because the floor plan itself is smaller than a large home, thicker log walls take up more of the precious floor space of the home. But some log cabins do use 16 to 20 inch logs, just depending on the owners preference. Wall logs are full length at 24 or 30 feet.

The finishing and stacking of the logs is next. For a milled log cabin the logs are all uniform, without variations. For a handcraft the logs are hand peeled with a draw knife. The flat blade mark is left indelibly on the faces of the log. To stack the logs the best luxury log cabins use the Scandinavian Full Scribe method. This means that the under side of each log is cut with a V shaped channel. This process encouraged the logs to cleave tighter together once they are stacked. It also encourages the logs to check to the underside of the log where it is not visible. The other method of stacking entails the use of chinking. Though fairly common it is far less weather tight than a full scribed home.

The next angle of a luxury log cabin is found in the corners. A full saddle notched corner is a must. If someone tries to sell a butt and pass instead then be sure it is requiring about half of the labor than a saddle notch. A variation of a saddle notched corner is the diamond cut notching pattern. This is where the log is scarf cut on the top and bottom of the log as it approaches and passes through the corner. This is an older style. The most modern and best methods is the diamond saddle notched corner. This is where only the top of the log is scarf cut and the bottom is left full round with only the over scribe channel cut into the bottom.

Once all of the stacked logs are considered, then the gables, dormers, and roof system of the luxury log home come into view. A cabin can be built with either standard trusses, square timbers, or round logs for the roof system. The handcrafted round log profile requires the most skill and craftsmanship. When purchasing a home directly from the manufacturer a round log system should not cost much more that a square timber system. Round logs add so much, especially when they are the same style and wood species as the walls themselves. A good deviation for this can be when a cabin has a very wide span. Then the Douglas Fir logs are the ones of choice. With very strong integral strength they are perfect for ridge poles, purloins, and trusses. The dormers and gables are typically supported by the same handcrafted log roof system as the home and finished on the exterior with either matching log siding, cedar shakes, or tongue and groove pine or cedar.

Though now a completed shell, our handcrafted luxury log cabin is far from complete. Finish material is very important for accenting logs and showcasing their beauty. An old Cary Grant movie script once used this line, "You don't but the crown jewels in a paper bag." And so with a cabin, ceramic tile or slate floors should be used instead of vinyl. Hardwood flooring should be installed instead of carpet. Full stone fireplaces should be used instead of wood burners with metal piping tracing its way up the wall.

Finish material also finds its way into finish lighting fixtures, plumbing fixtures, cabinetry, and appliances all play a role in creating luxury log cabins that will seep into your very soul. Cowboy Log Homes