Wyoming Log Homes

Many places across this wonderful country called the United States of America have a love for cabins. I have written about my personal experiences with log homes in many places including Montana, Pennsylvania, and now I would like to focus on Wyoming Log Homes.

In the Western USA log homes are a very popular style of construction, but the handcrafted log homes are the most sought after. The rugged look gained through hand peeled logs, wide 16 inch diameters, and flared or fluted posts are a part of the culture here. Even the commercial building pick up the log motif. If you have ever entered the Wal-Mart in Cody Wyoming then you would have seen wooden king trusses mounted on the front. Or if you have ever walked the streets of downtown Jackson Hole Wyoming you may have noticed the long log building which reads "Hillside" on the front of it. This long two story building is all finished with handcrafted Western Red Cedar Railing, wide hand peeled log siding, and log accents.

The look of log does not stop there. Many subdivisions in Wyoming require that all the homes within the plan be built entirely out of log or wood homes. No loud colors are allowed. Everything must be in earthy greens, browns, and tan hues. This may sound restrictive, but when you have a half million dollar log home you don't want to have a bright blue and yellow house sitting right next to it. Subdivisions are built with the purpose of protecting the homeowners and their real estate investment.

When someone chooses a log home for Wyoming it very commonly is shipped from British Columbia. The reason for this? Because the majority of handcrafted log homes are built there. Western Red Cedar is one of the prime wood species for flared log homes. This pioneer ax type style is most suited to the Red Cedar. With wide flared bottoms and narrow crowns they make for very dramatic log corners, purloins, and posts. Western Red Cedar is found most commonly in BC, with smaller stands located in Washington and Oregon.

Douglas Fir is another top selection for handcrafted log homes. Fir does not taper as much as the Western Red Cedar. It is the strongest structurally of all species making it very suitable for log trusses, post and beam work, and also items such as train trestles and bridges. Douglas Fir also has a lovely reddish color. Similar to the Red Cedar, the color of the logs themselves are showcased when they are peeled and full scribed.

Building log homes in the state of Wyoming have similar challenges as to what we face here in Montana. For a cabin located in the Rocky Mountain part of the state digging can be a problem. Many times excavators will include in the bid an 'average digging' clause. This means that so long as they do not encounter boulders in the basement the price is x amount. But if they have to bring in heavier equipment or dynamite blasting then the price increases accordingly.

In the high plains area of eastern Wyoming water drilling can become an issue. If the home is located on a bench then the well may even be several hundred feet deep. One well near Sheridan WY was projected to cost $8500. In the end it cost $12,000 due to the 550 feet of drilling that had to be done. Also the cost was elevated because a stronger pump was needed and steel casing had to be sunk into the hole.

Another issue can be access. For a log home set back into the mountains of in the Northwestern Corner around Yellowstone Park and the Grand Tetons challenges can start right from the beginning. A driveway may have to snake up a switch back trail to the ledge where the home is to be built. Near Jackson Hole is the Palisades Reservoir. Numerous cabins are set high on the mountain sides overlooking the water. Though picturesque each one must have been a huge undertaking to build. Location does play a major role in final building costs. Contractors must calculate in extra time and expense for off loading logs far away from the job site and ferrying them to the foundation, cutting in the driveway, and figuring out a septic system that is workable for the location.

Wyoming log homes are as innate to their surrounding as the buffalo and bears are to Yellowstone Park. Without seeing them dotting the landscape you just wouldn't feel like you were in the West. For those who have always dreamed of owning a cabin in Cheyenne or a log home in Cody, Wyoming then there is simply no other choice- a log home is the very crux of why you are there. Cowboy Log Homes are just the type.