Pond Boss
Posted By: Sgt911 Cedar log homes? - 11/05/09 05:36 PM
I will be retiring in 25 months on the first of January in 2012 at the ripe old age of 50...The plan is to sell the home here in Houston and build a house on my property near Dime Box. I would like a cedar log home. I looked at "Rustic Cedar Homes of Texas". At first glance they looked liked what I wanted but when I added it up, it comes to well over $100sq and they are not on a slab...I have a fairly nice trailer on the property now, but it is still just a trailer. My dream is to have a 12' wide porch across the entire back overlooking the pond and a large loft with a small open deck to watch stars with my telescope..I am looking at around 1500-2000sq...Is $100sq ft the going rate?
Posted By: Brettski Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/05/09 09:37 PM
Hey Sarge,
Big congrats on making that pension work for ya!
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When we built our standard frame-construction home in the far burbs of Chicago in 1996, I spoke with a couple of architects to see how pricing goes. To hire an architect (in 1996) and construct a basic 2000 sq ft home, the entry level was about $100 sq ft. It only goes up from there. He said that we might be able to knock it back to $80 if we take the reins as the GC and do some of the sub-work ourselves as sweat equity.
That's when we realized the bank acct and cash flow wouldn't cooperate...right when a friend of mine recommended we look into modular housing. We did a 1500 sq ft modular cape cod and came in around $65. A couple years later, we converted the unfinished attic area to 950 more sq ft and the overall avg cost wound up at about $56 per sq ft.
I'm not pushing modular housing on you; only trying to share the comparative costs for the outskirts of Chi-town some 13+ years ago. This is a fairly large modular mfgr in the midwest that was on our short list when we were looking. We ultimately went with a different mfgr, but these folks are kinda unique in that they work factory direct with the homeowner. They do pretty much ALL the sub-work, except the foundation. Many/most of the modular manufacturers work thru home building contractors. Design Homes has a loft model that has always interested me as a nice vacation home.
Posted By: Rad Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/06/09 01:04 AM
Sarge,
Congradulations, I had to wait until I was 53.

I also looked at the kit style wood home and they were a little cheaper to buy than conventional buildings. About 25%, plus they were very nice looking.

What swung the balance was the cost of shipping, oil was $160 a barrel and wound adding more than the savings. The other factor that I had not even considered was the high maintenance. We refinish our wood windows and doors at least once a year due to the amount of sun and rain we get.

I have a house on the California coast that is sided in cedar shingles and the refinish is about every 4 years and I was using that figure when I opted for the wood. Apparently the sun is far more damaging to wood than salt air.

And, as Brettski points out sweat equity is the biggest discount, that and not meddling with the plan.
Posted By: DavidV Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/06/09 01:17 AM
Sarge,

Have you looked at the Satterwhite (Longview) plans? Are you really bent on cedar? I have plans and my better half has done countless hours of research on log homes. We found that the standing dead spruce out of Colorado is probably the best value. And if you can live with seconds (minor cracks and blemishes) you can save a lot of money. Also, if you know and individual that has his own mill to cut the logs you probably will save considerably. We found one in E. Texas and if the economy hadn't tanked, we probably would have a cabin started by now.
Posted By: Cecil Baird1 Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/06/09 01:38 AM
Sgt911,

I have a log home made of pine logs from northern lower Michigan. They were the most reasonable we could find as far as logs, and I preferred bigger diameter logs than cedar. But if carpenter bees don't mess with cedar that would be a definite advantage as they sure like pine logs.

A log home is nice but as you've found out they are more expensive to build than a typical conventional home, and lots of upkeep. We also have to spray for carpenter bees every spring. I should have powerwashed and stained it this year but fiances were to tight. I will however do so next year. It seems we have to restain every four or five years.

If I had to do it all over again I may have gone with a conventional home for the above reasons. The garage is not logs. My parents build that garage and an apartment for me free of charge for a place for them to stay when not in their condo in Florida. I got a free garage out of it and it increased my property value about $60,000. My dad and mom are a joy to have and addtiionaly my dad cuts the grass and does just about anything I want him to or let him do.






Posted By: Brettski Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/06/09 01:41 AM
Man, I still love the look of CB1's crib.
Posted By: Cecil Baird1 Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/06/09 04:22 AM
Thanks Brettski. Nine more years or less and it's paid off!
Posted By: Rad Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/06/09 07:50 AM
What is all of that white stuff?
Posted By: Theo Gallus Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/06/09 01:36 PM
Styrofoam packing peanuts.
Posted By: jeffhasapond Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/06/09 03:19 PM
 Originally Posted By: Theo Gallus
Styrofoam packing peanuts.


So that's where they all come from.
Posted By: catmandoo Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/06/09 04:15 PM
We have a hand hewn log home made by Hearthstone of Tennessee. It is made from 6" x 12" white pine logs, and built over a full basement.



This is what their website says about costs -- but these prices are turnkey. They bring everything with them, including the rocks.

 Quote:
One way of ballparking is the average cost per square foot--although I'd like to see the cost per cubic foot used instead since the interior volume of the home dictates more of the cost than heated floor area square footage. For average sized 2000 square foot homes, the total construction costs are currently running $175 to $250 per square foot of heated area, including our package. Smaller homes tend to be higher per square foot and larger homes tend to be smaller per square foot.


As for maintenance, our previous home was cedar. It was probably actually a little more expensive to maintain because the cedar seemed to bleach out much more quickly than the logs.

Both have had problems with carpenter bees. But, in most cases, the carpenter bees have attacked the trim. This year I had to replace a lot of our fascia boards on the eves.

This year we painted the house exterior -- yes, painted. Paint, by itself, will deter carpenter bees, but our paint was treated with a carpenter bee deterrent suggested by our pest control company. We'll see if it works. We also do have a regularly scheduled maintenance contract with a pest control company that has termite sample stations around the perimeter of the house.

Our log home is very comfortable. The large logs keep it from changing temperature very fast. The inside is a very open floor plan, with mostly all natural hand hewn logs or rough cut pine, and with hardwood floors.
Posted By: Brettski Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/06/09 04:52 PM
Dang...another neat crib! Love it, Ken. More pics.
Posted By: jimmydee Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/06/09 05:53 PM
Built a Gastineau Log Home (red and white oak) back in '96. In my pat of the world, oak was priced about the same as pine or cedar.

Our's is 2700 square foot with a full finished basement and a 16x70 foot deck across the back. Very open design and 22 foot vaulted cielings in the living room, master bed room and kitchen/rec area.

It was not a mistake and I would build one again even with the maintenance intensity of the log homes. A long home is a reflection of life style, and a constant work in progress. If you wantsomething free of annual lupkeep, STAY AWAY FROM A LOG HOME. If you like the settling effect, the ambience, and the natural beauty, --- go for it.

I used some natuarl rock on the front of the house that came from my property. It really helps keep the maintenance down. We went with a dark green metal roof and that was not a mistake. Zero maintenance on the roof. Our roof is a very steep pitch.

Make sure your logs are kiln or air dried before you build. It will really keep your setteling to a minimum. You will get some setteling, regardless of what you are told. Believe me.

I can have the worst day at work and spend about 10 minutes in the house or on the deck watching the deer or turkeys, and life is good again. Go for it, you'll be glad you did.


Posted By: rockytopper Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/06/09 09:30 PM
Rustic cedar? Did someone say rustic cedar?




SGT911 It sounds like you are describing this house. I designed this for a relative a year or so ago. I don't have the exact numbers but I think they finished this one out at around 100$ a sq ft. They were the GC and did all the sub work themselves. Keep in mind that the rock adds a lot of cost and so does the fact that every wall and the entire ceilings is covered in Aspen 1x6 T&G. zero sheet rock in this one. There are many ways to reduce cost when building a cedar home. One of the main ways to cut cost is find a whole seller for the cedar itself. I found a place that sold it by the bundle and saved over 10k when I built our place in 1996. Give me a shout when you are ready to start I will give you a few pointers if I can. Good luck in your search for that dream retirement cabin.











Posted By: david u Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/06/09 10:06 PM


Sgt911, another way to achieve the "log look" is the way our cabin was constructed. It is a faux exterior using conventional 2x4 or 2x6 framing. Then the 1"x12" planks are nailed up and chinked. The exterior still requires staining/sealing. I also had to use silicone caulk along the chink/wood interface as the wood dried....du
Posted By: Cecil Baird1 Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/06/09 11:23 PM
Dave,

That log home is out of this world. It's levitating! \:o


Posted By: Sgt911 Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/08/09 04:28 PM
I just got back from the property,thanks all for the replies, some good info there. Now I need to decide if I should go with a slab or frame foundation?
Posted By: Cecil Baird1 Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/08/09 06:29 PM
 Originally Posted By: Sgt911
I just got back from the property,thanks all for the replies, some good info there. Now I need to decide if I should go with a slab or frame foundation?


Slab as in no basement? Do you have tornadoes in your part of Texas? If so, a basement to go to would be nice.

My log home has a wood foundation. Guaranteed for at least 50 years unlike concrete that is not. I have yet to see a basement wall made of blocks or poured concrete didn't crack or become damp. It also stays dry as a bug in the basement which i want for my taxidermy shop which is located in the basement (walk-in basement).

For those of us that don't know anything about this wood foundation basement it sounds pretty foolish putting wood underground. But the wooden frame is a special treated wood with some type of plastic sheeting, and has pea gravel for drainage all the way around it, which drains off into a pipe. If you poor water near the foundation it disappears right away.

However I would strongly suggest your log home overlap the basement. (Logs stick out a little farther than the sill plate). Mine is even with the sill plate and the idiot who built my house got the flashing bass ackwards. I have to do keep the caulking in shape where the house meets the sill plate or rainwater creeps in if the wind is blowing against the house.
Posted By: rockytopper Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/09/09 02:30 PM
 Originally Posted By: Cecil Baird1
Dave,

That log home is out of this world. It's levitating! \:o



Cecil I designed it that way. It sits on the edge of a river bank. IT is designed to rise and fall with the flood waters
Posted By: andedammen Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/09/09 03:04 PM
Her you have a link to the marked leader in Norway and most of Europe, They are marked leaders for to reasons Price and craftmanship.
They are located in Finland.

http://www.ikihirsi.com/en/log-home-models/perinne-loghouse

They build anything in logs,they ship all over the world, and they can come and rise the building if you don't want to do it your self
PAUL
Posted By: Cecil Baird1 Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/09/09 04:32 PM
Ande,

I've got to say I really enjoy your posts and hope you stick around. You give us a perspective in a different part of the world and I love those pictures!

BTW in case I missed it what fish do you plant in your pond? Is it cold enough year around to support trout or char?
Posted By: jeffhasapond Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/09/09 05:05 PM
 Originally Posted By: Cecil Baird1
Ande,

I've got to say I really enjoy your posts and hope you stick around. You give us a perspective in a different part of the world and I love those pictures!


+1
I really enjoy your posts as well Ande. Keep on posting, it gives us an interesting perspective.
Posted By: Dave Davidson1 Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/09/09 10:34 PM
Cecil, I don't recall seeing a basement in Texas for years. My Grandparents had a storm cellar but it's just not done here. Not sure why.

OK, we have a lot of clay soil in my area that tends to move a lot depending on rainfall amounts or lack thereof.
Posted By: RobA Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/09/09 10:46 PM
I don't want to hijack the thread but does anyone have an idea how much a good metal roof costs?

We had plans for our new house drawn up that includes a huge wrap around porch. I wanted a metal roof on at least the porch and maybe the whole house. I don't recall the figure but the builder we've been talking to threw out a rough figure that sounded really high.
Posted By: rockytopper Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/10/09 01:42 PM
Rob Metal roofs do cost more. The mateial cost alone for metal is close to if not more than the cost of a composite roof including material and labor. Metal is more expensive but will last you a life time. Standing seam is the nicest and most expensive. The Metal roof systems with screws exposed are much more affordable and still last a life time. Good luck with your new home.
Posted By: Brettski Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/10/09 02:12 PM
Steel costs spiked upward like a bandit last year, then dropped like a rock beginning in September/October '08. Earlier this year, prices were dead-flat at the bottom. This past spring would have been the ideal time to buy. Right now, pricing is moving back up at a pretty good pace. It is very difficult to see what's gonna happen in the future due to the whacky economy (and the whackier steel mills, who operate like an iron based OPEC). The point tho, is that it appears that if you are going to make a metal roof purchase within the next 6 months or so, do it sooner than later.
Posted By: Lucky Larry Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/11/09 04:37 AM
We recently bought metal roofing for a pavilion we are building. This was the Galvalume (not colored) and R panel (exposed screws). It was fairly heavy duty 26 Gauge thickness. They cut it to our specified lengths. The cost was about 60¢ per square foot.

Some of the suppliers we checked would not provide it to our specified lengths, which would have caused waste, and increased the effective cost per sq. ft.

I re-roofed my house with the same type metal roofing 3 years ago. Shortly after that we had a major hail storm and I did not find any signs of damage, while many shingled houses had roofs replaced. Our next house will definitely have the metal roof.
Posted By: burgermeister Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/11/09 08:44 AM
Product sources, Lucky?
Posted By: Brettski Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/11/09 12:02 PM
The "G" rating is important. It describes the amount of galvanized or galvalume coating on the metal. A G-90 is normally the min (meets specific ASTM spec). It means .9 ounces of the coating per sq ft of the steel (total top & bottom). Galvalume (55% aluminum and 45% zinc) is the superior for a residential roof, but is lousy for ag. buildings due to adverse interactions with animal waste (and other reasons that I cannot recall). It is also typically more expensive than the galvanized roof. That's not to say that a galvanized roof is garbage. There are claims that the galvalume roof will last many times longer than a galvanized roof. A good galvanized roof should last 40+ years. For me, that time frame is plenty. Besides....the paint will likely begin to fail on either product before the steel integrity does.
I am right now researching and planning to purchase a metal roof for our garage/apartment project. We are opting to the painted galvanized roof that Menards offers. The coating is G100 (heavy duty coating) and carries a great warranty. I also expect that Menards will be around down the road....in the (hopefully) unlikely event. It is about $1400 cheaper than the comparable galvalume product and is an installation that I am already familiar with so I can handle it.
Thickness of the metal is another story. When they start talking about gauge of the steel, always refer to the actual metal thickness before the coatings are applied. .016" - .018" is normal and acceptable for residential applications.
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This is all info that I have recently found during research. If I am off the mark on anything, I encourage a tune-up from any of the forum members.
Posted By: jeffhasapond Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/11/09 01:12 PM
Brettski knows his heavy metal. \:D
Posted By: RobA Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/11/09 01:19 PM
 Originally Posted By: rockytopper
... Standing seam is the nicest and most expensive..... The metal roof systems with screws exposed are much more affordable .....

That's the difference. The builder was using a standing seam roof in his rough numbers. My only point of reference is an exposed screw roof I had put on my tractor barn.
Posted By: rockytopper Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/11/09 02:17 PM
Rob check out this link it will explain a lot. Not sure who sales metal roofing in your area but this company is big around these parts. http://www.muellerinc.com/roofing/index.php

There are many more as well. As for your question standing seam is designed so that no hardware is seen or exposed. Each sheet interlocks with the next and covers the screws holding it. Standing seam material is generally sold in rolls and is brought on site and cut and formed on the job site with a special machine. The other metal roofing systems have various cross sections you can go with. The sheets can be purchased pre cut to specific lengths. As Bski noted you can get the metal in galvalume or painted. Painted is almost double the cost of galvalume I belief haven't purchased any in several years. Mueller’s has a product called AP panel it emulates standing seam but like all the others it uses screws with rubber washers which are exposed. It is what is on my house & my relatives house you can see it in the pic's I posted. Ap panel and standing seam all have to be placed on a solid deck were as the other types H and R panel can be placed on lath strips because of the way it is formed it can support it’s self across a given span.

Posted By: Omaha Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/11/09 03:48 PM
Man, these cabin pictures are awesome!
Posted By: esshup Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/11/09 05:10 PM
Question for the experienced metal roofers out there. I have a metal roof on one of my outbuildings. The building was an old chicken coop, that was turned into a hog barn, then into a stable. Currently I use it to store wood for the fireplace insert, and to store machinery. The roof is galvanized steel, and is a constant "wave" up and down, each "wave about 1 1/4" tall x 1 1/4" wide. It is starting to leak in spots where the rubber washer nails were used to attach it to the building. The roof of the building is lathe strips. I'm guessing that the roof is 30+ years old. What can I do to seal the roof other than tear it off and start over?
Posted By: rockytopper Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/11/09 05:36 PM
If it's only leaking around the fastners I'd say change the nails to the new screws and just replace them as reqd.
Posted By: esshup Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/11/09 06:05 PM
I'm 99% sure that's where it's leaking. Thanks, I'll do that.
Posted By: Lucky Larry Re: Cedar log homes? - 11/13/09 06:00 AM
After checking various sources, we bought our metal roofing from Mueller, Inc.

Rockytopper pegged them, on-line at http://www.muellerinc.com/roofing/index.php.

Some 12 years ago we bought some lighter weight roofing tin from Home Depot for a small guest house and it has shown its age already. It must have been 28 or 30 Gauge and it showed dents from the hail storm plus the galvanizing has not held up well. I won't go less than 26 Gauge now.
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