DIY Network

Colorado Log-Home: Introduction From "Be Your Own Contractor: Vacation Homes" episode DBCV-105

	The Helgoth family.

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Each episode of DIY's Be Your Own Contractor: Vacation Homes introduces viewers to dreamers and do-it-yourselfers who oversaw the building of their own vacation home -- and the challenges that they faced. In this episode of we meet the Helgoth family and see the log home they built in the mountains of southern Colorado.

Parents Don and Connie, and four of their seven children, constructed their new log-cabin at the base of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. They not only acted as their own contractors, but also did most of the work themselves. The family reveals how they decided on a log home and the sacrifices they made in building the house two-and-a-half hours away from their main residences. They discuss the area where they built and the challenges they faced in building on a remote site -- including getting access to utilities. Viewers also find out about building a foundation with insulated concrete forms and the hurdles the family faced in that job. They share what it was like to do their own electrical work and advice on how to the job right. They discus the steps -- and missteps -- they took in attempting the installation the plumbing work themselves. Finally, they offer words of advice to would-be do-it-yourselfers.

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A Lengthy Commute

When they heard from a friend about a beautiful piece of land for sale in the Colorado mountains, Don and Connie Helgoth decided to call a family meeting. Though purchasing the lot and building a home was beyond the financial means of the couple alone, they thought that some of their children might be interested in becoming partners in the project. Three of their sons and a son-in-law expressed an interest in signing on with the project, and ultimately the idea became reality as a five-way, two-generation ownership agreement.

Not only did the family members decide to work together to buy the property, but also to act as their own contractors in building the home. But this wasn't just a case of contracting and supervising the building of the house. In this case, the adventuresome family actually did a large portion of the work themselves. And the involvement of four strong, young men didn't hurt when it came to physical labor.

Don Helgoth is a financial planner. Son, Paul is an aerospace engineer. The rest of the boys work in the computer industry. Some had a little experience in the construction industry, and all had some basic construction skills for the job.

All of the involved family members lives at least two hours away from the cabin, but someone from the family was onsite virtually every weekend during construction. "The biggest challenge was the time commitment," says son P.J. Helgoth, "Working a five-day workweek and knowing you're not going to get much of a relaxing weekend with a two-and-a-half-hour drive [each way], and not having much time to relax and unwind. The time commitment was immense."

Figure A

In the Pines

From the time they purchased the mountain property among the Colorado pines (figure A), a log home was the only type of structure they considered. Before beginning construction, they researched log homes in books and magazines. They also went to log-home shows and had the opportunity to meet various log-home manufacturers.

The manufacturer the Helgoths worked with advised the Helgoths to visit sample log homes (figures B and C) and actually watch a log-home builder in action. Watching the crew at work, and talking with the builder, provided the family with valuable information they would need in taking on their own project. But the physical work still lay ahead.

Figure B

Figure C

	Figure D
	Figure E
	Figure F

The men spent a total of about 10 days just erecting the log structure (figures D, E and F), and each of them had a job. According to Paul Helgoth, laying the courses of logs -- some of which were warped or twisted -- was the most challenging part of the construction itself.

In the segment that follows, the do-it-yourselfers discuss their chosen spot for their vacation getaway, what they did about power and water in this remote area and the challenges they encountered in laying the foundation themselves.

If you'd like more information on how to build your own log cabin, check out DIY's special Build a Log Cabin workshop.

RESOURCES :

The Complete Guide to Building Log Homes
ISBN: 0806974869
Author: Monte Burch, Richard J. Meyer, Lloyd P. Birmingham
Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.
Website: www.sterlingpub.com

Small Log Homes: Storybook Plans and Advice
ISBN: 1586850431
Author: Robbin Obomsawin
Gibbs Smith Publishing
Website: www.gibbs-smith.com

Log Homes by New Homestead USA
Website: www.loghomes.com/newhomestead