| Log Home: Factory and On-site Building Process |
From "Assembly Required"
episode DASR-103 |
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Almost 80% of log homes today are milled in a factory and delivered on-site as a kit.
At the Factory1. Milled green lumber (figure A) is first placed in a kiln (figure B), a giant oven that sucks the moisture out of the wood. It also sanitizes the logs by killing mold, fungus and insects. Kilns can remove 10,000 pounds of water from an average 2,000 square foot structure, making the logs lighter and easier to work with (figure C).
2. The logs are then put through a planer which cuts the shape or profile of the log. Log profiles can be: - Swedish: Logs that are a completely round shape.
- Frontier: Logs with a rustic finish.
- D-Profile: Logs that are cut round on the outside and flat on the inside which makes it easy to hang pictures. The Hayeses chose this profile.
3. At the marking station, workers match the measurements from the plans to the planed logs (figure D). Computerized saws and drills then cut and notch each piece precisely to fit (figure E). This leaves little room for error during construction.
4. Once the logs are cut and notched, they are bundled together, wrapped in plastic, labeled and loaded for delivery (figure F). It takes approximately one day to cut the logs for a 2,000 square foot home. Building On-Site The most critical step in preparing for delivery of a log home kit is to make certain the foundation is level (figure G). 1. Once the sub-floor is secured, a chalk line is snapped to mark where the all-important first course of logs will be set (figure H).
2. A generous layer of caulk is applied from the snap line to the edge of the sub-floor (figure I). This will help stop water and air infiltration from entering the house. 3. The logs start stacking (figure J)! They fit tightly together thanks to the tongue and groove finish and are secured with caulk and lag bolts.
RESOURCES :
Kuhns Bros. Log Homes, Inc.
Website: www.kuhnsbros.com
Central Virginia Log Homes
Lee and Victoria Hayes
Website: www.loghomepros.com
Commonwealth Log Homes
Bob Russell
11192 N. Highlands Path
Culpepper, VA 22701
Telephone: 540-829-4690
Fax: 540-829-8066
E-mail: info@commonwealthloghomes.com
Natural Log Homes
Robert W. Chambers
Website: www.naturalloghomes.com
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