How much of a budget can you afford when building a log home?
The typical Log Home from Johnson Log Homes runs around $120/square foot to build. This number can be increased or decreased depending on factors such as windows, doors, cabinets, and other items to finish the home.
Where do you recommend we start?
Our recommendation is to get Log Home Living Magazine. You can purchase plans from them cheaper than buying them from an architect. If you find something you like but would like minor changes done, often that can be accomplished for a nominal fee. Often times the plans you purchase come with a materials list.
You can ultimately save hundreds of dollars by doing most of the footwork and preliminary planning yourself. Click here to download a Log Home Design Template that can help get you started to organizing your thoughts and ideas.
Additional FAQ’s
May I use any contractor that I choose to build my log home?
Johnson Lumber understands that the degree of completion of the log home can seriously affect the price of the log home. That is exactly the reason that we offer so many different choices for our customers. Whether you choose to build it yourself or use one of the independent contractors that we are associated with or use your own personal contractor, we will work to ensure that our customers get the attention and the guidance needed to complete a quality log home, no matter who builds it.
What’s the difference between green logs and kiln dried logs?
The difference is simply that a kiln dried log has had the majority of the water in the wood removed whether exclusively by a kiln or after the logs have been air dried for a period of time and then kiln dried. Basically, the advantages of a kiln dried log are simply that in a controlled environment, the majority of the moisture in the log is removed using moving air combined with high temperatures. This means that the log is much less likely to twist and split after construction because most of that has already taken place in a kiln prior to milling. Furthermore, most kilns, including ours, reach a temperature of 160° Fahrenheit which ensures sterilization of any bacteria or living organisms that may be in the wood. In fact, whether you purchase your log home from Johnson lumber or not, we strongly recommend a home built with kiln dried logs as opposed to green logs.
How often do I need to treat my new log home?
The general rule of thumb for frequency of preservative application is every three to four years or roughly the same as you would repaint your home. This will ensure that your log home maintains the same appeal as it did when it was new.