Log Cabin

[jk]

Well more like a log garden shed. That's what I want to make but just would like to ask for bit of help.

Would love to make this as practice more than anything, although I would love to have a garden shed/work shop/place to sleep on occassion.

I don't know if this is feasible and have not found out the price of log wood yet as that might stop me before I start? I'll find that out 2mo.

There would be a big chance I will be leaving this rented house in the next few years (being a student) , so would I be insane to think I could take it with me without a folklift and a lorry? Can the joints be made in such a way that can be taken apart and put back together with out destroying them?

Other than the price/availability of wood and the situation of whether I can move it or not, I dont think anything else will stop me from building it and will post and hope for the best about it once I figure these potential killers.

If anyone is into this type of thing I would appreciate it if you could give me any book titles or sites or any useful information, the reason for this small shed I want to build is because I really have a need to build a wooden house in the next 10-15 years and think I need to start somewhere. Don't know how people can like plaster and paint specially when all the rooms in these houses are box rooms, big or small there still boxes. Would be happier sleeping outside but this country is not too nice for that. :shock: Sorry, I can never seem to ever right short and sweet :roll:
James

 

[jk]

And the logs I am planning to use would hopefully have small diameters, something like 10cm.

How do people keep wooden houses warm? Do they ever make cavity walls with two wooden walls or does wood have naturally good insulating properties?

 

[milkman]

jack sobon is your man. he's published several books on timberframing and log building

 

[jk]

Thank you. I'll see if I can borrow one of them tomorrow, I'll need a few books I'm sure.

 

[Digit]

Log cabins I can't help on jk, but my home is clapboard timber on bolted together frames.
If you go that way I might be able to help.

Roy.

 

[plymouth pirate]

Other than the price/availability of wood and the situation of whether I can move it or not, I dont think anything else will stop me from building it and will post and hope for the best about it once I figure these potential killers.

Every mans dream, his own little log cabin.

But, have you thought about where you're going to put it and what it will cost to buy/rent that bit of idylic land to place it? Unless your Dad has an extremely large garden, (say about a thousand acres), and doesn't mind you "parking" yourself in a remote corner, it won't be cheap.

I know, I've got sons.

Regards

John

 

[crazylilting]

worked on several in canada. had a few books on it too but gave them away when i moved here. Didn't think they had trees here lol... apparently there are some here though.

Its a fantastic idea however i think the price of logs will put you off.

 

[MikeG.]

Its a fantastic idea however i think the price of logs will put you off.

..and the fact that to show compliance with Building Regs you will have to insulate, which will mean possibly not seeing the logs either on the inside or the outside, or else having to build 2 log cabins, one inside the other.

Mike

 

[jk]

Thanks for the responses . I was only talking about making a small garden shed out of log wood, the house comes later. But even the log shed is too crazy for me for now. I will just make a garden shed/work shop for now. I will still look for Jack Sobon books for the future though.

John you're right there, it "wont be cheap", but I think only a lunatic needs to be told that land in an idyllic location + the building of a log cabin on it will not be cheap, I accept your implication, but I still have time to prove myself wrong.

James

 

[Grinding One]

My Brother has a really big one,(Log House) made out of standing dead timber.
1St all of the logs were Draw knifed by high school kids then the house was built on a log lot,numbering the pieces as it went up,everything marked with paint.Then take it down and rebuilding it on it`s present site.They chinked all of the holes on the outside and ran the electric on the inside then chinked the inside.The logs are insulation enough to keep it warm,it only cost him 300.00 propane bill for the whole winter and its built in the mountains.I spend that much for my monthly bill,on half of his size house.Moving it would not be anywhere nearly impossible.Its about 3000 square feet.The timber is about 2 feet across at the bottoms and a foot across at the tops 40 ft long.It took a cherry picker to land the logs and 2 of them for the tops.
My guess is you might be able to have the logs cut in half and do your insulating on the inside,then it looks like log cabin on the outside but not on the inside.It would be a lot lighter this way,but still heavy.

 

[milkman]

rather than spend your money on this project why not go on a course? I think theres a place in wales that does them for log building.

try http://www.carpentersfellowship.co.uk/ and the links section

 

[jjc_uk]

http://www.lugarde.nl/english/

Have a selection of pr-fabricated sheds/log cabins

give you some ideas about price and you can download their plans I believe.

Not the "log" we usually think about though it is all milled but still nice.