Log Home Building - The Butt and Pass way

Drywall, the necessary evil!

2012-01-27T07:13:00.000-08:00

Operating crane from 2nd floor window

This is cheating!

Its begun, the delivery and hanging of the only product that can take a nice clean home and turn it into a white-dust covered mess! I paid for extra labor to help hand up the 4x12 sheets to the second level but they didn't show! Thankfully the truck driver who also operates the crane looked at my loft window and realized they could boom to it and pull the sheets through it. How slick it was! I hired a helper to hang the larger sheets with the understanding I would finish the rest. It proved to be a wise decision. But as with this entire project, nothing was normal, easy or simple. Scribing to the log wall proved to be tedious though I have gotten better at it. My childhood protractor was too small so I made one out of construction pencils. I'd scribe onto a piece of cardboard, cut the pattern, fit it, make adjustments to it then place it on the sheetrock. The Rotozip proved to be a great pattern cutter. We'd clean up the cut with a course radius file then test fit it....sometimes 4 times! Caulking will be key in these areas..ha! I'll admit one error, that is that I hung the doors first. For the life of me I couldn't recall the order of things til one day when I was prepping for drywall. Then it dawned on me that I goofed. Its been only a minor inconvenience though as the rotary cutoff tools makes for quick zipping of the drywall. Other notable accomplishments are: flooring has been selected and ordered, some lighting was purchased and we've decided to install our smaller wood stove currently heating our Yurt. The log home has impressed us with its consistent temperature even without a heat source. We feel this smaller stove will serve our needs til we can afford a nicer one.

Scribing and the tools to do it

Scribed wall

The work zone

Cool lighting effects upstairs

Chinking Complete!

2012-01-07T04:57:00.000-08:00

The LAST nail!

Wow, what a time to celebrate! I found myself cleaning up tools in the dark with a headlamp on last night, determined to finish the task. It can be said that one individual can chink an entire 2,100 s.f. home with determination, a strong back and the desire to see it done! Here's some numbers that are both frightening and awesome. Frightening because I mixed all this and awesome because it was inexpensive as compared to synthetic chinking material at $250 a bucket!

Total chinking (inside and outside of home) cost: $400
Bags of Portland Cement = 20
Lime = 6
Sand = Lots of wheelbarrows. About $70 worth which is roughly 5,000 lbs of washed sand.
Each bag of cement makes about 6-7 batches of compound so I hauled 120-140 batches weighing about 80lbs each! If I calculated my time based on yesterdays work, it takes about 7hrs of labor per bag to chink. This is actual chinking, not prep. Prep work ie, insulation, nails and lath takes a LOT longer. I nailed approximately 17,000 nails (I had help on one outside wall) and used 5 sheets of lath. Our logs have character, which also means the gaps can get rather large! Needless to say this was a time consuming part of this log home. Thank God (literally) its done!

Another milestone occurred yesterday, that being our first flushing toilet! I know, to most this isn't reason to celebrate. But when you've lived with a composting toilet for close to 3 years, its a joyous occasion!

Mstr BR corner with gap the size of a CAT

New addition!

Big gap to fill

Rough Electrical and Framing inspections PASSED!

2012-01-04T19:43:00.000-08:00

Its been a busy couple of weeks preparing for these inspections and it was worth it. There's an insulation inspection that's required before drywall goes up but it won't be a biggie as only the gable ends get insulation. We now have power and water in to the home. So what am I doing now? CHINKING CHINKING AND MORE CHINKING !! We've had unusually warm weather thats allowing me to continue on the interior chinking. As of today I have the kitchen, master bed and bath left to chink. Maybe 2-3 more days...What a happy moment it'll be when its all done!

Rough plumbing inspection passed!

2011-12-12T17:28:00.000-08:00

Pex manifolds in crawlspace

Size 12's plus a shot of the DWV system!

With a little tenacity and a lot of prayer we passed our rough-in inspection today. I had a lot of fun installing PEX and would highly recommend the manifold system, cinch clamps and pexuniversedotcom!

I've laid what seems like miles of copper in the past, and this pex stuff is slick and fast. Problems? Yep, threaded fittings, almost every one of them. I think the product workmanship is degrading as I've never fought with leaky threaded fittings so much! Most needed both teflon tape and pipe dope in order to seal up. Next time I'd use sweat fittings instead. I admitted to the inspector that though the DWV pipe was holding 5psi just fine, the water side of things was a problem. I was losing a couple pounds in ten minutes...he said "well I know you won't seal up the walls without finding that so good luck" and passed me! He's right, I spent all afternoon spraying fittings, hose and more and finally came to airing up the system to 80psi so I could here the leak. Soapy water wouldn't find it! The faulty fitting was already treated with pipe joint compound but that wasn't enough.
So I'm moving on to the electrical side of things now and leaving the plumbing til final. The master bath custom shower will wait til we're moved in as it'll need tile, glass blocks and other fun things. The upstairs tub with surround will be just fine for a while. Now, just call me Sparky!

Custom shower with remoted valve.

A little of this, a little of that

2011-11-20T17:54:00.000-08:00

Chinking operation

Knotty Alder front door with Clavos (nails)

This Pinon had to go!

That's the way it seems to be going as of late. Though I did lose sleep over it, I gave in and let a plumber install the DWV (drain) piping in the home. I've done it all before but decided all the head scratching and numerous trips for supplies coupled with an inspector that will want it to "flow", made for an easier decision. I'm still installing the water side of things and am waiting for PEX supplies to arrive. I admit I'm not the best at multi-tasking when it comes to large projects like this so I put electrical on the back burner until plumbing is completed. Besides, plumbing gets the "right of way" when it comes to piping, walls, crawl space, etc. So what have I been doing? CHINKING! Yep, not what I planned on but the weather has been awesome and we decided it needed to get done before, not after the drywall goes up. It'll be easier to scribe the drywall to the finished wall vs. guessing or chinking up to the drywall. So back to insulation stuffing and nail pounding. Thank you palm nailer! I've been on the chinking kick for 4 days now and have the upstairs completed and am working on the large open living area. I enjoy the chinking but the prep takes a while. And yes, I'm the only one chinking, mixing, climbing scaffolding, etc. but I asked for it to be that way. That way I can only blame myself it it cracks, crumbles or looks like bird poop! Just a note, the interior chinking has yet to show any hairline cracks, unlike the outside. This is awesome as I have no intention of going over it again. Must be because the temperature has maintained at around 50' inside. Oh, but I did have to do some electrical in the log walls. Installed some gray plastic boxes and ran UFB wire. Fortunately the electrical inspector allowed Romex (barely) but was happy to hear I upgraded to direct burial wire. He wants to see 1 1/4" of mortar over the wire. Got it covered!

Upstairs chinking begins

My "flame thrower" heat source at work

Bonus and progress

2011-10-31T06:38:00.000-07:00

I failed to update the blog as to what my "bonus" was for getting the outside chinking done by the end of September. Some of my guy friends had their idea of what my "bonus" would be....but they were wrong. Being a dirt bike guy I bought a 2003 Honda CR250 two stroke project bike. Its under a sheet waiting til we move before the project of turning it into a woods racer begins!

Progress has been both slow and fast. When I'm not working I make great strides. We moved from "I'll build our exterior doors" to lets buy them! We have a great supplier in New Mexico that we orderd both a knotty Alder and knotty Pine exterior door. We finished them and will place the hardware today! Next we've been framing up the interior partitions. This is an exciting phase as the large dance floors of each level become rooms! First the main level then upstairs, well, no stairs yet, but up! This hasn't been traditional framing as I know it thanks to the beams downstairs. I've chosen to run some walls up to the base of the 2nd floor and some just to the base of the 6x12 beams. Upstairs we've chosen to have nearly standard 8' walls except above the bathroom which will have 10' walls. We're creating a ceiling over the bathroom and storage above it with short knee walls surrounding it. The closet ceilings will be T&G and the other walls will be capped with some left over spruce. Confusing? You'll get the picture once its done. It'll look awesome.

Doors being finished

Chief Director

Progress!

Upstairs framing

The only hallway type area in the home!

Open loft is my working area

Looking from dining into Mstr BR

Tricky angles and framing

The framing is about complete with one more wall and some drywall nailers to go. Stay tuned!

Exterior chinking completed!

2011-09-28T19:51:00.000-07:00

Oh glory day, its done! And I'm a few days ahead of schedule so you know what that means.....Contractor bonus! Yes! But what is it? We'll find out soon.
Meanwhile the last wall was chinked a few days ago and the cleanup was completed today. My next step is the build the exterior door that will be our laundry room door. If it passes the spouses approval then I'll build the front door too. Our third exterior door is a nice full lite door that'll open to the screen porch. So on we go!

East wall done!

Now thats a gap!

Large gap chinked

Chinking update - wall 2 completed

2011-09-01T05:17:00.000-07:00

Not much fun stuff to report except that we've moved on to the 3rd wall. I now have a goal thanks to my wife...she says I'll receive a "bonus" if I complete the chinking by Sept. 30th. Whats the bonus?

West wall completed!

You need to know that with the exception of a day of help from family and laborer I've done all the insulation, nailing and chinking myself....and I like it that way! Stuffing the insulation and nailing is more precise than you'd think and the chinking lends itself to a detail-oriented guy like me. I'd rather blame myself if it were to fall apart than a friend, so I'm doing it solo. A tool that has really helped is the palm nailer. Its sped up the nailing process tremendously and has changed what muscles and tendons now hurt!
The $25 Harbor Freight tool is working but if I had known how well it worked I would've sprung for a higher quality air tool.
As you can see, the completed west wall has somewhat similar chinking lines. Unlike the other walls that have some gaps a cat can crawl through. This made for a fun wall to complete. I also decided to not spend the time peeling and wire brushing each log in preparation for staining (some day). I did this on the first wall and it worked fine but did take a lot of extra time. The remaining walls I'm cleaning up the chinking mess and moving on. Mother Nature can clean the rest until its time for an outside finish.
A few details for those that want to know: Its taken approximately 3.5 bags of the 92.6lb Portland Cement, half a 50lb bag of lime and about 4 wheel barrow loads of sand per wall. The nails that have been donated to me have stretched much farther than I expected. How many does it take? You come and count. :) My favorite nail size is the #8 (2") and the #16 finish nail.
I haven't been tracking the amount of hours to complete each step but I keep saying "if I just a had a full day to work on this." It takes about 4 days to chink a wall though the hours per day vary greatly. It takes about 3 to prep it for chinking. Some needless details for those just reading and watching!

South (front) wall ready for chinking!

Chinking...the word of the month!

2011-08-14T06:51:00.000-07:00

Chinking Central on the north (ugly) side

....Or longer! I thought I had the mixture figured out..then the latest batch wouldn't stick in the crack! Arrgh! I was ready to replace the chinking with Duct Tape and call it good. Then I tested a wetter mix and found it worked great. There's not much room for error when it comes to mixing your mortar. Too wet and the mix slumps in the crack and won't stay. Too dry and your getting a heck of a workout trying to smooth the stuff along the way. Just right, and oh the stuff goes in quick...as long as you're not filling in gaps the size of cats!
As the Log Home Members said, the mixture needs to be like "thick peanut butter" and that's what I've found is the perfect mix. The problem is towards the end of a batch, the stuff gets dried out and needs water. This while atop a 12" wide plank 8 feet off the ground isn't the easiest balancing act to perform! I'm wishing for wider scaffolding now as the height has become uncomfortable without some rigging. To this point it's also been just me having fun. I'm finding the chinking can either be a fun detail oriented project or a slap it in and forget about it job. Being the anal one I've chosen not to have a "chinking party" but to hire a guy I've worked with lately on another job. We'll see how he does Monday. If I can be "kept in the mud" while staying on the scaffolding, things will go faster. I'm on the 7th of 14 courses now and need to complete this first side this week. Fortunately there's 5 windows on this side so the courses are getting shorter as I go up.

...not that I'm forgetful

I showed off the home to neighbors yesterday and the question came up again.... " why don't you use the synthetic chinking?" The answer is easy....1) Cost - I'm told it'd take $8-10,000 to chink this home with the synthetic stuff vs. $800-$1000 with a mortar based product like I'm using. I don't even see it being that much as I already had a lot of clean sand left over from my septic system install. 2) Synthetic chinking doesn't breathe. It will allow moisture to be trapped behind it and allow rot to begin. Not that our climate is prone to that but its just not a smart solution for this home. The mortar based chinking breathes and allows any moisture to dry as the air penetrates it. And yes this chinking might shrink a bit with hairline cracks already visible. The theory is to come over it again after a year or so and use a very light mix, a mortar "cake" bag and a paint brush to touch it up. Ha, we'll see about that part...been there, done that once!

A closeup example

The chinking begins

2011-08-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

The most anticipated part of the building process has begun! The windows are in and we're ready to close up the home before winter is upon us. We're starting on the north wall; our "ugly wall" and the least visible, in order to figure out this whole chinking thing. I had help recently with some visiting family members. We wrapped up the insulation and nailing in about a full day. Just to note - there's approximately 200 nails per course at 14 courses that adds up to some nails! Thanks for the free nails Chuck but I continue to shop for deals on used or surplus nails. And yes we did use some lath in the larger gaps.

Nathan, Bob and builder having fun.

Bob hasn't had this much fun in years!

A completed wall ready for chinking.

Windows installed

2011-08-02T20:36:00.000-07:00

All 14 windows have been installed with little trouble. Each window buck ended up the correct size and allowed a fairly easy install. I began milling the finish trim but decided to hold off until we could stain the pieces. I also used some window foam but put that off as well in order to get busy with the chinking stage of building.

Front view - 6040 windows

See the 2 bird splats?

Closeup of 6040 install

Window and Door bucks complete!

2011-07-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

Whew, what a job! I've got arms like Arnold's after all that chainsawing and window cutting. I've worn out 2 saw chains, 4 chain files, used 2 gallons of gas and a gallon of bar chain oil. I've made enough sawdust to fill a truck bed and enough firewood for a season! And we're done, well almost, one more door buck to complete once we choose the door...but the rest is done. 15 windows were delivered yesterday. Now I've got to come up with the time to install them!

2nd floor bedroom area

Open loft area

Dance floor :)

Windows and doors

2011-06-23T06:31:00.000-07:00

I've kept myself at home to make progress on our wall cutouts. Its worked! Earlier this week we completed 3 windows in a day. That's progress! I've scrapped the custom cut sill buck as its taking too much time and its not working out as I expected. With the 3x10" bucks in place, I can return later (yeah right) to add a custom veneer to the sill, giving it a nice extended appearance. I didn't find a lot of information on how to make the window cuts so after accomplishing 7 of them I have a few tips. 1) I learned from others not to cut the entire window opening at once. This could be a nightmare to remove from the wall as it gets bound up in the opening. Rather, I cut the vertical lines then begin cutting firewood size chucks from the opening. Next cut along some of the rebar to help with removal of chucks. Lastly, leave logs chunks attached to the upper rebar. Not sure if this works for summer or winter cut logs but my standing dead logs allowed me to take a sledge hammer and pound on the log, driving the rebar from the top log. This means I've got less rebar to cut around, dull up my chainsaw blades, etc. This was a great time saver and has worked on most windows. Seven down, 7 to go!

Firewood

Art?

This took time to remove!

New residents

2011-06-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

Another type of house building

Even before we began the windows, we had new residents in our log home. Bats! One night we were finishing up some T&G flooring and a little bat swooped in to check us out. We thought nothing of it and returned the next day to see droppings on the floor underneath the ridge pole. They tell me makeup is made of the stuff but I'm not interested! After several days and evenings of trying to scope them out we got online to see how to rid ourselves of these creatures. They're great for insects so we just needed to encourage them to move outside the home. Two bat houses were built and some mothballs were hung from the ridge pole in order to drive them out. Is it working? No. Thankfully I've determined they aren't "living" in the home, just visiting at night. Could be fun once we're living in it! Ha!

What is this? A window?

2011-06-17T04:39:00.000-07:00

We thought we'd NEVER get to this point in the building phase, but we have our first window cut in.


Notching the bottom log

I had some 3x10 spruce material made along with the T&G order. Its been the perfect size for window bucks. Thick enough to give the buck that sturdy look yet thin enough to cut with a sliding chop saw or my table saw. It also runs through my 12 1/2" planer just fine. The first one is the hardest, right? Right. It took about all day to complete it and fortunately I used the laundry room window as a guinea pig. I've learned mainly to take more time when notching out the bottom log with the chain saw. That tool can get outta hand quick! Additional patience helps too when cutting around the rebar.

First window completed!

Bathroom window ready for marking

Showing 12" milled sill

One of the biggest changes I made going at this was to mill the bottom sill from my log surplus. After looking at other members log home pictures, I liked the look of an extended sill; one that has the natural log edge to it. So out came the Alaskan Mark lll chainsaw mill to cut my 3" slab. Setting it up for the first cut takes about as long as cutting the thing. After it was milled I cut a straight edge then ran it through the planer. The buck was built with some 3/8' lags holding it together. I used a strap to hold the buck in place while I marked around it to show where to cut the wall. Then the work began! The vertical cuts went pretty fast though the horizontal cuts, with rebar to dodge, took some time. Once I was happy with the opening I convinced the buck into place and pinned it to the logs with rebar. The pins will be hidden by the window once its in place. Done! But wait, there's a bit of clean up to do. That one 3030 window created quite a bit of shavings and scrap.... Now on to the next.

Delayed report....T&G is complete!

2011-06-14T19:45:00.000-07:00

Oops, I thought I updated the blog with the latest...we finally got the 2nd floor T&G flooring installed and completed! Here's a few pictures as proof. Anyone need some T&G Spruce? I have plenty left over. I'll probably make my exterior doors with it and use it on my screened porch.

T&G update

2011-05-31T08:58:00.000-07:00

I think I over ordered!

The work began about a week ago but we didn't get far in the first days. The flooring was brought inside thanks to snow and rain. Then began the task of creating a good reference line across the beams to lay the boards on. I then began in the open loft area as this is the one sure place that the T&G flooring will be visible. The other areas may see carpet down the road so the finished floor, knots, splits and such aren't as important. I ordered 14' boards for the loft so no butt joints would be used. I also chose the best looking boards. Working with 6x12" beams allows a lot of room to nail but I was concerned about a squeeky floor. I applied two beads of subfloor adhesive atop the beams then set the boards down. It went pretty fast with about half the floor done so far. I'm using a nail gun and ring shank nails shot into the tongue area. Its working great with few problems. Oh yeah, this is dried Spruce.

The jobsite

The finished look

2nd floor beams are in!

2011-05-10T06:15:00.000-07:00

Beams in place

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3 Generations !

Ah the payback begins. Our son Westin was set to graduate from college over the weekend so I enlisted his muscles and my visiting parents help to place the 6x12 beams. It was a process that went something like this: Cut beam to size while on forklift, walk in and place one end on ladder rung, lift same end and place it on a set of scaffolding, move to the other end and place it on scaffolding, roll scaffolding with beam on it to its location, angle it and have 2 of us lift beam onto girder log, swing scaffolding in line with beam bracket, climb aboard scaffolding and lift beam into bracket. Celebrate that another beam is in! It was a fairly painless process and thankfully I took the time to measure and re-measure the girder beam height. I didn't have much notching to do for the beam to rest in its place. The thru bolts went in okay and the rebar thru the beam into girder had been done many times before. We're now set to lightly stain the beams to give a bit of contrast to the white Spruce T&G that'll rest on top and to cover some sun baking that went on while the beams were sitting at the saw mill.

The 2nd floor arrives....

2011-04-30T05:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took off over Wolf Creek Pass to visit Rocky Mountain Timber Products where I ordered my 6x12 beams and 2x6 T&G plus door and window bucks. Its always a beautiful drive over the pass, down through South Fork and Del Norte. I was impressed with the size of RMTP's yard and the fact it was busy creating timber products. After some time of creative loading and strapping I was on the road back home. It was a very windy day and that coupled with a climb over a 10,800' pass made for a good haul. Thanks to the Duramax diesel it wasn't bad. The descent down the other side towards Pagosa Springs though proved I had some serious weight on the trailer. Fun stuff! It didn't help reading in this weeks paper that 7 semi's have had accidents on Wolf Creek just this year. I was careful! When I arrived home, we placed all the T&G and bucks in the shop then began to unload the beams...what was I thinking? These beams are huge!!! 6x12x18'-24' long weighing Lord knows what! Will my beam brackets and bolts hold them? Will the girder log crumble underneath them? Will my back give out before I even start? How will I lift them onto the girder and brackets? Oh brother! Now I think this through... Next time I'll keep with the 4x12 size and notch a few more spots on the logs and girder...lesson learned!

2nd floor work begins

2011-04-24T07:21:00.000-07:00

Tools of the trade!

While my 6"x12" floor beams and 2x6 T&G are being completed, its time to get the beam brackets mounted. This required a calculation of the lowest point on the girder log; the log that spans the middle of the home where the beams will rest on. The outside walls will have my steel beam brackets mounted with lag bolts. I had a certified welder do the work, cheap compared to raising my 2nd floor back up after it collapses from my shoddy welding. ha! So with the 105 1/2" measurement, I set a string line on the exterior wall and began notching the logs for the brackets. To my surprise, the layout and notching went faster than expected. The best tool for the work was a now black marketed tool given to me by Steve, the Sir Lance a Lot chainsaw wheel that mounts to a 4 1/2" grinder. Yes it can remove ones hand in an instant or open up your thigh if you lose grip but boy it makes notching easier! After completing the exterior brackets I moved to the 4 points where the beams will reach across the girder. A string line allowed me to cut those points in unlike the remaining beams that'll have to be set and notched as I go. You'll get the picture once I take the picture!


Test fit

View across the middle girder log looking at notches

Notches every 4'

No more gaping Gables!

2011-04-14T11:48:00.000-07:00

Yes my day job has pulled me from the project more than I had hoped. The good news is we've made a tiny bit of progress. We framed up the gable ends with 2x8 studs. This was the most sensible size as it fit the logs well and will handle additional insulation to complement our R-40 roof. The framing went well, utilizing a plumb bob and chop saw. Each stud was cut individually thanks to the log walls being, well log! Next I chose to throw up some 7/16" OSB to give us more to nail the board and batten to. It also will add a bit more rigidity to the gable ends.

North end

South end

2 pieces left to go!

Other noted progress is my decision to hire out the fabrication of our 6"x12" beam brackets. After getting the cost of the material, I decided the $10 per bracket for a certified welder to fabricate them was cheap! So the 13 brackets are done and ready for pick up and painting. He's also making a girder bracket for me. All this will ensure the 2nd floor stays where its supposed to!

First floor completed!

2011-03-21T16:06:00.000-07:00

This is a mile stone, to have a real floor to walk on and be able to look through the walls to see what kind of views we'll have. Standing in the crawlspace hasn't given us the ability to plan for windows, etc.
This floor is the best and easiest floor I've built yet! I attribute it to several things including; building Square (35x35'), using an ICF foundation and hanging the joists from top flange hangers. Yes I did have to cut each joist at the pony wall but it really didn't ad a lot of extra time. And yes cutting around the RPSL support logs took some time but it looks cool to see those hurky logs poking up through the floor. One thing that did take patience was getting the flooring as far under the sill log as possible. The more I looked at them the more I decided I wouldn't want to have to place a trim board along this most characteristic and uneven bottom log. So I'd cut the last sheet a bit long, slip it under the log, mark it and cut it with the Bosch jig saw. Re mark, recut, etc until it fit tight. The look is nice and with some strategically placed expanded foam and a finish floor it'll look awesome.
I just ordered our 2nd floor material today and will get busy on fabricating some 6x12" metal hangers to support the beams along the outer wall. Can we move in yet?

Cut and tuck...with patience

Cutting around the center RPSL

1st floor framing

2011-03-17T11:36:00.000-07:00

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We've seen some progress in the last week or so even though I failed to update the blog. Having recently switched real estate offices, my time has been spent trying to earn more building money than actually building!

With the crawlspace insulation and vapor barrier completed it was time to install the BCI floor joists. But first the pony wall. This is where having a nice level footer helps a bunch. Fortunately it was poured level which greatly speeds up the pony wall construction. From there we test fitted our first I-joist. As I expected, we weren't able to just drop them into the top flange hangers as would normally happen. The sill logs are just too large to allow that. I ended up having to cut the joist, pound it into the hanger horizontally then splice the joists per manufacuturers instructions. This didn't take as much time as expected. The joists went in in just hours though work broke up the installation into a couple days. After that we began to lay out the subfloor material. Working with logs along the perimeter has proven to be time consuming. And did I mention cutting around the RPSLs? Oh I can't wait to do the big center support log. Give me a day and we'll have our first floor completed. We're making an inventory list of whats needed for the 2nd floor so I can get it ordered. I'd better hurry though because a Woodpecker has moved in. He visits daily to "call" his mate or to get little bugs, whatever the case. They tell me they're protected and that I can't "dispose" of it......Here kitty kitty kitty. :)

Crawlspace insulation

2011-03-04T02:40:00.000-08:00

Laying in the ISO insulation boards

Is it required and necessary? No. Will it help with energy efficiency? Yes. So it was an easy decision to take advantage of some recycled 2.75" thick, R-16, 4'x8' sheets of ISOblablabla (who comes up with these unspeakable product names) rigid insulation for our crawlspace foundation. We had decided back when we had our foundation inspection to create a "conditioned airspace" below the floor; that being a space that is heated instead of being heavily vented to the outside. This takes advantage of our R-21 foundation walls or Insulated Concrete Foundation (ICFs). The nice thing about the conditioned space is that a simple 220v heater on a timer is all that is needed to keep the area at temperature. It also means no insulation is required under the main subfloor system. So I thought it a good idea to add insulation to the bottom of the crawlspace to further insulate the area. The pictures show the 4x8 sheets fit very tightly atop our 6mil vapor barrier. Oh, this got installed first due to our limited area below the floor. I'll have about 28" of space to work in under the floor joists, run electrical and plumbing, etc. Fortunately I spent some time early on leveling the floor and removing rocks, etc. The boards went in pretty easily though it was a pain to cut around the RPSL footers. The finished floor is sturdy enough for me to walk on and begin the next step which is the pony wall that'll span either side of the center ridge pole support log. We'll then get to install the large I-joists and subflooring.

The completed crawlspace

We're Dried in....kinda

2011-02-26T08:11:00.000-08:00

The metal roofing is on and our roof system is complete...sans finished fascia. We've hit that "dried in" stage though with gaps in logs the size of a cat, one would question "dried in" on this home!

Finishing up the 2nd side

The metal went on about as planned. I pre-drilled the holes and used the forklift to raise up the 24'- 2" metal sheets. We switched to our very clean boots and headed up the ladder for some steep roof work. At 6n12 pitch, its about the steepest roof that I'll work on without some sort of safety device. We did have a safety rope available but it proved to be mostly in the way.

The panels laid up great with Chris' proven years of roofing secrets employed. Smart measuring, reference chalk lines and a willingness to hang out over the edge all proved to be worth every penny!

The ridge cap was installed with the "visible side" being nice and straight. The other side; the one nobody can see unless you're on my roof, did a great job of hiding the crook and crown of the ridge pole. All in all we're tickled with our roof system, with comments heard "you have the flattest and nicest roof in the area! We agree!

Working on the west side

Working backwards with 17' of fall behind us

Roof panels are up!

2011-02-19T05:05:00.000-08:00

Nick helping staple a panel in place

Four days and the roof system is up and secured! The last 4 single 4x24 panels were flown into position yesterday with enough time remaining to get most of the synthetic roof felt stapled in place. We came up a bit short so I'll have to complete it today, before the snow moves in. Weather is blowing in this morning as evidenced by crashing ladders and ruffled Yurt walls, but hey, the roof is still up! In case you were wondering, the gable overhangs appear shorter than they really are. The front has about a 5 foot overhang while the back is 3 feet, give or take. The eaves are a good 3' too.

We'll be pre-drilling the metal roofing and installing the remaining sub-fascia along the eaves before we install the metal some clear dry day next week. The mind is already spinning into the next phase of building, that being insulating the crawlspace floor and constructing our subfloor. Stay tuned!

Side view of completed roof

Chris finishing up the last panel

A cover for our home

2011-02-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

The staging area

Its been happening all week, the construction and placement of our engineered roof system..Yehaw!
I've been all consumed since Monday; gathering, placing, maneuvering, constructing and so on, trying to make the most of the one sub-contractor I planned on using. Sorry if you haven't heard from me this week....there is an end in sight.

Raising the first set of panels

Our SIP roof panels are 4'x 24' long, 10 1/2" thick with an R-40 rating. Between each panel is a special engineered I-joist about 3" wide that is also insulated on each side. This joist is required to make the span (and 45lb snow load) between the cap and ridge logs. Chris, our friend and long-time custom home builder from Pagosa got involved by ordering the panels and offering to help set them. We originally planned on a day of prep and a day of installation though with a crane. After more thought we moved to a day of prep, installation and more with the Telehandler. Our staging area is tight, only a few feet to work with but it allowed us to build the panels up and connect the forklift to them. We began by creating a 3-panel system (12'wide X 24' long) to start our roof. Part of the challenge, which I fully anticipated, was a perfectly engineered roof system being placed upon a non-perfect or linear log home! I took tons of time using plumb bobs, string lines and such to be ready for this roof but when Chris showed up most of that went out the window. He had another idea that involved eye-balling and string line boards on each gable end. You'll see some of our I-joists on both ends holding a string. This became our reference line for the panel ends and they pretty much lined up with my reference lines though were out at the eave line. The eye-balling came in to play thanks to my not-so-straight ridge pole. It has both a slight crown and crook in it and required planning so the roof panels would mate up at the peak....or as close as possible. The panels get connected together with special adhesive and a lot of staples. The air caulk gun is slick and makes for easy, large tube applications. To lift the panels I devised a bracket with chains that another chain would connect to. These brackets were precisely placed on the panels to allow them to lift and fly at our 6/12 pitch. They also were designed so nobody had to get under the panels to work. Our floor system isn't in yet so to reach the roof, one would have to set up 25+ feet of scaffolding which I had but wasn't willing to do. I like my terra firma and was willing to come up with ways to avoid that height on a puny set of planks!

Up it goes!

The lifting went as planned while the placement of the first panels took a while to set. We wanted to be exact since these panels would be our reference for the remaining ones. There's 11 panels to each side (44' wide). Chris did an excellent job aligning the panels while I operated the lift. Have I said yet how invaluable that piece of machinery is? I was able to finesse the panels right into place though additional work was needed to set them exactly. Remember they have to connect to each other, get stapled and have 5-14" long panel screws placed in each 4 foot panel. We used large cargo straps to pull the panels together, sometimes requiring additional holes drilled through the top OSB to attach the straps. This was of course all a process that took more time than I expected. We were able to build up 2 sets of 3 panels and erect them in a day with the 3rd day seeing our last 3-panel system fly up. As we sit today, we need to lift up the last of 4 single panels which are our gable overhangs. Unfortunately weather moved in and I'm looking out at a white covered roof and ground....no roof walking today! At about a 27 degree angle, one needs all the dry roof and clean shoes one can get! We need one more day for panels and a day for roof metal. Our goal is to have the panels up and covered with metal installed by mid next week.

Setting first set of panels

Securing at the top

Ladder or lift? An easy choice!

Contractor on roof, home owner operating lift...perfect!

Neighbor Frank giving of his time

A view from inside

Lift brackets recycled from the goal posts

Log home builder couldn't avoid roof forever..

Another interior view

Ready for the roof!

2011-02-07T17:37:00.000-08:00

Looks are deceiving..Its level!

As seen from inside the crawlspace...shes a monster Lodgepole!

Wow, do you know how long I've waited for this? I anticipated working on the roof system somewhere other than the middle of winter but God has given us an unusual winter; one with extreme temps and less overall snow than we've seen in the past few years. We're excited to see the last of the ridge pole support logs (RPSL's) in place and ready for the roof. We tackled it today though it was chilly and a bit windy. Knowing the reachable forklift would reach the middle of the span, Faith maneuvered me to the middle RPSL where I cut it down to size. I had already placed straps, chains and come-a-longs on both sides of the monster RPSL to be able to gently bring it back to plumb once I had cut the top down to where it was needed. Its a bit unnerving to be above all the logs and ridge pole, to look down into the crawlspace some 29 feet below. I should've taken a picture but... So after a trim job with the big chainsaw we went down and cranked the beast over. Unfortunately it got stuck, indicating I hadn't cut enough off. Back up we went with the forklift, which barely reaches that span, so I could trim a tiny bit off in order to plumb the RPSL. That worked as we used the come-a-long's to bring it right under the ridge pole. Now back up one more time to pin the RPSL with 2- 32" pieces of rebar. We did it! Time to call the contractor who offered to help install the SIP roof system and get a date set because we're ready for the roof!

Ridge Pole is up!

2011-02-06T06:51:00.000-08:00

Going up!

On its way to the center.

Just about in..

Touchdown!

The finished poduct

Making final adjustments

My wife is relieved and even my Mom is glad to hear nobody was squished in the process of lifting the ridge pole. It was a much anticipated event with nights of planning and consideration for the "what-if's"... but its up! Whew!
We had performed a dry run with the forklift the previous day to see if I had enough reach. So plan A was set in motion with setting the log atop the forks. I tested the balance of it then began raising it. Neighbors showed up to assist with spotting as I operated the lift. I was happy to notice the rear tires of the lift were staying on the ground; that the weight vs. the lift angle wasn't too great.. so I kept going. We hit the end of the reach and had to drive forward up to the exterior log wall to get just enough reach to begin lowering the log. I was a bit off on the angle so I roped the small end of the log so it could be pulled a bit to allow it to fit into the goal posts attached to the support log. We lowered it, we looked, we adjusted and with nary an inch or so to play with the log sat atop the support logs and stayed! The fabricated "goal posts" did their job!
So the RP was up though it was not in alignment nor was it plumb. Remember I have 2- 6/12 pitch cuts on the ridge pole to help the engineered roof set more securely on it. I had attached a plumb bob (thanks SGL) to the end, ready to reference it when the time came. We used our 6' sling attached to the forks to lift and push the log into position. We then used a chain and come-a-long to secure the log while lifting and maneuvering to get the log plumb. This took patience and several trips up to the log. The day was getting late and I was happy with the placement so 2- 36" pieces of rebar were used to pin the log to the RPSL. We checked the height of the ridge pole on both ends and found we were 2 inches off. Thats not much to worry about but remember who's building this lincoln-log home. We'll take a couple more measurements at the cap logs then decide whether to fix it or leave it alone. We also have to pin the tapered end of the ridge pole. If I haven't said it before, having a reachable forklift has been by far the best tool we've had for the project. P.S....Two goal posts for sale....cheap! :)

On the way up!

2011-02-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

Goal posts up and ready for ridge pole

No the welds aren't pretty but they'll hold..? 24" log ready

Much easier posts for 15" log area.

Well I survived the pressure washing chore and boy was it. The yellow rain suit was in shambles after that ordeal, destined for the trash! Only the inside was pressure washed with the outside left for a bright sunny summer day. We moved on to the ride pole support logs (RPSL's) and took great care to ensure the tops were exactly centered on the building....but are they plumb? At this point I don't really CARE!!! They're up and thru-bolted to the exterior walls every other log with 1/2" allthread. I had to fabricate a 36" drill bit for the task which worked great. The next consideration was how to get the ridge pole on top of the RPSL's without great difficulty. My member website didn't offer much help so this is what I came up with.....goal posts I call'm. Some scrap metal made to help keep the RP on top of the support logs while I move it into its exact position. I made them out of C-channel and thanks to the taper of my RP the goal posts are quite different in size. I used a 3" deck screw to temporarily hold it up so I could get a couple tough straps in place. By the way, that 3rd RPSL is leaned out of the way for now..just in case you thought I was having happy hour while setting it up...:) I have a couple ideas how to raise the ride pole with plan A being a dead lift on the forks right up and onto the RPSL's. A dry run with the forklift appears to be good with the reach and load chart indicating it'll work. If the rear wheels teeter off the ground on the way up and out I'll know it and will move to plan B which I'll discuss if and when needed. Stay tuned!

Pressure washing- the other way to lose weight!

2011-01-20T06:15:00.000-08:00

Dressing for the occasion

This is WORK!

You take a heavy yellow rain suit worn over your winter clothing because of course you're doing this in the middle of January! Next you gratefully accept a friends offer of loaning you his commercial pressure washer with its 3200psi and 4 gallons per minute rate of abuse and begin to consider how to attack the logs with your new weapon. Hey, how about dangling yourself and the mancage on chains from the forks? And what about water? 4gpm is a lot of water and your well is a "low producer" so that means borrowing a tank and running 15 miles away to fill it. Granted it only cost 5 quarters for 250 gallons of water but what about the time and the gas to retrieve it? So you've figured it all out and are ready. But wait, its 15 degrees outside. Lets plug in the forklift so it'll consider starting sometime today. Around 11am is when it warms to the freeze mark. All the hoses were warmed, the gas powered sprayer is juiced up, you position the forklift, start the washer and clamber up the ladder to climb in the cage. Your lovely assistant operates the forklift to raise you to the right height and ..squeeze..you pull that trigger. Now the grateful friend provided plenty of warning to the affect of "it'll kick your butt" "hold onto it with 2 hands, even though in my younger days I did use it with one hand at times" "wear real good ear protection, not for the engine noise but the spray itself" and other helpful comments like that. Did I say I pulled the trigger? Yes and did I witness the OMG moment when I felt the pressure behind that monster with it actually moving the cage with me in it? And did I within seconds become a water soaked, its barely above freezing, I'm in a non-breathable rainsuit, I'm gonna hate this kinda guy? Mike was right, he owns some kinda pressure washer. It removes dirt, it removes bark and it'll strip real wood right off the logs if you aren't careful. What its best for though is removing that dried up cambium layer of bark that was hard to remove with the bark spud. But you better watch it! Every medium sized check (split) in the log is a potential water spigot, launching much of that 4gpm right back at you! So you thought you were going to be cold, well guess again. Your losing weight by the minute trying to hold onto this thing from all different directions. And don't forgot the water loss...your own! And you thought mud season happened in late March, well look around. That 4 gallons per minute has to end up somewhere....and I love mud...NOT! Current status? Working on 3rd wall (inside only) and hope to finish it up today unless we drain the local water table first!

Wall logs are done!

2011-01-15T16:44:00.000-08:00


Ready for Ridge Pole

This is a milestone...the 14th course is completed and the wall logs are done! Yeppie! We completed the cap logs yesterday and placed the double butt logs (logs between the cap logs) today. The next step would be to secure the ridge pole support logs with Allthread to the walls but I need to take advantage of the upper 30's temps to pressure wash the interior of the walls. So thats the plan tomorrow; to figure out the best method. Whew, its been a lot of work and I'm glad to put away the rebar pounder for a while.

Yes we're still alive...

2011-01-11T07:45:00.000-08:00


Support crew

Winter arrived

Planing the ridge pole

First of all here's a heartfelt *sorry* for not keeping the blog updated. Truth be known I didn't see a lot of progress worth mentioning up until a few days ago. Last we posted we were working on the 11th course of logs. We've now completed the 13th and are installing the Cap Logs; logs which the roof system rests upon. A lot of head scratching has been going on during the month of December, all while winter decided to move in. Several small storms brought enough snow to halt progress. We then encountered the holidays, some time off and blam...time flew by and we're into 2011!! We're thankful for the abnormally dry Fall which allowed us much progress. I got busy trying to figure out how best to afford the roof system. Tradition calls for some large roof rafters, a gizillion square feet of T&G decking material, sleepers, insulation, etc, etc. These built-up roof systems are proven though come with a couple disadvantages, time and efficiency. A lot of time is needed to install this roof AND with us in the middle of winter, we're interested in getting "dried in" as quick as possible though with much regard for cost. Soooo after much research and cost comparison we've deviated from the traditional roof system and have chosen Structural Insulated Panels aka SIPS. These panels create the most energy efficient roof system one can buy and will allow us to complete the roof in 2 days! The panels are 4'x24' long, 10" thick and have an R-40 value. They have OSB on both sides thus giving us a base to attach the metal roofing and to attach a T&G finish ceiling or drywall. They have a 3" wide I-joist that adds additional structural integrity to the panel. We'll be able to attach 3 panels together, lift them in place and screw them to the ridge pole and cap logs. The installation I'm told will take less than a day! Count me in...The cost? Well TIME is a factor here too but material costs are within $1,000 of each other so the decision was easy. Additional steps are needed to facilitate the roof panels. I did some trading with my redneck buddy Steve and ended up with an Alaskan Mark lll chainsaw mill which I used to cut a 6/12 pitch plane on both sides of the ridge pole. I've also cut one of 2 cap log planes. This will allow for cleaner, flatter connection between the not-so-straight logs and the very engineered SIPS. Some tweaking will sure to happen once the panels are lifted in place.

Finished ridge pole

We've managed to work in baby steps during these very cold winter days. We're experiencing -17 degree mornings with high's below the freeze point. The purchase of a block heater for the Telehandler has proven worthwhile! Today we hope to lift the 2nd cap log in place, figure out how it best rests on the log wall, mark a plumb line, bring it back down, plane a 6/12 pitch, and lift and pin it in place. We'll then complete the 2 fill logs, measure and cut the ridge pole support logs to the correct height, plumb them, bolt them in place and begin the process of placing the ridge pole. This log pictured at left is rather tapered with a 24" butt and a 14" top so we'll have to adjust the RPSL's accordingly. But its progress.....

3rd RPSL and the 11th course

2010-11-30T18:20:00.000-08:00

Bertha going up and over the wall

What a relief! The 3rd ridge pole support log went in today with nary a hitch! It's a biggin' and required careful, thought out movements in order to keep the forklift from tipping. Once I thought I saw daylight under one of the rear tires...but don't tell my wife. It reached out far enough though and got it in place. It sure dwarfs the other RPSL's but I don't care, I wanted this log in our home! You might wonder why its being picked up at an angle. I figured out that it reduced the amount of height I needed to lift it over the wall. It allowed me to set the butt end down, remove the strap and relocate it, be it a shorter strap, pick up the log between the forks then position it while it was dangling. Each RPSL has a 12" piece of rebar that it rests on. Its a trick to gauge where the hole placement should be. Its also a bit unnerving to have ones body under the log drilling upwards with the log a couple feet off the ground. I trust the sling manufacturer when he says they're rated for 8,000 lbs!

6'4" 228lb builder dwarfed by support log

We began our 11th course after this and got it dogged before nightfall. With a low of -1' this morning and a high today of 29' I had to get a block heater ordered for the telehandler (forklift) as it didn't want to start. I also needed additional coffee and firewood in the wood stove!
With the ladder work getting higher and the rungs becoming snowpacked I've decided to dust off the full harness my buddy Steve brought me. I'm ordering a lanyard and some rope so I can feel a bit safer while off the ground.

Ridge Pole Support Logs are going up!

2010-11-24T12:20:00.000-08:00

31' RPSL in the air.

While visiting the Log Home Builders website looking for answers, I grew concerned that I wouldn't be able to get my ridge pole support logs (RPSL's) placed inside the foundation after I completed my 14 or so log courses. I saw a picture of another member lifting the poles up and over the log walls and it looked rather sketchy......so I did it! But it wasn't fun feeling the telehandler sway to and fro with all that weight so high and far forward. We placed the south RPSL in and temporarily strapped it in. We then attacked the north support which happened to be a Spruce, not the heavier Lodgepole. Tried a bit different technique and got it too in place. It was a larger diameter log but not quite as heavy. I found one

Joe builder and RPSL #1

can't rush these things and noticed a crowd gathering. Our third RPSL will hopefully be our once chosen ridge pole. The problem is its soooo darn large that I knew I couldn't lift it. I decided it was full of character and worthy of reducing its 49' length to RPSL length. It has a butt on it of 28" and continues the same thickness for 20 feet ! Geez, whata monster! So we trimmed it up and are preparing (and hoping) that it'll let us lift it into place. The snow is falling and the winds are nasty. This will have to wait until another day.

The crowd

Girder log in!

Two RPSL's up and the 3rd getting ready to go!

Big birtha! Notice my XL gloves..

A place for the poop!

2010-11-22T11:10:00.000-08:00

Why sugar coat it.....one needs a septic system or else use a composting toilet (been there, not doing that anymore!) and grey water system. So after much $$ we have an engineered "Eljen system". This system uses a 3 chamber septic tank with a siphon system in the 3rd chamber. In a nutshell its kinda like a toilet where it builds up water and pressure then woosh, it flushes. This system will flush approximately 250 gallons of filtered waste water into the special leech field all at once. This field consists of some geo-textile pads, washed sand and reject sand. The piping is only 1 1/4 " pvc pipe with holes drilled every foot. Pretty cool except of course the price which came in all told with permits at around $11k.

Leach field with Eljen pads

The finished product

Ten courses high!

2010-11-16T18:15:00.000-08:00

We're tickled to have 10 courses of logs pinned today!

This picture shows our variety of logs; both Spruce and Lodgepole. The pressure washer will remove most of the remaining darker cambium layer that you see on the Spruce, showing its white wood beneath. The Spruce have had rather large 'butts' and a lot of taper to them. The Lodgepole has been a bit smaller and with less taper. Now that we've used up all the 19-23" butt logs we've begun to mix and match. My last estimate is that we'll need 14-15 courses total to complete the walls. Next we'll tackle the girder log that'll support the 2nd floor. We'll be cutting through the east and west walls and will poke the girder through each hole. This is the theory..we'll see! We're also in the middle of our engineered septic install. I'll have to take a couple days off building to assist the installer. More to come!

My "crew"

2010-11-08T07:43:00.000-08:00

Steve negotiating the rocks!

Steve making it look easy

Can I cut a hole in your log wall?

Guest accommodations!

Serious gopher issues!

How bout those plumb cuts!

Steve and the 40lb hammer drill are one.

Going Fishing!

The Fish, 11 feet below.

The ole fashioned way

You've heard of walking the dog..

Walking the log is more fun!

The Big Guns arrive!

2010-11-06T06:32:00.000-07:00

True friends are hard to come by. I'm fortunate to have a few of them I can call upon in times of need with some even willing to come play with logs! Steve (SGL) is one such character! He jumped in his rice burner and trekked almost 15 hours to help set logs for a week. Steve is no stranger to owner-builder construction, having built a straw-bale home just a few years ago. I was fortunate to help him with his project and lay up a few crooked walls in the process..ha!

Steve and I share a passion for motorcycles with mine being more dirt oriented. So what a better way to begin his "vacation" than with a 3 hour offroad ride. We loaded up the KTM dirt bikes and proceeded to show Steve which muscles he hasn't used in years. What a perfect way to break him in for a week of log setting, hole drilling and rebar pounding! Having survived the ride without much incident we continued his vacation with forklift 101 training. He was quick to learn the finer points of operating this 23,000 lb toy and I was quick to realize wasted potential...lets put him in the man cage! After SGL leaves I'll have plenty of time back in the cage, drilling, pounding, etc so Steve became the man above..so to speak. As typical for him, he caught on quickly as I did taking over the wheel of the lift. While I convalesced in the cab, Steve pounded in the rebar of which approx. 16 pieces are used per log. Over the next several days we became more efficient and were able to put up 3 courses of logs. Delays were inevitable including a septic perc test, septic engineer visit (that'll cost me!) septic installer visit and more. Steve's shoulders began to recover so we took off on another 2hr motorcycle ride which turned out to be rockier than I remembered...oh joy for him! Again no broken body parts and nothing a beverage or 2 couldn't cure. The weather couldn't have been more perfect for building with low's in the upper 20's and highs in the low 60's. It was great to have his help and to see progress on the home.

Help arrived!

2010-10-22T18:28:00.000-07:00

My Dad arrived this week to lend a hand. He got behind the wheel of the forklift and quickly adapted to maneuvering it around the foundation. We brought up logs from the deck and completed the 4th course though not without issues. I had decided earlier to fabricate my own ground rod driver bit for the Bosch rotary hammer I have on loan from my father in-law. The idea was good but the design kept breaking. After several re-welds I took it to a welder and got it beefed up. It lasted about 3 logs before it broke. So I relented and ordered a very sturdy looking Irwin bit while continuing to use the old one, welding it, using it, welding it... We enjoyed our time working on the home but I can't say we made a lot of progress. I also had help..Wait, did I mention our 2nd load of logs arrived? Yep without much notice our logger called and said I need to finish your order because a foot of snow is at the logging site. So within days we had another 50 logs; mostly Spruce. I was very fortunate to have a couple guys visit the week before looking for work. I gave them a call and had 3 guys on logs knocking off bark! These guys know how to work but don't know how to speak English if you know where I'm coming from. So after 2 days I was shelling out $300 for all the logs they peeled...but happy to do it! ($20 a log) The Spruce have more taper in them than I'd like, with butts at about 20" and tops at 7" or so at 50' long. I only need about 38' or so so I can make them work. Now that we're on the 4th course I've had to begin working from the man cage on the forklift. I set it up to hold the necessary tools and rebar. Its been great to have this forklift and would recommend the purchase for any log home builder! We've had a lot of rain for this area the last 2 days which has allowed us to catch up on inside chores but not work or peel logs.

2nd course looking good?

2010-10-07T14:55:00.001-07:00

Wow, what a challenge to work with imperfection! These "character logs" are something, with their large knots and fist-sized gaps between them. All a part of building a butt and pass home. Today we set the last of the 2nd course logs. The pinning process which uses rebar has gone well with the exception of my rebar bit that keeps breaking. I gave up and took it to a welder to make it strong. Its delayed us a day. So much for saving $$ on the bit. We also set our Airstream up near the building site for all our visiting workers. ha! Where are you.....? :)

Sill Logs done!

2010-10-01T06:42:00.001-07:00

Its a milestone! A couple days ago we completed the sill logs; the supposed toughest of the logs to set, due to the fact you're placing the logs onto rebar instead of driving rebar through them. Each log got easier as we proceeded with the final log taking about 40 minutes. That same day one of my log peelers knocked out 6 logs! Dang! He had several "money logs" he called them; easy to peel and easy money! We have about 10 logs left to peel from the first load and hope to see the next load soon. I also received good news from the doctor. My broken ankle is healed! I'm free to lose the boot brace and start climbing on log walls. I'm gearing up to set the second course but, we want to play a bit this weekend. We're taking our ole 72 Airstream out for its maiden camp out. I've worked on it off and on through the summer trying to get all the appliances, plumbing and electrical fixed. We'll see how it goes!

First log set!

2010-09-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

Yep, its taken all summer to do so but we've got R' done! The first log is on the foundation and looking quite like a....log. Of course I want it to set just so but not this big boy...it has a mind of its own as my "crew" can attest to. Faith, Westin and I placed it last night before dark.

We've also has a couple of guys willing to peel logs for $20 a log. This is on the high side for my budget but when you look at the time it takes, its a bargin. The first day one guy completed 2 1/2 while the other did 3. Thats all in a full day's work no less! Ouch! Faith (wife) felt guilty then proceeded to make me feel guilty. Each got an extra $20 that day. No more though I told'm... Both were back for more fun today. Faith got behind the wheel of the forklift to give it a try so we could walk a couple logs to the building site. She drove while I walked the log. Better than walking the dog. ha!

We're moving along!

They call this rain?

2010-09-22T06:17:00.000-07:00

My first chance for help with log peeling looks to be dashed by rain this morning. A 70-80% chance of the stuff for the day. I had a couple local guys lined up to peel logs at $20 a log but it'll have to wait.

Since the last post we've completed the replacement of the sill plate with redwood. That green pressure-treated crap was removed on the 2 sides that have our top flange joist hangers. The redwood will remain dry, straight and constant through my log wall construction.

Other than that we really haven't had much progress. We got our hay baled and stored in the barn...barely and also ordered a few tools for the job. Still waiting for sling straps so we can place the log you see in this pic. The weather, sans today, has been just incredible! Perfect building weather!

I should have known..

2010-09-15T19:40:00.000-07:00

The last couple days have seen some progress. My son and I installed the pressure treated sill plate; you know, those green boards that are dripping wet with who knows what kinda chemical! I was pretty proud of the fact each 2x8x12 was nice and straight. I even sunk a few fluted nails in to hold the ends down....in case. We got busy on setting the top flange hangers which required cutting out the ICF foam first. No biggie, its all progress! I knew we needed to get the sill logs on quickly as those pesky PT boards have a mind of their own and can pretzel on you in no time. So today was the day I moved the first sill log in place. The template was already made but first I thought I'd put a few more concrete nails in the sill plate. BAD IDEA! The *^%$#)) board split almost in half lengthwise! I should've known... I priced construction grade redwood as a builder I know only uses the stuff for sill plate. I opted for the less expensive option and am paying for it. So today was mostly wasted time fetching redwood material, tearing off the hangers, reinstalling the plates, reinstalling some hangers...you get the idea. My fault and I knew better but the $$ got in the way of my thinking. Learn from me..if your hanging your floor from your sill plate, choose Redwood for sill plates. Months later when your ready to set your joists you won't have to deal with this!

Okay, I'm not liking the formatting of this blog. I've got to figure out how to get the pictures in the body of the blog not lumped up top. Sorry for the tacky layout! The top pic shows that I had to focus on a little bit of haying today. The log stack are in the dry spot farther away. My helper, the Gehl and I are weaving the first sill log through the trees.

First Log peeled!

2010-09-11T21:00:00.000-07:00

Today was a day of moving the stack of 40 something logs around so I could get at them easier. The all-terrain forklift has already paid for itself in my book!

I chose my first 4 sill logs by their butt size. I have a handful in the 20" range so I decided they would become the first course instead of ending halfway up the wall. Once I set them apart I grabbed my spud bars and went to work on the first one. They say you become a professional log peeler in 10 minutes or so....It took me 30 but I think I've got it. This is NOT a job for the detail oriented/anal type but I'm learning! Its easy to want to leave the last remaining layer of bark on these dried logs; its the hardest to get off. The first log took an hour and 20 minutes to peel while the second took over 2 hours. Guess which one my wife helped on..ha!

Left ended the day with 2 1/2 logs peeled and decided to head to the "big city" for 2x8 sill plates so we could be ready to set the first course this week.

Does this really help?

2010-09-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

Today was a day of drying out! We received over an inch of rain in the past 24 hours which makes for nice muddy conditions. The field where our logs are staged was too wet to move the logs around with the forklift so we did the next best thing; inventoried logs! George, our somewhat friendly Llama was on hand to watch the show. We parked our logs on his resting spot so he had to relocate nearby. We have 43 logs on hand with most being about 45' long. The taper from butt to top is quite dramatic at around 8-10" or so in 45 feet. Wow! The average butt size is 16". The inventory of the logs will help us choose which logs are used on each course so we can maintain a relatively level wall structure. I'll have to always remind myself that I am building with logs. Put away the levels and tapes and grab the plumb bob! Another fun project was to complete a couple more Spud Bars. These are old-school tools used long ago to peel the bark off the logs. They come highly recommended over draw knives or Log Wizard gadgets as they do the least amount of harm to the wood and are faster too. Here's my current supply of homemade spud bars. I tried a couple and am anxious to get one in Tom's hand, Steve, Randy and who ever else wants to come peel logs. Oh, did you notice that nice sized ridge pole? It measures 50' long and has a butt size of over 26 inches. Nice! Who's gonna put that on their shoulder and hike up the ladder. ha!

They call these Logs!

2010-09-07T08:48:00.000-07:00

Are you sitting down? LOGS HAVE ARRIVED!!! Yes the first load of 40 something logs showed up on Labor Day. PTL! This was quite the event to see my long lost Logger finally deliver (literally and figuratively) The reachable forklift did most of the work though it took a few logs to get the hang of removing them off the truck. It took a couple hours to unload the logs. We have some HUGE logs to work with and some with real "character". My staging location turned out to be smaller than expected. I need to get some of these logs put in place before the next load arrives. I got the logger to commit to 2 weeks for the final load. By then I hope to have figured out how to peel the darn things, remove some of the character knots, inventory the logs (sizes) and place the first course.

Progress and Delays

2010-09-01T20:39:00.001-07:00

Quite a bit has happened since my posting in May. I did get my permit pulled, excavation completed, and footings poured. Wow what fun to build square! Our 36x36 foundation calls for ARXX ICF blocks. I decided to do all the foundation work even though I vowed never to do another after my last ranch-style foundation. This little footprint seemed too easy to pass up plus working with Styrofoam? Lets do it! The ICF blocks were much easier than I thought. I didn't even have to cut one block as the foundation dimension allowed for a perfect fit! The 10.5 yards of concrete went in well with the exception of 2 corners that floated up about 1/2 inch...but hey, I'm working with logs! I decided to use a great suggestion of hanging the joists off the sill plate and my inspector recommended going with a "conditioned" crawl space so no venting was required. Wow this is getting easier by the day!

Soon after the foundation pour I called on my logs. Still not ready. How long do I need to wait..?? We're burnin' summer waiting for logs. So in the meantime I'm searching to see if I can afford a reachable forklift. I find one at a local auction thats worth bidding on. I make the trip and take my KTM dirtbike in case the auction is a bust because there's some undiscovered trails near the auction site. Well the auction was a bust and equipment has over 7k hours and looks beat up. I bag the auction and head for the trails. All geared up I take off into Gods Country enjoying my discovery ride, taking side routes, looking at the map for other fun side trips. I call it a day and begin my ride back to truck. I'm about 25 miles in, making my way through a fun, twisty, Aspen filled forest trail when for no reason my right foot peg connects with a boulder hidden just off the trail. Before I can comprehend it I'm flying off the bike, land in a ditch and am in scary pain. What the heck happened? I figure I've been in the ditch for about 30 minutes trying to figure out if I'm dead or alive. Pain comes from my whole upper body, ribs and a burning feeling is in my right ankle. I finally get myself up, grab a tree thanks to dizziness and begin to get the bike up. Wow I'm in pain! Nobodys been seen all day nor are they rushing to my aid. After several attempts I get the bike upright, get my leg over it and begin to praise the fact the bike has electric start! I manage to get myself to the forest road and stop an ATV'er and ask for help. They get my cell phone from my backpack (couldn't get at it myself) and I call my son to come to the highway to get me. I ride about 11 miles out and ask the ATV to follow me in case I pass out. That was one long ride! My son meets me and deposits me at the ER where I find I have a broken right ankle, broken ribs and separated left shoulder. I wont bore you with the ongoing medical issues but to say the least, my summer has been changed!

My logger calls to say we have to talk. Uh oh. I've been waiting on you all summer! We drive to meet him and see what he's pulled for us thus far. Wow, are these Skip size logs or what! We pick out about 7 "templates" for him to use as guides and look forward to our first load delivered hopefully the end of August. Unfortunately his son needs open heart surgery the same time I go in for screws in the ankle. Geez, what am I learning from this lesson?? I know theres a reason for all of this though it'll be clear probably years down the road.

Whats a Butt and Pass Log Home anyways?

2010-03-15T12:57:00.000-07:00

Good question...I wondered that too! Its really a method of connecting or tying each log and course of logs together. But just as important is the logs themselves which are full-round logs, not D-log or other milled logs. The house logs of choice are primarily the species that can be found closest to ones building site, green or standing dead, beetle kill or fire kill. The method used to construct the Butt and Pass (BnP) home is unique but makes perfect sense when you consider what goes on in log home construction. For more information visit this site...LHBA

Hang on for the Ride!

2010-03-14T06:32:00.000-07:00

Do I really need to add this to my list of to-do's? (blogging) After spending WAY too much time searching for answers on building log homes, I felt the need to let others experience, and be able to find, what it takes to build a hand-crafted log home the owner-builder way.

But first a bit of history. Do I know what I'm doing? Well not as it relates to log construction. I do however understand stick construction and have experience building barns, cabins and a home in Pagosa Springs, CO. I must admit up front that it is my God given talents and abilities that have allowed me to experience these. I do wholly Trust in our Creator God and his Son Jesus our Savior for every breath I take and every project I take on. In order to appeal to the masses I'll leave my statement of Faith to the above...but you know where I stand!

So I find the challenge of a new project exciting. Just as I found exciting the thought of my wife and I living in our temporary dwelling; a YURT !
Our 30' Yurt is what we currently call home.
700 s.f. of open living space, configured as you desire. We also have a small casita that functions

as our bedroom. All in all its a terrific, functional environment....but temporary. The Yurt will be for sale once our new home is complete.