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General Information Section:
What is the difference between handcrafted and milled log homes ?
Handcrafted log homes are just as their name states, they are crafted by hand. Our log builders individually select and hand peel large diameter, full round logs and, using the Scandanavian full-scribe method, cut them to fit tightly together, This creates a structure that is not only beautiful but very strong and stable.
Milled logs are run through a machine to make every piece have the same profile, resulting in no variation in each log's appearance. As a result, there is little character in the log work, and the effect can be easily duplicated using round log siding. The value of a handcrafted log home is superior to that of the milled log home for these reasons, as well as the intangible reason that the handcrafted log home simply feels like a 'real' log home.
Because the logs used in constructing a handcrafted log home are of larger diameter than those used in milled log homes, the walls have a superior insulation value, as there is a greater thermal mass in the log wall surfaces. Furthermore, the pieces of a milled log home are cut in shorter lengths, requiring that the logs be 'butted' together in the middle of a wall, which results in the appearance of unsightly, and potentailly drafty, breaks throughout the 'log' wall. In a Kodiak Log Homes handcrafted log home, 'butt-joints' will NEVER be seen. Only full-length logs are used, resulting in no butt joinery being requred.
In fact, the price of a milled log home package can be the same, or even higher, than a Kodiak Log Home when you add in the time to erect, cut window and door openings, etc. to the milled log shell package.
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What species of wood do you use ?
Engelmann Spruce, it has a good strength to weight ratio, is a beautiful blonde wood and is native to many dry climates. We also build many log homes out of Douglas Fir (attractive grain colour and superior structural strength) , Yellow Pine (full of character), and Western Red Cedar (attractive color in the grain and a natural resistance to insects and decay) for an up-charge of fifteen to thirty percent. We even offer flared-butt Western Red Cedar for those customers who desire the character that goes with the flared-butt logs.
All of our logs are T.P.I graded to be Premium, Rustic, and Wall Log 30, which are the top 3 ratings for house logs (please refer to the TPI grading secion for more information).
Because the logs are harvested during the winter months and air dry for a year prior to use, our logs have a low (18% to 22%) moisture content.
Simply put, the logs used in your Kodiak Log Home are the finest logs available anywhere.
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Do you use live or dead standing logs ?
We prefer to use logs cut from live trees. We know that every log harvested in this manner will be healthy, free of rot and decay, and will conform to our strict standards for log quality. The trees are harvisted from the slow growth forest area that is Canada's Dry Belt Region, and the trees are harvested in winter for lower sap content.
In the event that you want dead standing logs to be used (dead standing refers to trees that were either fire or beetle killed, so there will usually be bore holes and/or blue stain in the logs), we will be happy to locate the best standing dead logs available for the constructioin of your log home.
There is a common misconception that dead standing logs do not shrink or settle, but this is misleading. Standing dead logs still retain some moisture, though usually this is less than the moisture retained in live logs, so some shrinkage will occur. The difference in using standing dead logs is that the shrinkage and settling will be less than that of 'green' logs.
In the end, however, the choice is up to you. Whether we use healthy green logs or standing dead logs, your Kodiak Log Home will be constructed of the finest logs available.
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What is your experience and how many homes do you build a year ?
Kodiak Log Homes has been building and re-erecting log shell packages worldwide since 1994. We have built hundreds of homes and commercial buildings. Kodiak Log Homes typically builds 30-40 custom homes each year. These custom structures have varied from 300 square feet to over 22,000. Our staff and log builders average over fifteen years in the building trade.
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Do you build the whole house ?
Kodiak Log Homes builds only the log portion of your home and supervises its re-erection on your site. We can also provide you with our own custom windows and doors built specifically for our log shell packages, structural insulated panels (SIP's) and even stain, to create a "Dry-in" package. These are quoted separately.
It is generally not cost effective to send a Kodiak Log Homes crew and pay lodging, food and per diem in addition to wages for the installation of these additional items. A local contractor can always beat our price on services that do not specifically require a skilled log builder.
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What is your warranty ?
Kodiak Log Homes guarantees the workmanship for the log portion of the building by using only T.P.I. graded, certified logs with experienced staff, log-crafters and supervisors in our construction. Our building methods meet or exceed Log Building Industry standards. Any log work not completed according to blueprints or any missing or damaged material will be corrected, replaced or reimbursed by Kodiak Log Homes at its sole discretion.
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Log Package Information Section:
What does the package include ?
This is a tough question to answer in a general sence. A good analogy is "what does a car include?" Are we talking about a stock Chevy, or a fully optioned Rolls Royce? Both will get you from here to there, but what you use is a matter of your personal style and budget.
Our custom log homes are the same way, in some cases we will provide a log spiral staircase, while in others we may only provide a ladder. In other cases, we will provide full support for a rafter roof system using log trusses, ridge poles, purlins, and log posts, while in other cases, the roof will be set on pre-engineered lumber trusses with no log support at all (except for the log wall, of course).
Each log package will be custom taylored to your log home, and will include all of the features and components that are needed for the construction of the log shell. Please visit HERE for a detailed breakdown of a typical log shell package.
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How long will it take to build my log shell package?
Six to twelve weeks is the average time to build and deliver your Kodiak Log Home to your site, we normally re-erect 1,000 square feet of the log shell per day. This will depend on your design and time of year. One of the wonderful things about building a Kodiak Log Home is that at the same time you or your contractor are doing roadwork, excavation, utilities, foundation and sub-floor, Kodiak's Logcrafters are building your log shell package, saving significant construction time.
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Do you allow for shrinkage and settlement?
Definately! Our logs are air dried to an average moisture content of 18% to 22%, resulting in 2 to 5 inches of shrinkage and settlement (compaction due to weight) in a nine foot stacked log wall. The logcrafters at Kodiak Log Homes take this settling into account in all areas of construction, and makes allowances to minimize the effects of shrinkage and settling in your log home.
- We allow 6 inches above window and door openings and create keyways with splines in window and door openings so that the movement of the logs during shrinkage and settling will not affect the structural integrity of the doors and windows.
- We provide settler jacks on or below log posts and on interior framed bearing walls to allow for the adjustment of all of the support points in your log home that are not the log walls themselves.
- We drive 18 inch drift pins into the logs around window openings to enhance lateral stability and anchorage for these wall sections. We also use drift pins on the top course of stacked log walls anchor the entire top courses of logs, resulting in even greater stability.
- Through-bolts (9 to 10 feet in length with continuous tension springs) are inserted at all log ends and on each side of door openings, creating full-height stable anchors at these points. Additional through bolts will be added where necessary for structural integrity.
- Batt insulation is inserted inside the scribed lateral notch and corner notches, since the batt insulation is compressable.
- Where desired, optional wall slots will be pre-cut for interior framed walls to slide into, allowing the framed wall to remain supported and unaffected by the settleing of the log walls.
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What about air infiltration and shrinkage?
All wood shrinks when it is brought to a drier climate. This is true of kiln dried dimensional lumber as it is of full logs. The result is that all wooden buildings will settle, whether they are constructed of lof or lumber, and with settling comes potential issues of air infiltration. Generally, it will take two to five winters for your Kodiak Log Home to reach moisture equilibrium equal to your climate. In some climates it is inevitable that air infiltration will occur somewhere in your log home.
To guard against air infiltration you may caulk the interior of the log structure after the logs have reached moisture equilibrium with your climate. Caulking will provide the seal and insulation you desire, while preserving the beauty of the full-scribe lateral notching of your log walls. THe caulking comes in a variety of colors, and is quite simple to apply.
You may also choose to chink your Kodiak Log Home in the event that air infiltration becomes an issue. The cost of chinking your Scandanavian-scribed Kodiak Log Home will be considerably less than on a "chink style" log home, as there is no need for backer rod and the amount of chink is 1/4 or less, resulting in significant labour and material savings.
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Can the gable ends be constructed out of log?
Certainly. We can easily construct your gable ends out of log, but you need to be aware that there are some problems that arise when this is done. As stated above, all wood shrinks when it is brought to a drier climate, and the gable end logs are no different. At the logs settle and dry out, the height of the gable wall will be lower at its peak, but not lower at the ends. The result is potential problems with the roof, or at lease with air infiltration at the gap created between the roof and the gable end.
Our recommendation is to not use log gable ends, bur instead to have us supply log siding for application to your framed gable end. This will maintain the look of log, without the problems that are created by using logs only in this area.
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Log Home Costs Section:
How much does a log package cost ?
An average home designed, blueprinted, pre-built in our yard, trucked to your site, and the crane, labour and supervision to re-erect your log shell package usually runs from $25-$35 per square foot (US funds). Since all of our homes are custom made, the price varies greatly with log species, detail, building size, design, and site complexity / location. We would be pleased to provide you with a free estimate on your design and location can give you a reasonalby accurate figure for the log shell package that you will require.
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What does it cost to finish the entire home?
Your choice of finishes, contractor, labour and material costs in your area and building site will affect the final cost of your home. We do not charge any more for our log shell packages in Charlevoix, MI. (USA) than we do in Prince George, B.C. (Canada). Ask a local contractor or lender in your area for average prices of custom homes. Typically it will costs more per square foot for a custom log home, this is usually due to finishes that would not normally be included in a stick-framed custom home (large rock fireplaces, large windows, covered decks, etc.).
As a rule of thumb, however, the cost of a finished log home will be slightly higher than that of a stick-framed home. With the higher price comes a higher value, as well as the warmth and character that only a log home can provide.
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Technical Services Information Section:
What is T.P.I. grading and what does it do for me?
Timber Products Inspection, Inc., the T.P.I. grading rules and design values are based on the nationally recognized standard ASTM D3957 "Standard Methods for Establishing Stress Grades for Structural Members Used in Log Buildings". In order to design with logs, Kodiak Log Homes must have log design values. To obtain safe design values, logs must be structurally graded. T.P.I.'s log grading program is the industry leader, accepted under all three of the National Building Codes and by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. The T.P.I. log grade stamp provides you with the assurance of receiving building logs from a quality oriented company who is building under a meaningful quality-auditing program. Every log in a Kodiak Log Home is stamped and a grading certificate is available if required by your building inspector.
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Subtrades Information Section:
How can electrical outlets and fixtures be placed on a log wall?
This is one of our most often asked questions from those already familiar with the basics of designing their log home. Generally speaking, the following items are required when wiring a log wall:
- For electical outlets, switches, and wall-mounted lighting fixtures, pockets must be chiseled into the face of the log at the location desired. The 'pocket' must allow for the insertion of an electrical box, to which the outlet/switch/lighting fixture will be mounted.
- A hole must be drilled from the rear of this 'pocket' down to the lateral notch (which runs the length of each log on its bottom side). In the case of electrical outlets which are placed on the bottom log, the hole will be drilled right through the subfloor.
- The wiring from the electrical box will run down this hole, and along lateral notch intill it reaches a key-way at the side of a door or window opening.
- The wiring is run down the key-way and through the subfloor, where it then travels to the breaker box location.
- Wiring for second floor areas is generally run down inside an interior partition wall.
While your electrical contractor or carpenter can perform the chiseling and drilling needed, we also provide this service for a small charge. In addition to the chiseling and drilling, we will also flatten and sand down the area around the electical unit.
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How do I do the plumbing for my second floor area?
This is also a frequently asked questions from those already familiar with the basics of designing their log home. Any feed water tubing used should be flexible, at least in the area where the settling has been accounted for (usually at the top of the first floor partition walls). Waste water piping will require a smaller diameter pipe be inserted into the main down pipe, and that a gasket be used to allow for a water tight fit while allowing for the smaller pipe to slide down into the larger one for a lenght of up to 6". This joinery is commonly referred to as a compression fitting.
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Shipping Information Section:
Is shipping included in the package price?
In order to maintain consistent pricing, and to insure that you receive a fair shipping price based on current shipping rates to your area, we do not include the price of shipping in our liog shell package price. We would, however, be pleased to provide a shipping quote for your Kodiak Log Homes log shell package. All we need is the destination, and a short time to allow our shipping contacts work our a rate for you.
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Will Kodiak Log Homes arrange for the shipping?
Absolutely. We have contacts in the shipping industry that specialize in the transportation of log home packages. In fact, we prefer to arrange for the shipping on your behalf, as it gives us the ability to insure that the shipping company is reputable and has the knowledge required for the proper care of you log home package while en-route.
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Log Home Design Section:
Can I design my log home ?
Certainly! All of our homes are custom built for you. We do not offer 'kit' or 'standard shell' homes. This website shows, in our sample plans area, many stock blueprints which can be used in creating your own personal log home, but most people use the sample plans as a catalyst for generating their own log home plan ideas. We can provide you with a free estimate based on your design or Kodiak Log Homes' design team will work with you, your contractor, or your architect, to design your ideal home and make sure that your topography, access, views, solar orientation, budget and lifestyle are incorporated into your design.
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What's included in Kodiak Log Home Blueprints?
- All drawings are plotted at 24" x 36" and at 1/4" = 1’-0" scale
- Floor plans
- Elevations (drawings showing the home from four different angles)
- Building sections (minimum 2, maximum 4)
- Framing layouts
- Foundation plan and foundation details
- Log construction details and notes
For a moderate additional charge, photo-realistic renderings can be created for you.
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How much do blueprints cost and what do they include?
Currently, our price for design and blueprint services is $1.00 per square foot. A firm price can be given in a free estimate, once the plan is presented to us. Blueprints are drawn on a CAD system (Computer Aided Design) in house at our 100 Mile House, B.C. office.
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What services are available at additional cost?
- Site plan with residence located within building envelope (if topo available) ($40/hr.)
- Interior elevations and design ($40/hr.)
- Landscape planning and site planning ($40/hr.)
- Colored renditions and material planning ($40/hr.)
- foundation engineering (stamped by licensed engineer)
- They are drawn to 1997 U.B.C. (Uniform Building Code), the most current code, and are generally accepted worldwide.
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What if I already have a set of blueprints ?
Kodiak Log Homes will provide a free detailed breakdown of the log shell package based on your blueprints. We will need to verify the design and building suitability to Kodiak Log Homes construction techniques and standards. Changes to outside designs if necessary and requested by you are billed at the rate of forty dollars per hour US funds or a fixed fee for redraws.
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