Q.
How much will it cost to build a log home?
A. Our goal at Canyon Country Log
Homes is to help our clients come up with a realistic
building budget and to actually meet or beat that budget. We
pride ourselves on coming up with designs that will help us
save money without compromising your desires or the quality
of your new home. Much of the cost will be determined by the
finish work you choose. For example; you could purchase a
toilet from your local building material store for $50.00 or
you could special order a much fancier toilet for $1,000.00.
The fact is that lumber is a commodity, and the recent
hurricanes and rising fuel costs have driven the cost of
lumber up, in some cases as much as 40%. Logs however, have
stayed consistent. Our suggestion is that you budget
between $185.00 and $225.00 per square foot to complete your
home turnkey. Of course, if you plan on having high end
finishes in it you can always spend more; or if you plan on
building equity into it yourself you can spend less.
Q. What type of
logs do you use?
A. We have over 25 years of building experience and have
found that the simpler the process the better. The type of
logs we choose are standing dead logs that are located all
throughout the Rocky Mountains. The species of wood are
Ponderosa Pine, Englemann Spruce and Lodge pole Pine. All of
these are Western White Woods. These logs are naturally
dried before they go the mill. They are the easiest to work
with and are environmentally friendly. By harvesting the
standing dead trees we make room for new growth. We will not
use green logs or kiln dried logs in our packages. Standing
dead logs have already completed the twisting and most of
the checking that logs do prior to being milled and
therefore you get what you see. We have no need for any
fancy thru bolts, springs, settling jacks or any other type
of equipment that can be a maintenance nightmare, not to
mention the additional labor expense. Standing dead logs are
much lighter and therefore we can get more on a truck and
save shipping costs. In addition to standing dead logs we
also offer a full line of Glu-Lam Logs for the log home
lover that does not want any checking or cracking. These
logs can be ordered all pine or you could have cedar on the
exterior and pine in the center and cedar on the interior.
Q.
Are your logs graded?
A. Yes, all the logs we use are graded and stamped at the
mill.
Q.
What is the
R-Factor of a Log Home?
A. Actually, R-Factor does not apply to a log home.
R-Factor measures the amount of heat and cool that transfer
through a solid. Since wood, like concrete, is actually a
heat and cool sink, it operates on Thermal Mass. The logs
absorb and hold the heat and the cool and do not
transfer them through the log. Thus keeping your home cool
in the summer and warm in the winter. The larger the log the
more thermal mass, therefore the more energy efficient your
home. However, even a 7" log would compare to the energy
efficiency of a 2x6 frame and sided house. You can
find additional information on the energy efficiency of
log homes
here.
Q. Do you insulate
a log home?
A. The only areas that will need insulation are the roof
and the floor if desired. If you are building your home on a
stem wall foundation the air can actually act as an
insulator.
Q. Are your
packages pre-cut?
A. The log packages we put together are milled with
precut corners. However, they come in random lengths and are
actually cut on site. We feel that this is more productive
for many reasons. To mention a few; A pre-cut kit must be
pre-built at the mill, labeled and disassembled to be sent
to your home site. Someone has to pay for that and it will
be you. Also if there is a problem with a log you may have
to delay the entire project to have a new piece shipped. In
addition, with kits you are limited where to use certain logs
and forget making any last minute changes if you want to
move a window a few inches in order to get a better view
around a tree.
Q. Can I build the
home myself?
A. Although construction experience is recommended, a
percentage of log home packages sold are built by the
customer. Building a log home is hard work and requires
sufficient time and tools. If you desire to be involved
in the project of building your home and do not have the
tools or time to dedicate, you may want to consider acting
as your own General Contractor and hiring out the more
difficult portions of the job. Canyon Country Log Homes
holds log raising seminars where we can show you how these
homes go together. You can see first hand what tools are
needed and the procedure to erect the logs. We will be happy
to assist you in any way we can to get you started building
your own log home.
Q. Can
you build my new log home for me?
A. Canyon Country Log Homes, Inc. has our own in house
contractor, Karik Construction Co., Inc. We would be happy
to help you with the construction of your foundation, shell
or any portion of your new log home.
Q, Do you offer
financing?
A. We do not offer financing directly. However, we have
ideas to help you. Please call our office and to discuss
this further.
Q. What style
of logs do you offer?
A. We offer Swedish Cope Logs (Full Round) in 7", 8", 9",
10" & 12" diameter. We prefer the cope over the T&G style
although both are available. We also have D logs (Flat on
the inside and round on the outside) with the butt and pass
corner system. In addition we have a hand hewn division for our clients that prefer the full scribed hand hewn log
home.
Q. What about shipping?
A. Due to the rising and unpredictable gas prices it is
impossible to include shipping. However, we do a few things
to help combat the high cost of shipping. First; dry stable
logs are lighter and we can get more on a truck. Second; We
only ship items we have to. If we can get materials at the
local building material store and shipped for free, why
should we pay for shipping across the country?
Q. Do you have
standard plans?
A. Yes see
our plans.
Q.
Can I make changes to your floor plans? Do you do custom
plans?
A. Absolutely. In all the years we have worked with log
homes we have only built one that was exactly as the plan
book. Customers say, "This is exactly what I want, except
could you move this wall or add this much square footage?".
In addition we have been given more than our fair share of
"Plans on a Napkin" we welcome and encourage your ideas. We
have our own in house drafting department and can help you
get your plans to reality and obtain the required permits.
Q. How much are your
plans?
A. We include our plans in the price of the log package.
However, we have to charge a $2.00 per square foot deposit
for our plans. This price is credited to you when you order
your log home package. There may be additional design
charges if you make changes several times after the
preliminaries are completed. We may also charge an
additional .50 per square foot for garages, unfinished
basements and large amounts of decks. Our plan deposit is
non refundable if you decide not to order your log home
from us. The plans belong to you.
Q. What about
engineering?
A. Engineering is not included in our plan price and will
be considered an extra charge. The fact is that each City
and County has different requirements and few do not require
engineering. We work closely with our structural engineer
and we are familiar with the building codes in Arizona
Cities and Counties. Our goal is to keep this cost down as
much as possible.
Q.
What
is included in your log home packages?
A. We offer a complete shell building material package to
weather tight in your new log home; Floor system, logs,
screws or spikes, caulking, windows, exterior doors,
interior partition wall framing, roof framing, roof
material, porch decking, door and window bucks, and much
more. We will do a package as complete as you desire. Our goal
is to put together the most economic log home building
package. We will do the work and shop for the best deals and
prices for you. We do not include common nails as each
builder has different size nail guns, etc. in addition there
may be items that need to be purchased to complete the home
shell. However, we will work with you to keep these to a
minimum. Occasionally the City or County or Engineer will
call for items not included in our package.
Q. What type
of foundation do I need?
A. We recommend a stem wall CMU block foundation with a
crawl space, or building over a masonry basement. However, a
concrete wall foundation or a concrete slab are also
acceptable forms of foundations. Some people even build on
pillars. Any foundation that is acceptable by local building
codes will work. We can help you in this area as well.
Q.
What is the process of building my log home?
A. The first item you must have in place is your lot. Where are you building your new log home? Then you must
choose a plan. Which plan will fit best on my lot and meet
my needs? Which plan utilizes my views? Consider utilities.
Do you have to put in a Septic System? In Arizona right now
an alternate system can cost as much as $20,000 or more. The
design of your home will determine the septic design. Most
Counties require a Septic Permit prior to a building permit
being issued.
Q.
I
have my lot, I chose my plan, now what?
A. Contact us at our office and we will send you a
purchase order for the plans and a deposit of $2.00* per
square foot will get your plans completed. Once you have
your completed plan we can finalize the material and labor
costs. The plan can be submitted to your Home Owners
Association if needed and the City or County.
Q.
I have heard that log homes are a maintenance problem?
A. If your log home is cared for properly it will outlast
you and your children. The most common maintenance issue we
see are the products that are put on the logs. We recommend
that you use a product on the exterior of the logs that
penetrates the wood rather then coats it. The maintenance
problem occurs when the sun and weather break down these
coatings and they start to peel and fade. Sand or corn
blasting many times is your only alternative to correcting
this problem. This can be expensive and cause pits in the
logs that may be unattractive. The products we recommend can
be reapplied over the years with minimal effort.
