| Log home designs can be divided in several | | | | logs butt. Usually the passing logs have a |
| ways. Understanding log home designs and | | | | cutout into which the butt log fits. |
| basic concepts can help you select the design | | | | |
| that is best for you. As you are getting | | | | 2. Dovetail Corners - these corners are used |
| involved in the design process, consider | | | | mostly with square or rectangular logs. The |
| these basic concepts as they apply to your | | | | end of each log is cut in such a way that |
| design: | | | | produces a fan-shaped wedge. As the logs are |
| | | | stacked, the ends of one walls logs will be |
| Shape of Log Used - the logs used in your log | | | | locked into the perpendicular logs. |
| home can be shaped in various ways. They can | | | | |
| be full round, D-shaped, square shaped, | | | | 3. Notched - notched corners are also known |
| rectangular shaped or Swedish cope style. | | | | as saddle-notch. A saddle-shaped notch is cut |
| D-shaped logs will have one side of the log | | | | into the bottom of each round log so that |
| flat with the other three sides being | | | | this notch on the bottom of the top log |
| rounded. The Swedish cope style has a portion | | | | straddles the top of the log coming from the |
| of the bottom of the log cut out so that the | | | | perpendicular wall. Both logs then extend |
| log rests more securely on the log beneath it | | | | past the corner. The saddle-notch is one of |
| in the wall. | | | | the most traditional corner intersections |
| | | | used in log home designs and is favored by |
| Type of Log Wood - there are many wood | | | | many handcrafters. These type of corners are |
| species commonly used in log home designs. | | | | very strong, but they do require more |
| There is no such thing as a "best" wood to | | | | construction time. Notched corners are also |
| use, rather, each species has advantages and | | | | easier to seal and hold corner logs better |
| disadvantages. Wood types include cedar, | | | | than butt-and-pass. |
| cypress, Douglas fir, hemlock, lodgepole | | | | |
| pine, oak, spruce, white pine and yellow | | | | 4. Post Corners - the log ends are cut off |
| pine. If log home designs, construction and | | | | perpendicular to the length of the log and |
| maintenance are done properly, any of these | | | | joined at the corners using what amounts to |
| woods will provide many decades of enjoyable | | | | vertical posts. This type of construction is |
| log home living. If not designed, built and | | | | not as labor intensive. This corner style |
| maintained properly, none of the woods will | | | | sacrifices some of the traditional log cabin |
| hold up very well. | | | | or log home look. Using post corners will |
| | | | require a different engineering treatment |
| Peeled or Milled Logs - peeled logs used in | | | | than other log corners, because the vertical |
| log home designs will have the bark and outer | | | | posts do not settle with the horizontal logs. |
| sapwood removed. This can be accomplished by | | | | |
| hand or by the mill's machinery. Milled logs | | | | One of the best ways to learn more about log |
| are run through machines that will create the | | | | home designs is to view log home plans that |
| desired log shape when finished. The log | | | | have been successfully built. Every plan that |
| surfaces will be more smooth and uniform in | | | | you examine can give you design ideas that |
| milled logs. | | | | you had not thought of. Trying to create |
| | | | brand new plans from scratch can be |
| Corner Systems Used - here are the four main | | | | time-consuming and expensive. You can save |
| corner systems used in log home designs: | | | | considerably if you can find great plans that |
| | | | exist that you like. Just be sure the plans |
| 1. Butt-and-Pass - these corners are formed | | | | service can make changes to the plans so they |
| when one log stops where it meets the | | | | become exactly what you want. That way, you |
| intersecting log, and the other log extends | | | | really can create the log home design that |
| past the corner. There are many variations | | | | will provide you many years of enjoyment. |
| involving the shape of the area where the | | | | |