| You made your decision; you are finally going to build | | | | other family activities. Try to anticipate as many of |
| that log home. Not just any log home, but that | | | | your family's needs as possible and expand your floor |
| special creation you've held in your mind's eye for so | | | | plan to accommodate your desires. |
| many years. You have walked on those hardwood | | | | Once you have identified this all-encompassing 'wish |
| floors, gazed out from behind those oversized picture | | | | list' you will almost certainly find yourself over budget. |
| windows, cooked dinner, curled up by the fire, and | | | | If money is no object - no problem, but if that Lotto |
| even slept in that special home - using that vivid | | | | jackpot has so far eluded you there are things you |
| imagination of yours. Oh yeah, you've been dreaming | | | | can do to bring that budget back in line. The most |
| about your log home for a long time, and you have | | | | obvious and often least expensive way of doubling |
| finally decided to make your dream become your | | | | your floor space is to make use of the basement. A |
| reality. | | | | properly designed and finished basement is the |
| Got land? Before you spend too much time browsing | | | | perfect place to have a spare guest bedroom, home |
| floor plan possibilities, you need to know where that | | | | theater, hobby or play rooms, additional bathroom(s), |
| home will be built. Not all floor plan designs are suited | | | | laundry facilities or a home office. |
| for all building sites. For instance, a walk-out | | | | One of the best tips about using a basement for |
| basement typically requires a home being built on a | | | | additional living space is to raise the ceiling. Adding an |
| slope or recessed into a hillside. Additionally, some | | | | extra foot (or more) in the height of your basement |
| plans are designed to take advantage of the home's | | | | ceiling is much less expensive than adding an additional |
| location relative to sunlight so even if you already | | | | floor or expanding the overall floor plan, and the |
| own your land, you will want to know where and | | | | added height will eliminate that closed-in feeling you |
| how your home will be positioned on your property. | | | | get with so many basements. |
| Once you have an idea of where those logs will be | | | | Adding or enlarging dormers is another way of |
| stacked it's time to figure out what that stack needs | | | | capturing space from a second story or loft that is |
| to look like. | | | | framed by a sloping roof line. You will be surprised |
| Now the fun begins, and the first order of business is | | | | how a well-positioned dormer can make a small loft |
| to choose the right floor plan that is consistent with | | | | appear much larger and provide vertical walls to |
| the home you have pictured in your mind's eye - and | | | | accept seating, bookcases or tables that usually will |
| the property on which it will be built. Odds are you'll | | | | not work with a conventional knee wall. |
| probably not open a magazine by chance and | | | | It is also a good idea to keep a list of things that you |
| stumble upon a floor plan that has occupied your | | | | don't like; things you may have seen in a magazine or |
| dreams all these years. Choosing a plan and refining | | | | noted when visiting other log homes. Some of the |
| the design to meet your needs will require some | | | | most frequent complaints one hears about log |
| research, self-introspection and creative inspiration. | | | | homes, especially older models, is the lack of storage |
| By and large, almost any residential floor plan can be | | | | space and small closets or bathrooms. This is most |
| adapted to a log home, but there are substantial | | | | often the result of poor planning or not taking into |
| differences and considerations that need to be | | | | consideration the diameter of log walls and the lack |
| addressed. One such example is that of room | | | | of attics in most log homes. Refer to your list when |
| dimensions as they relate to the diameter of the logs | | | | discussing details with your designer and remember |
| you will be utilizing. A custom handcrafted home | | | | that in most cases you cannot build a closet or a |
| made from 20" diameter logs will have a different | | | | bathroom that is too large. |
| footprint than one requiring 6" milled logs. If this is the | | | | These are just a few ideas that can help you choose |
| first time you will be dealing with a log home | | | | and refine a floor plan to fit your lifestyle and |
| manufacturer or architect, make sure you are | | | | accommodate your family's needs. Your log home |
| comparing 'apples to apples' when discussing interior | | | | company or architect will have many ideas that you |
| dimensions. If you want a room to be 14' wide, make | | | | may not have considered so encourage them to |
| certain that your designer knows that you want the | | | | offer suggestions. Explain what you are trying to |
| interior of the room to have 14' of open clearance | | | | achieve and let their experience and knowledge guide |
| and not measured from the center of the | | | | you, but in the end, this is your floor plan. |
| corresponding logs. Using the example above, your | | | | Helping people design the log home of their dreams |
| 14' room could shrink to 12' if such presumptions are | | | | was the inspiration behind the Log Home Directory's |
| not understood. | | | | "Floor Plan Showcase". Visitors now have an |
| A floor plan is about space deployment, or more | | | | opportunity to browse as many as ten floor plans |
| specifically, the space you want (or need) for family | | | | form each featured log home manufacturer without |
| members, guests, pets, entertaining and basic | | | | visiting dozens of different websites. These leading |
| household operations (i.e. cooking, dining, laundry, | | | | manufacturers display their most popular floor plans |
| storage, etc.). Furthermore, it is easy to overlook | | | | with descriptions, photos or renderings and links to |
| space requirements for many things we take for | | | | additional information on their individual websites. |
| granted such as hobbies, displaying collections and | | | | |