Log cabins are becoming a thing of the past. Make way for log homes.
Homes constructed primarily of cedar, pine or spruce logs aren’t just for vacation retreats anymore. They can serve as second homes or, as is the case with some nature-loving baby boomers, a primary home complete with modern amenities.
Interest in log homes is on the rise. A 2004 report by the Log Home Living Institute shows 26,093 log homes were built in the U.S. in 2003. In the mid- 1980s, that number was about 15,000.
Colorado ranks seventh in the nation in log-home sales volume and 16th in consumer interest, according to the report. While log homes make up just 7 percent of the custom homebuilding market, their numbers are growing, says Jeremy Bertrand, executive director of the Log Homes Council.
Log homes can cost 5 percent to 50 percent more than traditional homes, according to Log Home Illustrated. Labor and material cost differences and the possibility of custom features such as cathedral ceilings help explain the price disparity.
Computer-aided designs and technological advances with wood-cutting tools mean better constructed, virtually draft-free homes. Such improvements have enhanced log homes’ reputation, Bertrand says. That, in turn, makes such homes more appealing to homeowners.
Logs’ thermal-mass properties don’t need any tweaking. The logs’ natural density keeps generated heat indoors more easily and the sun’s blistering rays out in the summer.
Ronnie Holze, a 66-year-old artist, lives in a white cedar log home near Crested Butte. The 2,600-square-foot house has large casement windows and no draft.
“Some houses creak or groan when you have wind blowing in it,” Holze says. “I just get the feeling of warmth.”
His home’s steel fireplace system runs forced air throughout the house during the coldest days. The morning sun shining through the house’s large windows is often enough to keep the interior cozy, he says.
Bertrand says finding a way to escape urban living doesn’t come cheaply.
“It is a custom home, which on average is more expensive,” says Bertrand, whose council is part of the National Association of Home Builders.
After some research
Steven Gitter, 59, of Pine Grove moved into his new log home in April following a lengthy period of research.
Gitter visited log home manufacturers in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho before settling on the appropriate company to build his house.
“There is so much variance,” he says – from the types of wood to choose to the roughly 500 companies offering these homes. Logs also may be cut to size on site or precut before being shipped. “It’s not like building a regular frame house.”
Charles Knight, vice president and owner of Cedar LogSystems in Colorado Springs, works exclusively in cedar.
“It’s naturally resistant to insects, decay and rot,” Knight says. “Other woods are more prone to twisting and warping.”
Log homes do need periodic treatments to retain their positive properties.
Homeowners should stain their homes anywhere between every three to seven years, depending on the stain used and the logs in question. That prevents the logs from succumbing to UV ray and moisture damage.
Majestic retreats
Some log homes can be as majestic as the priciest Aspen retreat. Knight says the homes he builds fall chiefly in the 2,000-2,500-square-foot range.
“Most people who want a log home are not multimillionaires,” he says, adding his homes generally fall between $300,000 and $500,000.
Steve Culbertson, president of The Log Broker in Bailey, says Colorado log-home owners typically turn to locally grown wood for their product, trimming potential shipping costs. For Colorado log-home builders, the local connection is even more important.
Wood from outside the state can have as much as 30 percent moisture content.
“As soon as it gets to Colorado, it dries, twists and shrinks,” he says. And, he adds, that makes homes made from this wood more susceptible to leaks.
Log homes in Colorado should have roughly 11 percent moisture levels to avoid such problems, Culbertson said, adding that retiring baby boomers are his best customers.
Vickie Gilmore, 53, of Iowa Park, Texas, started vacationing in Lake City about a dozen years ago. When she saw how beautiful some of the local log homes appeared, she started asking residents about them.
Those questions would lead to her having her own log home built last year.
“I don’t know if it’s actually being surrounded by something from nature, but it’s very peaceful,” she says. “It feels closer to nature.”
