There’s a whole movement out there that has steadily grown since Log Home Living was established as a magazine in 1982 and later a website and brand. Log home owners tend to be individualists who want something different. At the annual Log and Timber Home Show, builders, designers, and timber companies meet with aficionados to discuss floor plans, wood, and ogle one another’s projects. The National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Log and Timber Homes Council is a good place to start if you’re interested in building a log home of any size. Like any home project, do your research.
Logs and timber are milled or manufactured. Typically smooth, milled logs have a less-rustic appearance, although textures can be added. Each is more uniform, especially on the cornersLess common are handcrafted logs or timber, with vary in size and shape and have a more hand- or rough-hewn look.Half-logs have the appearance of full logs, but are applied over conventional wood framing.Timber frame or post-and-beam are noticeable inside a home, by their large horizontal and vertical beams that are either milled or handcrafted.
In more rural or remote areas, off-grid power systems make more economic sense than connecting power to the electricity grid, which can range from $15,000 to $50,000 per mile, according to Energy.gov. Greenline Architects designed an off-grid solar home in the stunning Colorado mountain resort of Aspen that produces all of its own energy with solar hot water and photovoltaic panels. Built of structural insulated panels (SIPs), it is LEED Gold certified.
