Log Home Community
There is a large and growing log home community out there and once you plug into it you will find inspiration and encouragement along with practical ideas and tips. There are glossy magazines to encourage dreaming; there are practical reference and how-to books packed with information; there are on-line communities brimming with other log home enthusiasts and you can always find someone along the way to answer your questions or point you in the right direction. No matter where you are along your path, you can find useful advice and creative inspiration from the growing log home community. StagesYou may be in the dreaming stage, where you are looking forward to the time in the future that you can build your own log home. You are gathering information, wondering if you can still live in your dream cabin as you get older, planning great room layouts, deciding on a covered porch vs. an open deck, and assessing the best place to buy land to suit your lifestyle. You may have questions about financing your log home and would like to see a list of log home lenders who understand the unique challenges of building a log cabin.You may be in the planning stage, where you have your land already and are planning your log cabin around the unique site characteristics. You are putting down solid data on paper, choosing specific details like fireplace stone and making flooring choices, poring over log home plans and trying to choose the best log style and species, selecting your cabin roofing material. You may be in the actual build process stage where you have found that there is a constant stream of decisions to be made, colors to be selected, changes to consider and weather to deal with. You're curious about the proper log home building tools, wondering if you need to address your landscaping now or if it can wait until later, and wish you had a glossary to understand the new language of log home building. 
Maybe you have already built your log home and are enjoying living the dream. You have discovered that there is still
maintenance
to be done on your cabin and you’re not sure whether or not you can
re-coat your stain
directly over the old stain or if something needs to be done first. You’re considering adding an outdoor room to increase your living space, or maybe a flower garden and want to make sure you don’t create any problems with the logs. You want to know if you can prevent mold and mildew stains from appearing. At the same time you wish you could have afforded to build bigger to hold all your stuff and are looking for smart storage solutions to reclaim your space. You may be looking to rent a log cabin for a vacation or to check out log homes in general before you proceed with building your own. Or you may have a log home available for rental and want to know the ins and outs of rental management and wear and tear on your retirement home. ShowsA great way to see a wide spectrum of log home styles and meet representatives of many different log cabin companies is to attend The Log & Timber Home Show. These events are held around the country and offer three days of cabin displays, free seminars, crafts and furniture in the log home style, and a chance to meet with knowledgeable people, ask questions, peruse brochures and get some hands-on experience with log home building from the log home community. If you sign up in advance you can get a 20% discount on your tickets.BooksThere are tons of books out that cover every aspect of log home building from acting as your own contractor, designing your log home, log cabin interior design, choosing log cabin light fixtures, etc. Some are better than others and it can be a big help to have somebody review the books to save time sorting through the choices. We have a virtual library of the best log cabin and log home books out there.One way to ensure a constant stream of new, relevant information about log cabins is to bookmark this site or subscribe to the Log Cabin Connection blog and check back often as we’re always updating and adding new information. Best of all it’s free! If you enjoy what you're reading, please share this site with others who might be interested in log cabins and the rustic lifestyle.  MagazinesAnother way to keep your in-box full of new material from the log home community is to subscribe to the best log home magazines and other relevant publications. I offer my list of favorites in my virtual library and tell you what is most useful as you proceed down your log home path.Log Home Building SchoolAnother option to consider is attending one of the hands-on training courses available through a log home building school. These workshops and full courses can answer all your questions about the cabin build process and offer practical, useful tips and advice for your own project. Nothing can provide the feeling of pride and confidence like actually building a log cabin and knowing you can take on a project of your own.On-LineIf you prefer blogs, forums and on-line communication, there are good sources of inspiration and information on the web as well. You can plug in to the log home community and receive RSS feeds showing a wide range of new material (subscribe to the Log Cabin Connection Blog here), search for specific answers to questions you have encountered or offer your own experience to others. There is even a Log Homes Council looking out for your interests in the industry.The log home community is extensive, knowledgeable and eager to exchange information and ideas. Join in, learn what you need and offer your own advice in return.
|
