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We have produced log home kits in both linear and precut form, and the
large majority of our kits are shipped lineal. Our lineal kits are the same as
the precut kits, except that the logs are not cut to an exact length. This is
left up to the on-site contractor, and here are a few reasons why most customers
now choose our lineal log packages:
1. Price. Obviously, the cost of a kit is cheaper if you purchase your
logs in lineal form.
2. Searching for individual logs during construction. You'll have
between 200-300 logs in your home. It is frequently more time-consuming to
locate each numbered log (in a precut kit) than it is to pick any log you like
and lag it in as you go (lineal kit).
3. Log Butt Joints are hidden behind interior wall. This has
always been a big plus for our lineal packages. As the home is being
constructed, we can locate nearly ALL of the log butt joints behind the interior
2x4 walls. This is easy to do with a lineal package, and it makes a very
pretty log wall.
4. Late floor plan adaptations and window changes. While we're
building a local log home, the homeowner almost always has a couple of changes
in window and door locations, or more often, window sizes. One has
to realize that once a home is under construction, it looks a little
different than it did on paper, and this is when most people want to make
the changes. With the precut kits, the changes are a big problem, but with the
lineal kits, the contractor can make the on-site modifications and keep on
building.
5. Foundation sizes vary. We have seen enough foundations that are
2-3" off to make this point to you. If your log home is precut for a 28x42
foundation, for example, and your foundation is 2-3" different, it's a big
problem and the solution is left in your own lap. If the foundation is too
small, you'll have to cut your log wall shorter on-site, and if the foundation
wall is too long, you'll have to order more, longer logs, which takes time. This
happens more often than people realize, and 2" makes a big difference, but with
the lineal packages the compensation in size is easy to accomplish.
6. IT'S YOUR CHOICE of which logs go where in the log wall. As soon as
you start log construction, you will notice that each log has it's own look to
it. This is due mostly to knot patterns and knot sizes. Depending on where in
the tree the log was located, and the diameter of the raw log that was sawed to
produce the cabin log, knot sizes and patterns will vary between logs. Look at
some of our pictures, and you'll notice this variation. Some people like a lot
of knots in a particular room, and some like a clearer wall look. To others,
this does not matter. With the linear package, you can dictate where each log
goes. With the precut kits, each log is limited to a specific location in the
home.
7. TWO CUTS PER WINDOW: We've used a chainsaw and saw-guide for years
for field-cutting our window openings. This is a simple, inexpensive squaring
jig that mounts to your chainsaw, and it cuts a very exact opening AFTER the
logs have been installed. The logs are "stacked" and lagged in, up the sides of
each window and door location, allowing for each log to protrude 3-4" into the
final rough openings. Then, two cuts (one for each side) finish the opening, all
at once. (We also use the same jig on our solid log gable ends).
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