Log Cabins-The Easiest Types Of Houses To Build

From among the different types of houses to build, log cabins are by far the most easiest and economical among them all. Log cabins are houses that are built by stacking one log from another. The logs used in these cabins are crude and unpolished creating on a floor and a half. So basically, the floor plan and materials used in building a log cabin are the reason for its lower costs compared to full-pledged houses and cottages.

Log cabins described

A log cabin is a small house of logs with only one floor level. Some cabins are built with an additional half floor like attics for extra storage space. Unfurnished round treated logs are used rather than the polished ones. These houses sort of have a rough and unfinished architecture because of its simple floor plan and crude log materials.

Log cabins distinguished from Log houses

Log houses are often times interchanged with log cabins. The two, apparently, are not interchangeable.  The former has a simpler architecture and floor plan than the former. Log cabins are built with crude logs. These logs have not undergone sophisticated processes like grinding and the like. On the other hand, polished and varnished logs are used in making log houses having floor plans that are generally larger than cabins.

Commonalities of the two

However different, log cabins and log houses are still generally alike when talking about durability, safety, and comfort. The logs used in both, despite the differences in “doneness”, are thoroughly picked to assure durability. The round logs stacked one after the other and locked by using cog joints builds a sturdy and long-lasting structure. Logs used in making these cabins and/or houses also give a breezy comfort to the inhabitants of the structure.

D-I-Y log cabins

These cabins are considered to be one of the simplest and cheapest to build mainly because of its rusticity. This allows you to build these cabins even without professional help from architects, blacksmiths and carpenters. These cabins, however simple to build, are properly made with the help of two or more other people for the transport and piling of the logs.

Secret for durable log cabins

The key to any durable and sturdy structure is a strong foundation. The bases of the cabin must be filled with cement to properly hold its posts and corresponding braces. The trees used as logs are cut and allowed to dry for a couple of days for shrinkage to take place. It is important to use logs that have already shrunk and are no longer green to avoid shrinking when already stacked and piled together. Failure to do so may create more gaps in your cabin’s walls and floors. A cabin with well chosen and properly stacked logs is sure to last longer than the ones which have may gaps on the walls and floors.

How to build your own log cabin?

The first step in building your own cabin out of logs is to cut trees to make into logs. After a great selection of these crude logs, pour cement into the bases to firmly hold the entire structure. An alternative is to use rocks as the cabin’s bases. Once done with the foundation, it’s time for the stacking and piling of the logs one after the other. It’s best to religiously pile them and finding the perfect fit of one log to the other to lessen the gaps created by the logs’ rough and unlevel sides. The logs are then held together by tying cog joints into their interlocking ends.

Andrea Fields is a technical writer who specializes in architecture. Her favorite topic is about the simplicity and advantages of building a log cabin. She herself owns a ranch with a number of log cabins in a village in Oklahoma.