Different suppliers

Choosing a log suppler is probably one of the most important decisions to be made when building a log cabin.   And in a strange way, I was lucky to read some really terrible stories early on about purchasing log packages that scared me to death!  The realization that it’s possible to end up with nothing and be out a ton of cash is down right sobering.  I don’t want to spend too much time talking about the indicators I use when trying to decide if a business is reputable or not, but more time spent discussing how to find the best value when it comes to log suppliers.   Since my cabin and 80% of log cabins being built these days use milled logs, I will focus on them. (more…)

Basement and Forms

Now that the block is done I could start getting the concrete slab ready to pour.  I still needed to rough in the plumbing and fill the slab with gravel which will take some time, but I began to wonder about drainage tile.   When building the basement for our home six years ago, we went out of our way to ensure water stays out. But what about on a slab foundation?  After some research on the subject, I came to the conclusion it would be cheap insurance considering water and wood don’t mix well and I am building a log cabin.

Drain tile has a pretty straight forward goal of trying to keep ground water away from the building.  It is nothing more than a pipe (usually 4″ diameter) that has holes or slots cut into it that gets buried around and below the grade of the slab.   (more…)