Katahdin's Guide to Building Your Log Home

Even if you've built a home in the past, construction of your Katahdin Cedar Log Home is quite different from conventional construction. As with any large project, planning and research is key to a home that meets your needs and stays within budget. We've prepared this series of Home Buyer "How-to" pages to provide you with information and questions to ask, where to start your process and what to expect. It's not an exhaustive list, as each building project has its own quirks, but our years of experience show that building a log home with Katahdin generally involves similar steps in the process.

• Site Locations Finding land or a lot site for your cedar log home can be challenging. If you haven't yet located land, you'll want to work with a broker in the area who understands the ins and outs of lots and land in your area. If you're building in an area new to you, you'll want to get a good picture of the climate as well - average snowfall and/or rain totals, temperature ranges, hours of daylight, potential for winds from hurricanes or strong storms. Here are some of the factors to consider when looking at land.
• Sketching, Plans and Pricing This initial stage of putting your dreams down on paper and developing a budget is an important and exciting step in the journey of building you Katahdin Cedar Log Home. Here are some tips and steps to help you with this stage of planning.
• Wells and Septic Systems If you're building in a rural or remote setting, most likely you'll need to build a private water and waste system.
• Selecting Insulation Most people take a hard look at a car's miles-per-gallon ratings when researching a new vehicle. Yet it seems that fewer people take a look at their home's "mpg" or energy efficiency, especially when it comes to insulation. Here are some factors to consider when finalizing the details of your Katahdin Cedar Log Home.
• Green Approaches At Katahdin we've made a clear commitment to a green approach to building, not only because it makes sense, but because it helps our customers to save money over the long term. Taking a green approach can lower your expenditures, reduce your impact on the environment and provide a safer indoor environment by limiting exposure to mold and harmful substances. Designing with a green approach can work throughout many areas of the design process.
• Permitting Each state, town, and municipality has rules and regulations for the permits needed for home construction. If you've decided on a parcel or lot within a particular community, you'll want to meet with the local code enforcement officer to determine the ins and outs of that town's permitting structure. Some can be quite relaxed; others have very precise regulations determining the permits needed for construction. Here are some questions you'll want to ask.
• Site Preparation Many Katahdin Cedar Log Home customers choose sites that are not part of an established development. Rural parcels and undeveloped land have requirements that should be assessed early in the process, as infrastructure costs can become a substantial part of your budget. When you review your site with your real estate broker, your Katahdin Dealer or Representative and your contractor, you'll want to identify these key elements.
• Foundations There are many types of foundations, and are selected based upon local preferences. No matter what type of foundation is specified, it is important to construct a foundation that provides a solid base for you log home. Here are some types of foundations used in North America.
• Day of Arrival Finally, the day your home is delivered arrives! This date is generally arranged one to two months in advance, working closely with Katahdin's mill in Oakfield, the truckers who will transport the elements to your building site, and the construction crew that will build your home.
• Log Raising The log raising process is a very exciting time. The exterior walls and first floor will go up quickly depending on the weather - usually within the first week to ten days. The second floor, roof, trusses and purlins may take another 2-3 weeks - again dependent on weather and scheduling.
• Interior Finishing Once your Katahdin Cedar Log Home is enclosed, work will begin on the inside to finish interior living spaces. Many of these steps will be occurring simultaneously or in different sequences, depending on subcontractor scheduling. Here are some of the steps involved in interior finishing.
• Exterior Finishing Finishing the exterior of your Katahdin Cedar Log Home is an important step in protecting your investment. When finished properly, your exterior should provide many years of beauty with some routine maintenance each year.

• Ask a Log Home Expert - Ever had a question about a log home you thought too silly to ask? Ever wonder about a specific construction tidbit but were afraid to ask? Would you like to discuss your log home desires with a real person before committing to a meeting? Use the contact form today and simply add your comments or questions in the space provided and one of our log home experts will be in touch. The end of the day, a great product, great customer support and that personal touch that trained professional log home builders of Katahdin deliver really do make us stand apart from the crowd. Contact us Today.

Click here to download a printable version of the entire "Guide to Building Your Log Home".