Kitchen Islands – Center of Activities
The warmth of the kitchen draws family members and guests to participate and enjoy the home’s conversation and food. And the kitchen island is often the centerpiece of this gathering. Yes, they’ve evolved: from the butcher block on casters with hooks for utensils to the landing-strip-sized giants that can dominate the entire room. How do… Read more »
Next Generation Fire Safety
Many homeowners neglect fire safety when designing and equipping their homes, limiting the effort to a battery operated or hard-wired basic smoke detector. However, every home should also be equipped with up-to-date fire extinguishers, especially those homes located well away from emergency response. And there is a new improvement on the generic smoke/CO2 and CO… Read more »
Green Tip: Cogeneration Reaches U.S. Residential Market
Micro-combined heat and power (MCHP or Micro-CHP) or co-generation systems have long been employed by larger buildings and businesses to create both heat and electricity from a single fuel source. Now the MCHP, which has been rapidly expanding in Europe and Japan, is now available in the U.S. The freewatt™ Micro-CHP system uses natural gas… Read more »
Winter/Spring Shows Are Off & Running!
With the first log home event in Atlanta happening just this weekend (Jan 17-19), the 2014 log home show season will offer folks plenty of chances to meet with local and knowledgeable Katahdin dealers and representatives. It’s early in the season, and we anticipate adding several of our popular and informative seminars to the schedule… Read more »
Powering Up-Getting Connected to the Electrical Grid
Many new log homes are built on undeveloped land, which in many instances requires you to bring in electricity and other utilities to the site. Even if your have a general contractor or builder, a little knowledge about how to connect to the electrical grid is helpful to know in advance, particularly when developing a… Read more »
New Options for Radiant Heat
Radiant heat has been used in homes for quite a while, and the reasons are easy to understand. According to GreenBuilder.com, “The water in a hydronic radiant floor system has the capacity to transport energy 3,500 times greater than air, so it can heat (and even cool) using less energy than a forced-air system.” Because… Read more »
What’s in the Package: Know what you’re buying
Winter is the time when many log home manufacturers begin promotions, including Katahdin. We have seen many of these marketing opportunities over the years from some of our competitors. Pricing is usually pretty attractive, until the bargain package arrives and you realize how much is still needed to complete the home. Katahdin is recognized as… Read more »
Green Tip: Torrefied Wood Doors
Many log home enthusiasts have had to forego their desire for wood exterior doors. If your design doesn’t have an overhang, faces south and is exposed to excess UV exposure, or requires a dark stain or paint to fit into the design, a wooden door just wasn’t practical. However, a new type of wooden door… Read more »
2014 Log Home Show Preview
Though we’re still mapping out the Spring 2014 Log Home Show exhibit schedule, we thought an early heads up was in order. Whether you’re just starting out or are ready to build, log home shows offer a unique opportunity to learn about log homes, manufacturers and experience the log home lifestyle up close and personal.… Read more »
Strategies for Storms
Every year, it seems that somewhere we experience a disastrous storm. Even a strong wind storm with excess rain and snow, or even a freak ice storm like the one that hit in Maine in 1999 can sometimes put families in a tough position. Building a new log home offers a unique opportunity to design… Read more »
Log Home Planning Seminar – Reading, PA
When researching locations for our seminar we wanted to be central to many of our Mid-Atlantic friends. We found a great location at The Inn at Reading for our Log Home Planning Seminar on Saturday, December 7, and a fantastic nearby Katahdin Cedar Log Home for you to experience first hand! The day-long Log Home… Read more »
Building Your Log Home Idea Book
The thought of designing your dream log home can be a little intimidating, so many options abound! However, if you start with a idea book, it’s a great way to organize your thoughts and collect the elements to make your log home truly unique. Start HereMost people process information visually, and when trying to capture… Read more »