Little Changes, Big Changes- Adjustments can make a difference to the bottom line
Looking at a set of floor plans, it’s easy to start to move walls, reconfigure rooms or add extra feet to the width of a room. But what seems like just a small change on paper can often multiply into a costly change that may blow your budget out of the water. Conversely, subtracting an… Read more »
New Designs in Septic Systems Offer Better Long-term Results
Many new log homes are built in rural areas where municipal sewer treatment is not an option. As a result, log home owners may have their first exposure to their own private wastewater system or septic system. To get you started on the right foot, we’ve explored septic systems and identified some of the new… Read more »
Kids Crooked Houses Let Imaginations Run Wild
Any child —no matter what age— has dreamed of a secret hideaway where their imaginations could invent rich stories populated by all types of interesting characters. That image of a secret hideaway and the fact that one Mainer couldn’t find a fun play house for his kids led to the development of Kids Crooked Houses,… Read more »
Green Tip: Dimmable Compact Florescent and Low-energy Incandescent Light Bulbs
With all the flurry about LED lighting, the expensive new low-energy lighting option, many have written the obituaries for the original incandescent and even the now common compact florescent lightbulbs (CFLs). But the new energy bill enacted two years ago that changed the standards for light bulbs created a new inventive spark to create CFLs… Read more »
New “How-To” Web Pages Help to Answer Questions
If you haven’t visited our website, KatahdinCedarLogHomes.com, recently, you’ll want to check out the new “How-To” pages we launched in the past few weeks. Even if you’ve built a home before, log homes provide some special challenges. Additionally, many Katahdin Cedar Log Homes are built outside of traditional subdivisions on rural and undeveloped property, which… Read more »
Green Tip: Air Powered Water Heater
One of the biggest culprit for energy use is the domestic water heater. If you’ve ever wondered if it were possible to tap into the ambient energy in your home’s air, AirTap™ has developed a solution. Acting as a conventional heat pump, the AirTap™ unit uses a low energy compressor to extract heat energy from… Read more »
Dry Stone Walls Last Many Lifetimes
Stones have been used to construct walls, bridges and other structures for centuries. When the wall is constructed of interlocking stones without any mortar the technique is called dry stone walling. Britain has used abundant local stone to build fences for livestock and for boundaries. The craft has continued in modern times under the Dry… Read more »
Photovoltaic Cells Create Electricity from Sun
When most people talk about solar energy they’re speaking about using the sun’s energy to heat water and transfer that energy into a home’s heating or hot water systems. The other species of solar involves photovoltaic cells, which convert the sun’s energy into electricity. To date, the incentives have not been there for most homeowners… Read more »
Woodwaiter Does the Heavy Lifting
Anyone who uses wood or pellets to heat know the transportation of logs to the hearth is a chore that no one enjoys. One homeowner decided that the trips up and down his narrow antique farmhouse stairs for wood was too much. So Bruce Fowler designed the Woodwaiter, an electric powered system to move wood… Read more »
Eddie Montgomery Steakhouse Nears Completion
Construction crews have been working through the winter months on the Eddie Montgomery’s Steakhouse restaurant and entertainment venue in Harrodsburg, Ky. As the largest log structure made of Northern White Cedar we’ve built, it’s been an exciting project for Katahdin over the past 18 months. The exterior of the restaurant has been closed in for… Read more »
Seeding Your New Lawn Saves Money
Once your Katahdin Cedar Log Home is close to completion and most of the outdoor construction activity is over, you’ll want to get started on seeding your lawn. Should you have a lawn?If you’re in an area that is subject to drought or low rainfall, or if your lot is well shaded, you may want… Read more »
Outdoor Furniture Lets You Live It Up in Nature
Many people who choose the log home lifestyle do so because it embraces the outdoors they love. That’s why we see so many of our homes built with spaces to enjoy nature, such as patios, decks, porches and balconies. To maximize these outdoor spaces, you’ll need outdoor furniture that’s rugged enough to stand up to… Read more »