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Tiny Homes, LogHeads, Pet Doors

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Home|Newsletters|Tiny Homes, LogHeads, Pet Doors

Tiny Homes, LogHeads, Pet Doors

August 12, 2014

Good morning!

This month we say farewell to one of Katahdin’s most successful and longstanding dealers, Denny and Randi Pehrson. These friends started at the very beginning of Katahdin Cedar Log Homes and over the years worked with me and my father, Foster Gordon, to sell hundreds of Katahdin homes. In their home state of Pennsylvania, they were instrumental in convincing lawmakers there to exempt log homes from strict energy measures during the oil crisis in the late 1970s. Of course the attention to saving energy led us to develop the prototype for today’s Energy Envelope System that meets new efficiency standards set in 2009. Denny and Randi are enjoying their ranch in Montana, running a few Angus and enjoying a happy retirement. We wish them well!

Another long-time friend of Katahdin is Tommy Mitchell, owner of Rocky Top Cedar Log Furniture who joined us in building the Katahdin log home featured in Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in 2005. Since then, Tommy and his wife Gwen’s business has been growing in leaps and bounds. Their newest adventure is Log Heads, a reality show premiering on August 22 on the DIY Network. We take a moment to get caught up with the Mitchells and their show.

One trend that is taking the housing industry by storm is the tiny house movement. We’ve fielded more and more requests for homes under 1000 square feet and this month, we offer some insights in how to accomplish more with less. We also identify some suppliers and tips for furnishing a smaller home.

Many people find tankless water boilers a super efficient source for domestic hot water. We take a look at a new combination boiler and tankless on-demand water heater that has enough capacity to handle both hydronic heating and domestic water demands for larger homes.

Homeowners take such care now to ensure high efficiency windows and doors in their homes, but neglect a potential high heat loss area: the pet door. We found a pet door that can pass a blower door test and keep your heating and cooling where it belongs.

And if it’s August, that means that the fall Log Home Show schedule is about to start up, along with plans for Log Home Seminars. We’ve collected our planned events together as of this writing below.

We hope you’ll enjoy this month’s newsletter! If you have any suggestions please, drop us a line and we’ll try to include them in upcoming newsletters. Just click here to reach us.

Sincerely,

David Gordon
President

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Tiny Homes with Big Appeal

The tiny home trend is one that is taking hold in many areas in the U.S. There are many motivations for super downsizing one’s home. And we think a tiny log home is a great idea! Check out the options here.

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Furnishing Tiny Homes

Many tiny home owners are looking toward Europe for solutions to equipping and furnishing a tiny home, since most Europeans make do with much less space in their homes than Americans do. From appliances to furniture it’s important to start with a measuring tape.  Learn more here.

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Long Relationship with Katahdin Cedar Log Homes Results in Reality Show 

LogHeads on Great American Country Network is a Fun, Family, Design & Build Show

When Tommy Mitchell first got the call from Katahdin’s David Gordon to join the team to build and furnish the first log home on a network design and makeover show, he and his wife, Gwen, started on a fast ride to fame in the log home and furniture industry. Learn more here.

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High Efficiency Tankless Combination Boilers

When it comes to providing on-demand hot water, tankless water boilers are a great addition. One manufacturer of tankless units had developed their a combi-boiler that has enough power to support hydronic heating and domestic hot water.  Learn more here.

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Green Tip: Pet Access Doors

Pet doors are a common headache for pet owners who are striving for the best energy efficiency in their homes. However, we stumbled on a type of pet door that can pass a blower test and work in a certified passive energy home.   Learn more.

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Fall Log Home Show Preview

August is the time when we look toward planning our fall log home show exhibition schedule. Log home shows and Katahdin Log Home Seminars are a great way to get started: see how we make our log homes, learn the advantages of Northern White Cedar and meet with experienced Katahdin dealers and builders in your area. Check out the schedule!

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