Over the past few years, the log and timber home industry has taken a new turn. Today the industry sees more and more homes combining log elements with timber frame components and conventional framing. Employing a combination of materials and building styles is referred to as “hybrid” and is often done to achieve a particular design look. Many clients enjoy the flexibility in design that a hybrid style home allows. Below are a few examples illustrating how a combination of different materials can come together to create a truly amazing home:

Crested Butte - A hybrid log home design of large stone, milled log walls, and customized timber frame trusses.Eagle’s Nest - A hybrid log & timber home; square milled log walls with dovetail corners and custom timber frame trusses.

Upland Retreat - A handcrafted log & timber hybrid home; handcrafted wall logs and timber frame trusses, posts & roof.

Many designers will use timber and log elements in combination with conventional framing. Of course, the log & timber home purist prefers a more authentic log and timber style construction. But, decorative log and timber elements added to conventional framing can achieve a mountain flavor and sometimes save costs. This hybrid method is seen regularly in multi-unit condominiums and resort townhouses. Framing side wings in combination with a timber frame or log great room makes sense and can save in construction costs.

Log construction, however, can be very difficult to combine with other types of construction if the log home company doesn’t utilize a non-settling system. If your goal is to decrease the cost to build your log home by mixing logs with framing or post & beam construction, remember to check out the company’s non-settling system.With any home design, the creativity of the designer will dictate the materials to be used. Find a company that is flexible in their manufacturing so as to accommodate the creativity of your design. Providing your designer with a broad palette of materials including log, timber, framing, glass, stone, steel and other materials creates more opportunity for a unique and creative custom home. The design must come first and the materials must then be able to accommodate.

Get more log home information by visiting PrecisionCraft Log Homes or learn more about the log home industry at The Log Home Blog.

Jim Young is the president of PrecisionCraft Log Homes and presides over the Log Homes Council for the National Homebuilders Association. Jim set the stage for a full service approach to designing, producing, and building log homes with the industry’s first Total Log Home Solution, which is a PrecisionCraft hallmark.

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