Log Construction

House of Fallen Timbers – August Update

David Lottes from who is building the House of Fallen Timbers just sent me his August update. Here is what he has to say about it: Since the last update I finished the walls and stacked the purlins, gables and ridgepole. I’ve had a couple of nice weekends weather wise … Read more

The Ski Hut by Jalopy Cabins

by Kent Griswold

Lyle Congdon my friend from Jalopy Cabins sent me an update on their latest cabin which I had covered earlier this year.

Without all the snow and rain here in southwest Colorado, Lyle and Wolf at Jalopy Cabins have finally been able to complete their latest cabin, the “Ski Hut.”

If you missed the earlier post here is Jalopy Cabins mission: In keeping with our mission to use primarily reclaimed, salvaged, or some one else’s mistakes (ie the windows on this cabin) we were able to build this new cabin just the way we wanted.

The logs came off of the ski resort about 30 minutes from where we live and were from all the clean up they did for the slopes before the season began last year. The hand peeled round logs were more work but really worth it in the end.

Zook Cabins

by Christina Nellemann

Blending the benefits of a prefab, a log cabin and a mobile home, Zook Cabins, built by the Amish in Pennsylvania, offers several different types of fully assembled cabins in single or double-wide units that can be delivered directly to your property. Several different floorplans are also available, as well as customization and integration of your own design.

Zook Cabins are offered as fully assembled units for the simple reason in that it makes it easier on the owner. The Zook website says that most buyers of kit homes don’t have a lot of time or extra hands to construct a cabin from a kit or from scratch. Also, if your building site isn’t precisely level, the precut lumber doesn’t fit, or if you place one piece wrong you fight everything the rest of the way, and sometimes a piece will be cut wrong at the factory. Couple that with the fact that very few people have ever assembled a kit, and have yet to face the frustrations of doing it themselves or finding someone to do it for them.

House of Fallen Timbers Update

by Kent Griswold

David Lottes sent me a progress report for The House of Fallen Timbers and I thought you would enjoy seeing his progress. Here is the previous post if you are seeing this for the first time. The walls are half way up now! I’m still on target to get under … Read more

Idaho Dugout House

by Kent Griswold

Tom Farrens of Pocatello, Idaho contacted me about re-built (in progress) dugout house at the Historic Chesterfield Townsite in Chesterfield Idaho and shared a bit about them and a couple of photographs. The Townsite, located along the Oregon Trail was settled in late 1800’s is now a historic site and … Read more

House of Fallen Timbers

by Kent Griswold

David Lottes contacted me recently about a tiny log cabin he is building and a blog called the House of Fallen Timbers that he is journaling his progress on. I’ll let David take over and tell us more about his project.

The property is located in Central Illinois near the Salt Fork of the Vermilion River. My girlfriend Anne and I have about three acres of woods most of which is at least 60 years old.

Over the last eight years many of the standing dead elm trees have fallen over and gotten hung-up in the surrounding trees. This makes walking in the woods kinda scary on a windy day. I got into the habit of waiting for them to come down and cutting them up but our wood pile is now larger than anything we could hope to burn before it rots.