As a little boy, Robert Hughes dreamed of living in a log home. He’d even talk with his mom and dad about his plans to someday build and move into a timber frame house. When he grew up, he did exactly what he said he’d do. Now, with his children gone, he and his wife, Julie, are preparing to downsize.
Even though the Hughes have lived in their current log home for nearly two decades, the sweet scent of the Northern White Pine from which they built their sprawling residence pervades every room, and acts like aromatherapy to soothe rattled nerves. It’s also remarkably quiet. Although the Hughes live just a few minutes off Highway 58, on 15 wooded acres that spread out from a semirural neighborhood, the only sounds audible in their dining area are those the birds outside their windows make. Their reluctance to leave the second log home in which they have lived also hangs in the air.
“The thing we love about our log home is that it’s very comfortable. We’ve been in homes in which we were afraid to touch things, or didn’t know where we could drive a nail, but that’s not a worry here,” Robert says, laughing. “And we’ve been in homes in which the walls shook when you shut the front door. That doesn’t happen here,” Julie says.
Like the Hugheses, Norman and Pat West love living in their log home in Sewanee, Tenn., but unlike Robert and Julie, it would take an act of God to pry them away. Although their home is about half of the 4,400 feet in which the Hugheses live, the view of seven mountain ranges beyond the prow of their home makes up the difference. “When I come home at the end of a day, it’s like being on vacation. People go to the Smokies and pay hundreds of dollars a night to see what we see every day,” says Norman, a clinical psychologist. Pat enjoys the solitude and being immersed in nature. “We’ve made friends with our neighbors, but we also have a lot of privacy, which we appreciate. And I love being in the woods. When I drive up and see our house, I feel good,” she says.
Both couples are among the growing number of people who have shunned traditional housing and live in a log home. While their decision might seem radical, contemporary timber frame houses combine the comforts of modern living, including running water and central heat and air, with the rustic charm of “Little House on the Prairie.” They also offer at least one money-saving benefit over stick house living.
Smaller bills, fatter wallets
Both the Hugheses and the Wests say one of the biggest surprises of living in a log home is lower utility bills. Neither can explain how it’s possible for their homes to be cool in the summer and warm in the winter, but both insist that’s the case. Pat remembers being shocked when she compared her electric bill with that of friends who live in a traditional house. “We were comparing electric bills, and even though our house has more square footage than theirs, their electric bill was a couple hundred dollars more than ours.”
Norman is unable to figure out how his log home stays cool in the summer, but believes he’s solved the mystery of why it stays warm in the winter.
“In the winter, the logs retain the heat from the sunlight and then radiate that warmth throughout the home. Even with our high ceilings, our electric bill is reasonable,” he says.
The cost of maintaining a log home doesn’t appear to be significantly higher than keeping a stick house in shape, although the couples differ in the amount of time they put into working on their homes. The Hugheses have treated their house twice since building it, which is fewer times than someone in a painted residence would need to recoat their home during the same amount of time. However, the Wests have to tend to the prow of their house on a regular basis, as it’s more exposed to the elements than the other sides of the home, and therefore a breeding ground for mildew.
“We’re going to be doing more cleaning, staining, and sealing in that area,” Norman says.
The biggest challenge the Hugheses face is carpenter bees. The foundation of their home is actually poured concrete, so termites aren’t a problem, but the occasional bee does set up housekeeping in their walls. However, Robert checks the exterior of his home on a regular basis, and quickly plugs up any holes he finds. While their experiences differ, both couples agree on the importance of keeping a close eye on the condition of a log home.
“You have to make sure your house is repelling water and isn’t picking up rot. Because if you let a log rot to the point that it’s structurally unsound, it won’t be cheap to fix,” Robert says. Although owning a log home comes with unique challenges, both couples knew what they were getting into, as they designed and built their own houses.
With my own two hands
While Robert had always wanted to build a log home, The Wests began to explore the option of living in a timber frame house while staying at a rental cabin near Cloudland Canyon. They enjoyed their time in the small unit, and thought its design fit the setting perfectly. Both families could have ordered a pre-designed home and had contractors build it to any stage they desired, but they opted to design their own abodes.
Norman and Pat bought every log home magazine on which they could get their hands, and did a lot of “cutting and pasting” until they had a basic layout. Next, they purchased a design program and turned their rough sketches into blueprints. To save money, they acted as their own general contractors, hiring and working with all of the subcontractors. Norman doesn’t advise people who can afford to hire someone to build their home do what they did. “That was a steep learning curve. If you can afford to hire a good builder, that would be easier and less stressful,” he says.
The Hugheses hired a builder to erect the shell of their home, but did a lot of the finishing work on their own. Julie has fond memories of installing the ceiling. “I was up on scaffolding, holding the tongue and groove while Robert nailed it in.” Robert designed his own home as well. Although he works on x-ray equipment for a living, he has a knack for drawing, and sketched out a design that a builder was able to turn into a working plan.
Both couples used kiln-dried wood, which kills critters and removes moisture so there’s no settling once the house is built. Those who go with “green” wood, as Robert did with the first log home he built, have to contend with logs that change shape as they dry. This complicates the construction process and can cause problems when the house starts to settle. Robert and Norman also urge prospective log homeowners to spend a lot of time planning the construction. Log homes on average are about one-third more expensive to build than a stick house, according to the Log Home Builders Association, so it’s important to price materials carefully. Also, Robert still smarts over purchasing green logs for his first place, so it’s also a good idea to research the builders that service an area and then choose one wisely.
If it was good enough for Abe Lincoln ...
Although log home living has its downsides, the Hugheses and Wests say the positives eclipse the negatives. While the former couple is reluctant to leave the home in which they raised their children, it’s too big for two people, so they’ve placed their house on the market and are planning to move into a traditional home. It will be an adjustment.
Their Realtor, Dan Griess, offers his thoughts on why people should consider living in a log home. “I breathe slower and feel better out here. It’s away from all of the madness. Nowadays, people are slaves to their jobs, and when they come home, they want a retreat, a place where they can chill out and relax. I get a good feeling every time I visit this place.” Robert smiles and tells him it’s available.