Yes! There is still plenty of time...

Q- Do we still have time to build this year? ..

This is a question I hear often this time of the year.

The answer – a resounding YES!!

If you are considering building, and you would like to enjoy your home next year, why wait? Start planning the home now, get your order placed for a fall delivery, and have use of it as early as spring 2010!

Here in the Northeast, summer seems to fly by and we all agree it is just too short. As we get into August and the start of the new school year approaches we realize that fall is close to follow.

Don’t let that discourage you. Actually, fall is a great time to build. It is typically drier in the fall than in the spring, and builders often are available, as the home they began in the spring is nearing or at completion. Builders also look to have work for the winter, and to get a house enclosed in the fall for indoor work over the winter months is ideal!

Beaver Mountain is currently scheduling production for September and throughout the remainder of 2009. With low interest rates, competitive pricing from builders and sub-contractors, and Beaver Mountain Fall and Winter building promotions, WHY WAIT?
Late summer and Fall are great times to build !

Call 1-800-233-2770 For more Information!

Can a “High Performance Home” be designed using Solid Log and Insulated Half Log construction?

In short the answer is yes! First though, let’s look at what a “High Performance Home” is. A high performance home, to me, is safer and healthier to live in, utilizes today’s technologies to use less energy, is built with sustainable materials and has a lower overall impact on the environment. A high performance home will outperform a traditional home that is built only with the goal of meeting code. The ultimate goal of a high performance home is to have all elements work together for greater energy efficiency and comfort, while also ensuring healthy indoor air quality.
Beaver Mountain Log & Cedar Homes has been focused on providing energy efficient homes for many years. I am currently working with several clients who are in the process of designing or building high performance homes (a.k.a. green or eco-friendly). Based on specific site conditions as well as personal preference, some are using solid log walls and others are using our insulated half log wall system. A few of the high performance methods being used include passive solar, geothermal, cool color roof shingles, solar panels and spray cellulose or foam insulation. These technologies combined with Beaver Mountain's expertise and quality of materials will set you well on your way to building a beautiful high performance home. The more natural wood products you use in your home such as logs and timbers (vs. man made conventional materials) the greener your home will be. We do not pre-treat or borate dip our logs so they are 100% natural and don’t emit harmful VOCs or other pollutants. Soil, water and air combined with energy from the sun are all that are needed to grow the trees our homes are made of. The thermal mass benefits of solid log construction better utilize available energy in both summer cooling and winter heating. According to the U.S. Department of Energy website you can save as much as 30-50% on your utility costs by incorporating various high performance or green building principles into the structure of your home. You can save 50-75% on your light bill alone by installing energy efficient fixtures and bulbs. The log and timber components our homes are milled from are not only beautiful they are renewable, recyclable and energy efficient.
Contact us today and find out how you too can benefit by designing and building a high performance home with Beaver Mountain.
John Lanner, Senior Design Consultant

Checks & Caulking

You just noticed some small splits or as they are called in the log home industry “checks”, in the logs on the outside of your home, what should you do? First off, this is a normal occurrence. These can occur in the first couple of years after your home is completed, especially on the more exposed west and south sides of the home. These sides receive more sun and higher temperatures. This can cause the logs moisture content to dry more than the less exposed sides. This additional drying will sometimes cause checks to occur.
How concerned you should be, depends on where the check is, if they are small, less than a ¼” wide and on the under side of the log radius, you can apply caulk or leave them alone. If they are on the upper side of the log radius they should be caulked.
Checks on the upper side of the log can have rainwater or snow melt running into the opening. This will increase the weathering process of the wood and during the winter months, the water can freeze and expand increasing the size of the opening.
To get a good weather tight seal with the caulk, we recommend using a wire brush or coarse sand paper to remove any dirt and finish from around the crack, then clean the area with mineral spirits, let that dry then apply caulk into and over the crack. Allow the caulk to skim over, and then apply a coat of finish over the caulk. This will create a weather tight seal over the check.
We provide Sashco’s Conceal caulk for caulking any small gaps that may occur on the outside of the logs. If you decide to use another brand of caulk make sure it is a high quality caulk and for exterior use, as a rule of thumb the high the cost of the caulk the better the quality. And make sure the caulk color will match the finish color.
Also check the handrails and exposed log ends for new checks. If you have any questions please give us a call, we will be happy to give you some guidance.
Fred Hathaway