Forgotten Flare

When planning your dream home, it may seem that the list of design decisions is endless. The process tends to begin with bigger concepts, like cape versus chalet, and funnels down to the finer details, such as faucet style and finish. In between, decisions have been made on timber joist style, shingle color and lighting placement. What do all of these decisions have in common? They are all about integral parts of a home. The project can not proceed without someone asking these questions. When planning your home, don't forget the design decisions which are not required parts of the structure.
Gables trusses, window trim, stepped overhangs, timber purlins and over-sized fascia are just a few examples of the details which will give your home architectural flare. Talk with your sales consultant about including design elements which will set your dream home apart.

Fall Colors...

It’s hard to believe that Summer is almost over, although here in the Northeast it’s been the Summer that never was! This time of year many of my clients are beginning to make plans to start construction in the Spring, but did you know that the Fall is one of the best times of the year to build? Normally the ground has had a chance to dry out, which makes it easier for your site and foundation contractors to get their heavy equipment in and out of the job site. Dirt roads are stable and fixed up from damages of the previous winter’s frosts. I visited many a soggy job sites this past Spring to see concrete trucks stuck up to their axles in mud!

Contractors are also eager to retain a project to carry them through the Winter. By planning now, you can easily have your dream home enclosed before the snow starts to fly. Once the house is shelled in, your contractor will have your undivided attention as he completes all the interior finish work over the course of the Winter. And with the arrival of Spring, you can jump right into having your landscaping completed; this way your new plantings will have an entire growing season to get established.

So, if you thought of building this Fall or are thinking of moving your timeline ahead, give your Beaver Mountain Sales Consultant a call and you can be enjoying the site of your dream home under construction right along with all those Fall colors!

Call 1-800-233-2770 to schedule a consultation!

Thinking outside "THE BOX"

For the past several months I have worked with a lovely couple on their dream home. And while many of our correspondence has been by fax, phone and email- for now "the box" has made a lasting impression on Ken and Lori’s Beaver Mountain building experience!

These attractive and yet sturdy boxes are typically used to mail documents, drawings and other items that otherwise would not fit into an envelope. A few months back when Ken and Lori needed to review some documents, being the frugal, environmentally responsible person I am, I decided to try something different with my nearby neighbor.

I placed the first documents in “the box” and with Lori’s permission decided to drop it off at their house. Lori in turn, left me a message that after they reviewed the documents she too, would leave “the box” on the porch for me to pick up. Over the next several weeks we passed "the box" back and forth many times. All the while our design and engineering department, in conjunction with the builder, collaborated and analyzed the design, materials and site location in order to satisfy NYS Energy Star requirements. They analyzed windows, overhangs, thermal mass, color and type of roof shingles as well as the energy efficiency of the corner styles. As a result, Lori and Ken will be substantially reducing their carbon footprint not only with their design but with the use of geothermal radiant heat and enough photovoltaic solar panels to provide 93% of their electrical usage.

So over the next few months the chronicles of “the box” will quickly draw to an end but the excitement that comes with the delivery and construction of Lori and Ken’s beautiful new “Environmentally Friendly” Beaver Mountain Home will last for many years to come!Debbie D- Building Consultant

For more information on how Beaver Mountain can help you build your dream home call 1-800-233-2770

Thinking about Remodeling?

Are you looking to add that touch of luxurious lodge or cozy cabin to transform your current home into a rustic mountain retreat?

Did you know that not only does Beaver Mountain Log & Cedar Homes design and manufacture log, panelized half log and hybrid wood homes, but we also offer a diverse line of individual log/timber components as well.

We offer:

- A wide variety of wood siding options to satisfy any style
- 1/2 log timber stair components
- Large milled and lathed turned log and timber components
- Wood railings, decorative posts

and much, much more!

Come to the Mountain and tour our (3) model homes, showroom and design center and see for yourself how you can transform your home and give it that unique handcrafted, mountain appeal.

For more information call 1-800-233-2770

Enhancing Your Buying Experience

Beaver Mountain recently received a 50-50 matching grant from New York State to train our employees in process improvement. The funds we received from this grant allowed us to hire an outside consulting firm to help us stream line our home order process and help us implement better procedures. As a result we have been able to move home orders through our facility faster and with more accuracy and quality control. In some cases we can deliver your home in as little as 4-6 weeks from time of order, however, the earlier you start the process the better. Typically 8-12 weeks provides enough time for custom order items and finalizing construction details.

This has been beneficial to our clients as we are able to better accommodate their needs. It also helps us find any mistakes that may have happened and correct them prior to delivery, ensuring that delivery will go smoothly. Beaver Mountain is always evolving, looking for ways to improve our processes and our products and this is just one example of how we are staying ahead of the industry. Thanks to the funds received from New York State we have been able to take advantage of this important training.

-Drew Prochazka, Business Manager

COME TO THE MOUNTAIN... IT'S FREE!

Did you know Beaver Mountain has (3) model homes that have been described by industry experts, “as one of the most impressive displays in the northeast?” And did you know that Beaver Mountain's manufacturing facility is affectionately called, “The Cabinet Shop?”

We know these things very well and we would like everyone to know about them. The best way to do that is to schedule a personal consultation or sign up for a mill tour and seminar! We are so confident that you will love what you see that we are now offering a “Travel Reimbursement Program” to make it easier for you to Come to the Mountain! If you make the trip to see us and purchase a Beaver Mountain Home, we will reimburse you for the costs of travel and lodging. To learn more, contact your Beaver Mountain sales consultant for all the details!

1-800-233-2770

Dan & Jean's Design - Part 2

Continued from March 30, 2009...
After reviewing the design, Jean decided she would like a third guest bedroom on the main floor and the master bedroom bumped out to give more space. I revised the design and with the bumped out master bedroom, we also added a covered porch for that room and a rec room down below in the basement area. I emailed the drawings on to Dan & Jean for their review, as well as their sales consultant Chris, for updated pricing.

"Some of the changes made were to better orientate things in the floor plan to take full advantage of the features inside the home, as well as views outside. "

Jean stopped in one day on her way by to talk about options for dressing up the appearance of the approach side of their home. She met with her sales consultant Chris and discussed adding some roof lines and more glass to that view of the house. At that time we invited them back, along with their perspective builder, to explore some of these options on the computer. Jean agreed the builder would be a big help at our next meeting so we could avoid making changes that would blow the budget.

We had our meeting near the end of January with Dan, Jean and the perspective builder Jim Cammer. We were able to dress the front of the house up with some false roof lines, some log siding to cover the exposed basement walls and some stone work around the entry way. We relocated a few windows and added a mudroom entrance from the rear of the house during this meeting as well. Jean loved the changes and was ready to move onto the approval drawing stage of the design process. We agreed to meet again once the ¼ scale approval drawings were complete.

We got back together in February to review the approval drawings and made some minor changes. We discussed different areas of the home and walked through each room thinking about the ways they intend on living in each space. Some of the changes made were to better orientate things in the floor plan to take full advantage of the features inside the home, as well as views outside. Once the revisions are complete on the approval drawings, they will be able to get final quotes from Beaver Mountain as well as the builder and his sub contractors. Revised drawings will be sent out shortly.

Now that our quote has been finalized and the builder has been able to put his numbers together Dan & Jean feel the project is coming in a bit over budget. I spoke with the builder and reviewed some changes we could make in the design that would reduce cost without compromising too much in the overall layout. We both felt these changes would be required to bring the cost down so we set up an appointment with Dan & Jean to re-work the plans.

I met with Dan & Jean around the middle of March and re-worked the design trying to shave some cost and bring them back into their project budget. We eliminated the bump out on the main floor along with the small private covered porch off of the master bedroom. This caused us to move the master suite back within the main footprint of the house and relocate a guest bedroom down to the daylight basement area. We were able to eliminate one of the garage bays in the basement to make space for the bedroom, as well as relocate the rec room, which was in the bump out below the master bedroom that we removed. These changes really make a lot of sense from a cost standpoint as well as from a “Building Greener” standpoint. We spoke to the builder on the phone during this appointment and he agrees we are heading the right direction. The next step will be updating the quote and getting revised pricing from the builder and his sub contractors.

Watch for Part 3, coming in June.

John Lanner, Senior Design Consultant

Dan & Jean's Design Process

While working at the Syracuse Home & Garden show this past weekend, I was asked the same questions over and over……..Do you sell pre-designed kits? What if we have our own floor plan? Can you custom design? These are all valid questions of which you will receive many different answers on throughout the log home industry, so I would like to give you our answer on “Design”. At Beaver Mountain we pride ourselves on custom designing your dream home to meet not only your wants & needs but your project budget as well.

The following is just one example of a typical design process here at Beaver Mountain, but I thought it would be nice to lay a project out for you from the start. Since this project is not yet complete and the design is often times a multiple step process I will be posting updates as things move forward……..

The design process for Dan & Jean Marie:

I first met with Dan & Jean Marie back in December for a preliminary design consultation where I learned they wanted to build in two phases. The first phase was going to be a two car garage with living quarters above, carriage house style, and then when they were ready to move up full time, they would attach a house as phase two. After reviewing their ideas, we soon realized it would be best to merge the two phases and build the house and garage all as one structure. This would reduce the overall footprint of the home and take full advantage of their site. We discussed a few options for positioning the house and decided it would be best for me to visit their site. We set a schedule for a site visit as well as a follow-up appointment to get the design started.

I made my visit to the site early one morning in December & took several photo’s of the area we all discussed locating the house. Based on the natural slope of the property and the beautiful country views, I felt we were in a great spot! I headed back to the office and put some of my initial ideas on paper to share with Dan & Jean Marie during our next scheduled visit.
The New Year arrived and Dan & Jean came back for the preliminary design session where we sat down at the computer and began the house design. We located the garage space below the house in the daylight basement area to take advantage of the natural slope of the land. Also planned for this space would be an entry / foyer with timber stairs up to the main living areas, laundry room, full bath and a utility room. The main floor was blocked out with the great room, kitchen & dining overlooking an open meadow to the west. To the east we planned for a master suite, (2) guest bedrooms and a full bath with the master suite capturing the sunrise over open fields separated by a wonderful tree line. The design session went well and gave us the info we needed to begin the estimate process. We discussed getting back together once they had a chance to review the preliminary design and we had a chance to run some numbers.

Watch for my next posting on Dan & Jean's design process the week of April 20Th.

John Lanner, Senior Design Consultant

5 tips for shopping for your Custom Home Package

Are you dreaming of a custom log or cedar home? With all the choices out there, it can be a confusing and overwhelming process. Here's a few tips to help make starting a little easier:

1. Pick up some log home publications. These are a wealth of information, including articles about the process, what to look for in a log home manufacturer, floorplans, photos for inspiration and information about upcoming events. A great resource in these publications is in the back of the magazine - the classifieds. There you'll be able to browse through your state (and don't forget to check the states around you) to find listings of home companies. Many of these publications also offer Home Shows throughout the US, which is another great way to start your research.
   
2. Start browsing websites and requesting information. After you've found the home companies you're interested in investigating, go online and check them out. Most will give you great information about the company, and will let you sign up for more information from the site. If you're searching google, try keywords such as "log home new york" instead of the generic "log home". Your results will be better targeted and you'll find it easier to wade through those results than if you get millions of results from a more general keyword.


3. Schedule and appointment with a sales consultant and visit the company. After you've received the printed information, it's always a good idea to go visit the company (if you can make it to the company's main headquarters, it's well worth it.) Making an appointment is important, even if the company is open regular hours. This will ensure that you get the attention you want and time to ask all the questions that you've surely accumulated throughout the process. Some good questions you'll want to ask are: "what exactly is included in your log home package?" "Do you work with any architects or custom designers to make sure my home is exactly what I want?" "How many custom options do you have to choose from for your packages?"
   
4. Go through a Mill Tour and/or Seminar if the company offers one. As we mentioned in the previous point, visiting the company headquarters is important and very informative. But if you can get an invitation to a Mill Tour or Seminar, that's even better! Walking through the company's manufacturing facility will let you see where your home will be produced. Also make sure to ask to see things such as where the logs are stored after milling while awaiting delivery or if the company drystacks their homes before packing them for delivery.
   
5. Make your decision! After you've done your homework, received pricing and done your homework, it's time to sit down and spread all of the information in front of you. By this point you've usually been able to eliminate a few companys because they didn't offer what you were looking for. Look very closely at pricing and packages - most of the time if a company seems too cheap or too good to be true, there's a reason for it. Compare apples to apples to make sure that one company isn't leaving out critical components in the package. Also make sure that the packages you're comparing are comparable - for instance, don't compare a package with linear foot logs to a package with pre-cut logs. The linear foot log package will be cheaper, but that work will have to be done in the field on site and can end up costing more than the pre-cut package in the end after you pay for the builder's work on site. Think about the relationship you have so far with the company - do you feel comfortable working with them? Have they fostered trust? Do you feel confident that if there is a problem, they will fix it quickly? (And let's think about it, with a home package composed of thousands of components, there will be minor bumps along the way).

Best of luck on your custom home journey! It's something many people dream of for years and if you put in the research and time you'll reap the benefits in the years to come!

How much do custom homes cost?

When someone walks into our showroom and talks to one of our consultants, one of the first questions asked is “Howmuchisit?” A viable question. However it is difficult to answer. Years ago, when the finishes in homes were limited to Whirlpool or GE appliances; carpet, vinyl, or oak floors; formica countertops; Merrilat cabinets; … well you get the picture … it was pretty easy to ballpark a home’s cost. The styles of homes were pretty simple as well. There was the ranch, raised ranch, colonial two story, and gambrel… with some variations available.

Things have changed! All you need to do is to walk down an aisle in the local home improvement store and see a wide variety of finishes whether you are looking at cabinets, light fixtures, or floor coverings; to name a few. Just the countertop alone can offer you several options, with a wide range in price.

And the styles of homes? Well, we have prow front homes with walls of glass; homes with complex roof lines, wrap around porches, and expansive decks; homes that have several corners and angles, with three and four car garages attached!

Now envision every facet of the home and the possibilities available and you can see why the question “howmuchisit” is impossible to answer – at least right away.

At Beaver Mountain, we are interested in what you want your home to look like, what features you want in your home, and where you intend to build. We know that each of these things can affect the cost of the home. Then, ultimately we will ask you what your budget is. It is our job to help you make choices that will result in a home that you will love, within that budget. It is certainly in everyone’s best interest to do so!

So, if you really want to know “How Much Is It”, take some time to make an appointment to sit with one of our consultants and discuss the things that matter to you about your future home. With good conversation and exchange of ideas and information, we can give you an idea of what your home will cost.

Oh, we could give you the pat answer of X dollars a sq ft. You may have already been given a price per sq ft elsewhere. Think about it. Just how accurate can that answer be if there wasn’t an exchange of more information?

Is a Log Home in Your Future?

Researching log home manufacturers and their products can be a daunting task. Though log homes increasingly gain in popularity, the construction of the log and timber system is still not main stream and differs throughout the industry.

What is important in log construction for an energy efficient home with the least amount of maintenance? At Beaver Mountain Log & Cedar Homes we know that when educated the log home buyer will know what to look for and how to compare.

For the past few years we have offered home planning seminars, log raisings, and mill tours to the prospective log home purchaser and builders. The feed back has been very positive.

Gail and Dennis wrote:
We have attended several seminars and have been through four or five other mills and facilities. Two things set Beaver Mountain apart from the others. First was the way in which everyone responded to our questions. Answers were clear, direct and to the point.
Second, was the integrity displayed throughout the facilities. Sales persons, mill workers, and designers all reflected pride in the product and an absolute refusal to talk negatively about competing companies.

Kevin wrote simply:
I have attended the workshop and I loved the experience!

John and Donna said:
We wanted to take this opportunity to thank the staff at Beaver Mountain Log & Cedar Homes for what we felt was the most extensive and detailed Mill tour and Log Building workshop….

Check out our website at http://www.beavermtn.com/ for the calendar of upcoming events and register today!