Handcrafted or milled?
Question
Jamie wants to build a log home in Northern California and is considering between handcrafted from Canada or Swedish Cope milled log with a draw knife finish. Jamie asks about strengths and weaknesses of each.
Answer
Thank you for your question, Jamie. First I would like to approach this topic from general point of view and in the end give more detailed opinions. Your two choices tell that you value handcrafted style, maybe you are part of the “rustic people”. I suppose my answer doesn’t hit the mark completely, but I’m open for discussion. Let’s get going…
What matters the most with logs?
It is not your choice of handcrafted/milled approach but the choice of company, which is important. Dedicate your time to finding a dependable log home company, which is recommended by people you trust. Think about it from this point of view (sorry if I’m oversimplifying), which is better, tomato or onion pizza? Naturally this depends on one’s taste and the place where the pizza is made. And don’t get me even started with topic, which is better, log home or timber frame home… I always choose well-made home.
Handcrafted log homes
With handcrafted log homes you can often opt for turnkey project. In this case, people who make the log frame tend to be the ones who also erect the frame and build the home. As a result, you get a well-built log home. However, many companies just handcraft log frames and have nothing to do with the actual log home building. As a side note, you would be surprised how many perfectly good log frames and complete log home kits have been ruined by incompetent builders.
Handcrafters use large logs with lots of character, so their log storages tend to be bigger than with milled log home manufacturers’. In general, this means that handcrafted logs have had more time to dry naturally, hence less cracking.
Milled log homes
Milled log homes, however, are constantly rolled out from production line and in general companies forget their customers as soon as kits have been successfully transported to the customer. Time from order to delivery of a log home kit is significantly shorter than with handcrafted log homes. Price doesn’t differ that much, because those log processing machines eat a lot of capital. This almost brings the cost of milled logs to the level of handcrafted logs.
Milled logs have very much uniformed shape, which makes design and building processes easier. Production pace and machinery investments tend to mean that log home mills can’t afford large storages for drying logs naturally. Kiln-drying is the norm, because it makes stock management easier and production faster, i.e. logs can be purchased when needed and then quickly dried for manufacturing.
What about those logs then?
I try to stay positive here so I won’t focus on weaknesses, but if one is bit stronger then the other is…
STYLE: There are many handcrafting styles, so it is difficult to compare, since I don’t know the style you are after. Swedish Cope, milled and draw knife finished logs come just about as close to true handcrafting as possible. I would say there is not much difference here.
LOOK: They look the same from distance but up close you spot that there is a difference. However, if your guests doesn’t know much about log homes they are likely to think your home is handcrafted and with special dedication even, because logs are so alike.
DURABILITY: As long as you treat your logs and build with high foundation and long eaves, both logs withstand the test of time.
COST: Handcrafted logs will be more expensive
Anything else?
This is something that comes in mind, but for sure it is not the whole truth, there are many schools in our industry. As I said, I am open for discussion and opinions, I know log home and log cabin owners have lots of opinions, at least I do. So tell me, what do you think? Also don’t forget to subscribe to my RSS feed to stay updated.
Disclaimer - I must state that my answers are opinions only and can’t be used as a professional advice.
