Why A Ducharme Log Home?

A log home is a unique product; you probably have a number of questions. Some of the questions we answer most frequently are:

CAN I DESIGN MY OWN HOME?

We assist each customer to custom design their own home. Creating a design to be built out of log requires knowledge about size of logs, lengths of logs available, etc. We work with an excellent log home draftsman who is very knowledgeable about the unique needs/requirements of designing a log home. We assist you to prepare your preliminary drawings and then we will assist you to gather quotes and information before you have your final drawings prepared. Having your preliminary drawings is the first step in building your dream home as all supplies/contractors require the chosen plans to prepare quotes and provide information.

WHAT TYPE OF LOGS SHOULD WE BUILD WITH?

We build homes with dry fir, pine, or cedar logs. Logs are carefully picked to allow for the right size, taper, and spiral. All species of wood are available in full range of different sizes. Each type of wood offers different aspects:

Douglas Fir: a strong wood, available in a variety of sizes, we primarily use logs with 12" - 14" mid diameters. Fir is usually available in a medium price range, is a beautiful golden red in its natural state and spans the farthest. Fir is used in most roofing systems.

Pine: pine is lighter in color, it is not as hard as fir and it does not span as far. Pine logs are also available in a variety of sizes but are more often used when a smaller log is desired. We generally use pine when building homes with a 10" - 12" diameter. Pine is usually less expensive to buy but requires more rounds of logs to be cut which increases your labor costs. The end result being a price comparable to a fir log home. Blue Pine is also available; this is pine that has a natural stain that is comparable to the color of denim.

Cedar: cedar is a very resilient wood. Cedar is a hardy wood and will be the most resilient to mold or mildew in a wet climate. Cedar comes in a variety of sizes but is usually the most expensive wood to buy due a more limited supply.

We recommend the use of either Perma-Chink or Behr products on your new home. These products have been especially designed for use with log and will provide you with protection against sun damage, mold, mildew and insect infestation. We have information available about these products upon request.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO BUILD A LOG HOME?

From the time your logs are received it will take an average of 6 weeks to 2 months to build your log shell. Your foundation and basement can be prepared at the same time.

Your log shell will be delivered to your prepared site via a transport truck (or container if overseas). The logs will all have been previously prepared and marked so that the re-erection usually takes one to two days.

Upon the assembly of your log shell we can meet with your general contractor to explain to them how to finish your home. Finishing a log home is substantially different from building a traditional home and we can work with any general contractor, they will not require previous log home building experience.

Log homes settle over the first two years but we have designed a very simple settling device that need to adjust periodically within the first few years. We can explain how to do the adjustment to either the home owner or a contractor depending on your personal preference. Windows and doors will have been cut to allow for this shrinkage.

If your home is located within our region we can provide assistance with the completion of your home. Patrick is a certified carpenter with extensive experience building log and traditional homes and he and his crew can provide finishing to suit your needs. Most home owners choose to have our crew complete their home to "lock-up" and then the owner may choose to do a portion of their own building.

Lock-up means that your home is ready to be locked up. This means that the roof, windows, and doors have been installed. These are items that can be completed relatively quickly once the log shell has been assembled.

A log shell to lock up will usually take approximately 3 months from commencement.

Completion of your log home will depend upon a number of variables including such things as; the schedule of your general contractor and sub-contractor, required permits and inspections, etc.

DO YOU HAVE A WARRANTY?

Yes we offer 1-3 year warranty packages. Patrick, or one of our qualified log home builders, will return to your home to adjust settlers, check for any logs turning, fill any cracks and provide an overall check up of the home.

ARE LOG HOMES ENERGY EFFICIENT?

At Ducharme Log Homes we have developed a unique insulation process that provides an essentially air tight home immediately upon completion. Your home will have shrinkage but with our system the home will continue to become more airtight as the logs shrink into place.

Log homes do not provide the same type of "R" value of a traditional home because they provide a radiant heat and therefore can not be compared to a stick frame house in an "R" value way. Logs heat up and then radiate the heat back into the home for several hours. Radiant heat in the home, such as heated floors is a natural complement to the type of heat your logs will provide. A log home does not heat quickly but once heated it is more energy efficient than a traditional house.

Log homes are also far more fire resistant than a traditional house. The BC Fire Protection Catalogue indicates that log and post and beam houses are the second most fire resistant homes, second only to stucco homes.

ARE LOG HOMES MORE EXPENSIVE TO BUILD?

This is our most frequently asked question and the answer is no. Log homes are very comparable in price to a traditional home. The myth has been developed because most people are building their dream home and as a result they have a tendency to finish with more expensive materials, such as tiles, wood windows, etc. We can assist you to design a home that fits your budget.

WHAT DOES THE 'LOG PACKAGE' INCLUDE?

Our initial quote will be for your log package. The log package includes:

• Log walls 9 feet high
• Lambs wood insulation in all corners and lateral notches.
• Log ridge beams and purlins and posts cut to the roof angle.
• Log beams and log floor joists cut to level for the second floor.
• Log stairs.
• Log railings pre-built in sections for stairs, decks, lofts, and balconies.
• Log arches, cut, sanded and chamfered.
• Window and door openings cut out, keywayed, flattened and flared.
• Full length through-bolts at corners and large window and door openings.
• Spline material for doors and windows.
• Interior walls slots cut and chamfered upon request.
• One person to supervise re-erection.

We have compiled a number of suppliers that we consider reputable and we can provide you with information in regard too many aspects of your home including items such as: Styrofoam basement blocks, in floor heating systems, doors, windows, wood flooring, wood ceilings, carvings, etc.

The first step is the designing of your plans. Some of our most popular designs are included in our catalogue. If you have other plans that you would like to use as a starting point please fax them to us and we look forward to working with you in the building of your dream.

Reference letter via email

I met Patrick at the log home show in Denver, I was impressed with his log playhouse fit and finish, I then helped him put up the log home he made for Garrison in Bailey, Colorado. After that I felt comfortable ordering one from him. His work is superb, as well as his logs, he has an excellent supply of fir logs.

I put up my house in Montana last September, one day for walls, and a half day for the log beams, everything fit and looked great. I have gotten so many compliments from contractors and others who have never experienced a log home go up so fast and look so good. It has settled about 3/4"so far. I just moved in this past weekend, so I haven't been heating it regularly since it was put up, that may affect the shrinkage rate. Patrick recommended 6 months of non-heated settling so the inside and outside of the logs shrink at the same rate, keeps the walls straighter. See picture!

Patrick was ready with my shell before I was ready for it. He was and still is helpful to me, we e-mailed each other a lot through the process.

I used R-control SIP's for gable ends and the roof (R-40). They also took two days to install and are very energy efficient compared to any other type of insulation, it's 9.5" of Styrofoam with 7/16" OSB glued on both sides. The gable ends are 6" of Styrofoam and OSB.

I did a lot of research into different types of log construction, for years, Patrick's work is a hand crafted product and I feel at a great value because of the wood quality. I wanted a rustic look not a mass produced milled logs, I got exactly what I wanted. I highly recommend Patrick.

Richard Palmer

Montana