Embarking on a glulam house construction project can be a thrilling experience. There’s something profoundly enticing in building your own home, be it a permanent residence or a summer vacation. The need for the sense of accomplishment is strong and it can be very rewarding.
However, building any home also comes with a set of challenges. This is especially true if you’ve never done it before, or don’t have the right skill set. Although everything can be learned over time, we at Eurodita always recommend leaving the most important parts to experts. For this reason, we always advice to get prefab cabin kits or glulam house kits. All essential elements will be there already. All you will need to do is assemble the kit into a house.
But regardless, if you’re still undaunted by the task at hand, we can only wish you luck. In this post, we will cover a few common errors that are made during the construction of a log home. Be vigilant, plan your project well and make sure to avoid these common mistakes.
Moisture levels
A very important metric to look for. We covered this topic in more detail in our post about log home insulation, which is also a topic worthy of mention. To boil it down, watch out for improperly dried out logs. This will create ample room for rot and mould to set in. If this happens right at the outer walls, your whole cabin can start rotting. At Eurodita, we use glulam planks that spend a significant amount of time in an industrial dryer. This way we are sure the timber will never start rotting. Whether you’re going for glulam planks or full logs, make sure to ask for moisture test results and make sure they’re appropriate.
Skipping overhangs and gutters
Often enough, excited home owners can make a mistake that gutters and overhangs are an option, not a necessity. Whether it’s a financial reason (often this is the case) or an aesthetic one, you must remember that these two aspects are absolutely a necessity.
Large overhangs, 24-30-inch long and overhangs anywhere from 4 to 6 feet at the ends of log homes are a recommended necessity. They diminish contact with moisture from the rain and snow. Even the most reliable, treated hardwood will eventually decay if it came in contact with too much water. In this case, overhangs are an absolute must.
Then there are gutters and downpours. While the most common reason they are left out is aesthetics, don’t skimp on these! The amount of contact with moisture gutters will stop is essential to keep your rooftop and timber walls from interacting too much with water.
Relationship with the builder
If you’ve decided to hire a professional builder for your project, you should build a good working relationship with them. Present your ideas clearly. Discuss the contemporary log cabin kits you want to buy and listen to their advice. There are a lot of details to consider and the experience of a professional builder cannot be understated.
Most importantly, be present during the construction phase. Visit the site, see how your log home is rising. Discuss all details and questions that arise during this phase. Communicate your worries and express your wishes clearly. There’s nothing worse than bad communication during the project that leads to complaints and disappointment later.
Purchase price
This problem often arises in the US and other countries that apply sales tax after purchase. What could look like an affordable cabin kit can end up being way out of your budget. You should consult with the log cabin supplier about the final bill at the end before you agree to a purchase. There have been many cases where an a few extra thousands of dollars have surprised the buyers and ended up in conflict. Make sure you do your accounting well before buying a log home.
Wood theme to the max
While wood is a truly beautiful material that we all love to work with, excessive use of it can be detrimental. There are cases where buyers want everything wood – not just walls and beams, but also the roof, furniture, floor – you name it, it’s probably wooden. While understandable, this option can turn into an eye sore pretty quickly. Not to mention problems that can be created by opting for wooden rooftop instead of usual, moisture resistant tiles. There are many great looks that can be achieved by using stone, leather, fur, metal and so on. Consult with an interior designer or go through some of tips we have presented in our previous posts.
And there you have it. 5 things to look out for when constructing your own home. We always strongly recommend hiring your own building team to make the process as smooth as possible. A lot of log home suppliers also have their own construction teams you can hire. Simply discuss every detail with your supplier and pick the best option for you. Make an informed decision. Good luck!