Ah, summertime, and who isn't dreaming of a cabin in the woods? Here are some helpful hints on how to build your own!

Start With a Plan

Many plans are available in books or through on-line resources. But think about what kinds of activities you will be conducting in your cabin and during what time of the year will you use it the most. Do you envision nights with the family snuggled around the fireplace, or is this perhaps a hermetic retreat, like Walden, for a recluse writer? This will affect the floor plan as you may have one large room or several medium-sized rooms.

Get the Materials

The first and best thing to consider is what materials can be gathered locally. Is there a forest that is being logged legally and ethically? Is there a source for stone? Can you possibly salvage or re-use materials from another site? These considerations are not only smart as they save in shipping costs; they are ecological, reducing waste. Plus it is always nice to have local materials as they give a special look that really speaks of the region. Why put a Canadian cabin in the Appalachians?

Poplar is a popular choice for logs as the trees grow straight and tall. Some species of pine work well too. Often logs need to be approximately 14 inches in diameter and the length ranges from 11 ft. to 25 ft. A

Sheep's head notch.	Sealed lapped notch.

Locked or boxed lap notch.	Dovetail notch.

good tip is to cut the logs in winter when the sap retreats from the tree's trunk to the roots, because drier logs are less likely to crack. Try to leave as much time as possible to allow the logs to season or age, usually a full year at least.

Details

The great success of design can be found in the details. Think about how you want your logs to join. There are various notches that have very different decorative effects. We have pictured some of them here for you.

For plans and resources to help you build your own cabin go to the following websites:

www.loghomebuilders.org

architecture.about.com