The Oak Leaf - April 2016 By Lynn Gastineau President of Gastineau Log Homes, Inc. Welcome to the April 2016 issue of The Oak Leaf! For new readers

 
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The Oak Leaf - April 2016

By Lynn Gastineau
President of Gastineau Log Homes, Inc.

Welcome to the April 2016 issue of The Oak Leaf! For new readers, this is a monthly newsletter that is sent by e-mail to those that have expressed an interest in Gastineau Log Homes. We use this as a way of communicating technical, design and industry information. For more information, check out our web site at www.oakloghome.com.

Please "Like" Gastineau Log Homes on Facebook! There are LOTS of photographs of our homes in the Photo section!

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No matter what style of log or timber home you choose, the feeling from being wrapped in wood gives a feeling of natural strength that you cannot get from other types of construction.

Trivia Question: What is the average square footage of new homes being built in the US and how does it compare to those built in 1973?

Focus on Gastineau Hand Crafted Pine Log Homes!: Many people do not realize that we offer a handcrafted log home in addition to our traditional log homes. This construction method is different in design, production, construction, finishing and cost. Read below to learn about this beautiful method of log construction.

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This interior shows the appeal of the interior of one of these homes, even before it is furnished. Decorating is simple and easy because the structure itself provides so much beauty.

Why would you want a handcrafted log home?: Most people say it is because of the way these homes look. When you think of your dream log home, do you envision walls of great big logs of different sizes? Does your dream look something like the photos in this months Oak Leaf? If yes, then maybe what you want is a handcrafted log home. Read more below about these beautiful homes.

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These homes are built on the log yard, disassembled and then rebuilt at your building site. This step provides for a very quick construction of the log walls.

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This is the structural frame of the home. All the "spaces" you see will be windows and doors that will be installed after the roof is completed..

What are some of the differences between a hand crafted and a milled log home?:

First off, these homes are almost exclusively made of some species of Pine. We prefer to use Douglas Fir, as it is extremely strong and stable. This type of construction requires the logs to be very long without much natural taper to the tree. An Oak tree does not meet these requirements.

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A log staircase is typical of an handcrafted log home. The partition frame walls can be finished with drywall, as shown here, or wood wood panelling if you so choose.

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The design of a handcrafted log home can be as simple or as complex as any other type of home. This photo shows, however, that even a simple design can be very dramatic with the addtion of these huge logs in the ceilings and walls.

Design, manufacturing and building process: This is somewhat different than our "regular" log homes. For a hand crafted home, there are some design considerations that we must make to allow for the structural differences. The manufacturing process is somewhat longer because the logs have to be sourced, scribed and prebuilt prior to sending to the site. (So this is not your choice if you are in a big hurry!) A crane is required for a couple of days on site but the log walls and the roof beams are typically completed within 2 to 3 days. The total building time required is about the same as our other log homes.

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This house also has a full hand crafted log garage.

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Front porches are popular on all kinds of log homes!

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The cormers can be tapered as shown here to allow the corner logs to support the roof, creating a porch over the balcony,

Cost:

If the design is simple, the cost of a handcrafted log home is probably about 10% more than our traditional homes. As the design becomes more complicated with more corners and roof engineering, that cost can increase.

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The log roof purlins allow for long spans without support posts.

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The gable end of this home is all glass. Log trim is used to cover the framing that the glass is set into.

Gable end exterior and interior finishes. Log siding is not used on the exterior or interior of the gable ends of a handcrafted log home. If you look at the photos in this newsletter, you will see that most people use some sort of wood siding for the gable ends and dormers. In our traditional log homes, we typically use matching log siding. Because of the nature of the handcrafted homes, this is not possible.

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Another advantage to using such large beams is that they are "oversized" for their structural purpose and often you can do custom carving right into the log!

What about maintenance?: Particular care is taken to increase overhangs to minimize the maintenance required. The logs are closely scribed so that chinking is not required.

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If you think you would like to build a handcrafted log home, give us a call! Free estimates can be provided.

Home Shows:
No more home shows until this Fall 2016!

Log Raising:
We plan to have a log raising in Hunnewell, MO sometime in May, 2016. Hunnewell is in Shelby County, between Shelbina and Monroe City. Due west of Hannibal, MO. We will be sending out another email, but if you would like to attend, give us a call and we will send you directions.

Construction Seminar Schedule for 2016:

September 24, 2016

Click here for information on our one day construction seminars.

ALSO: We will be announcing the date for our first Annual Log Home Owners Party to be held in the summer of 2016. This event provides an opportunity for all our past customers to come and bring photos of their home and share their experience with other Gastineau Log Home Owners. Prospective home owners are also invited to come meet those that have built their home and want to share their experiences. We will be providing some good ole' Missouri bar-b-que for everyone to enjoy!

Open Houses:

Remember that the GLH Model Home Center on I 70 in central MO is open 7 days a week! We have three houses there that you can tour!

Answer to the Trivia Question: According to the US Census Bureau, In 2013, the average size of a new home built increased to an all-time high of 2, 679 square feet. Over the last 40 years, this average has increased in size by more than 1000 square feet, from 1660 sq ft in 1973. At the same time, the average household size has declined from 3.01 to a new record low of 2.54 persons per household. This means that the square footage of living space per person in a new home has increased from 551.5 to 1054.7 square feet. The average amount of living space per person in a new home has almost doubled in the last 40 years - that is really amazing! For more info, clickIt i here!

Quote of the Month: "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." - John Wooden

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