Log houses are a very popular option among American home owners because of their charming appearance and homely feel. Log houses, often known as log cabins, are usually made from wood that has not been lumbered at all, or those that have only been lumbered very little.

While log homes can have a rather rustic and ‘hand-made’ look, they can match any kind of house in terms of comfort, ease of construction and longevity. If the wood is of good quality and properly dried before construction, a well-constructed log dwelling can provide a secure and comfortable house for a number of years.

There are hundreds of companies across the United States that construct authentic, hand-crafted log houses. These use wood with the bark removed, but otherwise the timber is completely natural. Though sought-after for their authentic appearance, these log houses are significantly more labor-intensive and expensive.

A popular option is to construct the log home with timber that has been machined so all the logs are of the same size and are simpler to work with. This can be much more cost effective and most of the log homes you see across the country will be of this type.

Designing and constructing a log home is no small undertaking and it requires the proper research, preparation and commitment. It is essential to have a clear idea of what you want, as indecision and bad planning can be very expensive.

The materials that are used to build your log home will have a big influence on the expense. You have three main options:

Green logs – Green refers to the significant moisture content of timber that has been freshly cut. Depending on the variety of wood, moisture levels in freshly cut timber can be up to 90%. It is possible to build log houses with green logs and then let them dry after construction. This may take as long as four years and it is possible that the timber will shrink as it dries out.

Air-dried wood – Air-dried logs are left dry naturally before they are used for construction. Proper air-drying can take a few years and the timber is more expensive than green logs. That said, it is also extremely strong and durable.

Kiln-dried logs – A lot of lumber yards have kilns that are used to speed up the drying process. However, this needs to be monitored very carefully because there is a risk of the timber bending and/or cracking during the process.

There are a few different types of log homes and the type that suits you the best will depend on your preferences, how much you can afford, where you live and a number of other factors.

Log homes are not cheap. You will want to budget somewhere around $150 to $250 per square foot, depending on your location and what kind of log house you want. As mentioned, some early homework and forward planning can help keep expenses down a lot when you build the house of your dreams.