Custom homes are built in various sizes and shapes. The materials used in them also vary and each custom home has a different appeal. Log and timber custom homes have a unique appeal and they stand out for their rustic appeal. A custom timber home redolent with the smell of timber presents unique styles for designs that are only possible with wood. No matter how modern or smart looking a timber home is – it will always remind of the 1600s through the early 1900 homes – homes that stood in the middle of vast greenery, near a lake, or on the bank of a river. Timber homes have the ability to transport us to a different era. Just imagine a home with log side walls and roof made up of either crafted timber or massive log beams – does it remind you of a rustic life? Custom log homes can be made a mixture of elegance and rusticity if you want. People are moving in to log homes as primary residence or using it as a second / vacation home for their timeless beauty and appeal.
Types of Log and Timber Homes
Wood species used in the log and timber homes may include: pine, cedar, fir, hemlock, and cypress. Again there are a variety of timber types including: hand-hewn, weathered, rough-sawn, and plane. You also have the choice of using different timber for different rooms. There are hundred of log profiles to choose from. Log profiles may be round, D-shaped, square, and half-log, and handcrafted etc. Log sizes vary in diameter. Generally 8, 10, and 12 inches diameter logs are used for homes. Timber framing is an age old technique of constructing log homes and is still widely used. This technique requires that instead of building the log home piece by piece an entire solid wood frame is assembled first, then erected with the help of a crane, and finally the frame is covered with an enclosure.
The final wood finishing and coating would give each wood a different look. Douglas Fir Picklewood flooring produces a popular flooring style with distinct color variation and straight grain make. Oakwood flooring is unbeatable for its history and style. Those that prefer grey colored wood may select Barnwood lumber. Barnwood lumbers provide a natural variation in look. No two Branwood pieces will be absolutely same in looks. This is an inconsistency that's preferred by people. Mushroomwood is a beautiful alternative to Barnwood as it comes in dark brown rustic color shades. If the Barnwood offers a subdued and muted appearance the mushroomwood gives out a loud and extrovert appeal. White pine is best for weathering harsh climate as it has the least shrinkage among all woods.
Where Log and Timber Homes Go Well
It's unimaginable to use anything other than log and timber if your custom home is going to be in a wooded area. Custom homes facing a lake or a beach also look good when the material used are log and timber. People that love the outdoors have a strong preference for log and timber homes. Log homes and cabins are found in large numbers in holiday destinations. Winter vacation destinations have mostly log wood homes as wood is a poor conductor of heat and cold. And there is nothing to beat the powdery white outlines and coverings of snow on a log house as the wooden walls stand in complete contrast to them. Many types of custom homes have come and gone out of fashion, but log houses are timeless in their appeal.