Log Home Additions - Tips for Adding to Your Log Home

When someone builds a log home, it is usually their dream home, their final home. It is not a home they plan to move away from any time soon. The log home represents a lifestyle choice rooted in the desire to get away from it all.

But when that final home is no longer large enough, and moving out is not an option, the only solution is to enlarge it with an addition. However, adding onto these homes is somewhat trickier than adding to a conventional home. Because the home is build from solid timber material, modifying the structure is not as simple as moving studs and adding headers.

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When it comes to adding onto your log home, here are a few things to consider:

Have a well-defined plan for how you want to use the new space. Common additions include: family rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, sun-rooms and even in-law apartments.

Consider how you might access the new space from the existing house. In many cases a window can be made into a doorway to create the new entry. However, there may be limitations as to making the opening wider than the window area itself.

Avoid connecting at the corners. The crisscross ends make for a difficult area to join to. Yes it can be done, but it creates more work for the builder.

To get the matching log look, consider using either full-log material or half-log siding. If full-log material is used, be sure to allow for the settlement of the new addition where the connection is made. An addition which looks great at the start may perform poorly if settlement is not allowed for.

In some cases a smaller connector works best to pull the main addition away from the house. This strategy often creates options you do not have when adding a large room directly to the house.

Hire someone with experience. There is a correct technique for cutting into the existing home which creates a connection that will both look good and provide a good weather seal. A log home builder will understand the dos and don'ts of building a log home addition. This may not be the case for a contractor without similar experience.

Finally, find the right balance of log and timber features to suit your budget. Your builder should be able to explain the options and how they affect the overall cost.

With good planning, adding to your log home can be a worthwhile experience and add many years to the enjoyment of your beautiful home.

Log Home Additions - Tips for Adding to Your Log Home

Visit Log Home Headquarters to learn more about designing and installing a log home addition. We also carry a full line of Sashco Products to help you maintain your log home.

Tips On Adding A Garage To Your Property

Often times, you may find yourself wishing you had purchased a house with a garage. You may need a place to store vehicles, or that lawn mower that is taking up room in the yard or shop. Fortunately, this is a solution.

Now, more and more people are deciding to add garages to their homes. Whether you wish to add an attached or detached garage, it doesn't have to be that difficult. This article contains tips that will help you in making the various decisions that will be necessary, and will assist you in getting started.

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A garage addition will help you use your property to its full advantage, and will provide you with many storage options. You will be able to store cars, boats, tools, and much, much more. They may be built as an add-on to the house, called an attached garage, or apart from the house, which will make it a detached garage. Depending on the amount of space you have close to your house, you may decide to build a larger garage as a detached structure, which will allow you to construct a larger building. If this is not an issue, an attached garage will probably work just fine.

A garage addition will also allow you to gain extra much needed space, develop a rental unit such as an apartment for college-aged children or your mother-in-law, r even establish a home office that will give you privacy while still allowing you the luxury of working at home.

By optimizing the location of your garage, you will be able to diminish the importance of the garage, while allowing your house to become the focal point of your property. Also, adding a garage to your property can enhance your property value, which can be very useful should you ever decide to sell.

If you are looking to minimize cost, try to use existing foundation. This, of course, will depend on the location of the foundation, as well as its load bearing capacity. This may also help you decide how large your garage will be because of the space you will have available for building the structure.

If location is important, keep in mind how you want others to see your garage. For example, if you want it to be visible from the street, do you want it to look like a garage? Would placing it somewhere else have a better overall effect? This, of course, will depend on the space you have available and how usable it is.

Make a list of what you want this new addition to contain. If you are just looking for a place to park cars, you won't need as many amenities as you would if you want a shop or to build a small apartment or living quarters. Keep in mind the budget from which you are working, and be sure to stay within it. Plan carefully, after all, the addition is permanent.

Tips On Adding A Garage To Your Property

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