Lifestyles
Tracy Breen
Blue Collar Cabins
Tracy Breen
Having a cabin somewhere in the backwoods is a dream of many. For some, a nature retreat is nothing more than a small 2x4-framed shack that they visit a few times a year during hunting season. For others, a cabin getaway must be made of log, have a few bedrooms for family and guests, running water and bathrooms. Others want to live in a cabin off the beaten path year-round. Sadly, the dream rarely becomes a reality because a majority of blue-collar Americans don’t believe a nature retreat is within their grasp.
Most log cabin companies charge several hundred thousand dollars to build a log home. Even a small one with one bedroom and a fireplace is often over $100,000. On the high end, a log cabin can cost over five hundred thousand dollars. Even small, stick-built cabins can cost more than most clock punchers want to pay.
Tracy Breen
There is, however, hope. If you aren’t afraid to get a little dirt under your fingernails and a little sweat on your brow, you may be able to build that cabin in the woods you always wanted without having to give up your spouse, your favorite dog or the Harley in the garage.
The easiest retreat to build is a simple stick-framed cabin with T-11 siding or something similar. They go up quickly, are inexpensive, and beat camping in a tent. This was the route I took.
Tracy Breen
A few years ago I purchased a lot on a small river a few hours north of my home. I built a 14x14 one-room stick-built cabin with a loft and put in a small woodstove for heat. The cabin isn’t finished on the inside, but it is a work in progress. I have more time than money, so I work on the cabin each fall. Three friends and I built the basic structure in less than two days. I thought about building something larger, but it would cost more money and require more trips north. Given the fact that my family only visits the shack in the woods a few times a year, 14x14 is just big enough to be comfortable for a long weekend. To see at night, we depend on the soft glow from a Coleman lantern. We also have a dandy portable toilet my wife loves using. For some, this type of retreat doesn’t sound like fun. For us, it provides shelter from the weather, which is all we need.
Eventually I plan on using an inexpensive chainsaw mill to cut slab siding to cover the outside of my small cabin. Rustic slab siding is inexpensive to make and will protect the integrity of the building.
Al Thompson
If a small shack isn’t your thing and you have your heart set on a log home, there are many options to accomplish your goal without breaking the bank.
I plan to live in a log home someday, and have done lots of research on the subject. The best way to build a log home on a shoestring budget is to do the work yourself. If you don’t know the finer points of log construction, like saddle notches, scribing and chainsaw work, you can attend a log builder’s class.
Tracy Breen
Al Thompson from Three Forks, Montana, operates a log building school called the Montana School of Log Building. Thompson offers a five-day class that teaches students the ins and outs of full scribe log construction. This is when logs are scribed together, eliminating the need for chinking. Thompson believes anyone interested in building a log cabin or home can do so without busting the budget if they pour lots of sweat equity into the cabin.
“I offer a variety of options,” said Thompson. “Students can take our class and go home and build a cabin. They can also buy a log shell from us and we will ship it to them. They reconstruct it themselves and finish it. Either method is far less expensive than having someone else build the cabin. Learning how to build a log cabin isn’t as difficult as some people think.”
Tracy Breen
There are many kinds of log building courses across the country. The Log Home Builders Association in Washington offers a two-day course that teaches people how to build a butt-and-pass log cabin that doesn’t require fancy corner notches. They chink the cabin, so scribing isn’t required. Many of their students have built log cabins for $40,000 or less. They preach using used windows, building doors from scratch and designing a cabin that is energy efficient.
Another option that many cabin builders take is building a shelter from scratch. They are armed with knowledge gained from a book and a healthy dose of elbow grease.
Tracy Breen
Gary Cihak of Michigan recently built an 1,800 square-foot retirement home with his wife, Karen. The Cihaks wanted a nice log home without a large mortgage. To cut costs, they found a piece of property that had enough pine timber on it so they didn’t need to purchase or transport logs. By eliminating the need to purchase logs and transport them, they saved well over $10,000. In some parts of the country, log and transportation fees can run from $20,000 to $30,000.
The Cihaks cut and peeled their own logs, and built their home for around $100,000. A pricey sum, but Cihak admits it could have been done for less.
“We built a fancy kitchen, a large bathroom and lots of extras that we could have gone without if we were on a tight budget,” Cihak explained. “A log home can be built without a large mortgage if you build it yourself.”
Al Thompson
Cihak studied books and did everything on his own, all the way down to the log railing, which can cost thousands of dollars by itself. For a few hundred dollars, tools can be purchased to build log beds and railings. With a little practice, almost anyone can build beautiful log railings and steps. The Cihak log home utilizes chinking between the logs and saddle notched corners. This style of log home can be tough to build, but with a little practice, doing it yourself isn’t out of the question. When the Cihaks finished their cabin, it was valued at close to $300,000.
Bruce Wilde
For some, a rustic getaway is not complete unless it has some stone incorporated into the design. Stone work can be a lot of work, especially if you haven’t done it before. But according to Michael J. Elpel of Montana, who has a book titled, Living Homes, building with stone can be fun and inexpensive. In his book, he highlights how to do slip-form masonry, which doesn’t require a lot of skill. Basically, you fill plywood forms with concrete, rebar and stone. When the concrete dries, you remove the forms and place them on top of the first layer of stone and repeat the process. As an example, Elpel built a stone workshop for pennies on the dollar.
Tracy Breen
One large expense of building with log is putting the logs in place. In most cases, a large crane is needed to put 50-foot logs in place. To avoid hanging long logs, a viable option is building a vertical log structure. In most cases, vertical log cabins consist of logs that are eight feet long and run vertically.
Log Homes International in South Africa teaches this unique log technique, and offers a book on the subject. They also have an online school for students from other countries who cannot attend the classes in person.
According to school founder Bruce Wilde, building a vertical log cabin is the easiest kind to build, and one of the least expensive.
“Vertical log cabins can be built by almost anyone; even if they don’t have any building experience. I have even had handicapped students build a vertical log cabin. Heavy equipment isn’t needed, and they are very inexpensive to build. An American could easily build one big enough to live in for under $50,000. If they wanted to build a small cottage, one could be built for less than that,” Wilde stated.
Without a doubt, my favorite style of log structure is a full scribe log cabin similar to what Al Thompson from the Montana School of Log Building builds at his school. They scribe logs together with a chainsaw and a chisel. Last September I hunted moose in Alaska. The cabin I stayed in was of a full scribe design. It was about 12x12 on the inside, and had enough room for my hunting partner and I, a wood stove and a small kitchen. It had a loft for storing things or for sleeping in. The cabin would be a perfect hunting camp for a few friends who want a rustic cabin in the woods but don’t have a lot of money to spend. This cabin in Alaska was built for less than $1,000. The logs were free. The second-hand hand windows and the door were purchased locally.
Tracy Breen
Rustic buildings are something I have been in love with for a long time. From log cabins to timber frame homes, the great thing about cabins is they don’t have to cost millions to build. Many people have built rustic cabins for less than $50,000. Some build with logs; others have purchased large chainsaw mills like the Alaskan Mill or a Logosol Mill and built timber frame cabins.
Regardless of the type of cabin you want to build, remember that with the right mindset, building the cabin of your dreams can be a reality, whether you are a CEO or a burger flipper.