Click TOOLS OF THE TRADE to see some of the tools and equipment we used.
Click CREDITS to see the major companies and suppliers we've worked with.
<-- LOG STRUCTURE - PAGE 2    
     
 

9-4-08

What an exciting day! We finished setting course #12, including saddle-notching the west wall log to fit over the girders. We also got the first of two girder support logs (GSL) into the house and set on its concrete pier.

More pics here

     
 

9-5-08

Virtually the entire day was spent carving the double notch at the intersection of the GSL and girder. A 2" notch was carved into each log so that they would fit together and have a 2" flat load-bearing surface when the two get bolted together. Bob helped us create a trial notch on smaller logs first.

More pics here

     
 

9-6-08

By the end of the day, we had the second GSL bolted in place. The next major project will be setting the last two vertical poles, the Ridge Pole Support Logs (RPSLs). That will be a challenge.

More pics here

     
 

9-13-08

Jillena's best friend, Allison, and her dad, Lee, were up for the weekend. Not much work was accomplished since it rained most of the time we were out at the site. We did manage to clean up all of our log "waste" around the house. We're expecting some fill arriving soon from the water main project on our road.

More pics here

     
 

9-19-08

The trucks started rolling in first thing Monday morning, just as we expected. We've actually been getting fill from multiple sources. Some is cleaner and good for pushing up against the house, while the chunkier fill is better suited for our driveway base. Jeff spent most of the day spreading the piles around the house. He also finished pressure-washing the last log on the racks!

More pics here

     
 

9-20-08

Using up a bunch of old 2x8 "blue board" styrofoam panels, then tapping into our 4x8 sheets, we managed to cover 2 feet on the three sides of the house that will be below grade, and then backfilled against the panels. It was a nice surprise to have Bob come out to help for a few hours in the morning.

More pics here

     
 

9-26-08

Jeff spent the day placing the second row of insulation panels against the basement walls and raising the grade around the house using more fill that arrived this week. The crew installing the water main on our road has moved past our property. Our public water tap is now installed across the road from our utility pole.

More pics here

     
 

9-27-08

Today begins a week of daily progress as Jeff and Paul took their second week of vacation. The goal for today was to get the remaining two RPSLs into the house and strapped to the girders, and we reached that goal. We won't actually set these two poles on their piers until the ridge pole is set. After the poles were in, we returned to setting wall logs and got one log up and pinned, and another up and ready to be pinned.

More pics here

     
 

9-29-08

It rained most of yesterday, so we didn't get a whole lot accomplished. Today, Jeff worked on laying the rest of the drain tile around the back of the house. Bob also came out to help pin the log we left off with.

More pics here

     
 

9-30-08

More rain today and it looks rainy for most of the rest of the week. Paul worked on driving a few more pins while Jeff graded some of the recent deliveries at the end of the driveway. Bob prepped logs with the chainsaw and did the ground work of running the chopsaw and supplying Paul with pins.

More pics here

     
 

10-1-08

Gloomy and misty again today, but we got a lot of fill spread around the driveway. Any progress is still progress.

More pics here

     
 

10-3-08

After a lot of rain yesterday and just doing what we could in spreading dirt to keep up with the fill trucks as they delivered, we figured today would be a better day since it started out with a rare western-sky rainbow just an hour or so after sunrise! The thick clouds stuck around but we were able to get more dirt spread and started on four more logs for the next tier, even though we broke two chains. Jillena came out for a bit and Bob helped in the morning.

More pics here

     
 

10-4-08

We finally had a break in the weather. Today was mostly sunny and cool so we were able to take a little time off around noon to visit the local Apple Festival. Out at the site, we set a couple more logs and one of our neighbors came over to dig out a corner of the stone in the patio area. We plan to create a sump pit with the two tubes in the photo to the left so that if the water level ever rises too high under our patio, we can pump it down.

More pics here

     
 

10-7-08

Jeff was back to work this week after taking a week off with Paul. He and Jillena went out tonight to work on the driveway at dusk and into the evening.

More pics here

     
 

10-11-08

Saturday - a new weekend, great weather, and lots of help. Tim, a friend of the family, had a long weekend off from college and wanted to help on the house so Paul brought him along. Ted also surprised us when he showed up just before lunch. Yesterday, Jeff spent the day on the excavator working the fill dirt piles. Today the focus was wall logs.

More pics here

     
 

10-13-08

Columbus Day, and we all continued to work on another day off from work. Bob was free to help today and we got another surprise visit, this time from an old friend of Jeff's that he went to elementary and high school with. Our projects today included working on course 16 and digging the trench for our drain line.

More pics here

     
 

10-17-08

Another Friday and Jeff spent the day working on the house by himself drilling and pinning 2 1/2 logs while the fill trucks continued delivering.

More pics here

     
 

10-18-08

Today, Jeff laid the drain pipe and later John filled the trench with the excavator. Jeff also got our plans out and started marking out the windows for the 2nd story.

More pics here

     
 

10-19-08

Jeff went back out today to finish marking all of the 2nd story windows.

More pics here

     
 

10-24-08

Bob Caswell has been working on the filter bed for our septic system all week. Today, the septic tank arrived and was installed. Bob then continued working on burying the distribution lines. Jeff and John fixed the tooth on the excavator bucket and Jeff got right to spreading dirt.

More pics here

     
 

10-31-08

The septic system is completed! The distribution lines and tank have been covered thanks to some decent weather of late. The fill trucks continued to roll in also as Jeff worked more on leveling the driveway and grading around the front yard.

More pics here

     
 

11-1-08

Today we took the advantage of a rain-free weekend to begin our water line installation. Since we only had 300 feet of the 600 feet needed, we opened up the first 300 feet of the trench and got the pipe laid and the trench backfilled.

More pics here

     
 

11-7-08

The Town opened up pits on both sides of the road today at our water line connection and bore under the road to connect our service.

More pics here

     
 

11-14-08

It was a beautiful day to unload flooring! About 1,700 sq. ft. of reclaimed pine lumber arrived today via FedEx Freight and we spent the afternoon unloading and storing it all. This will be our finished decking for the 1st floor.

More pics here

     
 

11-29-08

Paul came up this weekend to help Jeff put up the first log on course #17. We were able to get the log raised and secured on the wall. Tomorrow we'll plumb it and begin pinning it.

More pics here

     
 

11-30-08

With a short afternoon of work, we were still able to plumb our log, pin it, and set the second log for course #17.

More pics here

     
 

12-14-08

Since Jeff was out at the site alone today, he decided to shoot some documentary clips of our project. These give you a nice explanation of some of the construction procedures we've been going through.

More pics here

     
 

1-11-09

Jeff's cousin Ryan came out to help get log #3 of course 17 raised. Not many pics were taken since all hands were needed in the lifting process. It's slow going this time of year. As the snow fell and the temperatures dropped, we had to wait for the ground to freeze enough that we could get the tractors back out there.

More pics here

     
 

1-18-09

Jeff had a 3-day weekend to work on the log we set last weekend. Yesterday he plumbed it and began drilling and pinning, in single-digit temps! Today, with the help of Jillena and her friend, Allison, he got a few more holes drilled and pinned.

More pics here

     
 

1-24-09

Our friend, Matt, came out to help for the first time, and in bitter cold temperatures. Despite the weather conditions, he seemed to enjoy himself. He did everything from knot trimming to drilling to pinning. With his help, we were able to set the last log of course #17.

More pics here

     
 

1-25-09

Matt was back this afternoon to help Jeff finish pinning log #4 of course 17. Today he brought a full body harness and safety gear which made it much easier to drive the lateral corner pins from the outside of the house.

More pics here

     
 

1-31-09

With Matt and Jeff finishing off course 17 last weekend, Jeff spent today pulling the next four logs for course 18 off the racks and setting them around the house. John came out to help him with the fourth log. That allowed Jeff to take more pics.

NOTE: Matt came out in the afternoon the next day and he and Jeff set the south log up on the wall and got it partially pinned. Good progress for one afternoon!

More pics here

     
 

2-7-09

Matt was back again to help finish off the log from last weekend. This log had quite a bend in it, so it took some effort to straighten it out enough to pin. Next, it was on to the east wall and setting log #2 for this course.

More pics here

     
 

2-8-09

We had great weather today. But the warmer temperatures caused some flooding in the basement. Our first priority was to get our sump pump running. Then we got to work at pinning the log we raised yesterday.

More pics here

     
 

2-14-09

It was Jeff and Matt again today, finishing up the log from last weekend and raising log #3 for this course. With only a little over two courses to go, the anticipation of setting our ridge pole is growing.

More pics here

     
 

2-15-09

Clear skies and sunshine today! Matt was back up on the wall this afternoon pinning the rest of the log he and Jeff raised yesterday.

More pics here

     
 

2-21-09

No pics today, just video clips. Jeff worked by himself driving the lateral pins in the two corners already completed on this course and doing a little cleanup in the basement.

More pics here

     
 

2-22-09

More video clips today, but only a few. The battery went dead quicker than expected in the cold weather. Matt returned today and he and Jeff got the fourth log for course 18 up on the wall and strapped.

More pics here

     
 

2-28-09

Jeff and Matt attended the local annual Home Show in the morning, but still had plenty of time to pin part of the log they set last weekend.

More pics here

     
 

3-1-09

It's been a while, but Ted came out today and helped Jeff and Matt finish off the last log for course 18. While that was being done, John brought the White tractor over and pulled the next (and last) 8 logs off the racks. These logs will finally complete the walls!

More pics here

     
 

3-7-09

Ted and Bob were both out today to help get the first two logs of course 19 raised. We even tried a new method of raising logs that went very smoothly. If only we would have tried it sooner.

More pics here

     
 

3-14-09

Jeff was on his own this weekend. Today he was able to completely drill and pin one log and part of the second log that was set last weekend. The pump ran for most of the day, also, taking care of the water buildup around the rear of the house.

More pics here

     
 

3-15-09

This afternoon was spent finishing up the second log from yesterday. Next weekend, we hope to finish off course 19.

More pics here

     
 

3-21-09

Bob came out today and he and Jeff got the last two logs of course 19 up. We also had a surprise visit from friends of ours we hadn't seen in quite a while. Now that we're into Spring, we're hoping the temps stay mild so we can be the most productive each day we're out here working.

More pics here

     
 

3-22-09

Jeff worked alone today, pinning the rest of the top course, with the exception of the lateral corner pins. Next week, we begin the last course!

     
 

3-27-09

Jeff and Bob had a great day to make some serious progress. Jeff finished driving the lateral corner pins on course 19 while Bob started prepping the first log for course 20. It took a little extra work, but they got the first "cap log" up and onto the wall.

More pics here

     
 

3-28-09

We had the most help today that we've ever had in one day. Bob, Matt, Mike, and Ted all came out and with the excellent weather, we got a lot accomplished. Both cap logs supporting the roof are up and level thanks to Ted's laser level.

More pics here

     
 

3-29-09

Jeff continued with pinning more of the first cap log while John worked at prepping the site for when the dump trucks begin delivering more fill.

More pics here

     
 

4-3-09

Even though it rained most of the day, Bob and Jeff were dressed for it. Before the rains got too heavy, they were able to get a few things done. We had a little change in plans for leveling the top corners - planing down the top surfaces to match the lowest corner, rather than shimming up to match the highest corner. This meant cutting the 7 pins Jeff had put in the first log last weekend, rotating that log to allow it to sit better, and taking new measurements at each corner and at mid-wall.

More pics here

     
 

4-5-09

Another fine Sunday afternoon to work on building a log home. After taking a day off yesterday due to extremely windy and rainy weather, Jeff picked up where he and Bob left off on Friday. He drilled and pinned the east cap log, using a closer spacing for the pins to give that log more strength under the weight of the roof.

More pics here

     
 

4-10-09

Jeff and Bob had a very productive day today lifting and setting the north and south double-butt logs on the final course. This is the end of the log lifting, except for the ridge pole.

More pics here

     
 

4-11-09

With the entire last course set in place now, Jeff spent today driving pins.

More pics here

     
 

4-17-09

Today was a day of completion and accomplishment. Jeff finished driving the last of the wall pins. We also got a surprise visit from friends who had not seen the project yet.

More pics here

     
<-- LOG STRUCTURE - PAGE 2  
 

BACK TO OUR LOG HOME PAGE


If you have any questions about this website, e-mail us at stargazer@stargazerpics.com.


These pages and their contents Copyright © All Rights Reserved.