This Pennsylvania Log Home Has Old-Fashioned Charm

Overview of the Log Home

This stunning log house from Hochstetler Log HOmes has 2,181 square feet of space, three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. The log cabin building is nestled in the rolling hills of western Pennsylvania, just north of Pittsburgh, on a 2-acre site perched atop a ravine. The owners of this log house had the vision to make their log home a place where their entire family to include parents, grandparents and children could enjoy a peaceful, laid-back lifestyle together. The couple quickly realized that their log house sketch closely resembled one of Hochstetler's stock floor plans, The McKay. The McKay log cabin building featured the popular open-concept great room design that the couple was looking for, but they modified the log house floor plan to include an enlarged master bedroom with en-suite bath. The laundry room in the log house was strategically relocated near the master suite and connected the main log house to the garage via a breezeway. The cabin building has a bevelled square-log profile that is cut from 6-by-12-inch eastern white pine, which was finished in a lovely Gentry Grey stain with Medium Grey chinking, both by the Perma-Chink Systems.

Benefits of Choosing a Log House

The McKay log house is just one of the log houses you might consider when thinking about a wood cabin for family vacations. A log house is an excellent choice, especially if you like spending time in nature, as log houses fit in so perfectly with natural locations. Once your log house is built, you will want to protect it and keep it looking its best. Natural enemies such as rain, snow, sun, wind, water and pests can take away from the beauty of your log house or cabin building, but the good news is that you can help deter them. You can begin to protect your log house from the elements by using some simple preventative methods along with a seasonal schedule of staining that will help to ensure a long healthy life span for your wood cabin. Some of the natural enemies of a log house can include rain and snow, UV sun rays, wind, insects, and moisture from the ground. You can start prevention of these natural enemies before you even move into your log house.

Protecting Against Rain and Snow

Rain and snow. Precipitation is the worst enemy of a log house, and there are several ways to help prevent rain and snow from away stealing the value of your cabin building. Cleaning, staining, and sealing your log house are a must and need to be done regularly, but there are also some preventative measures that can help battle the winter elements. Proper gutters and deep overhangs that work, make sure that decks and sidewalks drain away from the log house. You also want to look for other places where moisture can be trapped such as windows, window boxes and gas tanks) and then create airspace for proper circulation. Vertical log walls will naturally shed the water better than horizontal walls.

The Impact of UV Rays

UV Rays. The sun's UV rays can cause cellular damage on the surface of the logs. If these damaged wood cells are not removed, they will then become a food source for micro fungi. As the fungi growth progresses, the logs will become darker and eventually begin to rot. A solution to this is to keep overhangs and porches, and trees on both the south and west side of the log house.

Managing Wind Effects

Wind. The wind can accelerate the drying and cracking of the logs, chinking and caulk. Although air helps to prevent water damage, it can also be a persistent condition in the mountains or desert that hurts the cabin building more than it helps. The wind can have an abrasive effect on the logs when dirt and sand particles are pounding against the log house surface throughout the year. A good idea is to plant trees on the south and west side of the cabin building. Position the log house on the building site to avoid windy conditions.