How Gorilla Glass 4 Can Save You Some Pack Weight

For day hikers and beginner hikers, it can be difficult to understand why backpackers and the ultralight crowd are so obsessed with weight. We’ve all read stories about people cutting the plastic bits off the end of their shoelaces or removing everything but the brush from their toothbrushes to save a few grams here and…

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Living in the US? Building With Canadian Custom Log Home Builder Offers Huge Savings

Over the years we have designed, built and exported a number of custom log and timber homes to the United States and abroad. If you live in the US and have always wanted to build a custom log and timber home right now is the perfect time to build.

Working with a number of US clients we have dedicated ourselves to not only building but also helping them understands the benefits of log and timber homes and helping them through the process.

The number one question that we get is “How much do log homes cost and how much can I save with the exchange rate?” so here is our detailed answer to help you figure that out:

When it comes to building a custom log home honestly, the sky is the limit. Depending on the style of home you are building (full scribe log home, Timber Frame, Post and Beam or Hybrid), the prices will vary. Other factors that can adjust the price include: specific features, square footage, transportation and additional add on’s.

To help give you a baseline, here is a quick breakdown of cost per square footage in Canadian Dollars:

• Timber Frame Log Home: $45 – $65 Canadian per square foot
• Post and Beam Log Home: $35 – $70 Canadian per square foot
• Full Scribe Log Home Shell: $50 – $90 Canadian per square foot

To view the entire cost article and compare log home styles click here.

Another huge savings when purchasing a Canadian log package and importing it into the USA is that there is no 5% Canadian sales tax.  So your log home package is tax free.  *Please check with individual state laws to understand if there are any import taxes involved.

To calculate these estimated costs into US funds and see the potential savings you can use an currency exchange tool.

Visit the Bank of Canada Currency Converter for the latest posted exchange rates.

For many of our clients cost becomes a big factor in deciding what to build and who will help you build it. If you would like to discuss your plans and ideas further feel free to contact us.

If you are still wanting to research and understand a bit more about what is involved when working with a Canadian custom log home builder check out these popular articles:

• The Advantages of Choosing a BC Custom Log Home Builder: This article shares some of the key benefits of choosing a custom builder in British Columbia.
• 6 Key Questions to Ask before Hiring a Home Builder: When it comes to hiring a builder for your custom home you want to make sure you ask these questions.
• Building Your Log Home 101: This sections discusses the most common questions asked by clients when it comes to building a custom log home.

The post Living in the US? Building With Canadian Custom Log Home Builder Offers Huge Savings appeared first on Artisan Custom Log Homes.

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Congressman Schiff Plans to Introduce Rim of the Valley Legislation Soon

At an auditorium inside the Los Angeles Zoo, Congressman Adam Schiff joined the National Park Service’s Project Manager Anne Dove and Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Superintendent David Szymanski spoke to a gathered crowd about the recently completed Rim of the Valley Corridor Study. The Rim of the Valley Corridor Study is just one step in…

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Product Review: Gobi Gear HOBOROLL 20L

    Have you ever discovered a new piece of gear that simply knocked your socks off? This would describe my experience with the Gobi Gear stuff and compression sacks. Unlike the traditional compression sack, the Gobi Gear line is designed to keep your stuff sack organized through its segmented compartments. It’s a simple solution with a…

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5 Eco-Friendly Benefits of Log Home Living

If you’re considering building a home and want it to be beneficial to your health as well as the environment, a log or timber home may be the right option for you. There are many factors that go into building and designing a home sustainable and healthy, but on average, log and timber homes tend to have more benefits compared to the traditional stick and brick.

Here are 5 eco-friendly benefits of log and timber homes:

Wood is Renewable and Sustainable

Because of its inherent sustainability, wood makes for a fantastic ‘green’ home for those who enjoy living in nature. Wood products require less energy to manufacture, and have the lowest impacts on water and air quality.

The result? Log homes are renewable and sustainable alternatives to homes built with less-friendly materials. Which brings us to:

Green Building Materials

Wood aside, most of the other building materials used when constructing a log home are also eco-friendly. The manufacturing of these materials is far less harmful to the environment than the processes other conventional building materials are subjected to.

Approximately 16% of all the fossil fuel consumed each year is used to turn steel, aluminum, concrete, and brick into materials for construction products. Alternatively, using wood ultimately reduces fossil fuel consumption.

You can feel good knowing that your home reduces global carbon dioxide emissions!

Naturally Energy Efficient

Have you ever noticed that older homes have rock walls to help heat and cool the home? During the day, the sun heats the rocks on the outside yet the coolness of the stones keep the inside of the house cool. During the evening, the reverse happens: the stones cool from the evening air the heat from the day heats the inside of the home.

Wood has the same natural heat and insulating qualities. Not only can this help you to save on your heating bills, you help the environment because ideally, your home won’t use nearly as much energy as stick and brick homes can.

Better Air Quality

Because the wooden structure of your log home stores carbons and regulates humidity, it naturally allows for better air flow. The result is that wooden structures like log homes are healthier to live in.

It also means that there’s typically a reduced need for you to purchase air purifiers, hepa filters, humidifiers and dehumidifiers—all small machines that require less eco-friendly materials to manufacture, and more energy to run.

Controlled Harvesting and Replanting  

Wood is sustainable and uses less energy to manufacture than other types of building materials. In British Columbia, trees are mindfully selected with controlled harvesting to help avoid destroying local habitats. In many areas forests that have been logged are replanted the following years to help maintain a healthy forest.

Overall, if you’re considering building a home that has less environmental impacts, is more sustainable, and can be a healthy home to live in, a log home may be right for you!

Interested in building a log or timber home? Feel free to contact us regarding any questions you have or for a quote.

Related Articles

• Log Homes 101 Section 
• The Advantages of BC Log Home Builders
• How to Choose a Log Home Design 

 

 

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What to Ask Yourself before You Start Building

With the start of a new year we often think about what we want to achieve in the coming months. If building a custom home is one of your 2016 goals, this article will help you think about some of the questions you’ll want to answer before committing to the project.

What are you looking for?

This may sound pretty simple but it’s a very important question. Many of the clients that we meet and work with have dreamed about building a timber home for years. They know which specific attributes they want the home to have and they already have everything mapped out from the square footage to the color of the curtains. Other clients have a brief concept but have so many ideas they don’t really know what will look best or work with the land that they have. You want to have a clear plan before you start building your home so that you can avoid any future changes to the project once production starts.

If you want to know how to choose the right log home design, check out one of our recent articles that walks you through some of the key things to consider.

What are your expectations with the builder?

Not all builders are the same so it is important to understand what type of relationship you want to have with your builders and contractors to ensure you have a great experience. If you are the type of person that wants to be involved in every aspect of the build, you will want to find a company that will keep you in the loop, invite you down to their log yard and share all the latest progress. Or you might want to have a hands-off approach so find a company that you fully trust and just get updates now and then. A good builder and design can make or break a project, so make sure you spend some time having those detailed conversations. Price isn’t always the most important factor if you can’t communicate or trust the team you have working with you.

To help you with selecting the right builder check out our article “6 Key Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Home Builder”.

How do you handle stressful situations?

This question relates to the above questions in that building a custom home of any size will always have some stress associated with it. You need to discuss this with your family and be prepared for some ups and downs along the way. By being as clear as you can with the expectations you have for your home and the expectations you have for your builders, a lot of this stress can be avoided. It’s important to hope for the best but plan for the worst; even if you prepare as much as possible there will likely be a few things along the way that require a little extra attention.

If you are considering building a custom home this year or the next, we encourage you to learn and understand as much as you can to prepare you for the process. Check out our Log Home 101 section, visit our plans and galleries section and look through our blog. We want to help you understand what to expect when it comes to building a home, so if you don’t see the answer to your question feel free to contact us and we can answer it for you.

The post What to Ask Yourself before You Start Building appeared first on Artisan Custom Log Homes.

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Cairn Subscription Box Review

I have fond childhood memories of rolling up to an accessories store at the mall, handing over a hard-won dollar bill, and receiving a small paper bag in return – the infamous “grab bag,” filled with who-knows-what, the most clearancy of clearance items, anyone’s guess. It barely mattered what plastic tchotchkes lay inside – I loved the element of…

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