Information on Building a Log Cabin

History

• There are few other architectural styles that has captured the imagination of Americans than log cabins. William Henry Harrison, during his presidential campaign of 1840, used the log cabin as his home-spun campaign logo. Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin as well as many other national and political figures. It is believed that log cabin construction may have been taught to the settlers by Native American Indians. Log cabins are the first type of home built by the European colonists.

Log Selection

• Log selection is often determined by local availability. Woods such as white oak, cedar, fir and chestnut are preferred for the long, straight and rot-resistant properties of the logs. Pine also provides long straight logs for building a log cabin and is still a popular choice with today's log cabin construction. Heavier and more rot-resistant woods such as white oak can be used in the foundation, while lighter and easier to manage woods such as yellow poplar may be chosen for the upper log cabin construction.

Corner Notching

• After one or more sides of the logs are hewed (planed or made flat) the corners of each log are notched. Corner notching is a signature feature of log cabin construction and involves creating notches in which the logs will lock into place. Notching and fitting the logs in this way gives the walls stability. Self locking dovetail notches are perhaps the most common method found in today's log cabins.

Chinking

• Chinking refers to the filling of the horizontal spaces between the joints of the logs with a weather-proofing insulation material. This is considered the weakest point of the log cabin construction and care must be taken to fill in all the spaces. Chinking material should be chosen based on weathering requirements. Some materials that are available today actually expand and contract based on the weather and logs' shrinkage. There are commercially prepared ready-to-use chinking materials made specifically for building a log cabin.

Roof

• Log cabin roof construction can be performed in much the same way as modern conventional building is done. Preconstructed trusses or rafters can be purchased and used as a frame for the cabin's roof. Partial lofts and cathedral ceilings are popular roof constructions for log cabins. Plywood sheets are used to cover the roof with sheet rock and to install insulation for the ceiling.