Why Not Make a Garden Log Cabin?

September 9th, 2009 Posted in Home Improvement

Most of us would love to have a log cabin in our garden, but is it possible to make that dream come true?  Many log cabin kits are available, but the cheapest and most satisfying way is to build it yourself.  This is the way to do it.

A traditional log cabin is a simple square or rectangle, with only four sides.  Other shapes are more complicated to build, and therefore more expensive.  
Even though they are simple to build, garden log cabins must be designed properly from the foundations up and you are strongly advised to seek expert help and professional plans before you begin.  It helps to have the all-important material list done for you as well – you will save both time and money in the long run.  Good quality plans are well worth the small investment involved, and will save you doing all the tedious design calculations.

A good size for a log cabin home would be about 20 ft by 30 ft.  When selecting the site, try to find a slightly elevated area to reduce damp problems and prepare a reasonably level area a bit larger than the proposed building.  

Old garden log cabins would probably have had an earthen floor, but some had wood planks.  The latter would be preferable and easier to keep clean.

You will find the type and size of logs specified in your blueprints, and these will be quite rough and not necessarily very straight.  Don’t be alarmed – all log cabins get their charm from this!  A lock-joint is used at each corner to fasten the side and end logs to one another.  To form this joint a notch is cut at each end of the log and about one foot in.  The notch is cut nearly halfway through the log, joining with a similar notch in the mating log to produce that famous log cabin appearance.  

Fix the first course of logs to your foundation, if you have one, by anchor bolts and ensure these logs are properly levelled.  The floor joists should be spaced every two feet along the side logs. Build further courses of logs up to the planned door height, about 80 inches.  At this stage cut out openings for the door and windows – fastening wood battens to the logs to ensure stability – and fasten door and window jambs in place.  Then take the log courses up to the final wall height.

Shorter logs will now be laid at each end, still mated to side logs, to produce the roof pitch specified in the blueprints.  Top off with the ridge pole.  You can use planks or shingles, typically, to make the roof of the log cabin.  Your plans will have a number of options and will show you how to fit them.  A mixture of moss and mud is the traditional method for filling the gaps between logs – be prepared for your children to want to help at this point!

Finish your log cabin by fitting the floor planks, door and windows.  You might want to make your door from spare planks and battens, but these often distort badly in time and it is much more advisable to look for an old door in a salvage yard or antique shop and build your log cabin around it.  You might want to leave your window openings unglazed but, if not, your plans should showl you how to make suitable opening windows.

Often people want to have fires or stoves in their log cabins – it is part of the dream.  Be very careful about including such things, however, because of the very real risk of heat damage to the walls fo the log cabin.  There are often local regulations about fitting fires in wooden buildings, and remember, you are the one responsible for observing these laws.  Again, good plans will include full details if you decide to go this route.

Finally, you might think about fitting a solar panel for making free electricity and a solar heater for your hot water, particularly if your log cabin is off the beaten track.

And remember to plan well ahead, so that your garden log cabin is ready in time for winter!