10 Ways to Build a Better Log Home

Before breaking ground on your own log home project, listen to the advice of experts who've seen homeowners make all kinds of design and construction mistakes while building their dream homes. Heed what they have to say and you just might be happier with your own results.

1. Properly Orient Your Home On Your Building Lot
You'll enjoy your log home more if it sits perfectly on your property. Consider not only how each room takes in views, but also where the sun hits.
Make sure the location of your well and septic system doesn't prevent you from making home improvements. "If you wish later on to put an addition onto the building, you may not be able to because the well and septic locations are in the way," Jordan says.

2. Keep All The Trees You Can
Trees can provide your home shade and a whole lot more.
A windbreak of pine trees is good for shielding a home from driving winds, which is especially important if your home sits on a mountaintop or ridge.

3. Give Careful Consideration To Window Placement
Though windows let in light and provide incredible views of your property, they can also rob your home of energy. Remember the log wall has excellent insulative properties. The problem is that we took part of it out and replaced it with a window that has much less insulation. On the other hand, a wall of windows that constantly faces the sun can bring in too much heat. Be sure you are building a home, not a greenhouse."

4. Create Spaces That Serve More Than One Purpose
Adding square footage won't necessarily make a log home feel larger. Making efficient use of the space you have is the best way to give your home a spacious atmosphere while keeping it comfortable and inviting.
Many log home owners are combining the kitchen, living room and dining room to save space. But there are more ways to consolidate spaces.
Log homes are tailor-made for open floor plans. "One thing that most log homes share in common is large open spaces," Clutter says. "Most log homes are constructed in such a way that the large beams or log posts bear loads that framed walls do in conventional construction, so there is a greater opportunity for the homeowner to have that open great room they have always wanted."

5. Incorporate Dormers Into Your Home Design
Adding dormers can increase space in upstairs rooms.
When it comes to upstairs space in a home, you need to understand that shallow roof pitches will affect usable space. So ask for a cross-section of the building. Many people wish they had placed that dormer on the rear of the home to gain a true two-story condition on the back of their home.
But make sure you weatherproof your dormers with adequate flashing and design them so water is diverted away from the structure. Log dormers are very difficult to maintain. The log corners can easily trap and retain water and snow against the log work, keeping it constantly saturated. Using a framed dormer with siding is a safer material for dormers than whole-log construction. There are many great dormer looks accomplished with shingles, board & batten and clap board that can actually add more interest and added texture to the home's character.

TAKE YOUR TIME
The design phase of your log home project is something you don't want to zip through. Making sure you get it right is the most important consideration.

You can find more information on www.logandtimberhome.com

Home Bar Design - Types of Bars

Home bars are broken down into 2 basic categories - indoor and outdoor.
From there you have permanent bars, semi-permanent bars, and mobile home bars. For those of you with ample space in an office, living room, or rec room, having a built in bar can be the perfect solution to your needs. Permanent home bars usually offer a serving counter and lots of storage room for your bottles and glasses.
Make sure you leave room for bar stools. Permanent bars tend to be made of nicer quality materials (usually woods) as they will remain a fixture in your home.
If space is a premium perhaps a smaller semi-permanent bar is a better choice. These smaller home bars still have shelves or counters to mix drinks, but lack some of the storage space and overall design quality seen on permanent bars. Though some semi-permanent home bars can be rather heavy, the idea behind them is to be able to move them if you have too. Often, you will see people store semi-permanent bars in their garages and bring them out for special occassions.
Lastly, you have the truly mobile home bars, many with wheels for easy transport. Mobile home hars are the least extravagent and meant for indoor or outdoor use. Some are made with metal (stainless steel and the like) and they have rollers which allows you to move them virtually anywhere in your house or outside. If you are going to choose a permanent home bar, pick one that has some craftmanship behind it and one that matches your home decor.
Outdoor bars are a fun addition to any pool party or outdoor event. They are made with metal, tiki, wood, or wicker, and their countertops are usually available in wood, glass, bamboo, or wicker. You'll find styles that include Tiki, Saloon, Traditional, and Contemporary. Sometimes a home bar is too much and homeowners go with a pub set which includes a smaller table and 2 chairs. Pub sets can often be a great compliment to a bar that has no stools. Mix the drinks at your bar and then sit at your pub table and chairs. Either way, home bars and pub sets are a nice way to entertain guests in your house and they are made for indoor or outdoor purposes. A home bar will cost you more than a pub set as prices for home bar can go above $2000. A pub table set costs between $400 and $1000.

You can find more information on www.galttech.com

Home Bar Design

Home bars can make a great addition to any house if they are well placed and provide the right ambience. We have tried to list the best selling and most popular home bars and pub sets down below with prices, a brief description and owner comments.

Best Indoor Home Bar. You get storage shelves and drawers for your glassware, supplies, and liquor bottles. If you are a wine enthusiasts, it comes with a 10-bottle wine rack. In the front along the bottom is the brass footrest that many of us have come to expect on home bars. The bar itself is made with wood and has a beautiful cherry finish. It stands 41 inches high and DOES NOT include bar stools which will set you back another $200/each.

Portable Home Bar. Another popular style home bar is the Swing Open Portable Bar ($430) that comes in solid hardwood with black, cherry, or oak finishes. This mini bar has raised panels and durable locking rubber casters. The antique brass plated foot rails and locking liquor cabinet are nice touches. There are 2 storage drawers for supplies and 1 drawer with a stemware insert. You do have to assemble the bar yourself which some owners note can be difficult but overall they are happy with the value and durability of the product. Consumers say this bar works well as a temporary bar when throwing the occasional party or neighborhood get together. It will fold up compactly and store in closets or garages.

Outdoor Home Bar. Outdoor bars should have some style and the Tiki Bar with Four Stools ($1500) is a fun addition to any backyard party. It looks like something straight off the set of Gilligans Island, but your party guests will enjoy the atmosphere this bar brings. The Tiki bar resembles bamboo, but the PVC resin wicker is durable and perfect for outdoor use. Comes with 4 barstools and a thatch roof. There are 2 shelves for storing bottles and a built-in rack for your stemware comes as part of the canopy. The price is a bit steep, but remember you do get the stools included in the price.

Top Rated Pub Sets. Pub sets are great for those with smaller kitchens or little outdoor patios and decks that aren't able to fit larger tables and chairs. A pub set includes a small table (often rounded) with 2 chairs. Pubsets.com is the best place to start your search online as they carry almost everything imagineable. They have wood pub sets, metal pub sets, wrought iron pub sets, some with glass tops and much more. For a basic bistro table with stools you are looking at $400 and some of the nicer indoor pub sets are closer to $1000. Measure your indoor our outdoor space to make sure the table and chairs/stools will fit. You can also find these sets in stores like Pottery Barn or Pier 1 Imports.

You can find more information on www.galttech.com

Custom Home Design – How to Hire a Builder?

There are many advantages to building a custom home. Everything is brand new, and just the way you want. You can have the very latest in architectural design and home-building technology, all designed to fit your individual needs and lifestyle. However, building a custom home can seem like a daunting task - everything from financing to finishing touches. But it doesn't have to be an intimidating process. You are not the first person to custom build a house, and there are professionals available to guide you through it.

One of the most important decisions you'll have to make is hiring a builder. It is a good idea to hire a builder early in the process - even before you've picked a lot or a design for the house. The process of building a house is so complex that help from a professional builder in site selection, home design and outlining written specifications can avoid costly mistakes. You may want to contract with a builder only for preliminary stages such as site selection and home design, with an option to extend the contract to the building stage. This way you get the experience of a professional for some crucial decisions, and you get to see how you work with the builder before you commit to the whole project.

Your decision to hire one builder over another shouldn't rest solely on price. In fact, there are several other criteria that are more important, beside the fact that it's impossible to quote an accurate price for a custom or semi-custom home unless you know the type, style, finishes and features of the home, the site conditions and the type of contract you want to use for construction. Bids by competitive builders are difficult to read and compare - and you have to ensure that the bids are based on identical specifications, using the same quality of materials. Then consider the quality of the workmanship offered by each builder.

More important than cost is the builder's reputation and professionalism, experience, competence and warranty coverage. Consider the following points:
• You'll want to hire a builder with a solid reputation and an extensive client list. Consider the quality of their work. You may want to look at some of the homes they've built and see for yourself, and talk to the people who have used their services to see how smoothly the process went.
• Hire a builder who is familiar with the area you're building in. This is important due to the regional nature of construction, variations in building code, ease of hiring better subcontractors, dealing with weather patterns and various other factors.
• Choose a builder who has experience building the type of home you want, in your style and price range.
• An important part of how smoothly the building process goes is your compatibility with the builder. Building a custom home can be a stressful experience, and the better relationship you have with your builder, the easier it will be.
• What kind of warranty is the builder providing? A comprehensive warranty can save you a lot of worry and expense once the house is built. If a builder is not willing to guarantee his work, think about hiring someone else.
• Make sure the building company you hire is financially stable. A successful company that has a proven track record can hire the best subcontractors and suppliers. You also want to ensure that the company will be in business for the duration of your warranty.

Whatever you do, don't try to save money by acting as the general contractor. Unless you have the experience, resources and contacts required to build a custom home, you could be setting yourself up for disaster. You will pay for the services of a professional builder, but their experience could save you money - and aggravation - in the long run.
You can find more information on www.contractors.com

Home Lighting Design

Lighting design as it applies to the built environment, also known as 'architectural lighting design', is both a science and an art. Comprehensive lighting design requires consideration of the amount of functional light provided, the energy consumed, as well as the aesthetic impact supplied by the lighting system. Some buildings, like surgical centers and sports facilities, are primarily concerned with providing the appropriate amount of light for the associated task. Some buildings, like warehouses and office buildings, are primarily concerned with saving money through the energy efficiency of the lighting system. Other buildings, like casinos and theatres, are primarily concerned with enhancing the appearance and emotional impact of architecture through lighting systems. Therefore, it is important that the sciences of light production and luminaire photometrics are balanced with the artistic application of light as a medium in our built environment. These electrical lighting systems should also consider the impacts of, and ideally be integrated with, daylighting systems. Factors involved in lighting design are essentially the same as those discussed above in energy analysis.

Mathematical modeling is normally used for complex lighting design, whereas, for simple configurations, tables and simple hand calculations can be used. Based on the positions and mounting heights of the fixtures, and their photometric characteristics, the proposed lighting layout can be checked for uniformity and quantity of illumination. For larger projects or those with irregular floor plans, lighting design software can be used. Each fixture has its location entered, and the reflectance of walls, ceiling, and floors can be entered. The computer program will then produce a set of contour charts overlaid on the project floor plan, showing the light level to be expected at the working height. More advanced programs can include the effect of light from windows or skylights, allowing further optimization of the operating cost of the lighting installation.

The Zonal Cavity Method is used as a basis for both hand, tabulated, and computer calculations. This method uses the reflectance coefficients of room surfaces to model the contribution to useful illumination at the working level of the room due to light reflected from the walls and the ceiling. Simplified photometric values are usually given by fixture manufacturers for use in this method.

Computer modelling of outdoor flood lighting usually proceeds directly from photometric data. The total lighting power of a lamp is divided into small solid angular regions. Each region is extended to the surface which is to be lit and the area calculated, giving the light power per unit of area. Where multiple lamps are used to illuminate the same area, each one's contribution is summed. Again the tabulated light levels (in lux or foot-candles) can be presented as contour lines of constant lighting value, overlaid on the project plan drawing. Hand calculations might only be required at a few points, but computer calculations allow a better estimate of the uniformity and lighting level.

Practical lighting design must take into account the gradual decrease in light levels from each lamp owing to lamp aging, lamp burnout, and dirt accumulation on fixture and lamp surfaces. Empirically-established depreciation factors are listed in lighting design handbooks.

http://en.wikipedia.org

Home Office Design. Lighting

When lighting a home office, you will want to create a comfortable environment that is free of harsh contrasts and distracting glare. You will need task lighting for reading, writing, and computer work, and general lighting for the surrounding area. You may also want to include accent lighting for prized possessions. An exclusive LAMPS PLUS torchiere with 2 side lights can handle several tasks at once. The head of the torchiere can help to light the entire room with glare free ambient light and the bullet lights can be positioned for more direct lighting where you want it.

Two large ceiling fixtures, containing energy-efficient fluorescent tubes, can also provide plenty of well-diffused general lighting, while eliminating shadows on the desk. Place the fixtures over head and to the right and left of the desk so the light comes over the shoulder. Lighting placed in front of a desk will cause troublesome reflections.

Credenzas can be illuminated with slim undercabinet fixtures containing energy-efficient fluorescents. Mount as close to the front of the cabinet as possible to avoid glare reflecting off the work surface.

Pictures, mementos, professional certificates, or an attractive plant can be highlighted with track lighting.

An adjustable table lamp will provide additional light to the desk and keyboard areas. Position all lights so that their bulbs do not reflect in the computer screen.

 

http://www.lampsplus.com

Home Interior Design

A number of basic design styles apply to everything from furniture to interior and exterior home design. Here are some general guidelines for some popular design styles:

Contemporary/modern design features sleek, unadorned cabinets, plain panel doors and hardware that's hidden or unobtrusive.

Traditional is more formal and elegant. Raised panel cabinet doors or clear glass panels separated by thin strips of wood are often seen. Rich wood finishes or painted white wood may be accented with sparkle from brass or brass-tone hardware.

Craftsman bungalow houses usually have low-pitched gable roofs with large overhangs and exposed rafters. Under the gables are often decorative beams or braces. A craftsman bungalow commonly has a generous front porch with a roof is carried on square, tapered columns. Stone or brick frequently is used for the porch's base or columns. Masonry may also be used for a tapered chimney on one side of the house.

Country features light stain or distressed-color finish, simple cabinet and door styles and unpretentious wood or ceramic knobs and handles.

Colonial style homes take advantage of classic architectural elements, notably symmetry, columns and formally framed doors and windows. These residences, often elaborate, typically have large front and rear porches, providing an opportunity for cross ventilation in sultry climates.

Victorian styles often reflect the romance of the 19th century with contemporary convenience. Common cabinet woods are oak or cherry and with the right color scheme, even white can be used. Many different types of hardware will work, from hammered iron to antique pewter.

High-tech design areas feature stainless steel, metal tubing, chrome and black accents. Kitchens often feature an industrial look with sleek metallic appliances and storage cabinets. Glass block or curving transparent window glass may be set in a wall.

Southwestern homes, with their stucco or adobe exterior and orange or red tile roofs, are gaining in popularity these days, especially in the west.
Likewise, log homes, which today include construction techniques that may or may not use whole logs to yield a house that looks like it's built with logs, have a solid, somewhat romantic and secure ambience that attracts many people.

French country design is more of a style than a set of specifics. The rural homes of France that provide the basis for French country style are diverse in all but their charm. One common trait is the multi-paned windows extending to the floor, which are called French windows and that are used like doors, inside and out. The kitchen is enormous and comfortable, with exposed, sturdy beams and tiled floors. The living room is also large, often with a fireplace.

Mediterranean style favors stucco as it weathers well, especially in damp or sea-side areas), as well as bay windows or narrow, deep windows and doors flanked by slat-board shutters and painted vividly. Ceramic tile flooring, airy, large open living areas are also hallmarks of Mediterranean design.