Also known as the 'Milled Log' Home Method, this method represents a major departure from the tradition that gave it its birth. It has come along mainly due to economic pressures that have resulted in a desire to reduce labor and material costs. The other reason for its existence is some people just don't like the look of the classical log home with round logs and notches at the corners. What they and perhaps you want is the benefits of a solid wood home that is economical to build. Also Manufactured Home buyers either happened to prefer a look resembling that of a conventionally built home or they are willing to accept the manufactured look due to budget constraints.

Naturally, all logs originate in the forest, but the "milled logs" are really dimensional lumber that has been shaped in a mill to resemble a log. They in fact start as posts. As a result of this most log home manufacturers cannot tell you exactly where their "logs" came from since they purchased their post stock from a lumber broker and do not personally select trees in the forest. The wood they receive is usually kiln dried to reduce the moisture content to the desired level.

The posts are then fed into an automated, semi-automated or crew operated mill that planes them into the desired shapes: Double D (resembles a log), D (round on the outside and flat on the inside; chosen by customers who want a log look on the outside but prefer flat walls on the inside) and the Square Log (a square post with beveled corners for people who prefer walls both interior and exterior that most closely resemble a conventional house). There are a few other possibilities but these are by far the most common.

Once the wood has been shaped it is then cut to lengths according to the CAD (computer aided design) or shop drawings for a non-automated mill and then notched if the home will have notched corners. In the most sophisticated milling operations all the holes are predrilled for through bolts, electrical and plumbing runs and the boxes for switches and receptacles will be cut in. In the most basic of milling operations the posts are milled to shape and then shipped out and they are cut to length and drilled for electrical and plumbing runs in the field. Most operations fall somewhere between these two ends of the spectrum. Basically you get what you pay for. If you are a handyman type and you do not consider the value of your time then the low end is the cheapest way to go. If you consider the fact that your time is money then there is no way that you can cut and drill by hand with the same efficiencies as a machine. Thus it is in fact cheaper to buy a fully completed milled product from a fully automated manufacturer.

Typically the milled product is then assembled at the customer's site by builder/dealers or perhaps the owners themselves. It is a more complex and lengthy process to assemble the milled log package. It has more parts that require more fasteners to join the wall assemblies together and this is the first time that they have been fitted together. Also, a layer of tape or sealant of some type is field applied between the log runs.

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Overview of Handcrafted Method