Hi Marie, I'm not familiar with the term "Board and Batten" but a friend of mine has a log cabin home and he told me one time that he would never do it again. His complaint was that the logs had to be treated every so often to keep them from rotting. He said his log cabin came with a lifetime warrenty on the logs and when one of the logs did rot out the company gladly gave him another one. The problem was replacing a log in the middle of the stack. I'm not sure what the outcome was as this was several years ago. If I was going to build a house I think I would try my best to go with something that needs the least upkeep. Rock would be my first choice. But thats just me. I'm sure you will hear a lot of opinions on this subject.

I live in a log home (built six years ago)and I really love it. However, there are some drawbacks. They must be pressure-washed and treated every couple of years and keeping the logs chinked can be a real pain. The frequency of the cleaning/treating depends on your environment and the quality of the stain you're using. I had mine done two years ago and it still looks good - maybe another two or three years before it needs done again. As the house settles, small cracks can form in the chinking causing very drafty walls. Each fall, I go through the entire house and caulk any gaps that may have formed over the summer. I've never heard of anyone having to deal with a rotten log, like snappybob said above. My logs were kiln-dried, so maybe that's why. I live in Pennsylvania which is known to have wet, humid weather and heavy snow and the most "rot" I get is surface mold on the logs that is easliy scrubbed off with a mild bleach solution.

Log construction is more expensive than probably any other type. If you're looking for a cheap house, log is definitely not the way to go. The labor costs are what get you, not the cost of the logs themselves. The contractor's who build log homes are truly craftsmen and really have to know what they're doing in order to get it right. My contractor bid on a home but lost the bid to someone who came in MUCH lower than his - someone that had never built a log home. Well, those poor people called him about six months later begging him to fix their house! The walls weren't stacked properly, giving the house a "crooked" look, and the logs had been cut up because the phony log home builder didn't realize that the logs come pre-cut from the factory per plan specifications. He was completely clueless. Unfortunately, my contractor tried, but couldn't repair the damage and the people were out of money, so the house was never finished.

Would I build another log home? Yes! It's definitely a life-style and not for everyone, but I wouldn't trade mine for the world.

Marie,
Years ago, I helped build a "board and batten" house. The major differences between the "board and batten" and the Log homes are as follows;
1) The log home walls are usually so thick that insulation is not required (except for the chinking) thus saving you money on heating and cooling for years. The logs, even if they are kiln dried, will do some cracking with age, but due to the thickness of the logs, it is usually not a problem so far as structal steignth or insulation is concerned. And if a crack does come through to the inside,(which is very rare), you can either caulk it or fill it with filler.
2) Due to the thickness of the logs, rotting is less of a problem than it is with the "board and batten" house.
3) The log homes have a very specific way of running the electrical wiring and plumbing, thus requiring a knowledgable contractor to assemble it.
4) The "board and batten" house is much simpler to assemble, wire and plumb, and generaly doesn't require a contractor if you have basic construction knowledge.
5) With the B&B house you will need to add insulation to the walls and celing.
6) The B&B house is generally cheaper to build, but you make up the cost difference between it and the log house with your heating and A/C costs that you wouldn't have to pay in a log house.
7) Both of these materials require some type of sealing. Here in East Tennessee, it is common for the "common and mountain folks" to use a combination mixture of used motor oil, diesel fuel and kerosene to spray on the raw lumber/logs. This mixture serves two purposes; A) To seal the outside of the structure. B) It serves as a insect repellent. Here in East Tennessee we have "wood bees" that love to bore into untreated wood and damage the structial integrity of the wood. Plus we have some of the meanest wasps and hornets around. This mixture keeps them all at bay. The treatment will last about 5-7 years before you have to put a new coat on. Check your local codes to see if this mixture might not be allowed in your area.
8) As with all structures, it is only as sound as the foundation. If the proper ground preparation is done, I.E. compacting and settling the ground with water and getting out as many of the air pockets as possible, then the structure will settle very little over time.
If it was up to me, and I only had those two choices, I would go with the log home, but only if stone wasn't an option. The thicker your walls the more comfortable your home will be.
I hope this helps in your decision and that you have good luck in your new home, Chief Gray Bear

Wow, Thats some great info from all of you. Very informative. Thank you!!
We also make that homemade stain with motor oil. I use it on my barn and wooden fences. Works great and is cheap to make.
My bf has an excuvating business and will build whatever I go with. (anything to not have to get married and move in together...lol) We will be taking a trip to Pa to some log home venders to see whats available.

In talking to the town about what I can and cant do. I was upset. They are giving me a hard time about everything. Especially the windmill. There are no electric lines on the spot I want to build and I dont want any lines.(Except an under ground phone line...lol) I may have a big fight on my hands about it. We use 6$ worth of electricity a month and pay 55$ for it with the other fee's.

You cant use an outhouse unless you have no pottable water to the house. Not that I really want to do that but it's interesting to note. You also cant live in a home that isnt insulated, even if you heat with wood. What happened to pioneering? Its almost like the laws keep us from true homesteading. I cant go with b n b and live in it while I am finishing it.

I have read some books on the stone homes. I would love to go stone. Or maybe stone half way up, with board n batten on top. I have a meeting with the town this week. I am going to mention a stone home and see what he has to say. There are laws against everything it seems.
Marie

I built a Board & Board, 1x10,8,6 and 4, house and a few things I learned was ....

-stain the boards before you put'em up
-a cupped board opens up a large space between boards. Don't use it or you'll be sorry. Wide boards tend to cup more so than narrower ones.
-use large nails with a good gripping surface
-nail in the middle of the boards or 2 side by side on the wider boards. NEVER nail down the edges.
-Working the bottom of the boards along a lower ledger makes it fast and easy getting them even. I didn't have a helper so had to think of gigs to be another pair of hands ;o)
- keep the boards plumb with a level and make a gig to act as a quick spacer

My home is less than 5 years old so how this will all pan out in the future is still quess work ;o)

Don't know a thing on log homes other than what I've read.

Mike

We have had or lived in both and the log home is IMO the better option. They do reuire some care but not nearly the care of a regular built board type home....They look beautiful and they are very energy efficient.....

Marie,
Thank you for your kind note. I'm intriged by something you said, are you within the city limits? It's rare that I've heard of someone with the amount of property that you have to be within the limits and under the jurisdiction of a township. Are there restrictions on your property? If there are, you might consider going before the city council or the county supervisors to apply for a nonrestrictive or agracultural zoning. If you can get this done, you'll have a greater number of options concerning your home and the aminities.
So far as the wind mill goes, if you put in a windmill to pump water to a holding tank for livestock, and just happen to wire it for electricity, what can they say? It just happens to be serving a dual purpose. Also, if you have a stream of some kind on your property you might consider putting in a waterwheel to generate the power you want. The mechanics are quite simple and there's not a thing anyone can say about it, especially if you use the waterwheel as a decoration, or a pump for the water tank concept.
So far as the outhouse concept is concerned, have you thought about "humanure"? It's a fantastic way to aquire composting material for your garden or potting shed. There are books on the subject if you want to consider it.
I have learned, over the years, that there are always ways around politicians and their supossed control. It just takes a little creative thinking.
If you are going to consider the "Livestock tank" idea, find a earth moving company and ask if they happen to have any old tires off of their biggest machines that they want to get rid of. Once you find one, take it to the location that you want to set up the tank. Once you have your pipe ran, making sure that it comes up about 2' above the ground, your boyfriend and several of his buddys can set it over the pipe. Then pour cement into the bottom until it comes up over the edge of the inside rim of the tire and let it set until it is cured. Then take a chainsaw and cut the top rim of the tire off, and presto, you have a tank that didn't cost you anything but the gas to go get it, the cost of the pipe, and the cement. That's about a 500.00 water tank for about 30.00.
You were talking about going to PA to check out some log home companies. Don't forget to check out suppliers in KY and Tennessee as well. We have about eight within 50 miles of where I live, (Athens, TN. Half way between Knoxville and Chattanooga). Also, don't forget to check with some of the regular sawmills. They might do the milling of the logs for the log homes, but don't advertise as doing so, or they might know of another mill that does that.
I wish you all the luck in the world in getting this done. Gray Bear

Marie,
Is it the township or Planning & Zoning you are up against in building? I live in a rural area and the county had one half of my property zoned Residential 1, the other half Agricultural 2. Residential 1 is the most stringent zoning here. In fact, my property was the only one on the rural road with a Residential 1 zoning.
I went to the zoning office and complained, the zoning officer came out and checked out the property. He called me an hour later and said, " Your house is one half Ag2 and the other half is R1, stupidest thing I have ever seen. What do you want to do about it? I told him I wanted all my property in Ag2 like everyone on the road. They changed it all to Ag2.
I later built a barn and didnÂt have to get permission or a building permit. My only trouble was when I wanted to put electricity in the barn. They said I needed a plumbing permit to get electricity - this rule only exists in this county. I finally convinced them that this was only a d#mn barn and I didnÂt intend to live in it.
Ask the town if you can build a barn on the property. Board and Batten here are called clapboard and commonly used for barn construction. You can have everything in a barn, including electric service and bathrooms with water. You still have to have environmental people inspect the plumbing after it is installed.
There have been several people here that purchased old barns and converted them to living areas. Existing structures in AG2 are exempt from P&Z here when reworking the structure. No inspection, no permit needed, just build inside of the darn thing the way you want.

Aloha Marie,

I live in a board and batten house and it isn't exactly the most weather proof building I've ever seen. It was built in 1910 in a tropical climate, though, so it doesn't really matter if the wind blows through it. Not much room for insulation, though.

Log houses are not anything I would personally want to build or own. The logs settle over the years and I don't think they have that great of an insulation factor, either. Running the electrical and plumbing is a major pain and you really won't want to make any revisions later.

Have you looked into other options? Why either one of those two construction methods? They both seem to have some fairly severe limitations. If you are looking for a log house "feel" with the ability to be insulated, easier to build and have a place to run electric and plumbing lines, have you considered a "post and beam" construction? You get the big timber framing look of an old barn with the double wall insulation factors in the walls.

Just a thought.

A hui hou,
Cathy

Thank you everyone for all that good information.

Turned out the people purchasing my home backed out of the deal at the last minute. Argg...oh well they seemed too whinny anyway and to have them as nieghbors would have not been good. so far there are 4 homes here within the 2 miles and we all let our dogs run lose and blow off fireworks, have parties and are all friends, no one complains. The couple that was buying the house were snobs. So it was all probably for the better. But I put $5000 into the house for the sale and now I owe everyone, new well dug, as the exsisting well isnt on ther property. I redid the bathroom to make the mortgage company happy. reran new wires to the barns and tons of other things. All for a lousy 500$ deposit. That wont happen again.

I am zoned agricultural here. I am not allowed to build post n beam unless its a barn. Must be a foundation home. and I found out I cant build anything under 950 sq ft to live in. So a tiny cabin is out....lol

I will keep researching everything, so any more comments are greatfully welcomed.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Marie

Marie,
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
My wife and I are also selling our small farm and looking for a larger parcel of land to build on. Since I posted the last time I've "re-discovered" another technique of buiding a "log" home that you might consider when the situation permits it. Have you heard of "cordwood masonary"? There is a couple up in New York that has workshops on how to build your own cordwood home. Their website is cordwoodmasonary.com. I think you'll find some interesting reading on the site. Their personal email address is robandjaki@yahoo.com if you need further information. Good luck on selling your home, Gray Bear

sorry to hear your deal fell through, but maybe it's for the best. for my money and time, I'd go with the board and batten framed house. they are simple, use the least amount of materials, quick to build, and you don't have to be a master carpenter to build one. the more I look at the board and batten design, the more I can't help but admire it. just the ticket for an affordable hideaway home tucked away in the country somewhere. if you use thicker battens, you will have a thicker wall cavity space, enough to put in some insulation, and work wiring and plumbing through the cavity. you can then sheet rock over it, using the battens as nailers. just my own idea of improving the b&b for modern use. another option would be, lag or screw the planks into the sill plate, first floor rim joists, and roof plate for added strength- as this is where the nails typically pull out in later years and cause the walls to possibly bow outward- the one foible of the b&b framed homme. Regardless, I really like the idea of being able to cover from foundation to eave with one plank, that is so cool.

Log homes are not just fine with out insulation, its just that you cannot reasonably insulate them, it's a big difference. You might look up a book from the 80's called 'super insulated truss frame house' by Mark White, very quick to build with a little help and very very easy to insulate well.

Tauton press makes a magazine called fine homebuilding that it fantastic, and a few years ago they had a back cover story on someone who built his home, then put it on a trailer when he found out about building codes.

Good luck