Walls and windows

This week the guys had finished cutting all the logs of our cabin to size, so they began installing them, much like legos.  The logs we've chosen are 6" wide by 8" tall and they have a tongue-and-groove system to help hold them together and seal our air.  Each log joint is filled with a "butyl" tape and screwed together with long lags.  As they go up, they drill holes for wiring to be snaked up from the deck to the outlets and switches.  

The inside surface of the logs is smoothly finished, meaning it is planed after milling.  The outside surface we decided to leave "as is", which is still fairly smooth, but has a slightly rougher surface after coming out of the milling machine.  The main reason I went with the rougher surface over the smooth for the outside is that it tends to hold and soak up a lot more of the sealer that is applied to the outside to protect it from the elements.  The choice was entirely functional and not aesthetic, although I think it will look good as well.

When deciding on a log construction, there were many factors that went in to consideration.  Personally, I'm not entirely sold on log, and won't use log if/when we are able to build a larger family home.  Logs tend to be high maintenance and are not particularly energy efficient.  But, for our purposes, where we view the cabin as a family home for 3-5 years before we build our more permanent dwelling, at which point the cabin will become a host of other possibilities, such as guest house, home office, rental, or something I sell, the logs will do well.  I also concluded that logs would go up quicker than other types of construction, have a nice rustic feel, and, more importantly, are fairly natural in that they don't entail so many of the harmful dyes, adhesives, and other chemicals that are part of the mainstream building process.  

Only time will tell whether our decision was well-informed, but we're content with our decision and excited to see it come together.  Here are a few pics of the updated progress.