Custom Home Builders in Chicago, IL

Chicago Log Homes

Of the different kinds of houses that you're used to seeing in the metro area, Chicago log homes are probably not at the top of the list. However, in the less populated areas around Chicago, log homes are an excellent choice for summer homes or lake retreats for several different reasons. Windy City residents looking for the perfect place to get away will certainly have many options when it comes to building a second home or lake house, and while conventional structures might at first seem like the most practical choice, a well constructed log home has many benefits that most homeowners are simply not aware of.

Options
To start off, not all log structures are built in the same manner. A kit-built log home or milled log home uses lengths of wood that are processed to be uniform. Though they are designed to be constructed in a relatively simple manner, most homeowners generally opt to have their house put together by a professional (the option to build a kit log home yourself is one that some homeowners have taken with success). It should be noted, however, that not all milled log home manufacturers use real logs as their raw material.

Handcrafted log homes are made from real logs by skilled craftsmen who often use techniques that are decades old. These generally allow for more customization in floor plan and appearance than kit-built structures, but are more difficult to produce.

There are several variations on log home construction including cordwood homes, where firewood sized logs are positioned and laid like bricks to form walls (giving the finished structure a polka-dot appearance) and timber framed homes where large logs are used to form the structural support of the house. You can also create a conventionally built house that uses many log accents to give the house a more rustic look.

Builders
Not all Chicago log home builders are going to be experts at every style of log home construction. Your best bet is to look at examples of several kinds of log homes in magazines or online, and then find a contractor or company that specializes in the style you choose. Chances are that there will be a log home builder in Chicago (or in the surrounding area) who will be able to accommodate you.

Prices and Benefits
While there are some technologies that become outdated and are better left that way, log home construction has many benefits that are sure to appeal to even the most modern sensibilities. Log homes are generally far more efficient insulators than traditionally built houses because of the tiny air pockets inside each log that make it difficult for heat to transfer between indoors and out. This is of particular significance in an area that gets as cold in the winter as Chicago. This means less money spent on heating and cooling, and less wasted energy, too. Log homes are also environmentally friendly in the fact that using whole logs reduces the amount of waste created by making boards (all that sawdust adds up to more than you might think over time).

It has been said that many households will not need to take out a mortgage to build a log home. Chicago residents should beware, however, as this statement (though true in some cases) can be very misleading, especially if this is to be a primary residence. These low figures often require the homeowner to do a lot of the work in constructing the building. While some log homes can be built inexpensively, there is a good probability that a log house with all of the same attributes you'd expect from a brand new house (and built by a hired contractor and crew) will be comparable in price to any other kind of home.