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Lovetheroad75
Member
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# Posted: 20 Oct 2016 12:44
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Hello everyone! I am brand new here, just found this site and I am just starting out on my efforts to get off the grid. I and my wife are currently looking for land in Missouri to build our new log home on; and we want it to be as off the grid as we possibly can. Like I said, I am new at this and have a lot to learn so any advise or info that more experienced people can provide would be very welcome! 
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LoonWhisperer
Member
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# Posted: 20 Oct 2016 13:56
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Welcome to the forum! This is the right place for all things off-grid. We look forward to hearing about your journey.
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 20 Oct 2016 18:06
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Welcome! I'm very biased against log homes for a lot of reasons. But basically it takes longer to build and you end up with a less functional building. Anyway I suggest you look at all the alternatives. You'll have overall a lot of work to do and a lot of money to spend, so perhaps a more difficult, time consuming method of construction won't be your first choice.
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 21 Oct 2016 07:44
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Welcome to the forum. Check out the search function. Lots of good stuff here.
Quoting: bldginsp biased against log homes
They look nice but....
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Lovetheroad75
Member
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# Posted: 21 Oct 2016 11:12
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I am sure that you are correct about the log homes, but we just love the look of a beautiful log home with big bay windows overlooking the valley. It's kind of a dream-home thing.
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 21 Oct 2016 15:33
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As Joseph Campbell said,"Follow your bliss".
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rmak
Member
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# Posted: 23 Oct 2016 10:00
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I should note that Bldginsp and MtDon and Toyota and others here were a great help to me on technical stuff when I built my recreational cabin. But with technical knowledge comes strong opinions about the "right" way to do things. Nothing against these folks, who I have great respect for.
That said, Build your place the way you want. We have log cabins around here that are approaching 200 years old. If you put love and effort into the place it will outlast any discussions on this forum and those who wrote them. Good luck!
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 23 Oct 2016 10:58 - Edited by: bldginsp
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I agree with rmak. I'm sure the sense of accomplishment one will feel on completing a log cabin is great. From a practical perspective, stick framing is easier, cheaper, faster, better insulated, blah blah, but log cabins are beautiful, and a life accomplishment. At some point what you want is more important than what is practical. I bought a tractor that I didn't need, because I wanted it. But, I bought it with the money I saved after building a stick built cabin...
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KellyVa
Member
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# Posted: 25 Oct 2016 00:10
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My name is Kelly Valencia-Aiken. I'm not a builder and I don't have a cabin, although I'd like one. I'm writing about foundations people build in their lives - physically and metaphorically. In my research on foundations, I ran across the term "bedrock" and this website. I was hoping to ask a few questions if someone wouldn't mind helping me.
1. Why should/-n't people build on bedrock?
2. Are there ad-/disadvantages to building on bedrock?
3. What kind of materials are used to build on bedrock?
4. Is building on bedrock the most stable kind of foundation? If not, what is?
5. What happens when bedrock is much deeper than the foundation needed for a building/house, how do you lay a foundation then?
Thank you so very much for your help!
~Kelly Valencia-Aiken
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rmak
Member
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# Posted: 26 Oct 2016 13:23
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Hi Kelly,
Just a comment on the culture of this forum. If you have questions about foundations for a cabin, you might want to start a new topic. I've found that tagging a question on an old thread on another subject doesn't get much response.
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Malamute
Member
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2016 16:38 - Edited by: Malamute
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I'm also a big log fan. Having lived in log for most of the past 25-some years, many of the so-called disadvantages haven't materialized for me. Theres poor log construction, which was one of the first ones I lived in, and better quality and methods of log work. Ive been far happier living in the log cabins Ive built than any other place Ive lived, with vastly more satisfaction at the end result, and the satisfaction of seeing that many of the predictions of naysayers haven't seemed to happened with my cabin experience. I also haven't found them all that difficult to build.
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2016 20:56
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Kelly- bedrock is pretty simple. It's the best substrate for a building foundation. Manhattan is on bedrock, which is why they can build skyscrapers.
1- they should if they can
2- if it's close enough to the surface to use, it is all advantage and no disadvantage.
3- concrete and rebar. If the rock is exposed with no soil, you could put wood right down on the rock, but it's better to build a concrete stem wall to keep the wood above moisture.
4- yes, absolutely.
5- you dig trenches and pour concrete into them onto the soil. Soils vary greatly in their bearing capacity and other characteristics, and many foundations have problems because of poor soils. Basically soil is an inferior base or substrate for putting a building on, but most buildings are built on soil, because the bedrock is too far down. In my case, there is a 300 foot deep layer of clay/silt/sand soil on top of bedrock under my cabin. It's one of, but not the, worst of soils for construction purposes. But with an adequate foundation it will be fine. I used a lot of concrete and rebar, and dug it deep.
The best foundation is a loving family.
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