Click on any article of interest, scroll through them all or click any 'Return to Top of Page' link:

>THE BUILDING TIMELINE - How far in advance of desired occupancy should you begin your project?

>QUESTIONS TO ASK OF YOUR PROSPECTIVE BUILDER

> SATISFIED HOMEOWNERS SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE QUALITY AND AFFORDABILITY OF THEIR HOME

_> TOWN & COUNTRY ENGINEERS THE BEST WALL SYSTEM

-> TOWN & COUNTRY'S HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

->  PROMOTING CARBON MONOXIDE PREVENTION IN NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION

->  WHAT DOES "LUXURY HANDCRAFTED VS. MANUFACTURED" REALLY MEAN?

-> WHY NORTHERN WHITE CEDAR IS THE NATURALLY PROVEN BEST WOOD HOME BUILDING PRODUCT!

-> BUILDING GREEN!

->  WATT WATCHERS: HOW ONE FAMILY LOWERED THEIR LOG HOME ELECTRIC BILL!

-> HYBRID LOG OR TIMBER HOMES

July 23, 2008

Town & Country Engineers the Best Wall System

Town & Country Cedar Homes has been a leader in the log home building business for over 60 years.  From humble beginnings, we achieved success using just two significant premises: To design and build homes of unparalleled quality and to provide superior customer service.

TRADITIONAL STACKED LOG WALL SYSTEM VS. T&C INSULATED, ENGINEERED LOG WALL SYSTEM: Many log home owners experience difficulties with the standard stacked wall system found in most other log home producer’s designs.  For example, a stacked whole log home building systems may have excessive air infiltration, home movement and high maintenance.  We know this first-hand as we started out providing stacked whole log systems many years ago, but no longer utilize those design principals in our homes.  Decades ago we realized that for complete customer satisfaction, we had to design a unique building system that addressed the needs of our clients.

Much time and research went into developing, patenting and implementing our Insulated, Engineered Log Wall System and it became the framework for continued success.  Now clients benefit from the hand-crafted, kiln-dried and fully structurally engineered building systems that are the basis of Town & Country Cedar Homes’ quality.  This wall system, combined with the unique properties of Northern White Cedar offers our clients superior performance in terms of unsulating value, durability and beauty,

KEY FACTS ABOUT ENGINEERED WALL SYSTEMS

LESS OVERALL MAINTENANCE:

Our insulated, engineered wall system will never have the problems associated with stacked weight settling.  Stacked whole log homes are just that --  stacked logs that move over time and require continual maintenance as a result of home settling. 

In addition, our Northern White Cedar is kiln dried down to 8 – 10% EMC, that’s furniture quality and unheard of in the industry!  Our wood is extremely stable and won’t shrink or crack.  Whole logs cannot be completely kiln dried.  Changing temperatures and moisture levels can cause seasonal shrinking and expanding in whole log homes. 

Our tongue & groove, end-matched logs provide a tight fit and do not require chinking.  Chinking on a whole log home is there for a reason: to prevent air infiltration.  Chinking requires regular review for worn, cracked or chipped areas and must be repaired immediately.  In addition, chinking must be taped off during re-staining of the logs, requiring additional charges from your staining contractor.

LESS INITIAL COST FOR CONSTRUCTION:

Our insulated, engineered log wall systems are a variation of conventional wall construction techniques. This system allows wiring, plumbing and duct work to be run easily in the interior and exterior walls.  Whole Log Construction does not easily allow for mechanical system wiring and add additional cost to construction. In addition, changes, additions or repairs in some whole log homes can be very damaging to the structure, as well as costly.

Construction costs for engineered log wall systems are less as expensive daily crane rentals for erection is minimized. In engineered log wall systems, cranes are only necessary for the truss work.  Whole log construction requires a crane on site throughout the construction process – a costly proposition.

LESS DESIGN EXPENSE:

The Town & Country engineered wall system can accommodate expanded architectural & design capability over a stacked whole log system.  For example, an engineered wall system requires no design restrictions for doorways & windows --  or any area of the home for that matter – while stacked logs require special engineering and design for structural integrity.

MORE INTERIOR DESIGN OPTIONS:

With an engineered wall system, you have the ability to choose whatever interior wall treatment or finish you desire. You are not limited to just log finishes.  Our homeowners appreciate having the option to install drywall, custom tiling, wallpaper or other unique finishes to suite their interior.

MAINTAIN OR IMPROVE YOUR HOME’S ENERGY EFFICIENCY:

The Insulated, Engineered Log Wall System offered by Town & Country Cedar Homes meets or exceeds all energy codes.  This system is considered one of the most energy efficient log home styles of today.

Town & Country Cedar Homes consistently responds to the savvy homebuyer’s needs by providing insulated, engineered wall systems that allow for a variety of interior finishes while also being less costly to construct and energy efficient. Clients understand that for the most advanced log home wall system, as well as improved style variety, the obvious choice is Town & Country Cedar Homes. 

We’d love to add you to the list of over 60 years of satisfied customers enjoying the comfort, beauty and ease of their custom cedar homes.  Contact Us today to get started.

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Town & Country's Humble Beginnings

Having been raised on farms as young men, building log homes was second nature to Bernie Kondrat and Ben Organek. By the age of eight, Bernie was a regular in the woods alongside his grandfather, getting paid to make fences using Pine, Spruce, Tamarack, Balsam and White Cedar trees.

After several years had passed, Bernie made a discovery that defined his and Ben’s future as businessmen. While inspecting the fences, he noticed that the Pine, Spruce and Balsam posts had severely deteriorated, but the White Cedar posts remained healthy and strong.

Bernie kept that discovery in the back of his mind as he and Ben shipped off to World War II. Upon their return, Ben asked Bernie what they should do for a living. Remembering the strength of those White Cedar trees, they hitched up 2 horses and headed into the woods.

With a $200 G.I. loan, Ben and Bernie began their business venture. Initially, they hand selected and cut White Cedar from Bernie’s farm to build fences, but there wasn’t much money in that since cattle were all “free-range” at the time.

 Cutting their losses, they began the process of creating their first house together using a bell saw, and their first mill, a $35 investment. The 22x22 house was built for a total cost of $475 using White Cedar hauled from Bernie’s farm to Ben’s mill. Even more unique, the outside of the house was comprised of vertically split White Cedar logs. With the completion of this house in 1947, Boyne Falls Log Homes was born.

With faith in each other, Ben and Bernie hit the ground running and so did Boyne Falls Log Homes. Over the next two decades, Ben and Bernie would establish a reputation as superior custom log home builders. During the 1950s, they built a series of chalet style cedar homes in the Poconos and landed a contract to build a unique, low-maintenance housing resort called Breezy Point in Minnesota in the 1960s. During this time, Everett Kircher founded Boyne Mountain. Having seen the craftsmanship of the loghomes Ben and Bernie built, Everett contracted them to build the first Boyne Mountain Ski Lodge that still stands in the Boyne Mountain Village today.

Boyne Falls Log Homes evolved into Town & Country Cedar Homes in 1983. Today, Town & Country can celebrate six decades of experience as a Michigan home builder. Although the name of the company has changed, the foundation of what we stand for hasn’t. Bernie and Ben’s dedication to hard work, customer satisfaction and to each other is the basis of what Town & Country Cedar Homes is today. We are dedicated to your 100% satisfaction.

In addition to building cottage, craftsman, timber style homes and the luxury built log cabin homes for which we’ve become famous, we offer commercial building services and ship materials to locations around the world. We look forward to the opportunity of building a home that matches your vision.

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TOWN & COUNTRY PROMOTES CARBON MONOXIDE PREVENTION IN NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION:

TOWN AND COUNTRY INTRODUCES
~  ~  ~

THE OVERBECK BILL LEGISLATION

 Prevention against carbon monoxide poisoning starts with education. When it comes to carbon monoxide poisoning, it doesn’t take long to lose everything. In a single day, an entire family’s future can be changed because of a danger no one could see, hear or feel. But with education and state mandated prevention laws, this type of tragedy can be prevented.

Carbon Monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America. Yet so many people know so little about the odorless, tasteless, colorless gas. And what you don’t know can definitely hurt you. So what is carbon monoxide?

Carbon monoxide is a by-product of incomplete combustion produced when fuel like oil and gas or coal burn. It can be produced by cars, stoves, fire places, and water heaters. In short, it can occur anywhere in your house. Exposure to carbon monoxide produces flu-like symptoms such as nausea, dizzy spells, and fatigue. In many cases, it causes death. In 2006, 88 Michigan residents died of CO poisoning.

Carbon monoxide is a bigger health risk than you may think. Consider the facts:
- An estimated 1,000 people die from accidental CO poisoning every year.
- Several thousand people are admitted to hospital emergency rooms every year for treatment of CO poisoning.
- Poison control centers receive more calls for exposure to CO than to any other gas, fume or vapor.
- Of the estimated incidents of CO poisoning between 1992 – 1996, 74% were attributed to heating systems, 10% to charcoal grills, 5% to camp stoves/lanterns, 4% to gas ranges/ovens, 3% to gas water heaters and 3% to other appliances.

Working with the lobbying firm GCSI in Lansing, and Representative Gary McDowell (D- Petoskey District), Town & Country Cedar Homes is promoting the Overbeck Bill which asks for a change in the Michigan Residential Building Code to require CO detectors outside each sleeping area or bedroom. This initiative has grown out of the fact that high quality construction standards of today are creating tight, leak-proof homes without the typical infiltration found in lesser quality or older homes. This quality standard now creates a safety issue that must be addressed by CO detectors being mandated in all homes.

Town & Country encourages all luxury homeowners to protect themselves against the dangers of possible carbon monoxide poisoning through the Overbeck Foundation. This foundation displays additional information throughout the state at fairs, building association meetings, and fire department open houses. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends every home have at least one carbon monoxide alarm installed near the sleeping area. The International Association of Fire Chiefs recommends alarms are located on every level of the home for additional protection. Homeowners should remember not to install carbon monoxide detectors directly above or beside fuel-burning appliances, or within fifteen feet of heating or cooking appliances, or in or near very humid areas such as bathrooms. When considering where to place a carbon monoxide detector, keep in mind that although carbon monoxide is roughly the same weight as air (carbon monoxide's specific gravity is 0.9657, as stated by the EPA; the National Resource Council lists the specific gravity of air as one), it may be contained in warm air coming from combustion appliances such as home heating equipment. If this is the case, carbon monoxide will rise with the warmer air.A typical plug in or battery operated carbon monoxide detectors is readily available at most hardware stores in the $20 - $30 range.

You can read more on Carbon Monoxide at the following links:

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/carbon_monoxide_poisoning/article_em.htm
Topic

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/Carbon-Monoxide-Poisoning-

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 WHAT DOES "LUXURY HANDCRAFTED" HOMES vs MANUFACTURED HOMES REALLY MEAN?

How do you define "MANUFACTURED HOMES VS. LUXURY HANDCRAFTED HOMES”?

Luxury handcrafted log homes are one of the fastest growing segments of the building industry, with more than 25,000 built every year. Today, modern luxury handcrafted log homes incorporate many different styles and can follow almost any floor plan. And many of those floor plans are custom designs; log homes now represent about 7 percent of custom homes in the Unites States.

What is the primary difference between manufactured log homes and luxury, handcrafted log homes or timber homes?

Quality is the primary difference in manufactured vs. handcrafted log or timber homes. And there are other differences as well, a close second being the time and cost to build a manufactured homes vs. a handcrafted log or timber home. Manufactured housing is typically less expensive and takes less time; but you do get what you pay for. So be cautious when jumping to select manufactured homes over custom homes.  Properly engineered and designed custom luxury dream homes, such as the quality homes built by Town & Country Cedar Homes, will last for generations with virtually no structural concerns. In addition, handcrafted homes can be customized for your budget and resources, giving you the refinement you deserve, while maintaining your costs. While there are many good manufactured housing providers, there really isn't any comparison to the quality of a custom, hand crafted log home.

 

TOWN & COUNTRY LUXURY HANDCRAFTED HOMES:  Our handcrafted luxury dream log homes are professionally constructed and precisely built to the luxury demands and personal desires of our customers. Each construction reflects a distinct personality. We combine custom designs and architectural challenges to create Town & Country homes elegant significance. Our log products are dried in a kiln, heating chamber to the lowest level in the industry: 8 - 11%, which means that the logs fit together much tighter than homes manufactured. Since we harvest our own logs, mill the wood products, design the luxury dream home for structural integrity, build the home and guarantee this structure for 20 years, we have complete quality control.

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WHY NORTHERN WHITE CEDAR IS THE NATURALLY PROVEN BEST WOOD HOME BUILDING PRODUCT!

Northern White Cedar Requires No Chemicals and

No Chemical Maintenance Programs

 

Unlike many pine log companies that “dip treat” their logs in chemical preservatives and insecticide, Town & Country Cedar Product’s logs are not treated with any chemicals. Cedar is naturally resistant to insects as well as nature’s elements. After your log home is built and closed up nice and tight for the winter, Town & Country clients fortunately do not have to live with treated log chemical that literally come out of the walls and into your living environment. The scientific term for this is called “out gassing” and this is what can happen when a log is dip treated in chemicals.

 

You may be told that these chemicals are harmless. But what may be considered safe today may be causing health problems that will only show up later on, just as so many harmful chemical products have done in the past. The point is, why live with chemicals if you don’t have to? Not to mention the costly, time consuming, chemical maintenance program that your pine or other wood product log home warranty will force you to follow. 

 

THE FACTS: Northern White Cedar versus other wood building products!

 

~ Pine requires chemical treatments, and Cedar does not.

~ Any outdoor items that are made of pine such as a mailbox, birdhouse picnic table, fence or outdoor furniture must be treated with chemicals if they are expected to hold up to exposure to the weather and insects.

~ Cedar has a closed cell molecular structure. Pine does not. Cedar’s molecular structure, as well as natural resins in this species, makes northern white cedar “naturally” resistant to insects. Its’ ‘closed cells’ will not absorb water and become ‘water logged’ as do pine and other wood species.

 ~The decay resistance of Northern White Cedar does not require treatment with chemicals.

~ Northern White Cedar also has the highest insulating R-Value of all wood species!

Think about it. People put their better things in a cedar chest or a cedar closet. This is because cedar keeps the bugs away. Did you know that the shavings from cedar mills are often used to make bedding for pets and animals because it keeps the fleas away? Have you ever gone into a sauna or steam bath that was constructed with pine paneling and pine benches? Never! It is always going to be cedar or redwood because of their outstanding durability and natural resistance to dampness and mildew.

 
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THINK GREEN

With concern over global climate change and personal, environmental health, going green has attracted many homebuilders and homeowners. Most people think that green building is just about cutting energy use, but it encompasses a whole lot more. Green building is aimed at making homes more resource-efficient and healthier for people and the planet.

How to begin? Start when you begin designing your home and evaluate the different greenness of materials. A new kitchen is the perfect spot to go green. Choose energy saving appliances and lighting, select non-toxic finished for floors, walls and cabinets, and provide plenty of nature lighting with windows.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) http://www.nahb.org/ is providing local builders with the knowledge they need to build green. Model Green Building Guidelines have been issued to provide a practical, nationally recognized baseline for home building. The NAHB guidelines focus on: reducing the impact on natural features and vegetation during building site preparation; choosing environmentally friendly components for sub flooring, trusses and other conventional materials; choosing energy-efficient appliances; conserving water with low-flow plumbing fixtures; and protecting indoor environment quality.

What is the Cost? Going green does not have to become costly. While it may not look any different, it should be cheaper to operate, healthier to live in and easier to maintain. Green building often means nothing more than building well and perhaps substituting one material for another. Therefore green building doesn’t have to be any more expensive than typical good quality construction. Eventually you will reduce any additional cost of going green through reduced maintenance or operating costs. It’s about careful selection and an intelligent use of resources.

Tips to Go a Little Greener:

Use Energy from the Sun:

* Southern exposure to the family room and kitchen
*Plant to preserve existing deciduous trees along the south and east elevations for the summer shade. When the trees lose their leaves in the fall season, there will be plenty of sunlight and warmth coming into the house in the winter.
* Keep tree branches from hanging over the roof.
It prevents fire hazards.
 
Make enlightened choices:
* Install fluorescent fixtures and use compact fluorescent bulbs that cut energy by 70 percent.
*Start by using flourescent lights in utility areas like the laundry room and basement, this will allow you to get used to them.
* Balance compact fluorescents with incandescent in bedrooms, home offices and living areas.
 
Heat Pumps:
* For climates with moderate heating and cooling needs, heat pumps offer an energy-efficient alternative to furnaces and air conditioners.
* Because they move rather than generate heat, heat pumps can deliver up to four times the amount of energy they consume.

Add a Fan:
* Ceiling fans circulate warm air in the winter and make homeowners feel cooler in the summer.
 
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HYBRID CUSTOM LOG OR TIMBER HOMES: 

A growing trend in luxury, personally designed luxury dream homes is finding log home builders that can combine the tranquil, inviting ambience of a traditional log home with the style, elegance and amenities that are highly valued in a custom residence. With a Town & Country mixed media or hybrid luxury dream home design,  you don't have to wonder if your builder is capable of drafting house plans that combine log construction, traditional frame building techniques, and natural stone and brick into a stunning mixed media luxury log or timber home design that is for you and your family alone. 

Looking for a trendy dream log home that brings rustic chic to the city? Don't hesitate to consider a log or timber design for an urban environment. We offer lavishly finished interiors, multiple activity and family areas, diverse dining area designs, expansive private bedroom areas, and landscaping that invites outdoor living -- all designed and engineered with a hybrid integration of log, timber, stone, tile, brick, custom joinery, metals, and standard construction methods.  Your home will definitely be unique. 

Begin the journey to your custom log home with our Premiere Floor Plans, now at DESIGN ONLINE.

All Town & Country Cedar Homes begin with a luxurious mix of hand hewn cedar log siding and cedar paneling products.  Check out our unique luxury dream home product offering at www.michigancedarproducts.com to find just the right finishes for your interior cedar paneling and exterior cedar siding or custom timber products.

 

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"WattWatchers"
 
 
For John and Shanna Stordahl, saving the heating costs doesn't require lowering the thermostat and wearing bulky sweaters around the house all winter. The Stordahl's who spent a mere $750 to heat their 2,700 square foot home in 2006, are "WattWatchers" through a program offered by their local electric company.
 
Through the program, they purchase electricity for their in-floor heating system only during off-peak hours- primarily in the afternoons and overnight. The furnace is set on a timer to draw electricity during these times. The heat is stored in a thermal storage boiler, a unit that is filled "with a ton of bricks," John says. These bricks retain the heat of the water that circulates through coils underneath the floor, keeping the house warm all the time. Overall, John estimates the system saves about 70% more than heating with propane. 

Geothermal

As temperatures above ground change a lot from day to day, temperatures in the upper 10 feet of the Earth's surface hold nearly constant between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. For most areas, this means that soil temperatures are usually warmer than the air in winter and cooler than the air in summer. Geothermal heat pumps use the Earth's constant temperatures to heat and cool buildings. They transport heat from the ground (or water) into buildings in the winter and reverse the process in the summer.
Geothermal heat pumps are energy-efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective systems for temperature control. Although, most homes still use traditional furnaces and air conditioners, geothermal heat pumps are becoming more popular.
 Heat from within the earth carries many economic, environmental and aesthetic advantages. The energy makes use of the fairly constant temperature maintained a few feet underground, which can be absorbed, concentrated and circulated through standard ductwork to heat and cool interior space. A ground source heat pump taps into stored energy right under your yard. To cool, the process is reversed; removing heat like your refrigerator does, except the excess heat from the house is carried back to the earth.
Pros & Cons
Disadvantages
     * Steep cost of installation
     * Professionals are required to lay the piping and heat installation
     * Existing homes will need to remove gas and fuel oil equipment
Advantages
     * Low energy bills
       * Efficient, comfortable and quiet
     * Heat is consistent
     *  Preserves natural resources and decreases greenhouse gases

BUILDING TIMELINES

If you are considering building a new home or remodeling during the summer of 2009,  for occupancy in 2010, then now is the time to get started. While timing for your new home is dependant on a number of factors including design, specifications, site conditions, weather, etc., your typical building timeline might look something like this:

Town & Country Estimated Log or Timber Home Building Timeline

Home Plan Design and Engineering	Construction Documents Prepared	Material Package Production & Home Construction Process	Occupancy
SPRING 2009	SUMMER 2009	FALL 2009	SUMMER OR FALL 2010

Town & Country Cedar Homes creates handcrafted custom homes using standard architectural and design critical path methods of engineering, production and construction.  For each project we outline to the client's satisfaction the exact stages of the home's planning and construction. Our client projects are managed by skilled professionals who insist on only the highest quality material and craftsmanship. When Town & Country creates handcrafted trusses, stair systems, railings or other elements for your home, we make sure that the product is produced to the highest standards before shipping to our clients. This legendary quality takes a bit (but not exhorbitant amount) of time and this time is necessary to ensure the stability and integrity of your custom home.  Town & Country Cedar Homes: No comparison. No compromise.

WHAT SHOULD YOU ASK YOUR PROSPECTIVE BUILDER?

Selecting the proper General Contractor for your building project is critical. Some people feel that asking tough questions is more like snooping. Don't feel that way.  You are investing a great deal of money and are entitled to full and complete answers before negotiating your contract. Reputable contractors will not be offended when asked to respond to these questions:

1) How many custom homes do they build a year?

2) How long have they been in business?

3) Have they built homes under any other name?

4) Have they specifically built log or timber homes? how many? for whom?

5) Obtain references from at least three clients whom they have built for in the last 10 years. Call them.

6) Are they a member of a local or national Home Builder's Association?

7) What kind of insurance do they carry?

8) Do they offer a guarantee on their services and materials?

9) What customer service will be provided after you move into your home?

10) Who will be your main point of contact during the building process?

11) How will they handle design changes - is the Builder capable of providing fully engineered construction changes?

12) Can you visit one of their current work sites?

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