Course 11 is up and Roofing Lumber is Delivered
1 more course (4 logs to go...) Needless to say Jeff is tired of stacking logs and so glad to be almost done.
With the hopes that maybe he could get the logs stacked before the first big snow of the season and wanting to take advantage of a good price on lumber, we went ahead and ordered wood for the rafters and t&g for the ceiling. So, just getting that stained and moved up to the house site was a lot of work, but it was exciting to see the rafters all stained and in their finished form. We still have a lot of t&g to stain, but have since bought an airless sprayer to make it go a bit faster. I say we, but I mean Roberto, our laboror.
Unfortunately, the snow arrived before we could finish and get the crane out to place the rafters, but that's the way it goes. As I write this, the snow is coming down fast and there is about a foot on the ground already. So, the wood is covered and Jeff plans to use the chain hoists to pull the rafters up. Can't be much more difficult than the logs, but there are 36 of them and it will no doubt be a slow process.
But, finally Jeff is forced to take a break for a few days, staying inside, watching the snow come down. Looks like we'll be able to be working on the roof by the new year.
Courses 9 & 10
Courses 9 and 10 are up so that means only 2 courses (8 logs) to go.
Another week or two and we'll finally be done with the wall logs and ready to start on the roof. We ordered the roof lumber today and are very excited to get started on it. If the weather holds up, we can get the crane to come back and place the heavy rafters, which weigh about 270 lbs each.
Another week or two and we'll finally be done with the wall logs and ready to start on the roof. We ordered the roof lumber today and are very excited to get started on it. If the weather holds up, we can get the crane to come back and place the heavy rafters, which weigh about 270 lbs each.
Crane Places Ridge Pole & Support Poles
Wednesday, the 19th, the crane arrived to place the rpsl's (ridge pole support logs) and ridge pole. My dad and Don were so nice to come up and help and with my mom to babysit, I was able to be there all day too.
Jeff had done the best he could to get everything ready, but there were still a few more measurements and cuts to make on the big day. Several of the logs, including the ridge pole had to be moved by the crane before they could be cut to size anyway.
We rented a 40 foot ladder so Jeff would be able to reach the ridge pole once it was placed. Other important tools were the big drill, chainsaw, and sledgehammer. The crane arrived around 8:30 and it was time to get started!
Jeff and my dad decided it was a good idea to notch the tops of the support poles so the ridge pole would sit a little more securely till it was pinned in place.
Pretty amazing to see the crane lift the log vertically, high overhead. Up and over the walls and down into the house.
My dad and I carefully measured and marked and Jeff drilled a hole in the bottom of the pole for it to slide onto the rebar. The first pole was placed without much trouble. We just had to shave down a few of the wall logs with the chainsaw so it would sit flush and level with the wall.
The only problem was the drilling process. The bit Jeff had wasn't long enough to drill through the vertical log and the wall log. So, I ran out to the hardware store to get the right drill bit and extension. To make a long story short I had to go three times before we got it worked out. Once we finally had this system working, I helped Don bolt the poles to the walls.
After the front and back support poles were bolted in place, it was time to place the girder, (the log that sits horizontally across the house to support the loft floor). Jeff had cut notches in the wall logs for it to sit, but it was tough to guarantee that it would be perfectly level. There is the log overhead.
They tied a line on each end so guys on the ground could pull it in position. It had gotten caught on the wall and scaffolding and Don quickly climbed up there to fix it.
There is the girder fitting snugly in place in the notches.
Now to see if it was level... Jeff climbed up with the level, and amazingly it was perfectly level! Not that anyone doubted Jeff's measurements...
Now comes the big log. The ridge pole is massive, quite a bit bigger than the wall logs. It was cut from the property to make the road and really turned out to be perfect, good size and very straight. So, the crane pulled it to a place where Jeff could cut it to length and before we knew it, it was overhead. Again, there was no guarantee it would end up level. With different height concrete posts and and imperfect log, there were several variables that could impact the measurements.
My dad help one line, pulling it to line up with the support log.
Don held the other side. This pic shows how big this log is.
To see it slowly lower into place and sit on the poles was so amazing.
Jeff climbed up the very high 40 foot ladder to check the level. He wore his harness and tied in, but he was still nervous and I was also glad when he was again safely on the ground. But, amazingly again despite the significant room for error, the ridge pole was level!
Wow, this is a really big step forward to have the ridge pole placed. You can now really feel the shape of the house.
I love this pic.
Once we were done celebrating, Jeff had to climb all the way on top to drill and hammer in the rebar. Again, he was tied in, but yikes. He had to do this for each of the three support poles.
We had to call it a day after the ridge pole was set, it was getting late. So the last pole would have to wait till the next day. It was a very successful day though, as the crane also moved most of the logs from the bottom to each side of the house to get ready to stack the final few wall logs.
The middle support pole was placed last so a final measurement could be made to get it to fit tight. There it is about to drop along side the girder and down onto the rebar.
They just bent the rebar over so the pole could be pulled under the ridge pole.
It was just a tad too tight of a fit to slide under the ridge pole, so after trying to pull it over with a come along, it was decided that we should have the crane pull the ridge pole up just a hair so it could slide under. This worked great and it was soon just in place.
Whew, what major progress! This is probably the most difficult part of the process and getting it done before the snow is a big relief. Thanks sooo much to my dad and Don for spending so much time and effort to make the day go smoothly, we couldn't have done it without you guys.
Next, we need to stack the remaining 3 courses of wall logs and then build the loft floor so we have easier access to the roof. We are also now able to make plans for the roof to go up.
Jeff and my dad decided it was a good idea to notch the tops of the support poles so the ridge pole would sit a little more securely till it was pinned in place.
Pretty amazing to see the crane lift the log vertically, high overhead. Up and over the walls and down into the house.
My dad and I carefully measured and marked and Jeff drilled a hole in the bottom of the pole for it to slide onto the rebar. The first pole was placed without much trouble. We just had to shave down a few of the wall logs with the chainsaw so it would sit flush and level with the wall.
The only problem was the drilling process. The bit Jeff had wasn't long enough to drill through the vertical log and the wall log. So, I ran out to the hardware store to get the right drill bit and extension. To make a long story short I had to go three times before we got it worked out. Once we finally had this system working, I helped Don bolt the poles to the walls.
After the front and back support poles were bolted in place, it was time to place the girder, (the log that sits horizontally across the house to support the loft floor). Jeff had cut notches in the wall logs for it to sit, but it was tough to guarantee that it would be perfectly level. There is the log overhead.
They tied a line on each end so guys on the ground could pull it in position. It had gotten caught on the wall and scaffolding and Don quickly climbed up there to fix it.
There is the girder fitting snugly in place in the notches.
Now to see if it was level... Jeff climbed up with the level, and amazingly it was perfectly level! Not that anyone doubted Jeff's measurements...
Now comes the big log. The ridge pole is massive, quite a bit bigger than the wall logs. It was cut from the property to make the road and really turned out to be perfect, good size and very straight. So, the crane pulled it to a place where Jeff could cut it to length and before we knew it, it was overhead. Again, there was no guarantee it would end up level. With different height concrete posts and and imperfect log, there were several variables that could impact the measurements.
My dad help one line, pulling it to line up with the support log.
Don held the other side. This pic shows how big this log is.
To see it slowly lower into place and sit on the poles was so amazing.
Jeff climbed up the very high 40 foot ladder to check the level. He wore his harness and tied in, but he was still nervous and I was also glad when he was again safely on the ground. But, amazingly again despite the significant room for error, the ridge pole was level!
Wow, this is a really big step forward to have the ridge pole placed. You can now really feel the shape of the house.
I love this pic.
Once we were done celebrating, Jeff had to climb all the way on top to drill and hammer in the rebar. Again, he was tied in, but yikes. He had to do this for each of the three support poles.
We had to call it a day after the ridge pole was set, it was getting late. So the last pole would have to wait till the next day. It was a very successful day though, as the crane also moved most of the logs from the bottom to each side of the house to get ready to stack the final few wall logs.
The middle support pole was placed last so a final measurement could be made to get it to fit tight. There it is about to drop along side the girder and down onto the rebar.
They just bent the rebar over so the pole could be pulled under the ridge pole.
It was just a tad too tight of a fit to slide under the ridge pole, so after trying to pull it over with a come along, it was decided that we should have the crane pull the ridge pole up just a hair so it could slide under. This worked great and it was soon just in place.
Whew, what major progress! This is probably the most difficult part of the process and getting it done before the snow is a big relief. Thanks sooo much to my dad and Don for spending so much time and effort to make the day go smoothly, we couldn't have done it without you guys.
Next, we need to stack the remaining 3 courses of wall logs and then build the loft floor so we have easier access to the roof. We are also now able to make plans for the roof to go up.
November 16th, 2008 - Course 8
Wow, middle of November already! Well, the 8th course is up and half of the 9th. Not exactly the super progress we'd hoped for, but its progress. Aside from the normal prep work that is time consuming between courses; over the past week and a half, we've had (one snow day, one last day out on the boat before winter, one client visit in LA, and one shopping day down the hill at Home Depot etc.) which interrupted work a bit. But, these short breaks were much needed and deserved for Jeff.
Daddy's little helper...
Jeff's dad visited and helped a stack a log.
A friend of our who we used to work with (Alisa Canuum) has a dad that has moved up here to Big Bear. What a nice guy! He is in the masonry industry and has a chop saw that he brought to cut rebar. The manual cutter we'd been using was just not cutting it...
Daddy's little helper...
Jeff's dad visited and helped a stack a log.
A friend of our who we used to work with (Alisa Canuum) has a dad that has moved up here to Big Bear. What a nice guy! He is in the masonry industry and has a chop saw that he brought to cut rebar. The manual cutter we'd been using was just not cutting it...
November 4th, 2008 - Courses 6 & 7
Jeff works hard every day to keep the logs going up and at this point, courses 6 & 7 are stacked. This marks the halfway point in finishing the log walls with 12 courses total in the plans.
Its a serious push now to hopefully get a few more courses on asap. Typically, you finish stacking the walls before you place the interior support poles and ridge pole, but because the crane won't return after we get the first significant snowfall, we are on a tight timeline.
Fortunately, Jeff has recently gotten some help from LHBA members, (others who have taken the course in Washington and plan to build, want to volunteer to gain experience.) Last weekend and this coming weekend we have some guys driving up from LA and Phoenix.
Its a serious push now to hopefully get a few more courses on asap. Typically, you finish stacking the walls before you place the interior support poles and ridge pole, but because the crane won't return after we get the first significant snowfall, we are on a tight timeline.
Fortunately, Jeff has recently gotten some help from LHBA members, (others who have taken the course in Washington and plan to build, want to volunteer to gain experience.) Last weekend and this coming weekend we have some guys driving up from LA and Phoenix.
Oct. 30th, 2008 - Crane moves logs
The crane operator arrived on Thursday morning. The plan was to spend a few hours grading a pad for the crane to sit and then about 3 hours moving logs to each side of the house. He started grading and after an hour or so started expressing second thoughts that the crane could get up there. This wasn't what we wanted to hear after already spending the money to grade this far. But, he kept digging (longer than planned) and eventually felt confident that the crane could do the job. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be that day as we'd hoped but he was to return the next morning. Jeff's buddy Steve Ludwig had driven from LA to help with the crane work and I had left Brooke with a babysitter, but we all got off easy that day.
So, the next morning Jeff met the crane guy and his helper at the property. I was there to take pics, but owtherwise Jeff was on his own. Fortunately, the crane drove up the hill without any problem and didn't waste any time moving one log after another up the hill.
As you can imagine, it was an exciting sight to see this huge piece of machinery do its work.
Jeff and the crane operator stayed busy handling the logs and sawing them to length.
The also used the crane to stack one course of logs.
It was a long, tough day and each log was a challenge to get placed securely. But, at the end of the day, they moved 18 logs up to the house site and stacked several.
It was a lot to accomplish and would now hopefully speed up the log stacking progress, there is still a lot to do before the snow flies.
So, the next morning Jeff met the crane guy and his helper at the property. I was there to take pics, but owtherwise Jeff was on his own. Fortunately, the crane drove up the hill without any problem and didn't waste any time moving one log after another up the hill.
As you can imagine, it was an exciting sight to see this huge piece of machinery do its work.
Jeff and the crane operator stayed busy handling the logs and sawing them to length.
The also used the crane to stack one course of logs.
It was a long, tough day and each log was a challenge to get placed securely. But, at the end of the day, they moved 18 logs up to the house site and stacked several.
It was a lot to accomplish and would now hopefully speed up the log stacking progress, there is still a lot to do before the snow flies.
Oct. 28th 2008 - Second Half of Logs Delivered
So, the second half of the logs arrived just as Jeff had about finished stacking the first pile. This just about marks the halfway point in stacking the logs, which is exciting... But, as winter gets closer and a new huge pile of logs sits waiting to be stacked, it also feels like there is so much work ahead and so little time.
But as I'd mentioned, we were going to hire a crane to move logs. It is supposed to arrive either Wednesday or Thursday, so hopefully that will go smoothly.
Oct 20th, 2008 - Fifth Course
Thanks to Don's help over the weekend, the fifth course was completed in a few days.
Roberto pounded in the rebar, amazing what such a little guy can do with that sledgehammer.
Every course up adds 14.5 or so inches in wall height and feels like a dramatic difference. Five courses up means seven more, almost halfway!
My parents came up again and my dad helped Jeff, while my mom babysat Brooke. Here, he is answering a question Jeff had asked about the chain hoist.
They also finished peeling the ridgepole, which proved to be an easy job. The log had dried out enough that the bark just came right off. This is the tree we had cut down from the property to grade for the parking area. We were lucky to have it, as its just the right size for the ridgepole. 
These both proved to be wise precautions because once Jeff trimmed a few branches and rolled it over, it started sliding down the hill with amazing speed. In a split second, it was far from its original resting place. Fortunately, the rope finally stopped it before it reached the road. If the car had been there I think Jeff might have had a heart attack. So, all was well, and it was pretty exciting to watch.
In other developments... We'd talked about the possibility of hiring a crane at some point, but hadn't gotten around to meeting with a crane operator to discuss what could be done. Jeff called a local crane operator with a 40 ton crane and discovered that this would be a good solution for moving and placing the ridgepole and other interior support poles. This can be done with the pulley system, but would be far from easy. We just hadn't been sure whether the crane could be used so far back from the road or if it would be cost effective.
Roberto pounded in the rebar, amazing what such a little guy can do with that sledgehammer.
Every course up adds 14.5 or so inches in wall height and feels like a dramatic difference. Five courses up means seven more, almost halfway!
My parents came up again and my dad helped Jeff, while my mom babysat Brooke. Here, he is answering a question Jeff had asked about the chain hoist.
They also finished peeling the ridgepole, which proved to be an easy job. The log had dried out enough that the bark just came right off. This is the tree we had cut down from the property to grade for the parking area. We were lucky to have it, as its just the right size for the ridgepole. It had been sitting in one place for a while now and Jeff wanted to roll it. I arrived as they were getting ready to do this. I parked in my usual place just below the log pile, but when I saw what they were about to do, I thought better of it and moved the car. My dad suggested we tie the log to this tree in case it wanted to slide when it rolled.
These both proved to be wise precautions because once Jeff trimmed a few branches and rolled it over, it started sliding down the hill with amazing speed. In a split second, it was far from its original resting place. Fortunately, the rope finally stopped it before it reached the road. If the car had been there I think Jeff might have had a heart attack. So, all was well, and it was pretty exciting to watch.
In other developments... We'd talked about the possibility of hiring a crane at some point, but hadn't gotten around to meeting with a crane operator to discuss what could be done. Jeff called a local crane operator with a 40 ton crane and discovered that this would be a good solution for moving and placing the ridgepole and other interior support poles. This can be done with the pulley system, but would be far from easy. We just hadn't been sure whether the crane could be used so far back from the road or if it would be cost effective.But, after meeting at the property, it looked like once he did some grading to make a level pad to work from, the crane could achieve what we needed. Its $125 an hour, but it would be worth it. We'd also be able to get him to move a good portion of the logs up to the site which would save time on stacking the rest of the courses.
So, next Monday the rest of the logs will be delivered and Tuesday or Wednesday the crane will come to do all the stuff I had described. Wow, that will be an exciting week!
Oct. 16th, 2008 - Fourth Course
The fourth course took longer than others only because we had to go out of town for a few days. Jeff had a client to meet in Santa Barbara, so Brooke and I got to come along for a little getaway. We love Santa Barbara and had a nice time. We were also able to pick up some more scaffolding in LA on the way home.
The other task that had to be done before more logs could be stacked was raising the chain hoists, which you see Jeff doing below. It scares me a bit to see him up there and he doesn't like it much either, but he uses his climbing harness for extra safety.
So, it wasn't till late in the week that Jeff had logs pulled up and could start stacking the fourth course.
Saturday morning, October 11th, we had our first snowfall of the season. Yikes, lots more logs to stack... hopefully the winter is kind to us. But, despite highs not making it out of the 40's that day, the sunshine warmed things up and it didn't slow Jeff down. The biggest worry if we are still stacking logs in the snow is that they will slide too easy and there one might accidentally slide down the hill. Now, when they reach the top of the hill they pretty much stay put in the loose dirt. So yes, we are of course doing everything possible to finish stacking logs asap.
Below, you see Jeff shaving a little off one of the logs so they lay together a little tighter, with less gaps. He spends a bit of extra time once each log is stacked, rolling it and adjusting it to minimize gaps, but they don't have to be perfect, that's what chinking is for. Its also important to make sure the overall level is even. He uses a laser level to check that and so far so good.
So, its pull logs up the hill, stack them, adjust, pin in place, drill holes, and then pound rebar every 18 inches. Each step is time consuming, but one course a week is the goal and if we can keep that pace, we'll be ready to start on the roof around Thanksgiving.
So, it wasn't till late in the week that Jeff had logs pulled up and could start stacking the fourth course.
Saturday morning, October 11th, we had our first snowfall of the season. Yikes, lots more logs to stack... hopefully the winter is kind to us. But, despite highs not making it out of the 40's that day, the sunshine warmed things up and it didn't slow Jeff down. The biggest worry if we are still stacking logs in the snow is that they will slide too easy and there one might accidentally slide down the hill. Now, when they reach the top of the hill they pretty much stay put in the loose dirt. So yes, we are of course doing everything possible to finish stacking logs asap.
Below, you see Jeff shaving a little off one of the logs so they lay together a little tighter, with less gaps. He spends a bit of extra time once each log is stacked, rolling it and adjusting it to minimize gaps, but they don't have to be perfect, that's what chinking is for. Its also important to make sure the overall level is even. He uses a laser level to check that and so far so good.
Pounding rebar to hold the ends in place, the laborer will come and do the rest.
So, its pull logs up the hill, stack them, adjust, pin in place, drill holes, and then pound rebar every 18 inches. Each step is time consuming, but one course a week is the goal and if we can keep that pace, we'll be ready to start on the roof around Thanksgiving.
Oct. 5th, 2008 - Third Course
After several days of prep, the third course went up without too many complications.
My parents were in town for a few days and my dad Scott, who had built several log homes in Oregon many years ago, was a big help. He helped Jeff stack two logs and soon we were well on our way to having the third course completed. 
They eventually got around these issues and got the log into place.
My mom Colleen with Brooke, watching from the picnic table. My parents had brought this table up for us, my mom stained it and even dug out the pad where it sits. It is definitely a much needed resting and lunch spot.
Our buddy Mike Christie picked up this scaffolding and drove it up over the weekend as well, which we really appreciate.
My parents were in town for a few days and my dad Scott, who had built several log homes in Oregon many years ago, was a big help. He helped Jeff stack two logs and soon we were well on our way to having the third course completed. This front log did cause some trouble when it wouldn't slide over the overdangle as the others had. They positioned a board for it to slide over, but the board cracked. Then the chain hoist jammed up.
They eventually got around these issues and got the log into place.
My mom Colleen with Brooke, watching from the picnic table. My parents had brought this table up for us, my mom stained it and even dug out the pad where it sits. It is definitely a much needed resting and lunch spot.Jeff also hired a laboror to come help with pounding rebar, which was a good idea. The laboror did a good job and it allowed Jeff to work on other things and save his strength.
Jeff finished up the rest of the third course by the end of the weekend.
Finally starting to look like a log home!
Our buddy Mike Christie picked up this scaffolding and drove it up over the weekend as well, which we really appreciate.
So, with the scaffolding we are ready reach new heights. Its time to move the chain hoists higher and then its on the fourth course.
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