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A Homeowner’s Account Of Building In The Alaskan Winter

At PrecisionCraft, our client’s needs and expectations are something we value and strive to meet with every project. We keep in contact through the process, getting feedback on our performance is such an important phase in these individual’s lives. Erik and Lisa are a couple building their dream home in the midst of an Alaskan winter whom we thought had an interesting story to share with our readers. Below, Lisa has graciously answered a few questions about their experience with PrecisionCraft thus far.

What drew you to PrecisionCraft?

After some experience with local architects, we felt that they just weren’t able to capture the type of mountain home we were looking for. We had a vision of large timbers and warm, well-thought out spaces, and a floor plan conducive to Alpine living and the needs of little skiers. We didn’t see anything that came close to our vision in Alaska, yet have seen such homes spattering areas such as Whistler, Sun Valley, and Vail. Having seen PrecisionCraft featured in trade magazines, as well as on the web. We liked the array of floor plans, and found that looking at already established, well-conceived floor plans was more helpful than us blindly brainstorming.

Were you able to design and modify the plans for your home to get exactly what you were looking for?

We had initially hoped we could expedite our building process by choosing one of the existing floor plans, and customizing it to meet our needs. However, upon thoughtful consideration by Mountain Architects, PrecisionCraft’s design team, and further discussions with us, we elected to have the home custom designed to fit our lot and our needs. At this point in our process, it is very consistent with our vision.

How has your experience been so far?

During our visit to PrecisionCraft, our phone meetings, and our on-site meetings, we found a team that is friendly, accommodating, professional, and pleasant. Everyone we have worked with has been competent, professional, and just all-around nice people. When we had the pleasure of having dinner with the framing team, we couldn’t imagine a nicer group of people to have building our home and we were thrilled to be able to meet the team that erected the timbers, and made the home come to life!

How has it been constructing your home in the Alaskan winter? Erik and Lisa's Home in Construction

We knew we were embarking on an adventure by deciding to push construction through the winter. With record snow falls, 100 mph winds, and power outages, our builder has certainly had his challenges. Yet, we are still on schedule, largely due to the careful planning and timeline structured by PrecisionCraft, and the support they have provided to our builder. The timber framers didn’t seem phased at all by the impending snow storm and sub zero temperatures that greeted them upon their arrival. They barely stopped to drink coffee and hot chocolate when we attempted to cheer them with a warm up!

Anything else you would like to add?

We are thrilled with our experience with PrecisionCraft. We can’t wait to see the final product, and we are glad they are still available to us for help on material choices and product selections. We consider the team as friends, and we look forward to their future visits to Alaska for other projects.

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Share, Save and Send Plans

For those of you who are frequent visitors to our Log and Timber Home Blog, you may have noticed that little bar at the bottom of each post that gives you the option to “share.” This button is located in many locations throughout the PrecisionCraft website and is a tool that makes it easy to use your favorite social tool, email or printer.

With up to 50 networking options, the AddThis button allows you to move beyond Facebook to post and share the log home plans and articles that inspire you. Twitter, Digg, Reddit, LinkedIn and more are just a click away. If you know someone specifically that would be interested in seeing a plan you love, it also allows you to email the page link directly as well as print it out.

Caribou Floor Plan Add This

By simply clicking the share button and selecting the outlet you wish to deliver the plan or article through, you can instantly connect with family and friends on ideas you love for your future log or timber home.

Based on activity, here are the most shared floor plans from 2011. Did you share one last year?

The Telluride


The Caribou


The Cumberland


The Coeur d’Alene


The Truckee


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When Do I Need to Get Serious?

You’ve read the magazines, you’ve researched countless companies and you have made the decision to embark on the journey towards building and owning your own log or timber home. Now it is no secret that homes aren’t built over night, the average log or timber home can take anywhere from 1-5 years to complete from design to move-in. So, when exactly do you need to get serious about your future log home plans? Several factors can come into play when mapping out just how long it will take for your dreaming and scheming to come to life. Comparing your desired time frame to the few we have listed below will help to determine when and where you should be in your home building process.

If you plan to build in 5+ years

Giving yourself five or more years to complete your log home allows you time to not only find a suitable plot of land for the home but it also gives you time to research. Looking through photos of homes as well as floor plans can help you determine what fits your style and what doesn’t. Looking into companies to see what services and styles they offer and if they will provide the services you want is a good way to narrow down what companies will be a good fit for you and your project. While it is always tempting, don’t get caught up in the details or exact costs of your project at this time. Simply asking yourself questions like; what kind of home do I want, where do I want it and how does the log home building process work, will ultimately help you to narrow down just what style of home would suit you best as well as familiarize yourself with the processes you will be going through with the company you finally choose.

If you plan to build in 3-5 years

Several factors regarding your home can attribute to the estimated time span for your log home’s construction. Knowing the complexity of your project will help to determine when the appropriate time to enter the design process is. For instance, choosing to build a handcrafted log home typically takes longer than a timber frame home. Choosing whether to use a stock plan or to create a custom plan is another way to determine the duration of your project. The climate of the location in which you choose to build is also something to consider. While log homes can be built in most weather conditions, the impact of snowy weather can add not only time but money to the building process. During this time, you’ve fleshed out the details of your future home and you will want to start calling companies to learn more about their processes and how they fit with your needs.

If you plan to build in less than 3 years

Your land has been or should be purchased at this point and you should have a clear idea of the complexity of the log home you wish to build. Gaining an understanding of your financial situation and budget is also crucial at this stage. By beginning to speak to lenders you will come into your project with an accurate budget prior to the design process. This will help your architectural team to accurately design within your real budget’s parameters. When you fully understand your needs, wants and budget for your future log home, then you can pick a company to work with who can fulfill those needs and move forward.

Whether you plan to build in the distant future or next year, doing your research, understanding your needs and discovering what is possible for your budget and location will help you to not only plan more efficiently but to have a smoother experience from the design of your house until it’s finished.

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Top 10 Most Read Articles of 2011

Another year has come and gone at PrecisionCraft and for the log homes blog that means another year of articles written to inform, excite and inspire you and your log home project. With weekly posts ranging in topics from building tips to floor plans, we have collected a list of this year’s most popular articles for you to enjoy once more.

  1. Exterior Finishes: Your Log Home’s First Impression
  2. Building on Land with a Slope
  3. Interior Stain for Log Homes
  4. Selecting Cabinets for your Custom Home
  5. Stock or Custom Floor Plans
  6. Interior Design vs. Decorating
  7. 10 Kitchen Design Considerations
  8. How Long ‘Til My Log Home Is Built?
  9. Purchasing Land
  10. Making Educated Price Comparisons
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