If you have ever driven by a log yard you may have seen a number of timber structures being built on site. Because of this notation that log homes are built on site and then taken down and shipped to their destination they often get confused as being prefab homes. In this article we will break down the difference between a prefab and custom log home.
Prefabricated homes, also know as pre-fab homes, essentially these homes are constructed in a factory and then shipped to their location in pieces where they are put back together in a matter of days.
The category of prefabricated homes can be quite large including:
Modular Homes
Homes that are built in modules in a factory and then shipped to their destination to be reassembled. Most modular homes are also equipped with windows, doors, cabinetry, flooring, plumbing and electrical. These designs tend to have a bit more “boxy” feel to them as they need to be easily shipped ad delivered.
Manufactured Homes
Also known as factory framed or panelized homes, manufactured pre-cut your floor system and build the walls. The framing is stacked flat and then trucked to the location where it is built on site. These home do not have the windows, doors, kitchen installed but have select vendors that they work with.
Kit-Homes
Kit homes are commonly found with log cabins. If you want to have the experience of building your own home but don’t have the time to deal with all the measuring details these homes are good for you. Kit homes are cut to spec and packaged up in a way that allows you to do it yourself. The main difference between a kit home and a panelized home or modular home is that in a kit home you put it back together yourself and a modular home the company does it.
Artisan builds and sells log cabin kits. Contact us to find out more details.
Shipping Container Homes:
New to the market place is shipping container homes. They are literally made from old shipping containers and can be stacked together much like Lego to make your home any size you wish.
Custom Log Homes
Custom log homes, are exactly how they sound, custom. With the previous options we discussed above they all have slight limitations because much of the work is done in a factory. Custom log home builders build their homes on-site in a log yard before shipping it to ensure quality control and because all of the tools and materials are available. A lot of work is required for a custom log home such as drying the logs, pealing and cutting. To do that on location site would take months and be very costly to the consumer. Artisan log homes can be custom to fit any design and property. Because we assemble and dis-assemble every log and transport it separately we don’t have height and weight constraints for the size of the home.
Even though a log home will first be assembled at a log yard everything is done custom, not mass-produced. You are able to pick every element of your homes design and customize it to your liking. Once we have it right in the log yard we take it down and ship it to your location where we meet up containers and assemble it on-site.
No one type of home is better than another, it depends on your likes, dislikes and budget as to which home is best for you. If you would like to know more about log cabin kits or custom log homes please contact us.