PLEASE CALL ME WITH OTHER QUESTIONS SO THAT I CAN ADD THEM TO THIS LISTING.
The Log Home Living, Issue 2004 Buyers Guide, and Log Home Illustrated 2004 Buyers guide are good references. My contact information is as follows: Merritt Contracting, Inc. 7269 Richardson Rd., Howell, MI 48843 (734) 878-9055

COST PER SQUARE FOOT?
Although this sounds like an easy question, similar to cost per pound, the quality and amount of work included is subjective.  What we try to do, is give an average as each log house is built specifically for that owner. With a log house, there are different ways to measure when it comes to square footage.  We as purchasers of existing log homes are in tune to living square footage - the amount of square footage we can utilize in a home. This is traditionally smaller than the square footage required to build - i.e. attics, areas less than 5' of head height, storage areas, unfinished basements, areas above the stairs, cathedral areas, and storage rooms above garages, etc.

I compute square footage using outside dimensions of 1st floor and 2nd floor, areas such as great rooms - scaffolding is required to do ceiling work as well as set up and knock-down time. As builders, we have to consider construction of roof systems over areas less than 5', floor systems for storage areas, build access doors for attics, etc.

We can either complete a Turn-Key home or do only Shell Construction: 

1. Turn-key is everything - you show me the land, we build the house and you move in. 
2. Shell construction - we build the log shell on your foundation.  We weather-proof the home - finish the roof; all windows and exterior doors are installed and trimmed on the outside. The exterior of the building still needs to be cleaned and stained. 

Rooms that have a higher cost include kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms - because of cabinets, plumbing, and flooring.

We have found that log cabins or log houses that are between 1800 sq ft and 2000 sq ft has the best cost per square foot due to the following reasons:

1. The fixed costs, such as septic, well, heating systems, kitchen size and numbers of bathrooms are consistent;
2. The larger the home, more bathrooms are included, and the kitchen becomes larger. The costs increase due the higher costs associated with these type of rooms.  Also, as the size of the home increases, the heating and septic systems increase as well;
3. The cost of the fixed materials of smaller homes - heat, septic, well, bathrooms - become a larger part of the amortized costs, driving up the cost per square foot.

I never include the costs for light fixtures or bath fixtures. This is due to the wide range of products available and their varying prices.  We can provide an allowance, that is a basic budget, that can be under-spent with lower quality items or can be overrun with expensive top-quality items.*

When comparing builders or manufacturers, you will find that some will include certain items that others will not. Extras can build up because some contractors will bid on the basics and most simple methods in order to have the lowest bid.  

I can almost guarantee that our bid will not be the lowest because I bid as if it were my own log home and I build as if I am going to live there.  I want things done right.  I don't want to present the cheapest materials and methods and then have my customers disappointed.  Our clients realize the extra effort we make and when they see the completed project, they realize that they got more than they expected; never less.

A building project has three variables: 

If you set any two, the third is determined.  For Example:  Set cost at $100,000, set size at 2000 sq ft; the quality is determined.  Set quality at top end, set size at 2000 sq ft; the cost is determined, and so forth.
You always get what you pay for - pay less and get less.

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WHY DO LOG HOMES COST MORE? 
Log homes or Log cabin homes are the premier of custom homes.  We are taking natural materials and crafting them to be artwork and to be functional in our living world (It is like buying a car; you can go to the dealer and buy what they are offering or you can come up with the plans to have your car custom built and then find the right people to custom build it).   Just keep in mind that if you hire professionals that build for a living, they have the experience, skills and resources to do it right.

The two largest components that comprise the costs associated with custom higher-built homes include materials and labor as discussed below.

Materials - a log home/log cabin is built of more substantial materials than a conventional home. Most items that are in a log home are of a higher quality and require maintenance precautions above and beyond that of a conventional home.  Inexpensive materials are not typically used in custom log homes.

Labor - carpentry, electrical, heating, plumbing, and staining all have unique requirements for house movement, and ease of operation. These areas require more thought than a conventional home. More time is more money.

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WHAT TYPE OF FOUNDATION WILL WORK?
I have built with wood, poured concrete and block. All work fine depending on the soil conditions and the installers. Log homes are cut to be exact, much like a modular home being moved onto a foundation.  If the foundation is incorrect then it will affect the home.

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WHICH SYSTEM IS THE BEST?
There are over 400 manufacturers of log homes, from hand-crafted systems to milled systems.  For the most part, all manufacturer's systems are good to very good. What is more of a concern is who puts the system together. In general the manufacturers are like lumber suppliers; they supply the materials and someone else assembles and finishes the home.

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WHICH IS BETTER: A HAND-CRAFTED SYSTEM OR A MILLED SYSTEM?
This is a personal preference.  The hand-crafted system will typically be larger logs, 12 to 30 inches in diameter, and more craftsmanship with a more natural rustic log. They will be full wall lengths up to 60' with no butt joints and each log will be crafted to fit the log below it.  A milled system will range from 6 to 14 inches in diameter. The logs are more uniform in shape and will have a method for joinery between the logs. This joinery can be flat on flat, multiple tongue and groove, Swedish cope, or rippled and spline systems. The logs will be a maximum of 16 to 18 feet in length, and due to their length, they will have butt joints.

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WHAT TYPE OF WOOD IS BEST?
In my opinion they are all equal. When stained with the right materials and maintained equally they will all last the same.  White cedar is more expensive and typically smaller in diameter and length than pine or spruce.  Red cedar is darker in color and can be a heavy interior color.  Spruce can check more than white pine.

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WHAT ABOUT ROT?
We have done a lot of restoration and the rot we have found is almost always caused by water damage or insect infestation.  We have found that most bug infestations are ants or wasp problems; and the water problems involves the plumbing or are from the roof.  

If you control the water, make the overhangs large enough, the house is built off of the ground and the splash from the eves is controlled - especially on decks and dormers, you should be OK.  It is important that after the house is completed the owner get on a pest prevention program with a pest control company to prevent the insects from entering the home.

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AIR DRIED OR KILN DRIED?
If I had to pick I would say kiln dried, because during the drying process any insects that may be in the wood will die.  Air-dried is still an accepted way. The air-dried house may move/settle more, but if built right that should not be a problem. The biggest problem with kiln dried is that only the smaller logs can be kiln dried.

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WHAT ABOUT SHRINKAGE?
Log homes do shrink, but this should not be a concern.  If constructed properly the builder will anticipate movement (which will happen in the first 3 years) and allow for it.  It should never be a problem and almost unnoticeable to you - the owner.  Manufacturers and good builders of log homes know this is going to happen.  Experienced builders prepare for it.  Shrinkage is not dangerous and should not be a concern if your builder and  subcontractors are prepared.  Including subcontractors- electrical, heating and plumbing. 

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IS MAINTENANCE MORE WITH LOG HOMES?
It can be, however, if the right materials are put on correctly then it can be greatly reduced. The sun will break down the finish and then moisture can enter.  Design is critical, larger overhangs that do not allow water to splash on the logs, etc.  Another important point is where the home is built.  If you build in the trees, they will provide shade throughout the year and extend the life of your stain.  If you build in the open, then the sun will beat on the exterior of the house and you will be applying the stain more often.

Oils have a tendency to last longer. They absorb into the wood fibers and prevent moisture from entering. Do not use latex paint. This builds a shell that will not allow moisture to exit and can cause rot beneath. Large hand-crafted homes that have green or moisture in the wood require special stains that will allow for the moisture to exit and will not allow moisture to enter.  A shelled finish will trap the moisture beneath it and rot will occur.  Kiln dried materials can have different products applied because the moisture is removed during the kiln process.

I have found that if you use a good stain it will last up to 9 years. Interior stain should last forever; keep that in mind when choosing a color.

Tips:

1. Wash your house each year with soap, water and a brush that will remove the dirt and dust. This will extend the life of the stain. 
2. Remove snow from decks to lessen the amount of water that sits on the decks. 
3. UV protectors are good to use. They will extend the life of the exterior, it will allow also you to move furniture and pictures on the interior without leaving telltale marks. 
4. If possible open the pores of the wood by sandblasting, cob or glass blasting the exterior.  This will allow more stain product into the logs, extending the life of the stain. 
5. Power washing is not bad only if you use low pressure and hot water.  Pounding high-pressure water into the logs will increase the level of moisture in the wood. Then your stain will trap the water and cause rot.

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 WHAT IS THE R FACTOR OF LOGS?

The R factor for a piece of wood is, on average, 1R per inch (the species of wood - hardwood vs. soft wood - will cause a variance).  However, there is a thermal property associated with wood that is not found in fiberglass. That property is called a thermo-density.  What this means is that wood will absorb heat when the home is heated, the heat enters the wood exterior walls which is held and then radiate the heat back into the building. Once the building is heated to a specific temperature it takes less energy to maintain that temperature, thereby lowering the heating cost over all.  It works opposite in the summer keeping the interior cooler.  In the evening when the air cools it is a good idea to open the windows and capture the cool air for the following day. However, on extended hot days when the temperature does not cool down in the evenings the home will continue to heat up. It would then require air conditioning to cool it down.

Air infiltration is the enemy of all log homeowners.  If a log structure is not constructed properly and leaks air, you are losing heat in the winter and losing cool air in the summer.  Sealing the home and assembling it correctly is critical to the performance.  Chinking and caulking can help.  Some caulking is required and in some systems, chinking is required in others.

Two things to remember when considering the R-factor of your building: 

1. Regardless of how high the R-factor is in your walls, when you place a window or door in that wall you have made an opening that is now R-4, so don't get too worried about the R-factor in the walls; 
2. Heat travels up, so the area that you should put most of your concern in is the roof system.  Make sure that it is insulated very well.  Also allow for more than adequate venting so the moisture is removed.  Consider future enclosed areas, such as porches and covered decks.  It is easier to insulate them during original construction than after and may be cost prohibitive later.