What Tools Will You Need?

Jumping into log home construction requires different tools and 
special preparation.

With this slowdown, let’s say you’ve decided to go after a niche market. To your surprise, it is working and you’ve lined up a client who wants a log home. What kind of tools and preparation will you need for this new kind or project?

For answers we turned to Dan Mitchell, award-winning log home builder and owner of Eagle CDI (short for Contracting, Developing, with Integrity) in Seymour, TN. For the last six years, Mitchell and his crews have been averaging anywhere from six to 12 custom log home projects annually. Mitchell’s company earned three awards in the Excellence in Marketing and Home Design Awards by the National Association of Home Builders’ Building Systems Councils.

Rent Or Buy A Lull
Typical construction tools and equipment are needed for log home construction, but you will also need a lift of some kind for moving and hauling logs and timbers. Mitchell recommends renting or buying a Lull. But you can also use a Bobcat, Backhoe, Forklift, Lull, Skytrak or Pettibone.

Other Tools Needed
6' level
¾" Chuck Drill
Side Angle Drill
10" or 12" slide compound miter saw
10" Skil saw
Inexpensive 18" bar electric chainsaw (gas/oil fueled saws spew fuel on the logs when cutting indoors)
Set of wood chisels
Large diameter hole saws
Belt sander
Palm sander
Moisture meter
Plus all the safety equipment (glasses, harnesses, hardhats, etc.)

Before Log Home Package Arrives
Have a strategy for storing the log package—either on site or off site, depending on how much room you have and the terrain.

Log package needs to be anywhere from 6" to 1' off the ground to protect logs from absorbing ground moisture.

Use a large staked-down, waterproof tent (20'x30') to protect logs from weather, while providing needed air circulation; the package needs to breathe.

Don’t wrap the package tight to seal it from weather; this will result in mold and discoloration issues. Have the right equipment to move logs when framers are ready for them; this can make or break a project (see Rent or Buy a Lull previously).

Installing Utilities
Electrical: If the foundation is already complete, you may save a few hundred dollars by having permanent electrical lines installed.

Water: If the well is already installed, you may want to install a temporary pump for masonry work.

Telephone: This is usually installed with electric service. Be sure the job-site telephones are secured with controlled access.

Toilet facilities: A necessary amenity on any construction site.

Staying Organized
On-site Storage: Lockable rental units are good for protecting materials from the elements and theft. Also use it for tool storage as well as a place to post the schedule and permits for building inspectors.

Pre-construction Meeting: Foster a teamwork environment from the get-go, by holding this meeting for your crew and all subcontractors. Have your job-site supervisor provide a schedule as well as explain who will be responsible for what—at what time. Don’t forget basic stuff, such as where to park, safety requirements, etc.

Ask For Feedback: Ask for feedback from your crews and subs on how to make the job run more efficiently. What can you do to make their jobs easier and faster?

Job-site Meetings Each Morning: Require crew and current subs to attend in order to explain what will be accomplished and in what time frame. Again, ask for suggestions on how to make the job run more smoothly.

Recommended Crew Size
There are no hard and fast rules here—it all depends on the experience of your crew—but in general:

Five motivated guys can handle a 3,000-sq.ft. house, with perhaps one extra laborer.

Ten guys can get the job done twice as fast.

Unskilled or unmotivated workers take twice as long.

A good balance is five to seven guys.

If you have too many guys on the job site, they will stand around looking at each other instead of getting the job done.