Husky Logwork - Quality Handcrafted Log Homes

04/28/2020

checking on some structures built 2 years ago.....
Chickaloon Community Center

12/23/2019

Merry Christmas to all my friends and family....

12/05/2019

my favorite house - Winter Images....

10/25/2019

from the archive.....2008

09/02/2019

Our last project at the Alaska State Fair, August 2019......thanks to everybody, who made it possible...

07/13/2019

...visiting really good friends we built a house for in 2008....they built a paradise . If you can dream it, you can build it....

03/01/2019

....got her done.....

01/07/2019

HEY LOG HOME FANS......
Visited another log home I built 10 years ago in the heart of the EarthQuake Zone.....those guys really got a big shaker, only some minor damage to screw jacks, caulking and trim boards.....Result: no problem with the foundation bolts, doors won't open ,the lateral grooves were really stressed, some 'lips' were damaged and cracked.......looks like the whole upper part of the main floor, above window- and door openings 'twisted' like a lid on a jam jar! - pushed 2 corners out of alignment but it snapped back. Sheet rock on main floor was cracked where settling space is, above the walls
( contractors didn't shorten sheetrock walls enough). Here the interesting part: The upstairs with the roof construction and sheetrock walls TOTALLY UNDAMAGED ! IT WAS UP THERE JUST FOR THE RIDE....the main damage occured to the last 2 rounds of the walls, above windows. It is very important that during construction those last 2-3 rounds of logs should be bolted together with 5/8 allthread (may be every 8 feet) , washers and nuts ! We did not detect any uplifting, just shearing at the mentioned spots.The folks just have to caulk a bit and replace trim boards, and re-set the doors in their frames, but none of doors and windows broke. the deadbolts in the some doors bent during the earthquake, so some doors don't open right now. It was 18 below Fahrenheit over there an hour ago, I guess it can be fixed later.All buildings I looked at seemed to sttle down more during the earth quake, by about 1 to 1 1/2 inches, I guess somebody made sure it got enough down pressure, pushing down the shell, haha....Again, so happy we didn't go with the loose throughbolt system in the walls( 5/8 rods all the way to the floor in a 1 1/8 hole), we used 5/8 metal drift pins (20 inch long) in a pre-drilled 3/4 inch hole, has proven to be the best fastening of walls. Well, that's it, stay save till the next big shaker, and trust your log home.......

01/03/2019

Christmas Spirit....my friend's log house we built a few years ago.....Liska's Residence

12/21/2018

Husky Logwork - Quality Handcrafted Log Homes

LOG HOME - in - Earthquakes Update: So, I visited several sites of log homes I built over the years to see how they held up after our big shaker. Well, all of them did extremely well, none were ripped off foundations, all the roof components were holding up, scribe-fit walls really gave more strength to the structure, window openings and angle iron gave enough support.....one house was taking special attention, the addition in Big Lake next to a real sloping hill, the gravel had 4 inch cracks right next to the building, and after my (laser) measurements it was obvious, that the house tilted over towards the hill by 2 inches.....separating from the old structure, keep in mind, 2 individual log homes, one scribe fit addition and one three - sided . They moved apart by about 2 inches, separating. Even the foundations were not connected ! Anyway, the big shaker did NOT rip the first round off the foundation, did not damage the post and beam upstairs,everything stayed intact. due to the wrong installation of the sliding doors ( settling space above doors was filled up with 2x6) , the doors were crushed , can be replaced easily. I am glad we use 24 inch drift pins ( 5/8 rebar) in our walls and not through bolts; staggered drift pins were securing the walls much better, also the 5/8 anchorbolts/allthread were holding the rounds well to the foundation . The existing 3 sided home didn't do too well, constructed out of log pieces and having flat bottoms/tops, walls were sliding, they don't line up anymore.Anyway.....proof is there that log homes are a safe way to survive earth quakes, if they are built right.....thanks for reading

12/21/2018

LOG HOME - in - Earthquakes Update: So, I visited several sites of log homes I built over the years to see how they held up after our big shaker. Well, all of them did extremely well, none were ripped off foundations, all the roof components were holding up, scribe-fit walls really gave more strength to the structure, window openings and angle iron gave enough support.....one house was taking special attention, the addition in Big Lake next to a real sloping hill, the gravel had 4 inch cracks right next to the building, and after my (laser) measurements it was obvious, that the house tilted over towards the hill by 2 inches.....separating from the old structure, keep in mind, 2 individual log homes, one scribe fit addition and one three - sided . They moved apart by about 2 inches, separating. Even the foundations were not connected ! Anyway, the big shaker did NOT rip the first round off the foundation, did not damage the post and beam upstairs,everything stayed intact. due to the wrong installation of the sliding doors ( settling space above doors was filled up with 2x6) , the doors were crushed , can be replaced easily. I am glad we use 24 inch drift pins ( 5/8 rebar) in our walls and not through bolts; staggered drift pins were securing the walls much better, also the 5/8 anchorbolts/allthread were holding the rounds well to the foundation . The existing 3 sided home didn't do too well, constructed out of log pieces and having flat bottoms/tops, walls were sliding, they don't line up anymore.Anyway.....proof is there that log homes are a safe way to survive earth quakes, if they are built right.....thanks for reading

12/07/2018

LOG HOUSES IN EARTH QUAKE ZONES:

So after a big earthquake up here in Alaska I called around, talked to old friends and clients how their houses held up: so far, the structures of scribe-fit homes made it through excellent ! There were foundation problems, houses on sloping hills had some big cracks around the house, 'stretching' and 'rolling '......Here is what you have to learn : don't build too close to sloping hills, it might take off a big chunk of the slope- strong foundations are a must, wider footings , more rebar and good anchor bolts- personally I like a monolythic slab on a good layer on gravel, my house had absolutely no damage, the whole slab was 'gliding'on the gravel, no sheetrock damage....it's important to fasten through bolts above window and door openings, tie the platelogs , carrying the rafters on the wall, through 3 layers of log rounds, 'sandwitch' them together, ( prevents lift-off in heavy windy areas too),I don't believe in through bolts from top to bottom, settling doesn't prevent uplifting, and the hole size for the allthread is usually way too big. I believe in rebar drift pins, about 2 feet long, staggered and intelocking the walls. Use heavy angle iron as door bucks, no 2x4s, and make sure you have locked - in tie logs, holding the walls together, from roof side to roof side, to prevent the walls from spreading apart. Rafters should be fastened very well to the last wall log ( plate log ).Ridgepoles on posts should have metal connectors ( angle connectors with lags) hidden in the gable walls, to prevent up lifting......and of course a stong sheeting on the roof, plywood sheets secured well to the rafters........this is just some general info to think about.......good luck in the next 'Big One'...

11/10/2018

Last project of the year.....roof ready for metal, then the knee braces and we are done...

10/28/2018

Not bad, reassembly for the first day...

10/24/2018

READY TO DELIVER.....PAVILLION FOR CHICKALOON

10/21/2018

10 years ago we were working on this one.....

10/15/2018

Visited the Probasco's....built their house in 2001, great people , maintaining their place very well over these years. It's fun to see old friends again...

10/04/2018

off to the next project before winter, a 32' by 36' pavillion for the Chickaloon Community Center.....the last picture is one of our State Fair Projects, our goal for this one

08/27/2018

same house , 2016 and now.....

08/21/2018

my first boom truck from 1987....

06/27/2018

This guy has been my friend and 'sidekick' for the last 10 years.....couldn't have done so much without him......thanks Claudio

06/14/2018

loft log preparation....

06/09/2018

35 years of log building -
a Lifetime...

06/09/2018

42 ' x 32 ' .....starting on the loft logs now....

05/28/2018

Two years ago....and now. Everybody's Dream...

05/25/2018

Willie is happy....

05/16/2018

....already 7 years ago.......

05/16/2018

Big character logs are taking shape....

05/01/2018

Feels good to work on logs again....

04/27/2018

The season has started.....doing it the hard way

03/11/2018

Built in 1991 I guess, 'from the past'

03/11/2018

Blast from the past....about 16 years ago....

03/01/2018

Minus 6 degrees this morning, the 3rd load of logs arrived, cranes gave us problems-too cold....

02/17/2018

pretty soon it's gonna look like this again in our yard....

02/10/2018

TINNY, OUR FAITHFUL LOG DOG.......
WE LOVE HER......