High in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, vast tracts of timber have been killed by periodic beetle epidemics. The beetles kill green trees, but do not harm the wood, leaving a tree dead but still standing and sound. There, at high altitudes, where the humidity is low and the precipitation is mostly snow, trees stand for years, sometimes decades.

When it comes to designing your custom log home, it's easy to be blinded by the shear excitement and emotion of seeing your plans begin to take shape. However, you should always keep a healthy does of reality close by to ensure that you avoid potentially damaging situations that could quickly turn your excitement to frustration.

Log Homes in America date back to the early 1600's when European settlers fashioned simple structures from the abundant virgin forest lands of the New World. Utilitarian in their design, these early Log Homes were long on function and practicality but short on modern day habitability.