Liability Release

For those looking for information and advice in regards to log cabin building, my suggestion is to think for yourself, decide as you see fit, and accept the consequences. To build a log cabin you will need to use sharp and pointy things, like ax and chainsaw, in the vicinity of really big and heavy things such as logs (hence the term log cabin builder). Often, the really big and heavy things need to be balanced, cut, moved, molded, rolled or modified with the sharp and pointy things at elevations where it could end poorly if appropriate care is not exercised.

Building a log cabin is inherently dangerous; there is risk. And, the risk applies to both novices and experts. What you don't know can hurt you; what you don't fear can hurt you.  To make this work and keep all one's body parts intact, the builder requires  a high level of knowledge coupled with a low percentage of really poor decisions (in my experience the worst decisions are often preceded by the words, “Don't worry, she'll be alright” or “Don’t worry, it will be fine”).

Life is unpredictable. Sometimes, we make decisions that make our life softer and easier. At other times – based on our current view of something shattered, stuck, bent, wedged, broken, or bleeding – it becomes crystal clear that the decision we made just a few seconds back was a little substandard.

Generally, an individual that chooses to build his or her cabin is getting a little older. With a few years on us, our ability to bounce (after sudden contact with the planet which is an inevitable result of a fall from heights) is somewhat compromised. When you are ten years old, you can fall 35 feet out of the pine tree you shouldn't have been climbing; hit the ground, bounce three times, stand up, dust yourself off, and you are ready to roll. I am 50 and, when it comes to bounce-ability, I'm thinking, well, maybe, not so much.

So, for your safety when cabin building, it is critical to understand why log cabin builders do what they do. We can learn from those that were successful and we can gain a great deal of knowledge from those that experienced various levels of adversity.

We must understand that there are many approaches to log cabin building. Opinions are readily available from from both experts and quacks. And, at times, quacks will be dressed in expert clothing. To further complicate the situation, advice from a recognized, self-proclaimed quack could be the missing link and exactly the bit of information you need to proceed. Evaluating advice and acting on a recommendation from a known whack-job in lieu of alternative expert advice seems like crazy business. Yet, you will find that occasionally this is the path we need to take.

To be clear, to build a log cabin, you need to be willing to gain an understanding of why another chooses to do what he does and then make your own decisions and apply what you believe will work best to your project. And, if it doesn't work, it was your call so move on.

I do need to mention that if you can see yourself suing a fast food organization because your coffee was too hot or jamming up your neighbor because you slipped on his driveway – you have no business building a log cabin.  Because, things won't go as planned and you have to shoulder the responsibility and keep plugging along....cold, wet, broken doesn't matter much, you will experience it. We must figure it out and move on. The only one responsible for the success or failure of the project is the builder.