The Rural Living Image Thread

Bidkev · Aug 22, 2019

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Kilcoy (1) by Kevin Dickinson, on Flickr

jederick · Aug 22, 2019

Something a little different from a small town in Utah...don't think this grain elevator and roller mill is abandoned, rather, out of service. Understand someone is renovating it with the intent of making it into a house. Regardless, this photo doesn't it justice...it is huge!!

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Crdome · Aug 24, 2019

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LittleFreeLibrary, La Joya NM by Michael Atwell - Chrome, on Flickr

barry · Aug 25, 2019

Avondale87 said:
These are awesome.
What timber (tree species) is used?
Any of the inside finished?
That would take some skill to cut the rounds into the logs for the mating one above.

A delightful hut or whatever you call them over there.
(We'd call an equivalent here a bush hut.)

Hi, Americans call them Log Cabins... Probably whatever straight trees are available.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Log_cabin

Avondale87 · Aug 25, 2019

barry13 said:
Hi, Americans call them Log Cabins... Probably whatever straight trees are available.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Log_cabin

Thanks Barry.
Very interesting reading.
Here we did have some crude similar styled bush huts in our very early days, but with such a huge selection of massive trees that split so easily most early construction was using split slabs vertically laid with smaller split shingle roofs.
My house, the original part, is made from split timber with mortices and dovetails plus wooden pegs.
We have a rich history of "mountain huts" here.

Bushboy · Aug 25, 2019

This is my place...
Most people would struggle, but not me...

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Dog loves it, he’s allowed inside....

archaeopteryx · Aug 25, 2019

barry13 said:
Americans call them log cabins.

Log cabin is more an Outside term (how Alaskans refer to the rest of the United States). It is a log cabin but, considering the location, it's more likely to be referred to as a dry cabin (note the lack of plumbing leads in the images), a cabin, or---with regular use---just a house or a place. See also dry cabin living.

Avondale87 said:
What timber (tree species) is used?

I suspect that's probably white spruce (Picea mariana) but am less sure of the ID than I'd like. For the location and apparently local log harvest, Picea would likely be preferred for minimizing long term shrink and chinking gapping and slightly higher R value. Presumably Bristolero will be back eventually.

Avondale87 said:
Any of the inside finished?

Depends on what exactly you mean by finishing as well as use, history, and owner interest. Generally more finishing is associated with more use and time since construction. The logs expand and contract with the seasons so any interior work has to allow for that. Most commonly logs are fully sealed and left exposed on the inside.

Avondale87 said:
That would take some skill to cut the rounds into the logs for the mating one above.

Not as much as you might think. Usually it's bring the next log up, lift it a bit, rip a mating surface with a chainsaw, potentially place gap filling insulation, lower the log, and repeat. It's preferred as it makes for a tighter, thicker, warmer wall but it's a lot of tedious work and means more logs. Good fits at the corners, purlin, ridge, windows, and doors take time too. Easy to lose more heat through the roof and floor if those aren't done well, though.

The large gaps shown here indicate the builders didn't particularly pursue close joints, so I'm guessing the intent is more for three season use. There are some options for gap filling behind the chinking which might also have been used.