Log Home

Disguising Track Lights in a Log Home Kitchen

Rustic Workbench

I have not been a big fan of track lighting but it does have its place and time. In an effort to provide more light in the kitchen here at the lodge, the previous owners had installed track lights on the log trusses overhead. As if Ethel Merman stepped in to sing Ave Maria the [...]

Reader’s Question About Log Cabin Chinking Recipe, Insulation and Borate

Mark just sent me an email asking about chinking, insulation, borates and preservatives for a log barn project he is working on. Mark writes: I have an old log open barn the logs are from 1-5 inches apart it is 18 by 20 by 10 feet high i would like your chinking recipe and your [...]

Remodeling a Small Bathroom in a Log Home Part 1

Rustic Workbench

The bathroom remodeling has begun. The original bathroom had lovely salmon floor tiles. The walls were covered to a height of 48 inches with cute white 4×4 tiles with delicate little blue and pink flowers. A built-in Medicine cabinet with fluorescent tube lights helped to illuminate the brilliant sunflower-yellow sink and tiny white toilet. The [...]

Antique Coffee Grinders

Few things are as fine as a steaming cup of freshly ground coffee. Here at the lodge I must admit I have fallen to the canned grounds for daily use however the weekends when I have the time to enjoy freshly ground. There are a couple of coffee grinders here. An antique wall mounted grinder [...]

Log Home Chinking: Video

Log Home Chinking

This short video shows some of the chinking work being done here at the lodge. On a humorous note – my bother informed me that he turned the video into a drinking game telling me that for every time I say chinking he and his buds would take a swig. I do better next time.

A Winter Interlude

Around the Lodge

Things have been a bit crazy as of late. Every so often one needs to stop and watch the clouds pass.

Reader’s Question: Log Face Replacement

Here is a great email from Andy Bell. Bought some property 3 years ago in Southeast Texas. On it, a log cabin actually built in the 50′s with telephone poles. (Pine) Insert Air Conditioning plus poor design causes some pretty extensive damage though more facial, in some cases, half way through. After determining the damage, [...]

Reader’s Question: Log Chinking in a Bathroom

Sue recently asked a question with regard to chinking and exposed logs in a bathroom. Hi there, I just discovered your Bearfort website and want to thank you for the interesting reading and the recipe and process for chinking. I want to ask your advice regarding my old farmhouse. Unless you went to the attic, [...]

Colbie Caillat Comes to Bearfort Lodge

Around the Lodge

Bearfort Lodge welcomes Colbie Caillat. Colbie recently shot part of her new music video here at the lodge for her hit Realize. You can find more information on Colbie at her website. More information and photos to come.

Log Home Chinking: A Reader’s Amazing Work

Log Home Chinking

A reader of Bearfort Lodge recently sent me this wonderful email and photos of their beautiful work – Stunning! – Here is their email and photos. Hi there! Using your mortar mix suggestions and simple steps, laid back attitude, and easy tofollow article – we have finally re-chinked the logs under our porch! Thanks to [...]

Log Home Details: A Touch of Whimsy with a Black Locust Deer

Rustic Workbench

I had been given this little refrigerator magnet of a twig deer head and thought it would look good life-sized and figured it would serve well as a rather whimsical way to greet guests to the lodge. The charming but goofy looking little deer was of simple twig construction.

Log Home Construction: Dreaming of Building a Log Home? Meet Fred Masey

Log Home Construction

Have you been dreaming about building a log home but didn’t know where to start? Paging through the typical log home magazines doesn’t help much as they tend to focus on the extreme “McLog and McLodge” homes of several thousand square feet in remote mountainous locations with exclusive views and heliport pads. Unfortunately the log homes [...]

Replacing a Rotted Log – Part 3

Log Home Repair

In the last installment of Replacing a Rotted Log I left off where the log had been fitted and wrestled into position. My next step was to fine tune the position and spike the log to the adjoining standing logs. I used galvanized spikes and drove them through the new log at an angle near [...]

Using a Pastry Bag to Fill Gaps in Chinking

Log Home Chinking

Perched atop a 30′ ladder is not my idea of fun when it comes to chinking but you do what you have to do. I’m not afraid of heights its an awkward place to work. A section of chinking was found to be loose way atop the north face. The 100 year old chinking had [...]

Log Home Chinking Video

Log Home Chinking

I came across this video of a couple of guys chinking a log home using traditional mortar chinking.

Inspect Your Chinking Before the Cold Weather Arrives

Log Home Maintenance

Here we are nearing the end of August. Autumn is approaching quickly and winter is not far behind sothis is the time in which log cabin owners should begin the late season inspection of logs and chinking. Let’s focus on the chinking for now. Late summer is a great time to do a final inspection [...]

Log Railings: Rail Against the Machined

Rustic Workbench

One of the many tasks on the list here at the lodge is to replace a second floor deck railing that had been removed by the previous owners yearsago. The 16′x16′ deck also serves as the roof for the master bedroom below. The previous owners had removed the railing most likely at a time when [...]

Replacing a Rotted Log – Part 2

Log Home Repair

In the last post on Replacing a Rotted Log – I had removed a log that was rotted and weakened by wood boring insects. Now that the old log has been removed I have to focus on prepping the new log that will be inserted and spiked in its place. Using a large blunt masonry [...]

Replacing a Rotted Log Part 1

Log Home Repair

Replacing a rotten log on a log home is no easy task. However it is an unfortunate task that sometimes may have to be tackled. Luckily there have been only a couple of logs that have needed to be replaced on this 100+ year old structure. Here at the lodge a base log was in [...]

From the Bearfort Kitchen

Around the Lodge

Soon, in response to numerous requests, I will launch a new website with a collection of rustic recipes from the kitchen of Bearfort Lodge. Thank you to all who have enjoyed the recipes and have asked for more.

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View of log home from garden path

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