Therefore, before you actually go ahead and get a cabin built from logs it is crucial that you actually know what the difference is between milled and handcrafted logs. Those that have been milled will have been placed through a sawmill, lathe or planer. This will ensure that they all come out in the same uniform size, shape and have the same profile.



In addition, what you will often find that milled log cabins are ones where the wood has been either air or kiln dried. This enables the right amount of moisture to be extracted from the wood before they are used to build a home with.

The actual surface of these kinds of logs will be flat on the top and bottom of each one and they may also have been coped. In some cases, a tongue and groove joint will also have been inserted so that actually assembling the cabin together is a lot easier. Plus it helps to make a much more rigid and strong. These logs can be left with a rougher side to offer a more rustic look but can also be sanded smooth.

In most cases, the trees from which the wood for these types of logs used are pines, spruces, firs as well as cedars. For a cheap but well built milled cabin, buy one made from either pine or spruce. However, if you have a little more money in your budget then consider getting one made using cedar instead.

As for handcrafted logs, these will have been prepared by being hand peeled using either a drawknife or through the use of water. The actual logs themselves when being prepared are green and will only have been cut and hauled a few days or weeks before. Unlike milled logs these are allowed to air dry only as kiln drying is a very expensive process, as these need to be dried whilst they are still their full lengths after cutting.

As well as pine and spruce being favorite trees for making handcrafted log cabins from other trees that are used are the Douglas fir, Oak, Juniper, Cyprus and Alpine Fir. The last tree mentioned is also known as a True Fir.

As mentioned the cost you pay for buying and having log cabins constructed will not only depend on the way in which the logs have been prepared. You also need to take into consideration the size of the cabin you are having built. The bigger the cabin then the more labour intensive and the more logs will be needed in order to build it. If you want to save money but would like a large cabin then you are better off going for milled rather than handcrafted logs.