Thread: Traditional Log Cabin For A Workshop

Hi echidna,
You don't see many log cabins in Australia, slab huts being the local varient from pioneering days. Could it be termites are the big deterent, or the effort involved cutting down that many hardwood trees? There is a fair bit of dressing the logs to form a good seal, which I think would be easier with softwoods. A chainsaw the answer there!
I've had some macrocarpa butts sitting outside in the weather for a number of years...8 or 10 maybe...and dry rot is a big issue, but still useable timber inside. No termites though.

Good luck with it.

2 words Bob

1) Shire
2) Approval

Combine them and depending on the particular 1 above will depend on what happens with 2 above... generally speaking 1 above tends to say no to 2 above and so most go with a tin shed... very advanced in their thinking shires are

note there are exceptions to any rule... but 1 above are generally not interested in 2 above unless it meets their 1 and 2 rule above if it fails 2 above 1 above is not interested the easiest way of gaining 1 and 2 above is to build a tin shed regardless of the arguments you put forward to 1 above unless its a tin shed 9 times out of 10 1 above will refuse to give you 2 above and so your shafted

Im just playin devils advocate here... I dont like shires full of wakkers and morons... well here anyway

Best one I ever saw had the log faces routed so that the interface between the logs was very neat.

We built one of those 'Bush Haven' log cabins for a holiday home in the '70s. Turned out ok, too. Would have made a fine workshop!

woodbe.

It must be possible to get building approval for a log style cabin.

A friend of ours imported a kit from the US, Western Red Cedar logs, in the 70s and still lives in it. Beautifully made too, has grooves in the logs with splines to connect them together.

Another log cabin I know of was at the caves in Katherine, we stayed with the ranger there in the mid 80s. That one was made from treated pine.

Can't see any problems myself, if you can build timber frame with cedar or weatherboard cladding, can't see an issue with log style.

But then I don't have a bureaucratic mind!

There was a mob up at Mansfield from memory I think (been awhile since I have been there), that made them in kit form, so there must be a market for them

Edit: Found them

Another biggie Bushfires.

That is also something that will make it hard to get past any regulatory authority in the 21st century - everything has to be able to pass a bushfire rating, even in the middle of the city. I know you could give it a splash on coat of cement that would render it ( ) fairly fire resistant - but is it really worth the fight with a bunch of 'expert' obstructionists?

Last weeks TV show Grand Designs had a log house
les

If you are serious about a log cabin of sorts dont worry about the bushfire cronies.

We deal with one of the worst councils for DA approval. The norm is brick, stone or steel cladding on buildings also with steel frames.

We have managed to get DA approval on a 48m x 20m x 10m new factory unit which apart from the roof itself is entirely made from timber.

We have documents and reports on our website showing the fire retard capabilities of a long list of Aussie hardwoods and also links to CSIRO approved paints which also increase the fire resistance of the timber.

We produced to the council a large amount of reports from CSIRO which council engineers tend to start to read, get the general point and dont go into depth.

Our DA just states that we must use fire retardant materials for the building and cladding.

And our factory unit has been deemed to be in the center of the fire zone.

We are also just testing paulownia for log cabins. We are perfect rounding 3 year old thinnings to give a 75mm high x 100mm wide (basic round of 100mm with top and bottom flat with T&G).

If anyone is interested in testing the buildings we can supply kits at cost.

arthur