Choosing the Right Roof For Your Log Home

Welcome to the My Dream Log Cabin Podcast, sponsored by Caribou Creek Handcrafted Log Homes. I am your host, Lindsay Sutherland. In today's episode, we will dwell into one of the most integral aspects of log cabin design – the roof structure.

I'll talk about what you should consider when designing your log cabin's roof to enhance its curb appeal. Often overlooked, there's more to roof design than meets the eye. Whether it's the roof's shape, angle, or even the materials used, these simple choices can significantly impact your log home's overall look and feel. A well-designed roof can lend charm and character to your cabin, whereas a poorly thought-out roof can make it look like, among other things, a “geometric joyride”.

Apart from design aspects, I'll also talk about the importance of functionality when designing roofs. A roof is more than just a pretty hat for your cabin - it must work symbiotically with the rest of your home’s structure. This is especially important for log cabins, which see a unique settling process that can massively impact your roof's overall structure and functionality.

Shared with interesting insights and examples, this episode will help you understand how you can make the roof design work for your log home. From a professional designer perspective, I'll walk you through all the intricate details of creating a roof that not only looks good but also ensures the longevity and soundness of your log cabin.

If you already have your dream floor plan and you're ready to start designing your log cabin, remember to check out our website at cariboucreek.com for exclusive offers and consultation opportunities!

Thank you for tuning in, and don’t forget to tune in for our next episode of My Dream Log Cabin Podcast.

 

Connect with Caribou Creek at www.cariboucreek.com

 

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hey, cabin lovers. Welcome back to another episode of the My Dream Log Cabin Podcast.
I'm so excited to have you here with me. I'm your host, Lindsay Sutherland,
and this podcast is brought to you by Caribou Creek Handcrafted Log Homes.
Thank you so much for joining me.
Today, we're going to talk about roofs, roof structures.

(00:20):
Probably hear me say the word structures a lot because it seems to kind of like
just come up in this conversation.
But really, what I really want to focus in on are how to give your home curb appeal.
And what's interesting about this is there's so many factors that go into a roof design.
And from a consumer perspective, we don't always think about that.

(00:42):
When we're shopping for our floor plan, right?
Because that's where we're looking, the roof is off, right? We're looking down
at the home from the top end and thinking like, I want my room here.
I want this room there, air, blah, blah, blah.
The thing of it is, is you can't just take any floor plan and then slap any type of roof on it.
So think about this journey that you're going through as you're dreaming of your log home.

(01:03):
You're looking at the floor plan and then maybe you're on Pinterest and you're
looking at homes that really strike your fancy and you find some,
this common theme of a roof that you love.
It may not always be feasible and there's some key reasons why that's important,
but we're going to really boil down today.
Three things that are going to give you that curb appeal with your log home.
The first is the design of the roof. Obviously, this is paramount to anything

(01:27):
else for that matter, because it can really make or break your home.
In some cases, the right roof structure can really just make that home pop and just be very inviting.
The other hand, it can also make it look like a disaster.
In the words of our illustrious designer, Stuart, he said it would be like a geometric joyride.

(01:48):
And after looking at some of the photos he was showing me, I can't agree more.
That was the most poignant way to say it.
So thinking through this, you know, when a designer is looking at the home,
they want to keep a couple things in mind.
First of all, you don't want any more than two different types of shapes with
your overall roof structure, at least from the front of the home.

(02:09):
The second thing that they're taking into consideration is the angle of the
roof, because the higher, the steeper the peak, the taller the the roof has to be.
And a roof that's really, really tall, well, doesn't really look that great.
What happens is when you drive by or you just look at it, you basically look
like this giant hat on this tiny little box.

(02:33):
And although it might be symmetrical.
And at first glance, you may not really think of it as a detriment.
It really does take away from the home. It makes the home look like compressed.
So the goal behind the structure and design of the roof is to make the home inviting.
You want to make that your eye just drive right into the entryway.

(02:55):
And then from there, peer around other things. So if you're thinking about it
from an artistic perspective, what is going to make somebody want to come into
your home and feel welcome?
That is ultimately the goal of your roof. If you don't want a roof that is so
overpowering, it takes the eye away from that door and makes people just go, hmm?
That was kind of my thought when I'm looking at these pictures.

(03:16):
I'm like, interesting, because I was thinking, if I drove by these homes at
first glance, just again, from a consumer perspective, I never would have really
seen the geometric joyride, as he called it.
But when he pointed it out, it was so obvious.
It became so clear to me. I'm like, oh, yes.
If they would have just done this or that, it would have totally changed his
whole home. So really having a good designer and listening to your designer.

(03:40):
So if you've got a floor plan idea that you love and your designer's telling
you to maybe make some changes because it's going to affect the roof,
I encourage you to listen to that person because they're really thinking about
the resale value and the overall appearance of your home and that's their job, right?
So that's really an important piece to consider is just the structure of the roof itself.

(04:02):
Yourself on that note I would say the second
really most important thing to think about is the the color
and the materials that you want to use on your roof structure those things can
also impact you know the overall look of the home and that curb appeal you might
say because what it ties into is the longevity of the roof and maintenance and

(04:25):
you want your home to always be looking nice and fresh as long as possible.
So those things all are factors in that curb appeal.
But like I said in the beginning, the most poignant one is the structure of the roof.
Now, luckily for us, those of us that are cabin lovers, which you are,
we are in a position where the majority of the roof structure in our case is

(04:45):
really dictated by the logs themselves.
Because especially if you're having a home designed where the roof structure
ties in, which many do, your roof becomes a product of the log design.
Now, in the more classic looks, the majority of homes were squares or rectangles, and the,
Maybe they had like a peak roof extension on the walkway or just an accent piece.

(05:10):
But the majority of the home, the primary part of the home was that classic
four, we'll call it four corners, or maybe, you know, it was like three rectangles put together.
But the point is to say, and this is where this is coming to,
is this, it was designed because log homes settled.
So at the end of the day, you needed a home that was going to settle succinctly, right?

(05:31):
Like it was going to settle together and the roof needed to be in alignment
with that. You didn't want to have a roof that was going to be crooked.
The coolest thing is now with our modern technology and this non-settling design,
we get to have the creativity of a more dynamic roof structure.
And with that, we just want to make sure that we're being mindful of these other

(05:51):
components we're talking about.
But what it allows for us to do is to create a more modern look to the home
with our roof design as well as the log design because the home won't settle.
So we don't have to worry so much about that roof structure and how it's going
to affect in the long run.
So I hope this was an insightful episode. I know it's pretty short and sweet, but also to the point.

(06:12):
By the way, if you're interested in getting a log home design,
I encourage you to reach out to us at cariboucreek.com.
You'll be speaking with Brian Miller, who is our log consultant.
He can answer the majority of your questions and get you started on the right path.
We do offer full log designs, as well as obviously we build the log cabin.
Structure too, but there is no requirement to build with us if you want us to

(06:36):
do just the design process as well.
So once again, check us out at cariboucreek.com. Until next time, thanks for tuning in.