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So far Noah Bradley has created 1221 blog entries.
29 06, 2019

Stone Piers

2019-06-29T10:27:19+00:00

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Notice the stone piers under the house and porch… a stone laid flat upon a stone, one after another. Refinement was not the goal when building stone piers… getting it done was.
Craftsmanship was saved for chimneys, and continuous foundations.
It’s so tempting today, with modern cement to build these piers “too pretty” on an old cabin. It’s ok to give in some… but be careful not go down that road of looking cookie cutter.
Also, never go with an odd number of piers across the front of home… for some reason building three piers announce to the world “I was too cheap to put in four, and besides, three is enough to keep it from falling down”

Originally posted 2016-02-12 18:01:06.

Stone Piers2019-06-29T10:27:19+00:00
29 06, 2019

Hidden logs

2019-06-29T10:27:18+00:00

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Notice the still remaining painted corner-board. This greyed and weathered cabin was covered in siding as so many old cabins were at the time. When nearly everyone lived in a log home having a wood sided home was highly desirable.
Many of the old farmhouses that we see today have logs hidden within.

Originally posted 2016-02-12 17:33:45.

Hidden logs2019-06-29T10:27:18+00:00
29 06, 2019

Patios

2019-06-29T10:27:16+00:00

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Ah yes, patios.
The nearly forgotten older sister to decks.
Located at yard height they don’t require view-blocking railings.
And since they are made of masonry, they need no maintenance, and, they last… forever.

Originally posted 2016-02-12 17:15:55.

Patios2019-06-29T10:27:16+00:00
29 06, 2019

Don’t make excuses, make plans

2019-06-29T10:27:15+00:00

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What’s the secret sauce?
Why is it that some people get their dream home while so few do?
I’ve built many handmade houses during my career and almost none of these clients came into a pile of money and then contemplated “maybe we should build our dream home?”.
Nope, it worked the other way around… these folks decided to go for it, they developed a clear vision of what they wanted, and then took it one step at a time.
Rather than making excuses, they made plans. They all discovered that the resources somehow fell into place as they moved forward.

Originally posted 2016-02-10 15:21:14.

Don’t make excuses, make plans2019-06-29T10:27:15+00:00
29 06, 2019

Living the dream

2019-06-29T10:27:14+00:00

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When we build a handmade home for ourselves we are not only “leaving a legacy” behind. We are also “living a legacy”… now. Be that person.

Originally posted 2016-02-10 15:06:53.

Living the dream2019-06-29T10:27:14+00:00
29 06, 2019

We do have a choice

2019-06-29T10:27:13+00:00

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We either struggle for a year or two while building our dream home.
Or we struggle for a lifetime with the regret of never having done it.

Originally posted 2016-02-10 14:31:20.

We do have a choice2019-06-29T10:27:13+00:00
29 06, 2019

Porches vs Decks on a log cabin

2019-06-29T10:27:12+00:00

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Which do you think looks better on a log cabin… a deck, or a porch?

Please say “porch”.

If you respond “deck”… continue looking at these photos until it becomes obvious that a deck does not look appropriate on the front of an old log cabin.

Decks are modern inventions. I enjoy a deck as much as anyone else does, but there are appropriate considerations in building and designing one…. and on what kind of structures that they are attached to.

I have seen one or two decks work off of the end of a cabin… but for the most part if you want a flat exterior space outside of a log cabin… with no roof over your head.. think “patio”.

Originally posted 2016-02-10 14:14:50.

Porches vs Decks on a log cabin2019-06-29T10:27:12+00:00
29 06, 2019

Heart pine logs

2019-06-29T10:27:11+00:00

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Here we have the corner of an old hewn heart-pine log cabin.
Notice how it’s not “perfect”.
Rather, it has character.
It’s… handmade.
Each log is unique.
And, the spacing between each log varies from one course to the next.
The dovetail notches in the corners are also unique… made by hand, one-at-a-time.
Isn’t it something that handmade creation becomes a treasured antique as the years pass by.
While a manufactured item, on the other hand, just gets old.

Originally posted 2016-02-09 17:48:34.

Heart pine logs2019-06-29T10:27:11+00:00
29 06, 2019

Why do we ignore the aesthetics of our roofs today?

2019-06-29T10:27:10+00:00

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Just for a moment, imagine how the character of this home would change if it had an asphalt shingle roof on it.

Now certainly this is not everyone’s dream roof… it’s on the very end of extreme handmade roof spectrum. It’s presented here as a great example though of the impact a roof can present to all who view the home. We’ve grown accustomed to the blandness of a manufactured roof and forgotten the visual appeal of a roof that is wrought from nature… whether wood, or metal, or stone.

Originally posted 2016-02-09 14:00:47.

Why do we ignore the aesthetics of our roofs today?2019-06-29T10:27:10+00:00

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© Noah Bradley and HandmadeHouses.com, 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Noah Bradley and HandmadeHouses.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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