Today’s home builders are not limited to suburban tract home projects situated off of main highways. In fact, home builders cover the gamut from highly-individualized custom home projects to modular units for temporary housing and similar. One area that people haven’t been able to consider very much in the past but is now proving itself to be more and more of a viable option is a log cabin kit home.
To Landscape or Not
Cabins are ideal for being able to live in the outdoors away from the hustle of normal city and suburban life. Due to their rustic but durable design, log cabins find their best placement in very rural locations that already naturally have wildlife around them. That said, because of the simple design nature of a kit landscaping around a cabin once placed is fairly easy. Everything from lawns to hardscape and pathways can be constructed, making a log cabin even more desirable versus just a shelter in a wilderness area.
One-Day Landscaping
Probably the most noticeable aspect of a log cabin just placed is the concrete pad. This can be easily covered and landscaping around the structure is made more natural with new bark. Two good truckloads of fresh bark could be spread around the perimeter of the log cabin, covering up the joining area and the edge of the foundation pad. In fact, one could play with bark color choice and produce an interesting contrast between the color of the log cabin wood and the bark itself. The bark will fade over time, but the immediate contrast will be eye-catching for a while, especially with redwood bark, for example.
Longer-Term Landscaping
Hardscape can be installed around log cabin kits. By applying forms and laying a bed of gravel within the parameters, a concrete path can be easily established as a walkway surrounding a log cabin and giving access to it from a road. Texture and pigment can be added as well for color. This kind of hardscape will last for years, and it will be even stronger with the strategic placement of rebar within the concrete for added strength. Given the project is mainly for pathways, sections can be formed in phases without having to find a way to bring a full cement truck into a remote location. Then, edging can be finished off with perennial bushes and shrubs for a dark green bordering appearance.
Functional and Protective
It’s not a bad idea to make landscaping useful with a log cabin as well. Given the remote location, a back garden is a smart idea for seasonal food and crops. This literally allows a cabin owner to “live off the land” a bit, as well as have a reason to visit on a regular basis to maintain the garden, rototill, plant new crops, and harvest.
As a result, the modern cabin kit is a really nice way to enjoy the outdoors while still sheltering and sleeping in a solid home structure. Once equipped with a proper heating system, the internal temperature of a cabin can be easily maintained, even with 0-degree weather outside.
So, if you’re thinking about how to go about placing a second home on a bit of property, give a log cabin kit a thought. They are easy to construct, soft on a budget, and very effective as a rural home choice for a getaway or extended vacation.