PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS
Do we need to carry insurance while our home is being built?
Yes. In most cases banks will not approve a mortgage until you agree to carry builders risk insurance.

Does StoneMill Log Homes provide us with a General Contractor?
No. StoneMill does not provide you with a general contractor. You will interview and select a general contractor locally or act as your own general contractor.

SITE PLANNING
What type of road access do we need?
Your log package will arrive on a tractor-trailer rig with a minimum length of 64'. Your road needs to be fairly straight with a packed gravel base. StoneMill is not responsible for fees accrued do to unimproved road conditions. If you have any questions about your site, please feel free to call. If you contract StoneMill to erect your log home, a representative will visit your site and perform a jobsite inspection to help identify any potential problems.

SITE PREPARATION
What type of foundation can I build on?
You can build any of our homes on a slab, crawl space, or basement foundation.

Can I build on a concrete block wall?
Yes, but it needs to be at least 12" block.

Do I need to have electric on site?
Yes. Construction crews will need electric power available to construct your home.

Does StoneMill build the sub-floor?
As part the Dry In service, StoneMill can provide the labor to install the subfloor. You will provide all of the material, which is conventional, for the subfloor. If you do not contract StoneMill to install the subfloor, you or your general contractor must install it prior to our arrival.

Who builds the Chimney?
Your General Contractor.

DELIVERY
How much will my log package weigh?
Our packages average between 30,000 and 40,000 pounds per truckload. Return to top

Is my log package going to fit on one truck?
In most cases all the material for the Basic Package will fit on one truck. If however, you purchase tongue & groove decking or panels, a second truck will probably be required. Ask your StoneMill representative if another truck will be needed.

Will the erection crew unload my log package?
Yes. The erection crew will unload the package as part of the service.

Do I need to have check ready when the logs are delivered?
If StoneMill is not providing erection or Dry-In services, a check is required upon delivery. If StoneMill provides erection or Dry In services payment is due within 5 days of completion of our work.

Do I need to provide equipment for your crew to build the log package?
No. Expense for such equipment is provided for in the erection costs broken out in your log package, and will be brought by our crews.

How much clear space do I need around my foundation?
StoneMill suggests at least 20' of flat solid ground around all sides of the foundation.

ASSEMBLY OF THE LOG PACKAGE
Do I need to provide room and board for the erection crew while they are erecting my log package?
No. Room and Board is provided as part of the service.

Can I help with the erection of the log package?
Your help will be appreciated, but due to insurance considerations, your ability to help will be limited.

Does an electrician need to be on site to pull wire as the logs are being erected?
No. All of StoneMill's logs are predrilled for electric, so the wire can be pulled at a later date.

Who installs the chinking?
The Chinking is one of the last items to be installed before the house is finished. You or your general contractor will install it. The chinking manufacturers can provide a list of contractors to install their products.

Who installs the tongue & groove decking and panels?
As part the Basic Dry In service, StoneMill provides the labor to install these components as well as frame and sheath the gable end wall, shed dormer wall, and dog house dormers (See Dry In Proposal For More Detail). If you do not contract StoneMill to provide the "Basic Dry In" service, you are responsible for the installation of these components. Return to top

DRY IN
What is included in the Dry In Service?
StoneMill's Dry In services are services provided in addition to the erection service. Labor to construct additional components of the home is quoted. All Dry In proposals include labor only.

What is the "Basic Dry In"?
Basic Dry In includes the construction of the roof system to the felt paper, framing and sheathing of the gable end walls, shed and doghouse dormers. (Please see proposal for more detail.)

What other Dry In services are available?
StoneMill quotes the porch construction and subfloor construction as optional services. (Please see proposal for more detail.) Nonstandard Dry In labor is quoted as requested.

What do I need to provide for the Dry In Crew?
When Dry In labor is contracted, StoneMill will provide a list of materials needed to perform the work. This material must be onsite when the crew begins work.

PORCHES
When is the porch erected?
StoneMill provides Porch Installation as an optional part of the Dry In services. StoneMill will provide the labor to frame the porch decks, porch roof racks, install tongue and groove decking and felt on the porch rack. You are responsible for having the porch foundation in place prior to the crew's arrival. If you do not contract StoneMill to install the porch, you are responsible for the installation of these components.

Does StoneMill provide material for the porch deck?
No. Local suppliers provide the porch floor framing and deck material.

MORTISE & TENON TRUSS PACKAGE
Does StoneMill install the roof trusses?
Yes. Our erection crew will only install StoneMill's timber frame trusses. This installation consists of setting and bracing off each truss. If our Dry In crew is contracted to perform the Basic Dry In, they will install the conventional components of the roof if applicable.

Does the dormer wall come with the truss package?
The construction and placement of the shed dormer wall is included in the timber frame truss erection price. The homeowner is responsible for the materials being onsite prior to the crew arrival. StoneMill will provide a material list for these components.

ROOF SYSTEM
Does StoneMill install the 2x6 Tongue & Groove decking?
If you contract with StoneMill to provide Basic Dry In services, the tongue and groove decking is installed on the roof system. If you contract with StoneMill to provide the porch installation, the tongue and groove decking is installed on the porch rack. StoneMill does not install the second floor decking.

What do we use to attach the panels?
StoneMill Provides a ring shank spike to secure the panels.

Can we use the 2x6 decking, on the ceiling beams, as the finished floor?
Yes, but it is not recommended. Return to top

CONSIDERATIONS FOR WINDOWS
Can StoneMill cut window openings to meet any manufacturers specifications?
Some window sizes may degrade the structural integrity of the log structure. StoneMill reserves the right to modify window sizes when structure is an issue.

Does StoneMill allow for settlement in its window openings?
Yes. We use a slotted buck system to allow the logs to settle without binding the window.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR INTERIOR CONSTRUCTION
How do you run overhead lighting in the exposed ceiling beams?
Before your general contractor lays the flooring down, your electrician needs to cut a kerf in the top of the beam and drill a hole through to where the fixture is going to reside.

How is heating and air run through the house?
The ductwork is run through the crawl space or basement, through stud frame walls, under the stairs, and in closets. Basically anywhere it can be hidden. Steps should be taken as you are planning your home to accommodate for such circumstances.

Is it hard to add onto the house later?
Yes. If there is a chance that you are going to add onto your log home later with more logs, it is advisable to go ahead and do it now. Adding onto a log structure that has cured and already settled is difficult at best.

MAINTENANCE AND PRESERVATION
When do we stain our log home?
If the weather is cooperative, the stain or sealer can be applied right after the logs are erected.

Can we use an oil based stain or sealer on our log home?
No. The petroleum products in oil based stains and sealers will affect the performance of the chinking in the joints between the logs.

How often do we have to restain our log home?
StoneMill suggests restaining or resealing within the guarantee guidelines of the product last applied.
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