#38 | Log House Cafe: Finally Starting the "Skeleton" Construction
Irankarapte! (Ainu for "Hello!")
My favorite working vehicle is the crane truck.
I am trainee Hata, feeling excited after watching the crane truck work up close.
Thank you as always for reading.
The quiet forest in Atsuma, Hokkaido, has gained the breath of wood starting today. The log materials for the log house cafe that my husband and I are running have finally arrived. Three 10-ton trucks' worth. The sight of such a massive amount of timber being delivered has an overwhelming impact that you just don't get with regular farm work.
A large crane towering in the forest lifted each log into the air like a giant pencil and gently lowered it onto the concrete foundation—the entire sequence of movements was just like a conductor carefully arranging a "musical score of wood."
Log houses are actually fast
We had a preconceived notion that "log assembly is slow." However, according to the professional log house builder, "The exterior will be up in about a month." Because the walls themselves become the structure, the process is simpler and faster than conventional construction methods. We also learned that they have high insulation and heat storage properties, allowing for a warm stay even during Hokkaido's harsh winters.
Sharing the "scenery of wood" that changes every day
The two builders who came from Kitami have set up temporary housing in Tomakomai and are heading to the site. Through their hands, the logs are being stacked little by little, and our image of a "triangular roof in the forest" is taking shape.
For the next month, as the logs are stacked one layer, then two layers at a time, the scenery will change along with the scent of the wood—I will deliver those changes daily in this blog.
Ventilation is vital for storing log materials
The rule of thumb for the delivered logs is to keep them covered with blue tarps while lifting them off the ground to let the air circulate. This is to prevent mold and cracking caused by moisture and to maintain construction precision. If you are considering a log house for self-building or DIY, it is a good idea to prepare "sleepers" and "moisture-proof sheets" before the timber arrives.
The log house framing phase has finally begun. Just as the new buds of the haskap berries grow, this wooden house should grow just as fast. I will deliver "news from the wood" from the site again tomorrow, so please look forward to it.
We also share farm information on our official LINE account, "Squirrels, Hearths, and Honeyberries."
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Previous articles are summarized in this magazine.
Thank you once again for reading until the end.
Sui Unukar-an Ro! (Ainu for "Let's meet again!")
End