US20050126084A1

US20050126084A1 - System of building modular log homes

Info

Publication number: US20050126084A1
Application number: US10/732,224
Authority: US
Inventors: Deborah Woksa; David Clark
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-12-11
Filing date: 2003-12-11
Publication date: 2005-06-16

Abstract

A substantially pre-assembled modular log home provides a banding support defined by a front, a rear, and a pair of side support members, and a plurality of floor joists secured to the support members. A sub-floor is secured to the banding support. The log home is made from stacked structural members that form a front, a rear, and a pair of side-walls that are each secured to the sub-floor. Each structural member has a rectangular elongate body. A pair of projections are disposed along the top surface of each member. A pair of grooves extend along the bottom surface of each member. The pair of grooves on a lower member engage the pair of projections of a vertically adjacent structural member to align two members in the stack. Fasteners secure the members together in each stack. A roof, having an assembly of rafters, is secured to the top of the log home.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to modular log homes and more particularly to a log home that is made from real wood logs and is substantially prefabricated and pre-assembled in a factory and then delivered to a building site.
2. Description of the Related Art
Log homes have been in existence and common use for centuries. Originally, log cabins were built in wooded areas where there was a large supply of wooden logs from trees. Because log homes are still considered versatile, energy efficient structures, many modern improvements have been made to the log home. The majority of the improvements attempt to minimize the amount of labor involved in erecting a log home while improving the overall integrity of the structure. The following patent documents provide examples of some modern log homes.
Japanese Patent No. 2003-119930 published on Apr. 23, 2003 discloses a log cabin. The log cabin is a common log cabin made from stacked wooden logs. The wooden logs provide notches in the ends of the logs for securely fitting the stacked logs together.
Japanese Patent No. 8049321 published on Feb. 2, 1996 discloses an assembly type log house. The log house provides a flat base panel with a plurality of holes for receiving support rods. Walls are erected on the flat base plate. The walls are made from a laminated material.
Japanese Patent No. 5079097 published on Mar. 30, 1993 discloses a log house-type building formed with a supporting framework structure. The framework includes a roof and is made by stretching a back plate across a number of columns of the framework. Log members are then stacked to form wall members. The log members are stacked on top of a foundation.
French Patent No. 2 588 584 published on Apr. 17, 1987 discloses timber houses made from prefabricated frames. Novel shaped boards are then secured to the frames to create the exterior walls of the houses.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,418,680 issued to Calkins discloses a log panel system for constructing buildings using prefabricated panels made of full sized logs. The log panels are made at a factory and assembled at the building site using fasteners. The logs have a tongue on the top surface and a groove on the bottom surface so that the logs can fit securely on top of each other. Fasteners are then driven down through adjoining logs. A sealant is disposed between the connecting logs.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,363,672 issued to Baker discloses a plurality of horizontal logs extending between vertical log posts. The horizontal logs are secured to the vertical posts by a spline. Fasteners may be driven into the tops of the logs for a more secure attachment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,295,778 issued to Burt discloses a modular building comprised of a plurality of horizontally oriented, extruded wall members stacked to form wall panels. The panels are connected by fasteners. The building may also include a banding support, a roof and an interior wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,583 issued to Papke discloses a building structure made from a one piece, extruded, cut-to-length structure. The structure has integral side walls, roof and floor. The exterior of the structure is designed to simulate the appearance of a wood frame construction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,515 issued to George discloses a plurality of modular log members for creating concatenated structures. The modular members may be parallel, offset, overlapping, or interconnected in relation to each other. Each modular member has a plurality of holes extending through their planar top and bottom surfaces. The holes receive connectors and may have different diameters. Varying types of connectors may be used.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,091 issued to Sellers et al. discloses a log cabin made from prefabricated, tapered logs. Each log has a large notch that fits over the large end of another log, and a small notch that fits over the small end of the other log. The logs are stacked so that the large end of any given log lies between the small end of a log immediately above the log and the small end of the log immediately below the given log.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,608,997 issued to Mahowich discloses a vertical log cabin. A foundation is provided having a floor plate disposed thereon. Vertically oriented logs are stacked next to one another on top of the floor plate. Each log has slots on two opposing side portions. Each log has a L-shaped notch on both the top and the bottom end. The L-shaped notches connect to the floor plate and the ceiling plate. A plurality of plates is positioned in the slots of the vertical logs to form wall structures.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,343 issued to Nipko discloses a modular structure having an outer wall framing of horizontal logs. The logs are interlocking and bolted to a rigid floor assembly. The logs are glued and lag-bolted together. Logs may be spliced end to end to make longer logs. A number of the logs provide a tension and shear support means, in the form of steel strapping, to permit lifting of the modules.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,615 issued to Peacock discloses a modular building having a frame for supporting panels on the uprights of the frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,724 issued to Magnuson discloses a building structure made from alternatingly stacked, tapered timbers having a notching system for corner joinder of the stacked timbers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,532 issued to Faw discloses a prefabricated log wall unit made from stacked logs. The logs are secured to one another by lag bolts. Vertical studs are secured to the ends of the stacked logs and insulation is sprayed between the studs. A plurality of wall units are vertically arranged in abutting relationship on a conventional building foundation to produce a log structure. Wall units are connected by lag bolts.
U.S. patent application No. 2003/0054189 published for Morgenstern discloses a building made from stacked structural elements. A cushion layer and an insulating layer are disposed between each stacked element. The exterior layers of the structural elements are a fabricated cast concrete material and have an exterior surface that simulates the appearance of a log cabin.
U.S. patent application No. 2002/0088200 published to Chambers discloses a building having stacked, tapered logs. Notches are cut into the ends of logs for fitting the logs to one another.
U.S. patent application No. 2002/0046519 to Houseal discloses a log structure comprising a stack of logs with a support column extending vertically through the logs for preventing the logs from moving downward due to shrinkage. Each support column comprises a vertical stack of log support pipes having a plate at each end of the support element.
A problem with the structures disclosed above is that most of them require a great deal of on-site construction and labor. In the areas where log homes are very popular, the weather tends to limit the amount of building time available in a given year. Another disadvantage is that many of those structures do not use real wood logs, but instead use building panels that simulate the appearance of a log home. Therefore, what is needed is a log home that may be substantially prefabricated and pre-assembled prior to arrival at the building site, while still using real wood logs.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a system of building modular log homes solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The system of building modular log homes provides a modular log home that is prefabricated and substantially pre-assembled prior to being delivered to the building location. The log homes are assembled in the controlled environment of a factory so that they are built in a more timely and cost effective manner. The log homes are approximately eighty-five percent complete when delivered to the building location. The log homes are created using real wood logs that are stacked to form the walls of the home.
According to one aspect of the present invention a modular log home comprises a generally rectangular banding support defined by a front support member, a rear support member, a pair of side support members, and a plurality of floor joists. Each floor joist has a front end secured to the front support member and a rear end secured to the rear support member. A sub-floor panel is disposed on top of the banding support. The main structure of the log home is made from a plurality of structural members that are horizontally oriented in vertical stacks. The stacks of structural members form a front wall, a rear wall and a pair of side walls that are each aligned with and secured to a side of the sub-floor panel.
Each of the structural members has a generally rectangular elongate body with a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface, a rear surface, a first end and a second end. A pair of projections are disposed along the entire length of the top surface of each structural member. A pair of grooves extend along the entire length of the bottom surface of each structural member. The pair of grooves on a lower structural member engage the pair of projections of a vertically adjacent structural member to align two structural members in the stack. A plurality of fasteners are spaced at even intervals along each of the structural members for securing the structural members together in a stack. Additionally, a solid rod is placed through the stack of logs and bolted at the top and bottom of the rod for additional support. Each fastener is driven into a structural member and extends down through the member and into the vertically adjacent structural member directly below in the given stack.
A roof assembly is transported to the building site and secured to the top of the building using a crane. The roof assembly comprises a plurality of roof joists disposed on top of the stacked structural members. Each joist has a front end extending outwardly from the front wall and a rear end extending outwardly from the rear wall, at least two rafters, and a roof cover disposed on top of the rafters. Each of the rafters has a front member and a rear member. The front member and the rear member each have a lower portion and an upper portion that is hingedly connected to the lower portion. The lower portion of the front member and the rear member are secured to one of the roof joists. The upper portion of the front member and the rear member are secured to one another to form the peak of the roof. The roof assembly provides at least two rafters, one at each end of the building. The roof cover is then lifted and secured over the rafters.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a modular log home made from real wood logs.
It is another object of the invention to provide a modular log home that may be substantially prefabricated and pre-assembled in the controlled environment of a factory and then delivered to a building site.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a roof assembly that may be easily transported to the building site and secured to the top of the log cabin.
Still another object of the invention is to provide materials and a method of building a log cabin that provides a secure building structure and prevents damage due to the effects of weather.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a modular log home according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front plan view of the front wall of the modular log home.
FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the banding support of the modular log home.
FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of a joist of the banding support.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of adjacent structural logs.
FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of a structural log.
FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of overlapping, corner structural logs.
FIG. 8 is a top view of connecting structural logs.
FIG. 9 is a front plan view of a number of stacked structural logs.
FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the roof assembly of the modular log home.
FIG. 11 is a side plan view of the roof assembly.
FIG. 12 a front plan view of a rafter connected to a roof joist.
FIG. 13 is a side plan view of a single roof rafter.
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a modular home.
FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the banding support of the modular log home.
FIG. 16 is a front perspective view of the log home according to the present invention.
Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention provides a system for building modular log homes in a more timely and cost-effective manner. According to a certain aspect of the present invention, a system is provided for building a modular log home in the controlled environment of a factory. The materials of the log home are prefabricated and substantially pre-assembled prior to being delivered to a building site. The log homes are approximately 80-85% when they leave the factory.
FIG. 1 depicts a modular log home 10 according to certain preferred embodiments of the present invention. The modular log home 10 generally comprises a main building structure built on a banding support 14 and having a roof system 12 disposed along the top of the main building structure. The main building structure is defined by a front wall 16, a rear wall 20 and a pair of side walls 18. The front wall 16, the rear wall 20 and the pair of side walls 18 define a generally rectangular log home 10. While other configurations of the walls may produce varying sized and shaped log homes, the generally rectangular log home 10 depicted in FIG. 1 is exemplary of a log home according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 depicts the banding support 14 of the modular log home 10. The banding support 14 generally comprises an outer, generally rectangular frame and a plurality of floor joists 30 extending across the frame. In particular, the outer frame of the banding support 14 comprises a front support member 28, a rear support member 27 and two side support members 29 defining the generally rectangular banding support 14 of the log home 10. Each of the support members is double banded having a first support board 32 and a second support board 34 secured together with a support gusset 36 positioned between the first and second support boards 32,34. Preferably, the support boards 32,34 are wood 2×10″s and the support gusset 36 is a plywood gusset that is glued and nailed to each of the support boards 32,34.
The floor joists 30 extend across the banding support 14 from the front support member 28 to the rear support member 27 and are oriented parallel to the side support members 29. The joists 30 are preferably wooden 2×10″s and are spaced 16 inches apart along the length of the log home 10. Each floor joist 30 has an elongate body with a pair of ends 40. Each floor joist 30 is secured to the front support member 28 and the rear support member 27. FIG. 4 shows the connection of a floor joist 30 to the front support member 28 of the banding support 14. The connection of the floor joist 30 to the rear support member 27 is identical to the connection to the front support member 28, therefore discussion of only the connection to the front support member 28 is necessary. The front end 40 of the floor joist 30 is butted against the interior surface 41 of the front support member 28. The floor joist 30 is then secured to the front support member by a joist hanger 42. The joist hanger 42 includes a plurality of nail holes 44 for securing the joist hanger 42 to the front support member 28 and the joist 30.
As shown in FIG. 3, a sub-floor layer 38 is disposed over the banding support 14 of the log home 10. The sub-floor layer 38 is preferably a panel of plywood that is secured to the front support member 28, the rear support member 27 and the side support members 29 by a plurality of fasteners. Once the log home 10 is completely assembled any type of flooring including, but not limited to, carpet, linoleum or tile may be layered on top of the sub-floor 38.
FIG. 2 is a front view of the log home 10 showing the front wall 16. The front wall 16, as well as the rear wall 20 and the side walls 18, comprise a plurality of horizontally oriented structural members 22. The structural members 22 are positioned on top of one another in a vertical stack that forms each of the walls of the log home 10. The vertical stacks of structural members 22 are positioned on top of the banding support 14. Each wall is aligned with, and secured to one side of the banding support 14. According to certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, the structural members 22 are real wood logs, however any suitable structural material may also be used in place of the wood logs.
FIG. 5 depicts two vertically adjacent structural members 22, 22 a. Each structural member 22 comprises a generally elongate main body having a top surface 50, a bottom surface 48, a pair of ends 46, an interior side surface 54 and an exterior side surface 52. According to certain preferred embodiments of the present invention in which the support members 22 are wood logs, the exterior side surface 52 is curved to retain the natural appearance of the logs, while the interior side surface 54 is made generally flat.
Each support member 22 provides at least a pair of mating projections 58 that extend, parallel to one another, along the entire length of the top surface 50 of the support member 22. Each support member 22 also provides at least a pair of mating grooves 56 that extend, parallel to one another, along the entire length of the bottom surface 48 of the support member 22. The projections 58 and the grooves 56 allow vertically adjacent support members to be aligned and mated together when stacked to form the walls of the log home 10. The mating projections 58 of the support member 22 engage the mating grooves 56 a of the vertically adjacent support member 22 a that is positioned directly above the lower support member 22. The space between the mating grooves 56 a of the vertically adjacent support member 22 a is equivalent to the space between the mating projections 58 of the lower support member 22.
Once the horizontally oriented support members 22 are aligned and vertically stacked to form a wall they are secured in place by a plurality of fasteners 68(as shown in FIG. 9). The fasteners 68 are driven into a structural member 22 and then extend down into the vertically adjacent structural member 22 a directly below the first structural member 22. In the case of the bottom most structural member 22, the fasteners 68 extend into the banding support 14. The fasteners 68 are spaced along each structural member 22 in intervals between 10-16 inches. According to certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, the fasteners 68 are Olylog screws. Olylog screws are fasteners designed specifically for securing wood logs. The Olylog screw provides a screw head that countersinks itself during installation. The screw is made from heat treated steel for increased strength and durability, and is coated to prevent corrosion. The screw also comprises an extended shaft portion having a threaded end to allow the screw to be easily drilled into the adjacent structural members 22. Alternatively, the fasteners 68 may comprise lag bolts.
In addition to the plurality of fasteners 68 a plurality of support rod 69 extends through the stack of support members 22 (shown in FIG. 9). Holes are dilled through the support members 22 and the support rod is placed into the holes. The support rods 69 are positioned two feet from the corners of the log home 10 and are then positioned every four feet around the entire perimeter of the log home 10. The support rods 69 have threaded ends for receiving bolts. The support rods 69 are countersunk two inches into the top most support member 22 and the bottom most support member 22 to allow for even stacking of the support members 22.
As shown in FIG. 1 the structural members 22 of the front wall 16 overlap the structural members 22 of the side walls 18 at the front corners of the log home 10. The log ends 24 of the structural members 22 extend outward from the walls of the log home 10. FIG. 7 depicts the corner joint created by two overlapping structural members 22, 22 c. The lower structural member 22, positioned in the vertical stack forming the front wall 16, has a log end 24 that extends outward beyond the side wall 18. The cross member 22 c is positioned overlappingly across the top surface 50 of the lower structural member 22, forming a right angle where the side wall 18 perpendicularly intersects the front wall 16. Dowel rods 70 are then glued and hammered through each corner joint. The dowel rod 70 extends through the cross member 22 c and into the lower structural member 22. The dowel rods 70 provide vertical support that helps hold the structural members 22 together in the case of shrinkage.
As shown in FIG. 1 the structural members 22 of the rear wall 20 and the structural members of the side walls 18 do not overlap at their intersection point. The ends 24 of the structural members 22 of the rear wall 20 and the side walls 18 form corner butt joints. Similarly, along the length of each wall it is often necessary that two horizontally oriented structural members 22 be secured together to increase the length of a particular stack of structural members 22. As shown in FIG. 8, the end 24 of a first structural member 22 forms a butt joint with the end 24 e of a horizontally adjacent extension member 22 e. Dowel rods 72 are glued and hammered through every butt joint, whether it is a corner butt joint (FIG. 1) or a butt joint between two horizontally adjacent structural members 22,22 e (FIG. 8). As shown in FIG. 8, a fastener 68 is positioned on either side of the dowel rod 72 to increase the vertical support provided by the dowel rod 72. The dowel rods 72 may be either square rods or circular rods.
According to another aspect of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the modular log home 10 provides a layer of weather stripping 64 (shown in FIG. 6) along each of the mating projections 58 on every structural member 22. The weather stripping 64 is preferably foam insulating tape, however any suitable weather stripping material may be used. FIG. 6 also depicts the top surface 50 of the structural members 22 a center portion 62 and two outer portions 60. A layer of sealant 66 is disposed along the center portion 62 of the top surface. The sealant 66 is preferably a butyl rubber caulk sealant, however any suitable sealant may also be used.
The present modular log home 10 provides a roof assembly 12, shown in FIG. 10, secured to the top of the vertical stacks of structural members 22. The roof assembly 12 comprises a plurality of roof joists 74 extending across the top of the vertical stacks of structural members 22. The roof joists 74 extend from the front wall 16 and the rear wall 20 and are positioned parallel to the side walls 18. Each roof joist 74 comprises an elongate body having a front end 76 that extends outward from the front wall 16 and a rear end 78 that extends outward from the rear wall 20. The roof joists 74 are positioned every 16 inches along the length of the log home 10 and the number of roof joists 74 varies according to the length of the home. At a minimum the roof assembly 12 provides two roof joists 74, one positioned along each side wall 18.
The roof assembly 12 further comprises a plurality of rafters 82. The number of rafters 82 will vary depending on the length of the log home 10, but at a minimum the roof assembly will provide two rafters 82, one positioned above each side wall 18. As shown in FIG. 11, each rafter 82 comprises a front rafter member 86 and a rear rafter member 88. The front rafter member 86 and the rear rafter member 88 each have a lower portion 96 and an upper portion 98. The lower portion 96 of the front rafter member 86 is secured to the front end 76 of the roof joist 74. The lower portion 96 of the rear rafter member 88 is secured to the rear end 78 of the roof joist 74. FIG. 12 is an end view of the front rafter member 86 depicting the connection of the rafter 82 to the roof joist 74. A plywood rafter mount 90 is secured to each side of the roof joist 74. A rafter bolt 92 then extends through the rafter mounts 90 and the front rafter member 86 securing the front rafter member 86 to the roof joist 70. The rear rafter member 88 is secured to the roof joist 74 in an identical manner. Once the front rafter member 86 and the rear rafter member 88 are secured to the roof joist 74 they are each raised forming the peak of the roof assembly 12. The top portion 98 of the front and rear rafter members 86,88 are then secured together by a fastener 94.
The roof assembly 12 is mounted to the log home 10 at the building site with the use of a crane. For easier transport of the rafters 82, the front rafter member 86 and the rear rafter member 88 are foldable about the center of each rafter member, as shown in FIG. 13. The upper portion 98 of each rafter member is hingedly connected to the lower portion 96 of each rafter member by a hinge 100. Once the rafter members are secured to the roof joist 74 and the upper portion 98 of the rafter member is extended, the upper portion 98 of the rafter member is fixedly secured to the lower portion 96 of the rafter member by a fastener.
The roof assembly 12 further comprises a roof cover 84, shown in FIG. 10. The roof cover 84 is a single piece of material that is secured over the rafters 82. The roof cover 84 is preferably either a metal cover or a fiberglass shingle cover. Optionally, the roof assembly 12 also provides a plywood ceiling panel 80 that is secured on top of the plurality of roof joists 74.
According to another aspect of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the modular log home 10 provides a metal flashing 102 that extends along the banding support 14 (as shown in FIG. 14). FIG. 15 is a cross sectional view of the banding support 14 of the log home 10 showing the metal flashing 120 connected to the log home 10. The metal flashing 120 is preferably a sheet of aluminum that is secured to the banding support 14 to prevent water from penetrating between the sub-floor 38 and the bottom most structural member 22. The metal flashing 102 is secured inside of the mating grooves 56 of the bottom most structural member 22. A sealant is also disposed in the bottom groove 56 of the structural member 22. The metal flashing 102 extends from the groove 56 down to the double banded support member and is secured to the front support board 32. The metal flashing 102 extends around the entire perimeter of the banding support 14.
FIG. 16 depicts a perspective view of a modular log home 10 according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention. The modular log home 10 further provides at least one door assembly and at least one window assembly. The window assembly comprises a window frame 106 and a window 104 secured inside of the window frame 106. The door assembly comprises a similar door frame and a door mounted to the door frame. The structural members 22 are cut so that the ends 24 are flat and even. The window frame 106 is then secured into the wall of the log home 10. The window frame 106 (or door frame) is securely mounted to the stacked structural members 22 by a plurality of fasteners.
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A modular log home, comprising:

a generally rectangular banding support defined by a front support member, a rear support member and a pair of side support members, and a plurality of floor joists, each floor joist having a front end secured to the front support member and a rear end secured to the rear support member;

a sub-floor panel disposed on top of said banding support;

a plurality of horizontally stacked structural members forming a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls, said structural members being stacked on top of said sub-floor panel, each of said structural members having a generally rectangular elongate body with a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface, a rear surface, a first end and a second end, a pair of projections disposed along the top surface of each structural member, and a pair of grooves disposed along the bottom surface of each structural member;

a plurality of fasteners spaced at even intervals along each of said structural members for securing said structural members together in a stack; and

a roof assembly having a plurality of roof joists disposed on top of the stacked structural members, each joist having a front end extending outwardly from the front wall and a rear end extending outwardly from the rear wall, at least two rafters, and a roof cover disposed on top of the rafters, each of said rafters having a front member with an upper portion hingedly connected to a lower portion and a rear member with an upper portion hingedly connected to a lower portion, whereby the lower portion of the front member is secured to the front end of one of said joints, the lower portion of the rear members is secured to the rear end of the same joist and the upper portion of the front member is secured to the upper portion of the rear member to form a roof peak;

whereby the structural members may be stacked and secured to one another on said banding support prior to being transported to a building site and said rafters and said roof cover may be transported and secured onto the modular log home at the building site.

2. The modular log home according to claim 1, wherein said front support member, rear support member and side support members are double banded comprising two boards of wood with a plywood gusset fixed between the two boards.

3. The modular log home according to claim 1, wherein said stacked structural members comprise wood logs.

4. The modular log home according to claim 1, wherein the pair of side walls of said stacked structural members comprise a curved front surface and a generally flat rear surface.

5. The modular log home according to claim 1, wherein said floor joists are secured to the front support member and the rear support member by a joist hanger.

6. The modular log home according to claim 1, wherein said fasteners comprise threaded log fasteners.

7. The modular log home according to claim 1, further comprising a layer of weather stripping on each projection on said structural members.

8. The modular log home according to claim 1, further comprising a layer of sealant disposed along the top surface of said structural members between the pair of projections.

9. The modular log home according to claim 1, wherein the stacked structural members are mated together by aligning the projections of a first structural member with the grooves of a vertically adjacent structural member.

10. The modular log home according to claim 1, further comprising a metal flashing having a top end secured into the groove of the structural members positioned directly adjacent the sub-floor panel and a bottom end extending along the banding support to prevent water from penetrating between the stacked structural members and the sub-floor panel.

11. The modular log home according to claim 1, wherein said roof cover is made from a roof cover material selected from the group consisting of metal and fiber glass shingles.

12. The modular log home according to claim 1, further comprising at least one door assembly disposed along one of said walls, having door frame and a door secured to the door frame.

13. The modular log home according to claim 1, further comprising at least one window assembly disposed along one of said walls, having a window frame and a window secured to the window frame.

14. The modular log home according to claim 1, further comprising dowel rods for securing horizontally adjacent structural members.

15. The modular log home according to claim 1, wherein the ends of the structural members forming the front wall and are arranged overlappingly with the ends of the structural members forming the side walls to form corner joints.

16. The modular log home according to claim 15, wherein the ends of the structural members forming the rear wall and the ends of the structural members forming the side walls are arranged flush forming corner butt joints.

17. The modular log home according to claim 16, further comprising a plurality of corner dowels disposed in each corner joint.

18. The modular log home according to claim 1, wherein said lower portion of said front member and said lower portion of said rear member are secured to the joist by securing a first pair of plywood gussets on each side of the front end of said joist and a second pair of plywood gussets on each side of the rear end of said joist and passing a first bolt through the first set plywood gussets and said lower portion of said front member and a second bolt through the second set of plywood gussets and the lower portion of said rear member.

19. A modular log home, comprising:

a sub-floor panel disposed on top of said banding support;

a plurality of fasteners spaced at even intervals along each of said structural members for securing said structural members together in a stack;

a layer of sealant disposed along the top surface of said structural member between the pair of projections;

a layer of weather stripping on each projection on said structural members;

a metal flashing having a top end secured into the groove of the structural members positioned directly adjacent the sub-floor panel and a bottom end extending along the banding support to prevent water from penetrating between the stacked structural members and the sub-floor panel; and

a roof assembly comprising a plurality of roof joists disposed on top of the stacked structural members, each joist having a front end extending outwardly from the front wall and a rear end extending outwardly from the rear wall, at least two rafters, and a roof cover disposed on top of the rafters, each of said rafters having a front member with an upper portion hingedly connected to a lower portion and a rear member with an upper portion hingedly connected to a lower portion, whereby the lower portion of the front member is secured to the front end of one of said joints, the lower portion of the rear members is secured to the rear end of the same joist and the upper portion of the front member is secured to the upper portion of the rear member to form a roof peak;

20. The modular log home according to claim 19, wherein said stacked structural members comprise wood logs.