Press Releases : Jan. 15, 2006

Log and Timber Frame Home Show Coming to Lexington

Kentucky Exhibitors See This Housing Trend Growing

The Log and Timber Frame Home Show, Feb. 10–12 at Lexington's Convention Center Heritage Hall, showcases the eye-popping, energy-efficient designs and fine craftsmanship that make log and timber frame homes a fast-growing segment of the custom-home market.

“People who love the outdoors love the warmth and natural beauty of log and timber frame homes,” says show director Ed Erickson. “At least 20,000 new ones are sold every year, both as primary residences and as vacation or retirement homes. They range from the traditional to the ultra-modern, with stylish extras and technological conveniences. Their appeal reaches all ages and income levels.”

The popularity and variety of these homes are at an all-time high, according to two industry veterans from Kentucky who will be exhibitors at the Lexington show. “Interest is steadily increasing,” says production manager Don Lawson of BPB Log Homes, which has operated a manufacturing plant in Stanton, Ky., for more than 35 years. “We sell 30 to 35 new homes per year in Kentucky alone.”

John Bednarski, regional manager for Northeastern Log Homes, a Maine-based manufacturer that has sold homes in Kentucky for more than 30 years, echoes that assessment. Since Northeastern opened a new model home and regional office in LaGrange (outside Louisville) in 2004, the company has sold 40 to 60 log homes per year from that location, about 60 percent of them in Kentucky. “A lot of our homeowners become certified sales agents for the company,” Bednarski says. “Nobody knows the product like they do, and they love it.”

BPB and Northeastern both sell pre-cut log packages that include all pieces and joinery, plans, a manual and instructional materials. The packages are delivered to an owner's site and constructed by independent builders, many of which have previous experience with that manufacturer. Homeowners can choose among many existing floor plans (covering everything from small recreational cabins to mansions of more than 5,000 square feet) or customize their own.

While they share many design and construction principles, no two log homes look or are made alike. The size and style of the logs (round or D-shaped, for instance) and how they are stacked (with or without chinking between rows) and cornered (mortise and tendon or dovetail) provide endless design variations. One of BPB Log Home's newest designs, a 900-square-foot, two-bedroom, one-bath model with a full-length, covered front porch, interior spiral staircase and dormer, will be erected on the floor of the Log Home and Timber Frame Show in Lexington.

“Show-goers can conveniently compare many styles and familiarize themselves with many companies under one roof instead of having to travel around to meet them,” Patterson says. “Owners of these homes stress the importance of doing your homework before you start your project. This is a great opportunity to do a lot of research all at once.”

Whether considering a new home or adding distinctive touches to existing ones, log and timber frame home enthusiasts can collect decorating and design ideas from the industry's leading companies at the Lexington show. Each of its three days includes free seminars on log and timber frame construction as well as exhibits covering residential/recreational properties and log home communities, one-of-a-kind handcrafted log furniture, fine art and antiques, kitchen and bath remodeling, financing, alternative energy, landscaping and more.

The Log and Timber Frame Home Show opens in Lexington's Convention Center Heritage Hall on Friday, Feb. 10, noon to 7 p.m., and continues Saturday, Feb. 11, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 12, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.theloghomeshows.com.