Throughout the process of choosing materials for his home, Golden Eagle Log and Timber Homes’ sales advisor Zach Parmeter kept two things in mind: looks and performance. Nowhere was this more evident than on his home’s exterior. He craved a Craftsman-industrial vibe for his half-log hybrid and knew every product used to reinforce that look would need to withstand harsh Wisconsin winters. As Zach navigated the virtually limitless combinations available, he ran this litmus test with each potential option: “Does this product or material contribute to the overall style I want for my home? Is it low-maintenance and long-lasting?”
To get the coveted Craftsman look, Zach opted for dark stains (which he personally applied), hand-hewn finishes and plenty of timber elements. “This is a hybrid log-and-timber home, but I wanted the timber elements to come first in the overall design aesthetic,” he says.
On the corners of his home, massive vertical timbers serve as a visual anchor, while 12-inch-wide trim frames low-maintenance vinyl windows. Decorative custom timber brackets accent the metal roof that tops the porch, while Douglas fir timbers in the arched queen-post truss highlight the home’s entrance.
Other elements at play include cedar shingles, cedar board-on-board siding behind the trusses and the eastern white pine half-logs. “The 12-inch stack height blends well alongside the large exterior timbers,” says Zach of the logs.
To help specific exterior elements pop, Zach used two shades of stain, each specially formulated for log and timber homes. “I went with a darker stain for the timber trusses and trim and a lighter stain on the gables and log siding,” he explains.
For the roof, which includes stepped Craftsman-style overhangs, he chose a mix of 50-year architectural shingles and standing-seam metal (the latter helps shed snow during the winter months). Underneath, maintenance-free soffit-and-fascia are made of steel. Other made-to-last exterior elements include the garage doors, comprised of triple-layer steel, and maintenance-free decking enclosed with aluminum railing.
Zach carefully chose each exterior element to coordinate with the others. “For example, the dark bronze of the railings, windows, soffits and fascia, all tie together and create a more industrial appearance,” he explains. “From inside to outside, there is a continuation of theme. It really proves you can go maintenance-free and still get the style you love.”
Join us on Zach’s Journey
Our “Dirt to Done” series will continue to follow Zach’s road to hybrid log home ownership, from here, all the way to adding the final finishing touches to his log-and-timber forever home. See all the previous stages here.
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