Whether you dream of building a holiday home or a multigabled manor, here's how to do it yourself, in the most comprehensive guide ever written on constructing log homes. From buying land and drawing floor plans to choosing log styles and joinery, the experts at Popular Science cover every phase of construction in more than 840 exceptional photos and drawings, plus comprehensive how-to instructions. Go through all the planning and preliminaries and take a house tour to see different shapes, sizes, and styles. There's information on choosing and purchasing a site; advice on water, solar exposure, potential hazards, and legal issues; and a discussion of tools and labour. The entire building process unfolds from foundation to house raising to finish work: first logs, walls, second stories, roofing, doors and windows, finishing the interior, decks, porches, balconies, cabinet work, wiring, lighting, and plumbing. And for those who want to start with a kit, there are several sections focusing specifically on that.