What do most people think of when asked to imagine the inside of a log cabin? The majority answer a squarish structure with a window or two, thick walls, a roof, a fireplace, and hopefully a sink and a place for a bed.

It is not surprising since that image has been replicated in movie after movie. That said, modern log cabin kits are proving to be far more advantageous than people think.

What Comes in a Log Cabin Today

A big change in the log cabin design business has been the increased demand for the product, especially for pre-fabricated kits that can be constructed easily and for lower cost. The results combined with a professional building team have proven to be highly popular, especially for those who want cabins with modern amenities included.

Obviously, basic elements for interior comfort include plumbing and electricity, but modern cabins can also include full bathrooms with running showers and operation kitchens as well. Even for small units, the trick is a smart utilization of space with compact features versus just trying to force standard-size features into a small box.

Many of the cabins produced today include compacting systems that, when not in use, can be folded or turned inward for storage and reducing space needs. A number of these interior carpentry tricks have been borrowed from boats where space is limited due to the hull size limitations.

Add-ons to cabins take advantage of the outside perimeter as well. Many cabin kits come with front and back porches, expanding the footprint as well as the usable space that is still part of the structure and separate from the outside. Many custom built log homes built today include a significantly sized porch that can double as an outdoor kitchen or dining area. This helps to blur the line between indoors and outdoors even further, which many people are looking for when building a home using natural materials like wood.

Improved Materials

In the old days, log cabins were made from whatever local wood was sourced. That in turn usually ended up making the cabin susceptible to whatever was the pest problem in the same area. Modern cabins today utilize sustainable materials and a good amount of cedar, which bugs hate.

Cedar also tends to be very resistant to decay and weathers very well. In fact, cedar is a common wood form used on boat decks for the same reason. As long as it is oiled and maintained annually, cedar as an exterior holds up extremely well with bright natural color.

Electrical Features

Many cabins are also now coming with the ability to wire them properly. Satlinks and similar make homes easy to network internally, and the wiring components for electricity are added with the expectation of electronics used in different parts of the cabin.

Insulation and Thermal Protection

Finally, modern cabins have improved significantly in terms of insulation. Wood shrinks as it dries out, leaving gaps that air can flow through. Frontier log homes cabin kits are built with this problem in mind, and much tighter tolerances are now engineered into the parts to prevent this change problem from continuing.

Additionally, layering and sealing materials between timbers add to the thermal protection and gap blocking that otherwise occurred in the past.

For anyone thinking a log cabin is still a 1950s adventure at Camp Woebegone, definitely take a second look. Modern cabin kits are proving to be very reliable and are making exception second homes all over.