Swept with Admiration for DC Area Log Homes

We decided to finish our spree of articles admiring the various houses we encounter during our chimney service calls in the Washington DC area with some words of affection regarding log homes.

When the words Washington DC are spoken; images of the White House, Capital Building, and the U.S. Supreme Court building come to mind. Yes, at the mere mention of this historic city, many envision all of the monuments and bastions of U.S. freedom. While tourists line the streets of the American capital, they hardly see any log cabins though. If the perimeter, however, is widened just a bit to encompass Maryland and Northern Virginia, you’re certain to see a log home or two on the horizon. The log homes which dot the regional landscape are the modern day descendants of cabins American pioneers dwelt in centuries ago in the colonies of Maryland and Virginia.

You may have never considered this, but log homes are not merely a thing of the past. There are modern custom built homes with floor plans, which would delight any house hunter with a sense of individuality and panache. These distinctive homes are an opportunity to let the imagination soar. Do you envision a one-room cabin with a huge stone fireplace? Well that’s great, but let your imagination climb further. Today these log homes can be as elaborate as your mind’s eye can visualize, including four or five bedrooms, several bathrooms, lofts, dens, and even family rooms. We’ve seen traditional whole-log exteriors encasing elegant master bathrooms complete with double sinks, a fully functional shower, and a Jacuzzi made for two. Amenities abound throughout these upscale descendants of the early log cabin. As long as you can conceive of it, it’s possible.

Fireplaces highlight the backdrop of these homes, creating warmth and an elegant atmosphere. Several homes feature central chimneys that service heating and fireplaces. In the original log homes of the colonists and frontiersman, fireplaces and chimneys were essential components to survival. Today, a log home’s chimney is essential to maintaining the integrity of the log home tradition and is an integral component of the log home style and charm. A log home without a traditional fireplace is hardly a log home at all.

Essential to chimney of course, is regular maintenance. A great chimney service will clean and maintain the chimney, while enacting repairs whenever needed. Since these homes are equipped with fireplaces, good service is simply vital. Keeping the chimney and fireplaces in optimum condition is imperative, and that is why a skilled professional chimney service is a must.

We’ve found that those residing in log homes in the greater Washington DC area are as much innovators and they are traditionalists. You don’t have to think condo, townhouse, or even conventional house. There is another option, a custom-built log home. All that is needed is the land, floor plan, builder, and your imagination to create your dream log home.