Summit Log & Timber Homes

In 20 years of business, this is the very first negative review/comment we have received. As seen on our website, we have received numerous testimonials written by happy clients throughout the years. We have earned our well-respected reputation in our industry because of the high-quality work that we do, our passionate and talented handcrafters/crew, and our commitment to honor our agreements—which we did in this case as well.

We always use the highest quality wood and employ the best joinery techniques available, to anticipate and mitigate the natural shrinkage and settling that occurs when building a full-scribe log home. It is standard practice to build with green/live-cut logs so that the moisture content is consistent throughout the log structure as it is being crafted.

No log company includes future maintenance of a log home due to shrinkage and settling in their contract or warranty. Our purchase contract and warranty clearly state that such shrinkage and settling will naturally occur—and clearly falls under the category of log home maintenance, which is the sole responsibility of the homeowner (as shown below):

Summit Log & Timber Homes, Inc. warrants its log products to be free from defects in manufacturing or workmanship for as long as they are owned by the original purchaser, subject to the limitations set forth herein. This warranty does not extend to the inherent characteristics of wood. The owner acknowledges that it has been made fully aware that wood naturally can warp, twist, check, crack, and discolor. Owner also acknowledges that it has been made fully aware that shrinkage and settling in log building is natural and normal.

Our company supplied the log work according to the engineered specifications. We did not design, engineer, nor stick-frame the home. We did not install the windows or perform any repairs on them.
In this case, the window buck became out of square because the cross corner settled 5/8” more than the center of the wall. Fortunately, the fix was quick and inexpensive. The widow unit did not have to be replaced. However, the window unit had to be removed, buck squared up, and reinstalled. The trim was also replaced. This took 2 men 1½ days to complete. This is the first time we have encountered a window buck getting out of square. Even so, it was not a result of faulty log crafting—a determination that was confirmed by the firms that designed and engineered the home. As such, our company cannot be held accountable for something that is clearly outside of the scope of our work, our contract, and our warranty.

The cabin is absolutely stunning and was featured in Log Cabin Homes Magazine, May 2019.
https://www.summithandcrafted.com/work/owls-nest