Dennis Harris, an officer for the
Crystal Lakes, Illinois Police Department, is dreaming
of retirement. One day, six years from now, he will
sign off the air one last time, turn over the keys
to his patrol car and head for home, eager to enter
a new phase of life. His wife Chris, an elementary
school administrator, shares his anticipation of that
day.
Together, they have carefully planned
for their new lifestyle--a slower pace with no need
for the blue uniforms and business suits they wear
now. At the focal point of their plans is a log home,
which Dennis calls "a house of substance, built
to last for decades and beyond."
Although retirement is several years
away, the Harrises are already enjoying their log home
in Galena Territory, a 6,400 -acre resort development
just west of Galena, Illinois. After months of research
and nine months of construction, the retirement home
they once envisioned is a reality--a home in waiting
and a wonderful weekend retreat in the meantime.
What makes the home even more special
is the fact that Dennis and Chris served as their own
general contractors for the project. Dennis admits
the job was formibidable at times. "It took us
longer than we thought to build our home," he
says. "We went form the driest spring on record
just before we started building, to the wettest summer
we can recall. We had some trouble finding local subcontractors
willing to bid on the project because they were not
used to working with log structures."
"Fortunately," Chris says, "we
were well-supported by our manufacturer, Northwoods
Log Homes of Laporte, Minnesota. They were very willing
to work with us and to put us in touch with others
who had built their homes."
The Harrises began their search for
a log home manufacturer by reviewing several log home
publications. Then came site visits to three or four
companies that seemed to offer what they wanted. One
of those visits was a 10-hour drive to Minnesota to
meet Northwoods' staff, tour the facility and see their
model homes.
While they learned about the company's
spring-loaded fastening system and milling operation,
Dennis and Chris were most impressed by the fact that
Northwoods was a third-generation, family owned business. "I
like the idea of doing business with real people," Dennis
says. "It was clear that Northwoods is very proud
of its product and its commitment to its customers,
and we felt that was important."
When Dennis and Chris discovered that
Northwoods also had a stock floorplan that was almost
exactly what they were looking for, they became very
excited. "Most of the floorplans we looked at
were too large to meet our needs," Chris says, "so,
when we discovered one that required very little adaptation--from
a manufacturer we liked--we were sold."
The Harrises worked with Northwoods
to fine tune the floorplan. They extended the length
of the home by eight feet to enlarge the great room
area, and added a 20-foot dormer, which allowed the
master bedroom suite to be included on the second floor.
With these adjustments, the Harrises were ready to
build.
But there were still challenges ahead.
Before the footings could be poured, the fledgling
general contractors had to make their first command
call. A limestone ledge--fairly common in the scenic
and hilly terrain around Galena--was uncovered during
the early stages of excavation. Dennis and Chris had
to decide: blast away the limestone with dynamite or
chip it away with jackhammers. They chose to jackhammer
and use the ensuing debris for driveway and landscape
stone.
Then came torrents of rain. At one
point, before the roof was on, the Harrises were standing
in ankle deep water trying to put perimeter logs up
on their second floor. By the time the roof was on
and the building secured from the weather, the rains
stopped. "We can laugh now," Dennis says, "but
we spent a lot of time carrying logs across a soaked
clay yard to our building site."
The wet clay they encountered during
the early stages of the building process didn't dampen
the Harrises' spirit or their desire to live in their
log home. They had worked too hard and planned too
well to not be excited. The home is truly theirs. From
the moonlight streaming in through the skylight above
their bed to the antique heart-pine flooring salvaged
from old mill buildings on the East Coast, the home
is flavored with their taste.
During their weekend and vacation
getaways, Dennis spends half the morning lingering
over coffee and looking out the windows of the prow
front at the deer, wild turkeys and other wildlife
that inhabit the 21/2 acre lot. Chris loves their porch
in the summer and the coziness of the wood-burning
stove, which is their primary heat source (supported
by a forced-air propane furnace system).
The elevation of the house, in combination
with the glass-filled prow front and the close proximity
to the hickory, walnut and oak trees surrounding their
home, makes Chris feel as if she lives in a wonderful
treehouse. For Dennis and Chris, their log home is
more than worth the investment. "You feel like
you accomplished something," Dennis says when
he talks of overseeing the building project.
Would he recommend the process to
others? "Yes, if they don't go into it lightly," he
says. "You must be appreciative of what a log
home is and what it means. It is a different kind of
home. A unique home."
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