“When we purchased a block of land in the mountains at Castle Hill we considered a number of construction methods, but decided on a log cabin after meeting with Graeme and his team at Natural Log Homes. From concepts, through to architectural drawings and eventually to on site construction we were guided by their artisan approach and passion for log homes. Throughout the project they performed to the very highest professional standards with no surprises and the end result is superb. We would not hesitate in recommending Natural Log Homes if you were to consider log construction.”
Tim, Castle Hill
Owner's Testimonials
“Having recently moved to Mackenzie Country we decided we wanted to build a sustainable home that would suit the environment. A Natural Log Home was high on the list, and once we had met Graeme and his crew in Geraldine, we saw the passion these guys had for their hand crafted homes, and our minds were made up. The whole process went without a hitch, from the initial concept of our ideas right through to construction day on site, we were guided by the experience and the practical approach of the Natural Log Homes crew.
These guys delivered in every sense, their passion is infectious, their genuine interest in our project comforting, and boy do they know how to use a chain saw! The results speak for themselves, our log home is simply stunning and quite frankly why would you build any other way….”Cheers Mouldy, a great ride!
Thanks again,
Matt & Nat
Hi Graeme,
Well it`s been a week now and we`ve a good chance to reflect on the build and we just want to thank you and your guys for doing a real professional job and coming all this way to West Auckland. Already I knew it was going to be amazing but the house and the process has exceeded all expectations. It has really blown us away, you`ve made the next stage really easy for us
Thanks again and you and your guys have always got a place to stay here in Waitakere.Cheers
Shane, Ana, Ethan and Shana
We love our home. The spaces are so functional. Graeme and the boys were always there with practical advice and offered ideas and suggestions along the way to help make this our dream home. We would do it all again in a heartbeat but why would we when the end result has surpassed all those initial plans and is perfection.
John and Jo, Dunedin
“After dreaming of building a hand crafted log cabin for a number of years, our first encounter with the Natural Log Homes team and Graeme Mould was through the annually run log building course in November 2008. I have attended parts of 2 courses since then and we had the opportunity to sponsor the most recent course where the students, under careful guidance of Robert Chambers and the Natural Log Homes team, crafted the log work of our cabin.
From the beginning of the design process to the end result, the communication was excellent and both Graeme or Milan were always available and willing to give professional advice on how to overcome challenges that arose. This was particularly evident once the cabin was here on site and we were continuing the build ourselves, along with various tradesman, to complete the cabin.
There is no doubt these guys are true craftsman in their profession with a passion for log home building and creating peoples visions. Their knowledge of the process, attention to detail and ability to think outside the square ensured the log construction proceeded with ease.Our result is a handcrafted log cabin retreat that has surpassed any dreams we had of the finished product”
Many thanks Graeme and team,
Dave and Janene Divers
Cascade Creek Retreat
“I became acquainted with Graeme and his team during one of Natural Log Homes log building courses in 2008 (pretty much one of the most informative and useful courses I’ve ever been on). I subsequently decided to build my own log house. Four years on and I was struggling with time and the height of the log walls (my small crane was overheating and just too small). After contacting Graeme, Graeme and his team came to evaluate what they needed to do to help me finish the project. Soon afterwards, they came to the build site and efficiently took the top of my home away and built the rest of the house in their yard at Geraldine. Not long afterwards, the completed project turned up on transport and was erected in six hours. The workmanship was excellent and their passion and experience was obvious. The character, warmth and charm of these homes is unsurpassed, add to the that the reaction of locals and people passing and you realise that you have a truly special home.”
Regards, Craig
2014 Logbuilding Course Student Testimonial
I would like to thank the Log Builders Association of New Zealand and Graeme at Natural Log Homes of New Zealand. I could not of asked for a better learning experience and the accommodations were excellent. It was truly a Life changing experience.
I came to the course to learn about the process and techniques of constructing and building a log home, but ended up learning so much more than that. I not only learned about log building but also that there are better ways to live our daily lives. I travelled to New Zealand from the United States, in my country we are encouraged to get things done as fast as possible, even if it’s not built to your best potential. At Natural Log Homes NZ, they taught me that it’s not how fast you can get something done; it’s to do it right because your product is being built to last hundreds of years. When searching for Log Building Schools there were many to choose from. I think that when choosing your education you should choose the Best, no matter what you are learning. I chose LBANZ and NLHNZ for many reasons; first and foremost I chose them because of their quality of craftsmanship. They use the most up to date techniques, equipment and business practices. They have an impeccable reputation for being professional and putting out the best Log Homes possible, not only in New Zealand, but worldwide.
At the beginning of the course, Level 3, we learned how and where to use the logs that we have available to us and the basics of log wall construction. We were taught the reasoning of pre-planning log and wall layout and the importance of going over and checking your work. We worked together as a group and helped one another to construct our building. We learned how to properly scribe logs and the importance of the long groove and notch scribing. I was amazed to learn the calculations for the corners, the shoulder heights and the logs butt and tip layout. Everyone in the class was able to practice all the techniques we were shown in the classroom and then applied them when constructing our building.
For me the hardest and most important part of the class was level 4. During level 4 we were shown how to layout log floor joists, roof purlins and ridge beams. There were many more and rather complicated notches and slabing processes that if just learned in a book could never be done properly. We had the luxury of being able to work side by side the Natural Log Homes NZ staff and learn each of their techniques. Even though they each had different techniques, their end results came out the same and they always achieved and strived for perfection. The benefit for me to learn from more than one person was being able to try each technique and then use the one that worked best for me.Graeme and the Staff at Natural Log Homes NZ have given me the confidence to not only go back to the U.S. and build my own log home, but that when I set my mind to do something, do it to your best potential and except nothing less of yourself. I cannot thank LBANZ and Graeme enough for putting together and offering such a top notch and professional course. They made it both informational and fun at the same time. I know there is not a better choice for log building schools anywhere in the world.
Best Regards,
J. Burke