Publisher
Dan and Melonie Guida began building their dream home a little over a year ago. Part of that dream was to be a major part of the process. “My goal was to do 60 percent of the labor with friends, family and help,” said Dan in an interview at his work-in-progress home near Savanna State Park. “Right now we are at 85 percent.”
Building a dream home is not for everyone, but for Dan and Melonie it’s well worth the effort.
“It’s kind of a do-it-yourselfer kind of deal,” added Dan who has had experience building log homes for other people. “After building log homes for others, I just incorporated the favorite things out of every house,” said Dan. “I like the interior corners and the way they look. One of my main concerns was having a steel roof and having the roof lines match.”
The decision to build near Savanna State Park overlooking the West Savanna River first began when Dan bought the property for hunting. “We were living over by Gun Lake and our plan was to build possibly near Lawler,” Dan said. “We decided to move up here in the interim. It didn’t take very long, and we decided we were going to stay here.”
Once the Guidas decided they wanted to live near Savanna State Park, the next step was where to live while they started building. They decided to build a garage, where they currently live as the project unfolds.
The next decision was where to place the home. That was easy – the same location as the previous home. The key was to maintain the integrity of the existing trees and landscape. “We want to protect the aesthetics of the area,” said Dan who shared that in a photography contest at the fair, a photograph taken of the river outside his door was voted the “Most Beautiful Place in Aitkin County.”
The Guidas did have to do a little excavation, but very little was needed and friend Rod Kern was very careful not to disrupt the trees.
The logs for the house are a major feature of this home. Dan and Melonie chose balsam trees that Dan logged and sawed himself. He then brought the 6 x 8 random logs to Cass Forest Products to be planed. “We hauled them back and started stacking. We put a rolled wool insulation between each log.”
Dan’s choice of logs came from a little research and experience. Dan has been helping build log homes for quite some time. “We’ve built them out of aspen, Norway and all sorts of different species. Then we built a house in Aitkin out of balsam.”
Dan’s research on the balsam trees was quite interesting. He discovered some unique qualities of this particular tree. “It dries really straight and it is really nice material, but I also discovered the balsam has one of the highest insulation values of any other log up here. So that is what we decided to go with.”
Dan was also particular about taking the heartwood (center of the log) in an effort to reduce shrinkage. The remainder of the log was used for dimensional lumber.
The balsam’s natural wood coloring was also a big factor for the Guidas. Staining is optional.
The ultimate configuration of the log home consists of two boxes – a 24 x 24 box and a 24 x 36 box. The house has three gables, and they all match. “My goal was to make it as efficient and easy to work with as I can.”
Dan went on to share how one of his biggest concerns was how the logs attach to the blocks. “Under the bottom log there is a 2 x 6, then a 2 x 4 , and then another 2 x 6 on top. It is called a rat run. Inside the sandwich we run all the electrical.”
Currently, the roof is on, the walls are up, the windows are in, and the heating and plumbing is being installed. Dan has plenty of small projects to tidy up, but he is in no great hurry.
Overall, the project has taken longer than Dan originally planned, but he is happy with the progress. “I like to do things methodically,” he added. “I like to do them at a pace where I’m not rushed. It allows me to process everything.”
The upstairs bedrooms were a perfect example. At first, Dan designed two bedrooms until Melonie mentioned that she would like the children on the same floor as the parents. “It took me a week to come up with something in my head that I felt worked right.”
The new design now includes three bedrooms – one room for Ava, one room for Garrett and Melonie and Dan’s room. “It isn’t by any means super fancy, but it works. The upstairs is designed for when the kids are gone. There are no bearing walls, so when the kids are gone it can go to the two bedroom original design.”
Of course this will take place in 15 to 25 years from now.
Dan isn’t doing the whole project by himself. He has received help from Rod Kern, the Brekkes and Burdicks, his friend Luke and and a few sub-contractors.
Dan concluded that he is not a finish carpenter, and Luke will be doing most of that work. Luke will also be constructing the 50 feet of cabinets for the home.
At this point the Guidas aren’t moving in quite yet, but there is a safe bet they will be in by winter. Either way, the family is quite content with their spot overlooking the Savanna River.
Looking out the windows of his home, Dan shared that a bridge across the river is also planned. “We don’t have a very level spot for a yard on this side of the river. Our plan is to provide a yard across the river.”
The view might be considered the “Most Beautiful Place in Aitkin County.”
