Cabin Fever Episode 1

[Music] deep in the Alaskan wilderness one of the toughest competitions in the world is back Marco [Music] four teams of rugged outdoorsmen surviving off the land with just the gear in their packs [Music] each leg only 60 hours to make it from start to finish or they're sent home 14:13 you're pushing it right now one winner on this episode bitter rivals go head-to-head and the fresh blood are out to make their mark [Music] this is the National Geographic Channel [Music] rugged timeless and connected to the land [Music] I'm Nate Heim and I build log cabin homes here in the Northlands of Minnesota I work with the finest rule around you betcha using century-old techniques we pour ourselves into each and every cabin bringing the past into the present and we're building a gorgeous home high in the moans of southern Utah but the elevation for this motorhome is going to be a real building challo crap no matter what happens my crew and I are on a mission to build log cabin homes all across this country [Music] I got a call from Darren Kristen Brimhall they live in Las Vegas they want a place to really call their own and get away from it and it's up when Brian had Utah I'm on my way 1,500 miles to go see them the views are just extravagant I just can't wait to meet up with them see what their ideas are and put on paper man this is a perfect scene for a log cabin that must be Darren and Kristen right there [Music] gorgeous Wow this is Brian Head Utah oh hi are we elevation of Brian Head is ninety eight hundred feet yeah it's up there okay guys are able to work at this elevation well I do some training I think like we're going to the Olympics or something we're excited to get a home built well I'm very excited to be here we should take a look at your life what's doing this is the view that we want to capture Brian at peak we want to be able to see that from our front room in our cabin gorgeous we've wanted a cabin for years we think a log cabin will last for generations that was one of the nice big party deck just a deck to him absolutely on the walk outside imagine we want to welcoming front porch so people know where the front door is it's absolutely I think we could find some real nice character logs really set it off so it's its grand entrance and come walk through here one thing I really want in this cabin is just a place where I can put my guitars and I've got some cool artwork and just really want to display that and show that off to all of those that are invited to our home how many levels are you thinking you want it up high enough so we can see as far as we can out there it's gonna be up there so I'm thinking if this was a basement here then the garage doors maybe you drive in here yeah drive in here and then up here the grand entry here would love this okay so then I'm thinking having like a bump on the kitchen so you can kind of have your own little knock out there a little more room space in the kitchen that would be good this is unthinking party deck right up there I mean all those awesome views that's yeah let's put it on paper so we can really narrow this thing down for you guys great so you know you guys talked about a party deck I think maybe the 12-foot back off the front would be pretty nice size right and then you're talking about a grand entryway this is where the kitchens gonna end looks good but what if you were to bring in one of these big logs from an outside and incorporate that to the breakfast bar honey that's a good idea I think that's something we can do is maybe extend this log wall through flatten that thing go and make that your breakfast bar do you think you could do that I know I can do that the brim holes cabin will be a massive 31 by 48 foot three level home above the garage is a huge great room and a master bedroom the kitchen will feature a customized breakfast table made by cutting off the top of the log that juts in from the outer walls of the structure the third level will transition to stick frame and that surrounds the two bedrooms and a loft which overlooks the second level the brim halls party deck will face Brian head peak so that Darin and Kristen can entertain their friends with gorgeous views of the mountains all year round let me get this thing knocked out fantastic let's get back to Minnesota and get this thing started [Music] guys I just got back from me with Darrin Kristin Brimhall and Brian Head Utah its way up there it's like 11,000 300 feet to the peak yeah it's high oxygen tanks on the way out things might not be a bad idea yeah not only that from the bottom of a basement to the peak is 38 feet yeah we've never build on that eye before coming in at 38 feet this is the tallest cabin we've ever built it's gonna be a challenge for us but I know they can do it now the couple key points of this belt there's gonna be a 12-foot party deck on it a double-sided fireplace on their blog post coming up from the basement all the way to the roof system where those are squiggly marks up by the kitchen bar he's got to be neat to extend this slob from the exterior into the inside of the house at about countertop height we're gonna cut it in half make a breakfast bar out of it sweet that looks like a huge entryway right there he really wants to make a grand so I reassured him we're gonna find some really nice character posts and this is gonna be a great opportunity to make some really nice details with the chainsaw I need you to throw status and burn gas that day results oddish is like a day without sunshine [Music] cross-line spot a foot-and-a-half then get to show it to you I see dirt when first things we do is set up the temporary foundation for the house as we set the first stump we call that the kingpin we never move that stump and we use that to pull all of our measurements and dimensions of the house output and then you start squaring stuff up and finding out where all the walls you're supposed to be 30 feet to the outside we're laying out the temporary foundation and we want it to be square and this is a square and we'll put another string down there and that will get us close to the next corner okay [Applause] squaring the house at the beginning the build is very important because if we don't start with an accurate temporary foundation the whole building could get off and it could end up like looking like the Leaning Tower of Pisa you finally got everything square now the next thing is to adjust their height [Music] the temporary foundation is set in square now the fun can begin it's time to start setting and cutting logs what we're building now at the log yard is actually the second level of the brim home cabin the first story will be a basement level in the third story will be made of traditional stick frame in six weeks when the cabin shell is complete the logs will be deconstructed and shipped to Brian Head where the cabin will be reassembled the build is going great we're ahead of schedule so I decided to have Matt go check in on Joe and Cory to see how much they've been learning all right this is your guys's log we're gonna have a little competition with ruff notching Korie you can take that side Joey you'll take this side and whoever wins I'll buy him an ice cream cone at lunch time well I'm up for that I'll take chocolate well you've already think you've won I don't think if Joe thinks he can get between me and some free ice cream he's got another thing coming okay put your scribes up on the wall three two one go cutting a notch analog takes several steps first you got to scribe a rough notch and that gives you a general idea of your final knot [Music] if the rough not just cut this log will be able to fit over the log underneath it and then will be final scribed and cut for a perfect fit Joe and Cory don't have enough experience so today I'm only having them do the rough dodge now lifted carved off the rough notches we're going to set the log back down and see who wins what I'm looking for in a rough notch is it brings living down to the same level and then we'll be able to final scribe it and cut it out for a perfect fit good job bring it down to the height we want we can always take it a little bit deeper into this area to get the scribe in there now we're going to do some extra cutting but let's go down and take a look at a quarries here yeah we could have actually taken that a little bit deeper tool but it's better be safe than sorry and not take too much because then put it back on can't put it back on all right you guys did pretty good both Corey and Joe did a good job this is a tough one for me to call so there's only one thing for me to do here and once you look at that plus they're having a two-for-one sale and ice cream at the gas station that tastes like got a 1 it tastes like it's been in Matt's pocket for a week [Music] we'll come out make the countertop this has got a bow in it right about what I need to cut and the end got a lot of character so it should make a really pretty countertop [Music] this slog is going to be perfect for the breakfast bar I know Matt's going to do a great job making it fit perfect I plan to send into every log but this log is really gonna stand out well they're gonna be looking at it every morning when they're having breakfast so it definitely got these right I guess this log would probably make about eight hundred five beautiful that we have enough support and bracing under it so that no one gets crushed this log is all set for now but once we get further along and the rest of the house is sitting on this log we'll be able to just cut the top of it off and we will have a breakfast table that'll be just one of a kind here's what happens when you got to work outside the elements we get days like this sometimes it's snow sometimes it's rain prescribing it is tough to work in the rain the logs get this wet the ink doesn't want to stick to logs and we've got to come up with a solution so that we can stay on schedule it is slowing us down to kick ball five times longer to get a good line this is something when they're just soaking wet it's really hard to get it on there it's not working we have to push through we're having to scratch our head some and figure out what to do it was just pouring ran and the ink was not going on the log we tried wiping it with the rag and that wasn't working then we tried sanding it so we could get a good line but nothing was working so then Peter had the absolute best idea ever and that was the go get the blowtorch which I really love that [Music] we use a blowtorch to dry the moisture off the logs to get them dried up so that our scribes are right be careful though because if you get too close it can burn the lungs it works very well I want to view the new blowtorch man every time it rains and that's all of them [Music] now that the walls are up the time has finally come to cut the breakfast bar I've been saving this particular job for the chainsaw master it'll also be a great learning experience for Corey and Joe all right I can see myself eating breakfast stuff without cut from two sides and you can't even see where he joined up you did her yeah Matt did an amazing job on this cut not many guys can make that perfect cut on the first try well let's leave glory to it he's got some sanding to do like I know what I'm doing for the next hour [Music] this shirt came together nicely I think we're in good shape to give it up the brim walls let's go check it out [Applause] guys great job it's gorgeous Darrin and Kristen are gonna love this when I was up there I didn't see anything like this man awesome job on that breakfast bar you nailed it they thinks it was a challenge but we got it I don't want you I'm ready to get this thing off the bridehead Utah and go check out that elevation quarry the second floor is gonna be stick built oh that's why we flatten the top of the logs so we can put log trusses on top of the stick frame then the log orig pull in purlins and it's gonna be magnificent yeah I need to start looking at the plans maybe more glory the D you look at plans the day I retired hey that's might be soon all right well let's break this bad boy down trucks were leaving soon you stack the logs on the truck in order so we get the Bryant head we can pull them off and rebuild the shell in the correct order it can be a bit tedious but after doing this a hundred times I can do it my sleep [Music] Brian ed Utah is one of the most beautiful places in the country we're up here at ninety eight hundred feet above sea level where the air is really thin for us Minnesota boys that's gonna make this build extra challenging oh boy my ears just popped I'm meeting my dad and grizzly Bob on the build site so we can get a game plan together for the prim halls cabin elevation more guys my mother's a foundation look hey everything is nice and square the general contractor did a good job as my specs yeah I think it's ready to go the only thing is the elevation here is kind of slow thousand feet up there that's you razorba absolutely one of the things we have to deal with here is the uneven ground it's almost all 18% grade we don't have a lot of flat space here so we just have to make sure our logs are laying correctly so they don't have runways the slope is so steep here we got the crane jacked up on risers just so we're able to work our next challenge is going to be getting the logs to the build site and then we're ready to go just came from the hill it's a pretty good incline there's some loose gravel so what's your thoughts Chad's truck is loaded down with 40 tons of logs and that Hill is steep if he can't make it up that hill we got a big problem all right well I'll give you the green light will let it rip on something all right dad [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] thank God she got her the first time pretty steep angle you can tell by the way we're standing parking on a mountainside let's get these straps done and the logs on the walls there we go it's time to unload these logs whenever you're starting a new build it's always important to get off on the right foot this is some railing spindles we're gonna load it off and then the fun starts there we go underneath those neck higher yet dress [Music] [Music] well good thing is it's not a bad spot that wasn't a good way to do that but nobody got hurt let's get better hookups on those logs we're lucky nobody got hurt here but man I hate getting started on the right track like this [Music] and on guys we're making great progress today we're three courses up that's time to set that breakfast bar it's looking pretty good come on down with it I could picture it right now sitting at the breakfast bar taking in the views some elk moving off in the distance shooting at them all at the kitchen window hope I get invited over for a couple breakfasts [Music] [Music] the rains starting to come down but log home construction we work rain or shine [Music] there's something wrong with the crane yeah that's not good the cranes alarm just went off that means something's not working right with these logs and over the top of our head we just can't take the chances we need to stop until we get this resolved there was some moisture and a sensor on the end of the boom cream and it was sent at signals saying that there was a malfunction so we could operate the crane we need to get a replacement part there's really no way to cover that it's kind of a bummer that pushes us behind it is one of the local builders is gonna head down into town and get the part that we need we're gonna lose some time today but safety always comes first let's go to shut us down for a while today I'm afraid the part we need just got to the build site if we can get the crane working we might be able to salvage part of the day it's working [Applause] [Music] the cranes phone a new master Peter everything works no I sat down on the throne throttled up gave Chris the reigns and ready to go and those over there shut up to get the guide rope to somebody in there [Applause] there we go [Music] this is the first panel with dolphin in its way the upper level of this particular house is got stick frame all the way around we have pre-built wall sections we're lifting up with the crane putting into place everything has to be leveled we have to modify some of these cutting in for the ridgelines but everything's coming together real good [Music] we got to get these trusses built we're gonna have to grab our tools let's get it together let's be safe and let's get these ready to go up on the walls each lock on these trusses weighs hundreds of pounds making the total weight almost 4,000 pounds it's gonna be tricky fitting them up there with our stick framing our calculations have to be spot-on [Music] 3,500 pounds worth of trust mean truck right here [Music] that was this fence I think we're pretty close right there because the third story this house is stick-frame the measurements on our log trusses have to be exact or it won't fit there are a million different ways it could go nice and easy nice and easy yes perfect the first time [Music] Kristen and Darren told me they wanted to come and see the progress on their cabin I'm always excited to show my work to the clients so I told him to come on over so what do you guys think incredible we could see it from the road we're like that's not our place that is not a place but to stand out so much it is just it's beautiful the cabin is awesome it towers to the tops of the trees I love to love the logs outside the front entryway what those beauty marks are made from its porcupines actually chewing on the bark and then the tree trying to heal itself in order for that mark to be made it takes about 30 years well there's so much more to see come on let's go inside we set these trusses today there's 3,500 pounds remember and this is gonna be your main support of your roof system these are incredible isn't that it just uses a crazy amount of dimension yes it does those logs are massive so you guys come out to here and this is the party - it was great showing Darrin and Kristen the progress on their home but looks on their faces really put me at ease because a business like this is non-stop with everything going so well the guys are going to keep working here in Utah while I head out and try to save a cabin danger Bob and I are on our way to Michigan where a cabin was seriously damaged in a storm the homeowners were told that it was impossible to fix so it's up to us to save must be the cabin right there yeah geez yeah long muscle one right across the top of it wow that front porch our angle better jeez I'm surprised that porch let's go over there look a u-boat crawl underneath every system always yeah that's huge man am I glad to see you my name is Bo Phillips my wife Laurie and I own property and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with a wonderful cabin on a lake they've got taken apart by a big storm what happened well as far as we can tell some sheer wind like a micro blast just came in here took 300-foot trees and just leveled them and and the root ball was so huge and it was built underneath the cabin that it just acted like a crowbar and lifted the cabin off the ground it looks like there's quite a bit of damage on the inside I see some roots Polk Awards man I've never seen anything like this before can't believe this whole cabin being crumbled to pieces this cabin means a lot to us and then our whatever we would come up here our kids would stay in here we had camp fighters out here every evening and watch the stars in fact I proposed to my wife right there so if you could bring this back that would mean the world to us yeah we'll bring it back in the family will assess the situation we'll get our tools in line and we'll get this take care for you a situation like this we could just push it down in a pile and start over but this cabin has so much meaning to bo and his family that we have to fix this [Music] I think we gotta do it underneath here and find out if these two rut systems are attached we gotta figure out a spot to cut it apart well there's only room for one person in there I'm not going in I don't want to go under there either paper rock scissors for it how about man bear gun what's that well man is man bear is bear and this is gun okay yo so the gun takes the bear and the bear can take a man in Minnesota we usually play paper rock scissors but Baba and his Michigan ways I guess it's man bear a gun right you ready I'm ready okay gun gun takes bear well I thought you'd be the bear looks like you're crawling buddy good what's under there we got two large root systems connected together this is not going to be as easy as we thought in order to save this cabin we have to raise up the entire structure and rest it on temporary supports so we can get underneath and remove the root system below we've cut out the smaller ruts all around the center of this tangled mess we're hoping this larger rut just pulls right out of there [Music] [Applause] Bob's gotta be careful in that bulldozer if he pushes that cabin up at too steep of an angle he could snap it back [Music] we have to be careful with this house it's old fragile and has a long history with both the whole porch is flex if we keep doing that we're going to lose the whole porch so I guess we're gonna try to split this right in here that huh yeah we're either going to split it or keep cutting the root system back we got to change a game plan up and do a little more surgery on this massive right the stump is free but it doesn't want to come all the way out of there we tried pushing it now we're gonna try pulling it [Applause] it's nothing to get a bigger chain [Music] thing broken free now we just got to haul it out of here with the tractor and get the foundation back level had to bring this love back down [Music] I mean so much to be able to fix this little cabin football it's close to him as close to his family and you can already see that little cabin come back to life oh you're that boy yeah I think it's going to clear yeah hey boy Wow you're at the right time man they said it couldn't be done no well awesome man yeah all back in order check it out I can't believe it man it looks just like it did before it's incredible what it looked like before it's unbelievable now you can put a good salt foundation underneath it'll last you for another hundred years that's excellent I can't thank you enough that's really incredible when we saw this cabin lifted in the air and torqued and twisted we thought it was done we were told it was never be repaired to have it back to the way it was and on level ground is just a miracle [Music] we're gonna have these high elevations in Utah we woke up this morning to several inches of snow on the ground but now it's time to get inside and finish up that interior today we're putting railing up in the great room it's made of white cedar and it's really special to us because every joint is handcrafted [Music] the biggest concern you have when you're putting raylene up is that it has to be very stable where there's little kids pushing on that railing we got to make sure it ain't [Music] we're working on the party deck railing we got to get these to this middle section in and then work our way over from there [Music] we're pushing the last section a railing in up on the loft and we thought we had a good handle on it but the post wasn't anchored very well you got to make sure nobody's gonna push on that railing and it's gonna give out remember Safety's first we got to make sure those Rangers well we just got started putting railing in up on the loft and we realize that we have nothing anchor2 there's only half inch OSB plywood and that's not stable enough to hold up this 24 foot railing section it's lean in there that sucks as if leaning that way you know like if it flew in the other way and get screw it from the face this way bring it in [Music] biggest thing is we can put the tube on the backside here but it still can flex on here but if yeah I think we should cut a hole and put a you know 9 1/2 inch to by behind there yeah I talked to Matt and I talked to one of our contractors that were using here in Utah when we came up with the solution we're gonna cut a hole in the face of the OSB and we're gonna get some 2-inch lumber for a good backer so we have the support we need for the post that's solid that man that was a ticket right that's it right there Matt now we're on the run it's a fix on the lost railing done we're in the homestretch just a few finishing touches and we'll be done with the construction on the interior we're in the last-minute push we're working on the Brimhall staircase trying to not vote this log railing it's kind of tricky we got the to pull us in up at the top but this one right here is right up against this log so it gives us little room to work we're gonna bring it straight down and scribe it down screw it in place so that we can start putting our rails and spindles up sometimes when you get in those tough work areas there's no other tool that you can use other than a scribe trends in the drywall's and getting ready to put a stain and clear coat on it's fun that file a seat come together with the interior finish the brim Hall's cabin is almost done it just needs one thing the magic of my rocking interior decorator Heather it looks like you got goodies huh this is gonna be great look at that was just for you [Music] [Music] the brand Milan cabin I went with the music date maybe Aaron really wanted I've got these beautiful sign guitars by BB King these beloved Aaron I'm really excited about these show pieces here this is my favorite piece this is a showcase piece of all of Darren's collection this custom case that we ended up making it looks great we've got ceilings that are amazing the height the views the windows we have koozie elements fir wood leather very grand but it's very cozy oh my god I'm so excited it's coming together a lot of cheap skins and cowhide to really warm it up in these mounds these are awesome another cool element we added was up in the loft which is one of my favorites it's like the kids a little sanctuary they can go up there and hang out and read study just chill out if I want this bed it's looking good [Music] the day is finally here the brim holes cavern is complete and it's time to go pick them up I can't wait to show them their new mountaintop getaway we're excited they can't wait it really all came together with the breakfast bar and that kitchen turned out ok oh yeah they're excited to see how high it is that was one of the things we talked about this is one of the highest builds you've ever done wow that's impressive me I really hope this cabin fulfills everything that we've dreamed of a place to bring friends and family together and a good area for the kids to play and hang out we're so excited to see what Nate's got for us well that front porch looks fantastic good character in those logs and the stain really does make it pop out I have not seen them home like this in Brian head place gorgeous or it's all yours the first thing that stood out to me is a front entry porch with those cool logs at the very front the character of those logs in the entryway is insane all right guys you gotta check out this great room this is amazing [Laughter] yeah what's really neat is you actually see the structural support of their roof system yeah I mean these logs are they're gonna withstand huge amounts of snow you guys get up here in the mountains a Utah you know and it's also give you that gorgeous look to that trust is incredible Wow you know that natural lights LED in from your windows they're also getting the gorgeous views of the mountaintops cool yeah yeah and Darrin I know I've never done one like this before but you wanted the breakfast bar do you think it looks great yeah from outside to inside and it's it's part of the house that breakfast bar is perfect just taking a log from outside and making it a part of the inside is incredible well guys there's so much more to see let's head out this way and check it out okay great well you guys wanted a cozy master suite check out this wow isn't that something in the low profile windows enough to let the natural light in but not too much take away any privacy and it doesn't stop here in the master suite check out this guy's their own little log trucks out here enjoying the peace and serenity the Moen side and check out over here we're gonna move on to Darren's favorite place it's up in the loft it's the music room let's go let's check it out one thing I'm really excited about is that hot tub there's just such a nice surprise that's gonna be a great thing to add to the cabin Wow what do you think that is awesome finally a place to hang my guitars and hang some artwork that really just didn't have a place that I didn't really play that good time he did he played it he signed it for a while so that's amazing it was a humbling emotional time for me this is really what I wanted to see in the cabin and I've always wanted a place for those those pieces of art this is awesome yeah well it's a great area that not only enjoy you know the artwork but also to relax and look at those views I love the spindles in the banister just makes it yeah second level and again the log work up here and extends all the way over do the second second law for your kids oh yeah yeah oh that's cool that's cool we never have another one these massive log trusses here for you know you can really see the character and how massive they are really get up close and personal with them and impressive engineering feat yeah it absolutely is it extends out to the place where your nights are probably gonna end most of the time let's go check out that party deck let's check that superloft is going to be probably the most used room I think in the cabin for the kids it will be their little domain in the cabin they're not gonna want to come down you guys ready for this ready let's see all right I'm excited to see the outdoor fireplace of blogs and the trusses well guys what do you think beautiful isn't it look at the views yeah look at the perfect view of the Brian head resort this is something awesome now you'll be able to tell what the ski editions are beautiful to you listen ace I love the exposed log work it's perfect it's exactly what we want we got to bring the beauty out here too because we know you're gonna have a lot of family friends over and enjoy this part of the house awesome this is great I could just see it filled with our kids and our family being out there and enjoying the outdoors the nice fireplace and the views from the party deck you can see so much of what we love in southern Utah so well so what do you guys think your house I think it's awesome woman we're only two of our family so we want to see the kids how they like it well let's go you know all right all right we want to see our kids grow up here grandkids grow up here we want this to be in our family for generations thank you for allowing us to build their first log home in Utah the salvation was something but this home is gonna stand the test of time with you and your crew did an awesome job baby I love it so cheers to the brim balls awesome Cheers [Music]

Channel: Heim Log Homes

Views: 22,546

Rating: 4.7185931 out of 5

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Id: qTU905lN9s8

Length: 43min 52sec (2632 seconds)

Published: Fri Mar 16 2018