Log Home Building Course
What I do

log home building course workshop

  • I present a weekend Log Home Building Course teaching you all the methods and techniques required to build your own economical, environmentally sustainable, genuine log home or cabin.
  • You do not need to be particularly practical and no previous construction experience is necessary.
  • All courses are taught in my own hand built log home in Wilderness Heights, Garden Route, South Africa
  • Even if you do not intend to construct your own home, this course will teach you what to look out for if someone else builds for you.
  • You will learn to how to personally use all the required tools.
  • The course is structured to be easily understood by people of all abilities.
  • I focus on teaching sound, tried and tested principles.
  • Course graduates automatically become members of the South African Log Home Builders Association. This Association allows graduates to interact with each other to share ideas, pictures, information--all contributing to increased knowledge on log home building. We are now Africa's largest database on the subject.

The course format is a weekend log home building seminar.
Times: 8:00 am – 6:00 pm Saturday and Sunday.
All course materials are supplied.
Tea, coffee and biscuits are supplied.
You only need to bring something to eat.

Places are strictly limited, if you would like to attend, course dates and booking details are available here.

Top 10 reasons to build a log home

students home
  1. Sustainable: Trees can re-grow many times during the life- span of the house.
  2. Structurally simple and strong: hurricane and earthquake resistant.
  3. Low maintenance: no sealing or painting inside or out.
  4. Cheap: It is far less work to build your own log home than it is to pay a 20 year mortgage.
  5. Longevity: Life span of structure can be 100+ years.
  6. No special skills required: Can be built by any able bodied person - on their own.
  7. Minimal equipment: All equipment can fit in the boot of a car and be carried to site.
  8. Fun: Building a log home is probably the most fun you can have which is still legal.
  9. Great thermal insulation: natural temperature regulation - cheap to live in.
  10. Log homes are aesthetically pleasing and very comfortable to live in.


Healthy to live in: read 'Wood, people and health - 2.7mb'.
Aims of the course:

log home building course workshop

  • Learn to build a genuine solid log home.
  • Learn to build your log home mortgage free.
  • Learn to build it in the most environmentally sustainable way possible.
  • I cover all that you need to know from planning and designing right through to completion of your log home, even to the point of how thick your glazing needs to be.
  • A comprehensive Log Home building course manual is supplied, which contains the essential information and diagrams of all important features and methods. Students are expected to add notes to the workbook.
  • Practical presentation and 'try it yourself' demonstrations are used where it is simply easier to illustrate certain principles.
  • In some cases accurate scale models of log homes are used to demonstrate larger principles.
  • I cover finances and how to build your log home mortgage free.
  • I will teach you how to make and apply your own non toxic borate timber treatment.
  • Even if you do not intend to construct your own home, this course will teach you what to look out for if someone else builds for you.
  • You will learn to how to use the required tools.
  • We discuss work safety and personal protective equipment
  • The course is structured to be easily understood by people of all abilities.
  • I teach sound, tried and tested methods and principles.
Country life magazine.
our article in country life

Save a fortune by building your own mortgage-free, Eco-friendly log home. Building your own log cabin sounds like the pinnacle ...read more

To-Build magazine
our article in To build magazine

TO-BUILD asked ROY TREMBATH from the South African Log Home Builders Association why he believes that log homes present the most long living and sustainable option....read more

SA Builder magazine
our article in SA builder magazine

Founded by Roy Trembath in 2010, the SA Log Home Builders Association is growing in leaps and bounds and now has...read more.

Mother Earth News
a nice article about us in Mother Earth News

Not only has Roy Trembath built a debt-free home that’s larger than most — he also teaches others how they can do the same. Here is some of his advice....read more.

A couple of students projects