Handcrafted homes come in two basic types, chinked and full-scribed, says Jon Fogelson of Log Knowledge. In full-scribed construction, the logs, connected with a sealant, rest on top of each other to form the log wall.

In chinked-style houses, a 3/4-inch gap, where the electrical work can be run, is filled with chinking material on the inside and outside of the home. The Munroes opted for the chinking and hired Elk Mountain Chinking on New Castle, Colorado, to apply the material. "Stephen Burns of Elk Mountain was an artist," Kristi says.

Modern chinking is a flexiable material that adheres directly to the log. Because of its make-up, chinking will move as the logs shrink and settle, leaving no gaps. Chinking seals the logs and better insulates the house - plus, it keeps out unwanted pests. Stephen used a machine to apply the chinking material onto the logs. He then meticulously spread the material with a trowel and tooled it into the gaps. He believes that the use of a high-quality material applied by a professional applicator results in a well-chinked home. "If I'm going to put my name on it, I'm going to be proud of it," he says.

Having built homes in Aspen for 15 years prior to starting his appraisal business, Ben acted as the general contractor on this project and had all of his subcontractors lined up to do much of the mechanical work. "I served as the general contractor, and Log Knowledge provided a foreman to come and set the shell," he says. "It's unbelievable how these guys can work those logs!"

Once the log shell was erected, the Munroes were able to apply the finishing touches to the home. They added a wood-burning stove placed on a sturdy slate hearth pad in the living room. But instead of installing typical baseboard heating, they upgraded to radiant floor heat. The efficient radiant heat warms the basement level as well as the main floor. With all of the warmth from these two levels, the loft did not need a separate heat source. "It's still a small cabin, we just decked it out well," Ben says.