Fans of HGTV’s Timber Kings were a little star-struck this week after seeing the crew build one of their famous log homes in Ponoka.
Brad and Amanda Kelly have hired Pioneer Log Homes, famous not only for their one-of-a-kind buildings, but also as stars of the popular show Timber Kings, to construct a new building right in Ponoka County.
Ponoka News was able to speak with Swiss-born Beat Schwaller of Pioneer Log Homes about his love for this type of work.
“There’s nothing straight on a log and nothing is machined at all,” said Schwaller. “So every single log actually comes out of the forest and stays the (same) shape more or less.”
Each home is custom built to the desires of the client, in this case the Kelly family. “Everybody has different taste and we like to accommodate them.”
There needs to be a certain amount of love for this type of work, says Schwaller, because this type of trade is unlike most trades out there.
“You’re taking a log and you’re making something absolutely beautiful out of it,” said Schwaller. “It’s art. It’s also the passion.”
Something Schwaller admits regularly on the Timber Kings show is that this is his dream job and he reiterated that sentiment during the interview.
Building a log home isn’t an easy task. The lumber is collected in Williams Lake, B.C. where it is stripped of bark, designed into a structure and built on site. The home is then dismantled and shipped to its new location, which can be anywhere in the world.
From start to finish, a project could be seven to eight months, said Schwaller. Putting the home back together in its permanent location takes a team of four from Pioneer Log Homes and a few contractors. For Kellys’ home, Hulk Enterprises was able to provide services to the crew building the house.
Schwaller said the team loves the work they do and a strong sense of teamwork sets into place when building a home. He added that someone looking into buying a log home should research the company they deal with as the wood settles over time and requires an understanding of building with logs.
“This house lives. This house means something to Amanda and Brad,” he added.
A TV crew was onsite but there is no set date for when the show will air.