Bears Den is a home-based business, operating from a log cabin near Pierre, SD since 1996. We offer custom pre-cut log home packages of milled logs with double tongue and groves and saddle-notch corners. The northern red pine logs are stacked using full length, spring-loaded through bolts to make the most trouble free, weather-tight log walls possible. Our log packages always include on-site technical assistance from an experienced log builder to construct the log home of your dreams, whether you choose to be an owner-builder or hire a local contractor.

We sell custom log home packages with on-site technical support and we supply and install true half log siding and log accents including log beams, trusses, cedar log railing for rustic remodel or new projects.

Report from the jobsite – Winter 2010

The Erickson home near Lead is very close to completion. The Enercept roof is complete and shingled. Kolbe & Kolbe windows are installed and the interior partitions are in place. Jason Rakow of Rakow Construction, an experienced log builder from Lead is completing the house.

Jennifer Erickson has created two web sites showcasing the house. “The Building of Old No. 7 Place” visit website uses Shutterfly to trace the entire construction process.

The Ericksons, who live in Sioux Falls, SD, plan to rent the home to Black Hills vacationers when they are not in Lead. If you’re interested in sampling life in a contemporary custom log home, check out http://www.vrbo.com/254136

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Across the road from Ericksons’ house, LL Construction is working as weather allows on Ross Ortman’s vacation cabin.

Ross chose to frame the cabin, then install half-log siding inside and out. Bears Den is supplying the siding, log posts, ridge beams, and a small log truss for the front porch.

The 10” log siding is a half-log, cut from the same profile milled log used for stacking a full-log wall. The siding is 5” thick except the ends, which are left the full 10” diameter where they extend past saddle-notch corners.

A unique feature of this cabin is the vertical log posts cut to a pie-shaped profile. Exact angles of the vertical posts fit the point of the prow and corner posts of an eight-sided bump-out breakfast nook.

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The long awaited “January Thaw” came to Minot, ND the second week in January. I provided technical assistance to owner Aaron Faken and Jeff Meyer's construction crew. The log walls of Aaron and Sonia Faken’s new home are stacked, the thru-bolts tightened, and ready for the roof.



Built of 10” logs, their home will include three bedrooms on the main floor, with a loft to take advantage of the view. As the owners/operators of Adventure Divers, Fakens’ design includes a three-bedroom apartment over the garage for divers passing through on their way to projects all over the country.

The trusses for the apartment over the garage are being built at Farroh Truss in Minot. When they are up and the weather co-operates, I’ll go back and help set the beams for the loft floor and roof.

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I finished cob blasting our house at Bears Den this fall. After 20 years of dealing with a “surface film” type finish, we applied a penetrating non-film forming stain. Film type finishes look beautiful at first, but after a few years they can start to peel and re-finishing becomes difficult and time consuming. The advantage to the penetrating stain is that it’s very easy to recoat when it starts to fade. Even if it’s left too long and the color has faded, a quick wash and the logs are ready to soak up another coat applied by low pressure spray or just brushed.



The cob blasting process cleans even tough finishes and weathered wood using fine ground corn cobs under high pressure instead of chemical removers.

To get the best results and provide the best service, Bears Den treats all log home plans as custom plans. Gathering information and sending preliminary drawings back and forth for approval can take several months, but it's the only way to design the log home that's right for you.

We'll start with your sketch or one of our distinctive log home plans combined with your ideas and special needs. As we go through the process using experienced log designers, your ideas, and our log building experience, the perfect plan will evolve.

Plan deposit amounts are based on the size and complexity of your home. They usually run from $1.50 to $3.00 per square foot of estimated living space. The plan deposit is credited to the log package cost when the order to cut logs is placed. But it doesn't cost anything to talk about building and living in a log home, so call Mike today at 605-224-4423 with any questions you may have.  

Bears Den Newsletter

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