Business idea from Wales - ModuLog wooden glamping huts

A Welsh father-and-son team producing timber structures for profitable woodland management has developed modular log cabins built with timber from trees on their property, demonstrating how careful woodland management encourages innovative ways of profitable forest conservation.

What aren't John and Leigh Price doing with their woodland? Their workshop and the 10 acres of Welsh woodland near Builth Wells is not only their workplace, it's also a destination for courses and conferences on woodland management, school field trips and soon to become a place where people can spend their holidays in glamping lodges housed throughout the woodland. John and Leigh manage their timber frame building and renovation projects in their own workshop; past projects have included renovations to Windsor Castle.

After 25 years working as a carpenter, John Price opened Smithfield Joinery in 2000, and his son, Leigh, joined him after his military service. Seven years ago they implemented a woodland management plan for the land they owned. They wanted the forestland to be able to maintain itself - to be beautiful and usable at the same time. This required considering the future of the forested area, how it would be used and how it would be maintained.
The previous owners had felled all the oaks and left the conifers. So John and Leigh worked with the Forestry Commission and devised a replanting strategy that involved leaving half of the existing conifers standing and replanting native species among them. "The larger conifers protected the small cuttings from the wind, so they grew really fast"says Leigh.

How they started building modules out of logs - ModuLog boxes

While thinking about how to make profitable use of the natural beauty of the wooded area, they decided to set up little huts along the forest paths and rent them out.
"I wanted something that blends with the forest" Leigh recalls. "And we wanted to capitalize on the 'waste' materials from our ribbon saw." Instead of buying cabins, they've thought of designing glamping cottages for those who want to camp with a little more than the usual amenities.
With the help of an architect, they designed their own "glamping" cottages, making them durable and versatile for a variety of uses: garden offices, summer homes, creative studios, fishing lodges and more. This is how their new business - ModuLog - began.

moduLog boxes equipped with everything you need

"They are built to last 20-30 years without doing anything else to them"explains Leigh. "Everything is built to building regulation standards. So you get a solid structure that's built to last and can be used in all weather conditions."
Wooden boxes are modular - they can be combined in many ways. The exterior and interior can be easily customized, although the basic structure remains the same. The interior furniture converts into beds and has storage space inside. The kitchenette allows food to be cooked indoors and is mobile, for cooking outside in nice weather. The cottages can be connected to mains electricity or can be ready-equipped with a solar kit that provides enough electricity for a TV, computer and basic electricity needs.

Locally-sourced sheep's wool insulation in the ceilings, floor and walls keep the cottages warm in winter, and reflective insulation in the roof helps keep them cool in summer. The netting that completely covers them from the outside keeps out pests and insects.
"The wood we use is the wood we had in our own forest"says Leigh. All exterior woodwork is machined from trees grown on their property or sourced locally - oak doors, window frames, western red cedar siding and Douglas fir trim - cut and machined in the shop.
"For the outside, we wanted it to look like a log pile, so we use logs from the first cut"explains Leigh. "We also have other roofing options - bonded logs, shingles with beveled edges and artificial grass. We like the log look because moss and lichen will grow on them. People ask us how the water doesn't get inside, but it's really just for looks, all the waterproofing is underneath."

Cutting wood for the construction of small houses

"We only select a few trees to take down at a time." Leigh says. "We're going to put log cabins and glamping cottages on the woodland, so we still want it to look like a forest."
Once the trees are felled, they are then cut on a Wood-Mizer LT40 Bandsaw LT40 into the exact sized lumber needed to complete the project. The bandsaw is equipped with hydraulic log-loading arms and features for easy positioning of heavy logs, so John can concentrate on cutting the boards and beams he needs.

"As long as you know what you're doing, you can cut the wood to any different sizes you want." Leigh says. "You decide what you want, get the log you want and cut the lumber you want. Buying ready-made lumber is much more expensive than using your own wood. We save about 20% on outdoor lumber and 100% on the half logs we use for roofing because we cut them all ourselves."
Thanks to the bandsaw being on wheels, John and Leigh can take it with them on jobs cutting timber for customers who have logs on site.

Personalized wooden boxes

People often ask what the modulog boxes can be used for. Leigh's standard answer is - "You can use them for anything you want! You can design them to fit your own needs. They don't come ready-made to universal size and design." Despite the variety of uses, all requests for information seem to have one goal - a close connection with nature. "With all the glass fitted, you can just sit and watch nature outside." Leigh shares. "The last one I did was an office for a writer; he sits inside and writes all his books."
After receiving the initial request for a price quote, Leigh works to customize the proposed design, tailored to the client's needs, preferences and budget.

"Precisely because they are modular, we can plan however many sections (modules) will be needed and whether you want large windows or small windows"says Leigh.
At the workshop, clients can visit the full-size moduLog houses and, in the planning stage, Leigh uses scale model versions of the houses to demonstrate the various possible configurations. It helps clients practically see the layout in the space and what the final design will look like.
Once the final design is built, it comes as a modular kit that can be transported in a flat pack. Typically, the finished modular log cabins are built on site, and smaller cottages can be delivered in final form on a trailer.

Forest management courses, from timber harvesting to timber construction

"Managing forest areas is very important, especially for us because we use a lot of wood. It doesn't cost a lot to plant trees and take care of them." Leigh says. "And you will benefit financially in the future."
John and Leigh offer three courses that cover the whole process of woodland management, cutting and processing timber and building structures using that timber.
"People come here and learn everything from planting to cutting and everything that goes into wood production, then what you can use that wood for." Leigh says. "It was my father's idea to share his experience and knowledge with others so that they could pass it on. The schools bring the kids here, so we have a place where kids can come and learn about trees and planting, growing, felling and processing them at the bandsaw and see the finished project done in the carpentry shop," says Leigh. "It's all about transferring knowledge and experience to future generations."
Author: Jacob Mooney