The Building of the Laft Hus

Building Funds Started

Some profits from each club event were earmarked for the proposed building and by December 1976, the first $500 was raised for this fund. By February 1978 the building committee had researched enough typical Norwegian architecture to decide that their building would definitely be made of logs. This club did many things to raise funds fromstaging the first few annual lutefisk suppers, to catering at the first few Red Deer Airshows, to going out to the west country to harvest cord wood for resale.

Logs Donated

When Norman and Eunice Langvand of Caroline, Alberta joined the club, they generously donated the first fifty logs for the building and their acreage home site on which to start work on them. They, along with a few other members, such as Cliff and Laura Hanson and Brian Grosseth, also loaned their own money at little or no interest charges, to assure that the building project could buy the initial tools and supplies.

Norwegian Log Joiner in the Area

Eunice Langvand also discovered a log builder from Norway teaching log-joining ("lofting") at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). Jan Saetre happened to be holding a public demonstration of his work on an actual log building display at the Corral, at Calgary's Stampede groundes. He had learned this ancient craft from his father and grandfather on his family's tree farm in Trysil, Norway. Eunice organized a field trip for a group of members to visit him in Calgary. His guidance throughout the project assured the integrity of this Norwegian Laft Hus, log house! "Do you know what you folks are undertaking?" he aksed when he heard our plan. "No, but we will do it anyway!" we replied. "Then I will help you all I can!" was his quick response.

Log Preparation

By the spring of 1978 the first of many weekend work parties were organized as family fun camp-outs to remove the bark and plane the logs. Draw knives, spuds, adzes and planers were purchased or borrowed, allowing everyone to learn how to prepare logs for this Norwegian building.

The first donated and planed logs proved too small for the size of the eventually decided-upon building. They were sold and bigger pine logs purchased. Before the new logs were prepared, however, a contract was made by the club with Mr. Saetre to prepare yet another set of logs for his log-building company, in order to raise more funds for the Laft Hus project.

After the bark and knots were scraped off, each log was deliberately "cracked" or partially power-sawed down the entire length then "wedged" by driving pre-made wooden wedges into this crevice in an attempt to control future log cracking. The cracked side would eventually be shaped and placed directly over the next log below it. Then each log was power and hand planed to a smooth finish. Finally, they were preserved in the old Norwegian tradition with coatings of pine tar until volunteers could proceed to the next phase.

Though successful in the more humid Norwegian weather, the pine tar did not hold up in the relatively dry Alberta climate. Eventually it was removed and replaced with a modern wood stain and varnish. Since the completion of the Laft Hus these same products have been used regularly to prevent the log exterior from deterioration.

Who was the Leader?

The building committee appointed Stan Wulff as Building Project Coordinator throughout the building process. Every successful project needs a dedicated and skilled leader and Stan's skills in project planning, attention to detail and volunteer supervision proved a good mix for the project.

Many Helped in Many Ways

During the years of researching, building and fundraising many people came forward offering special gifts and assistance. One of these was Oivind Arne Madssen, a newspaper editor from Odda, Norway, Mr. Madssen came to Red Deer in September 197u6 doing a research project for the Norwegian Newspaper Association. At the same time he took the opportunity of meeting with and writing about as many people of Norwegian birth and descent in the area as possible. Oivind Madssen became a close friend and benefactor of the club and has been a valuable contact in Norway

over the past thirty years. Many gifts of artifacts, cultural resource books and other forms of assistance were received from the Madssen family. The gift of "Grunnmurplate" (special waterproof sod-roof underlay material) from the factory which produces it in Notodden, Norway was obtained by the Madssens. (This material now called "Platen" and commonly used in Alberta as a vapour barrier for basements in building construction.)