bobs shack-the construction thread w/pics

[bobclark]

I guess i will post all the pics here in stead of general chat


I had to use a jack to position and level the bridge ties


here is what they looked like all blocked up. I used osage orange blocks to put thyem on


I will have to screw down the 4x4s to the ties now





this is what i see when i look up. I almost dont want to put a roof on it,but i guess i better

[bobclark]

in the pic you can see extra 4x4s in one spot . that is where the wood stove will be, or maybe some rock work. it will give extra support in that spot

[momo]

Congratulations. I bet you are excited to get started.

It sure does look like fall up there. Our trees are just starting to change here. The leaves haven't fallen yet. I guess they will as soon as we get a strong wind.

[angiem2]

Bob with that upwards view, I think a well placed skylight is definitely in order. Great location you have there.

Angie

[Kathy]

Bob, a skylight would be perfect! Watching the stars in the winter & summer and that view of the new leaves or the autumn colors would sure make a special place extra special.

I love the pics; I had no idea how to 'hold' the house on the base. Your pics are going to come in real handy.

[bobclark]

I never even concidered a sky light, I will have to look into that.
all of my windows are used, and were free of real cheap. not sure how i could come up with a sky light. I have two nice sections of plexy glass that might work up into something

I will loose alot of heat that way but I will only be heating 240 sq ft anyway.

thanks ladys, now concidering change No. 987

[bobclark]

I should have dug holes for the blocks holding the down hill side up. there are big tree roots there so digging could have been a chalange. a big wind could move the whole thing east and it would fall off the blocks. but i am counting on the trees for protection

kathy, you have said that you want to see how to build a cabin from the ground up. well ,you may see how not too as well

[bergere]

;DThat is a good start Bob! Have some pretty trees there too.

[bobclark]

today i got the 4x4s lag screwed to the ties and started to lay down the sub floor. I am useing native white oak that is rough cut from the sawmill for the subfloor . it is overkill as far as thickness but i got them for about 1/2 what it would cost for them to cut my own logs.

the first few nails bent on me but it wasnt long i got the hang of it and was able to drive them in that hard wood. It helps if you spit on the nail before driving it in native hardwood, my grandad tought me trhat a long time ago. It realy works.. I think tomorrow i will take a little motor oil to dip them in before driving them. If i dont do something to make it easyer I will end upwith a right arm the size of my thigh

it was chilly out there today but it felt good to be out

[Deleted]

Those trees are awesome. It seems very peaceful. If you decide to make a skylight you can always have a cover (inside or out) to keep the heat in. Besides, what good would it be to look out if all you can see is snow? ;D

[bobclark]

you cant beleve how peacfull it is out there. its definatly not the hussle and bussle of the city ,but it has its own wild life. a couple of fat does came up yesterday to see what the hack was going on with all that pounding. the news along shoul creek amongst the deer and turkey must be how bad the neighborhood is now that a man is building on their ground

today is supost to be a little warmer than yesterday. I hope to at least get 1/2 of the sub floor on today. I will try to get some more pics aswell

[kitaye]

bobclark said:

this is what i see when i look up. I almost dont want to put a roof on it,but i guess i better

With a view like that I'd serously consider a clear roof or at least a skylight.

[Kathy]

Bob, I found this article on a relatively cheap way to put a skylight into your roof design.

Maybe you can make it work for you or at least get a few ideas of how it's done. Then you could see those trees through the seasons. There's more about their whole building project on the website.

Homemade Skylight

We decked the roof with 1/2" plywood and installed a skylight of 1/4" Plexiglas: one 4' x 8' sheet laid on the rafters, and screwed down through holes drilled large enough to allow for expansion under strips of 10" wide aluminum flashing and aluminum 2" wide and an 1/8" thick over that, to be lapped by the shingles beside and above it, flashed over the shingles below, and caulked all around with silicone.

Generally speaking, homemade skylights and cheap skylights with poor flashings leak, but this design has worked for me. I would not recommend it for a low slope roof or for a space where insulation is very important, since one layer of Plexiglas, or even two, can't compare to the insulation value of any commercial double-insulated skylight. And where labor is calculated in the cost, a smaller, factory-made skylight will save money. We didn't need a lot of insulation and were interested in allowing the m ost light we could into the cabin. Some say Plexiglas will yellow after much exposure to the sun, but too much sun is not one of our problems.

I finished shingling the roof, added a square bay window downstairs and another upstairs at the gable end, which looks out over the lake. Each one has a sliding drawer bed that pulls out of the bay seat.

[bobclark]

first off, thanks Kathy, for thinking i might make a decent mod for this part of the forum. she has already warned me about you in the popler wood croud not getting it on to well with the ceder wood bunch. well, Im telling you now I wount put up with any trouble here from eather group


Yesterday all i got done is pound nails into subfloor. it looks like i have another two days of it. the progress is slow but it is very stout. so far not one squeek when you walk on it

when i arrived over there i was greeted by a ticker tape parade, the likes that would put New Yorks to shame. when i pulled off the road and entered the long dirt driveway the wind picked up a bit for a few minutes. this brought loads of falling leaves to the ground all around me. It immediatly made me think of the ticker tape parades in the city. Yea I know, its kinda silly but out here we have to make our own fun. now lets get back to work


this is our tools for the day. dont laugh, the oil on the nails seemed to help quite a bit



this is the progress for the day. I would have posted lastnight but i was pooped. pounding nails into solid native Oak is harder than it looks. it would pay to use a softer wood but i like Oak. mabe its a guy thing,I dont know

[bobclark]

I about forgot, I have already done my first happy dance on the new floor. sorry no pics of that

[Kathy]

Bob, I have a question about those osage logs you used to level up the ties.

Will those rot out or is osage one of those rot resistant woods??
Since I don't think there's osage wood around here; if a person lived in a very moist area what would you suggest as a sturdy base instead of the osage?

I looked at Lowes and saw these deck block things that hold a 4 x 4 treated beam. Would those be sturdy enough to use as a substitute for the foundation/base levelers you used??



BTW, I'm sorry I don't know the proper construction terms-I hope you can figure out what I'm trying to say. If not ask and I'll try to explain it better.

[bobclark]

those blocks i used will be in good shape 100 years from now. we have posts that was set by the folks that homesteaded this place over 150 yrs ago that are osage orange

the pillers that you have shown there would work well.

I want everyone to understand that i am building this shack with what i have and with a very limited amout of knowledge and no formal experience. you will prolly see more ways of not doing it properly than ways of doing it properly if you hang around me

I am having to do this on a shoe string ,as they say. I dont even have all the materials yet , so it may have to stop for a while but i have started it on faith because i needed to to stay somewhat sane. this is more theripy than anything. having a place of my own is very important to me but it takes a back seat to the good of acomplishing something that i have set out to do.

I could say i am doing this by myself but it would not be true at all. all of you are helping me more than you know

[bbird]

This is so fascinating Bob, Thank you for documenting this. I find it interesting about the osage tree's and being able to use it as a foundation. Are you able to build in your area without building permits? I'm jealous if you are!!

When we built we built on a post and beam foundation (think that is the right words, lol) We had to dig down past our permafrost level which was 3 ft. We then had to use 8 x 10 pressure treated beams. You cover the beams in a plastic then fill the first foot of the hole in with gravel and the rest in concrete. That was the hardest part to get them all level and standing straight..argh.

Now our barn which is two story's uses the concrete post holders that Kathy showed, That was our way out of getting a building permit because if a "shed or barn" doesn't have a permanent foundation you are not required to get a building permit. It holds up very well.

Can't wait to see the progress on your cabin! I agree with others that a skylight is necessary. If that is not possible, I vote for a hot tub outside so you can sit and look up at those tree's. How relaxing that would be!!

Oh, are you going to have electric or staying off grid? I like those little cabin plans that have just enough of a loft to crawl up on to sleep. With a wood stove going, I imagine the loft area would stay nice and toasty.

[bobclark]

no permitts or zoneing here. but they are working on it

I should have done it like you did ,digging down below the frost line but there are huge roots where i would need to dig. as small as the shack is I think i will be OK

[bobclark]

the hot tub idea sounds great. that will have to wait a while though