Small Cabin

# Posted: 12 Oct 2011 13:01
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yea it great, its not even that much more expense to have 10' lg. studs vs. 8'.
16x20 seems small but with the loft over the kitchen/bathroom area with is abt 9x16, it creates so much extra space. I even consided just making a whole 2nd floor and having two bedrooms up stairs.
I believer my pitch is at 40 degrees or so. I know its not quite 45 degrees. It's also great with the metal roof, any snow in the winter is just going to slide off.

I like the trees around the cabin as well. There's so many, we're planning on cutting down some more of the small ones to let me light in during the day.

Thanks for the comments.

# Posted: 12 Oct 2011 13:12
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I agree about the 10' walls and the extra space the loft creates. Our cabin is slightly larger (22x26') but a similar design. Is your loft finished? If not, have you considered a 3/4 loft. We find that it creates a lot of extra space on the 2nd floor but still gives that cathedral ceiling feel.

# Posted: 12 Oct 2011 13:22
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my next cabin will be bigger. This is just my starter one to enjoy for a few years.

Well all the framing/subfloor is down for the loft and I built a rough staircase going up. I'm not quite sure what you mean by a 3/4 loft? Can you send a picture?

At the high point in the loft, there's about 8'6" height and then goes down to 2'6" or so. Gives us a lot of space.

# Posted: 12 Oct 2011 13:30
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Here are a couple of photos of ours (taken last May- before we had finished the roof, etc.) It gives the idea, though.

Taken from the rear- our wood stove pipe now comes up through the cathedral area

Looking from the front part toward the rear.

# Posted: 12 Oct 2011 13:31
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Hmmm- those come up as tiny thumbnails. Here's the link to our project:

http://www.small-cabin.com/forum/6_1184_0.html

# Posted: 12 Oct 2011 14:07
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Mine is similar to yours. I found two photos showing the loft. My girlfriend takes all the pictures and only gives me a few :P

I added a cross brace on the top connecting the two rafters, which is not shown in the photos.

I like your cabin too, very nice with the logs. I'm quite jealous.
I'm planning on doing my outside/inside with a rounded 8" wide pine board. It looks like a log.

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# Posted: 12 Oct 2011 15:06 - Edited by: Montanan
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Looks good! With the steep pitch roof and high side walls, I think you'll find there is plenty of head room in the loft. I think your log siding will give you a really nice effect. Looking forward to seeing the progress!

Thanks for the compliments- I can't take credit for the log work though- we hired a company to build the shell. We're very pleased with the craftsmanship, though.

trollbridge
Member

# Posted: 12 Oct 2011 15:12
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Many people have given us grief about having so many trees around our cabin and I understand some of their concerns but we cleared the bare minimum to start with and then have been selectively clearing as need be. I love the privacy it provides. I wanted a cabin in the woods after all :)

# Posted: 12 Oct 2011 16:58
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Thanks Montanan,

Since winter is coming soon I'm going to finish the inside first and then in spring finish the outside. I'm only 25 years old and most of my income is going into materials and such. Lucky for me I found the majority of stuff on kijiji really cheap but still good to use.

Believe it or not, so far with the roof on and all the insulation, ive only spend 6000 on this cabin so far. I figure I'll end up being around 10,000 when its finished. Depending on the solar system I decide to put.

I bet your cottage costed x10 mine.

Trollbridge: Its funny cause people have given me grief to about having trees so close. I'm doing the same as you, I want the privacy, there isn't any other cabins around right now, but the lot next to me just got sold and the one on the otherside is still up for sale. I've been selecting the smaller trees and leaving the huge tall trees. I find if you take just a couple smaller ones away, it gives more sunshine in the area. But like you I want a cabin in the woods, thats the whole point no? To get away from the city, be in the woods.

trollbridge
Member

# Posted: 12 Oct 2011 19:42
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How many acres do you have? We have 10 and nobody to worry about on the sides but from the road I did not want to be able to see the cabin even in the winter and you can't thanks to the pines. We are off the road about 300'. One of our trees just happens to look like it grew out and around our back eave but it really didn't-it was there long before us!

CabinBuilder
Admin

# Posted: 12 Oct 2011 19:45 - Edited by: CabinBuilder
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Quoting: Mark2011

...about having trees so close

I LOVE having my cabin in the woods and the privacy trees offer, but once in a while I drive around and see, or hear real stories from neighbors (after the storm) of cases large trees falling on the cabin and causing damage.
Personally, I look closely at each tree around my cabin: how it stands, is it leaning, where it is likely to fall, how it is going to look in few years, etc. Then I cut trees in question.
Just something to keep in mind.

marker2011

# Posted: 12 Oct 2011 21:04
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I only have 2 acres. It's a good size to start with. I'm still young and this is my first, after I finish and sell this one I'll move on to something much bigger. Land is such a great investment.

I have a lot of huge trees everywhere, there are some less than 10 feet from the cabin, I rather not cut them down. Also I figure if one did fall thats very close to the cabin, it wont do much damage. Its the ones that are 30-40 feet away that if they fall and hit the cabin will do the most damage.

Thanks for the tips. I'm going to cut down some this weekend, been so focused on getting the cabin winter ready.

MtnDon
Member

# Posted: 12 Oct 2011 22:02
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Quoting: Mark2011

about having trees so close

Any concerns about fire? Here in NM, like most of the western USA, a major concern is wildfire. There is probably more likelihood of a tree falling and causing damage than having a forest fire come along, but a fire can be much more devastating. I've seen my share or more of both over the decades we've lived here. Two fires came close, one very close. About 90 feet from the cabin. It paused long enough to give the fire fighters a chance only because of out previous efforts devoted to cleaning up ground clutter and thinning the trees back from the cabin.

If you only have a small lot there's not much one landowner can do alone to protect themselves. But if you have a larger piece, say 10 acres or more, thinning the trees can go a long way to reduce fire danger. That includes removing trees and bush in close proximity to the cabin.

YMMV

# Posted: 13 Oct 2011 00:38
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Yep- forest fire is our issue. We're advised to have at least 30 yards of defensible space around the cabin (i.e. NO trees or brush.) We haven't cut the ones in front of the cabin yet...been dragging my feet, as I'll hate to see them go.

MtnDon
Member

# Posted: 13 Oct 2011 01:40 - Edited by: MtnDon
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Are you sure on the 30 yards? My firewise info starts with the statement to keep at least a 30 foot radius clear around the house/cabin. Trees are allowed but conifers crowns should be 30 feet apart. The next zone out (30 to 100 feet) should have 20 feet between individual trees and 30 between clusters. So some trees are okay within the 100 foot (approx 30 yards) ring but the key is to keep the crowns apart so fire can't leap easily.

FIREWISE

I didn't like the thought of cutting many of our trees but the fire damage I've seen and the rapid crown spread I've seen has made quite the impression on me. And from what I've seen the tree density where many homes in the forest are located is not natural, and that is where the dangers come in.

Where we are you can not even buy insurance unless the trees for a 30 ft radius, measured from the exterior eve overhang, are removed. Period. And then it costs about 2.5 to 3 times as much as equivalent coverage in the 'burbs.

# Posted: 13 Oct 2011 05:55
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Cabin, beautiful, btw.. don't let anyone tell ya different ;)

When you get a second, can you give me a few details about your trusses/rafters? Curious what size you used, span, etc. I want a loft and was planning on scissor trusses being pre-built but with an 8-ft wall, not sure how much of a loft I will have, unless I do the trusses myself.

My span is 16ft and I figured to space them at 24". I was going to do a shingle roof, but I am told you cannot do water collection (even though we will not be using the water for drinking etc.. just toilet and/or shower) so am re-thinking the metal roof and trying to cu expenses to add it in.

I also plan to have radiant barrier under the roofing because we need all the help we can get with Texas heat.. heh

Thanks and very nice!

R

# Posted: 13 Oct 2011 11:49
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Here's a picture of when I was pouring my footings. But you can see the trees around the cabin. The area that we cleared had a few dozen trees. Took over a day to clear it with my girlfriend.

I'm more worried about a tree falling on the cabin than a fire. Forest fires are more rare in Quebec than say BC.

Plus winter is coming so I'll wait until spring. I have to admit, during the summer, its very easily to start fires by mistake. Over the summer I was up by myself, working on my loft. I have a shed in the back of the lot with various things in it. I had a generator, I dragged it out of the shed and put it on top of my 2x2 patio stone, it must have caught a bunch of pine needles when I dragged it out. Its very heavy by the way. Anyways, I started her up and then went to work inside the cabin. After 20mins of working I could hear a noise in the back near the generator, I thought at first it was a big animal walking around, then I noticed smoke. So I ran down and the generator had started a fire that was spreading pretty fast. It got an area of 50 sq.feet and one part was starting up a tree. As for the generator it still runs fine, the muffler is the source of the fire.

So I agree with you, trees and bushes should have some distance from the cabin, or atleast to have all the pin needles taken up and just have grass.

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# Posted: 13 Oct 2011 12:10
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Or you could be sure to keep hot things away from combustibles...? *grin*

My wife is ALWAYS turning on a stove with a paper towel close by or hitting the toaster with the bread package right next to it and wonders why I am always like, "Really?.. Seriously?".. heh

R

# Posted: 13 Oct 2011 12:11
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As for my roof.

I used 2x8x16' lg., you can use smaller for your rafters if you want. I choose those because I was going to insulate them and I wanted to make sure I had enough room for an air space and the insulation.

I made my walls 10' because I knew for my loft floor was going to be 8' or so high from the ground floor. Which would leave 2' or so of wall around the loft part. Its pretty easy to do the trusses yourself. I'm pretty sure theres a few youtube videos out there giving pointers.

As for the roof, I would go for metal. Since I did metal I didn't put sheeting on the roof, but 2x4's spaced at 1' part. and then put the metal on top of it. Also my metal roof has a 40 year warranty on it. And its very easy to put up. I'll add a picture.

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# Posted: 13 Oct 2011 12:14
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Yea for sure,

Lesson learn. I'm still trying to fix my generator. a circuit for the alternator melted a bit so I'm paying the price. Just hard cause theres pine trees everywhere there and their needles are everywhere! haha

Any body have a suggestion on a good generator to buy?

# Posted: 13 Oct 2011 12:17
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I am adding the radiant barrier simply to muffle the sound and protect from heat. I am not sure if I want to add insulation to the roof as that would require me to enclose the rafters and I kinda like those, but since heat is such a factor, I will probably need to in order to hold in the cool air.

I want to metal roof, I just am trying to keep the entire house under 8k, dried in. The hardi plank and roofing are the most expensive aspects

Very nice cabin, btw.

R

# Posted: 13 Oct 2011 12:19
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Mark: Teasing you... but yea.. I hear ya. I hate pine needles and in this weather, they are suuuuper dangerous.

I am buying a propane generator and adding a 250 gallon bottle to the cabin next year so I can run it without having to fill it all the time

R

dalltxguy
Member

# Posted: 13 Oct 2011 15:39 - Edited by: dalltxguy
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hi mark - yes I did buy land in the area. 145 acres just off of Lac La Truite which includes my own lake! I will be your neighbour at some point as you are just up the road. For now I am back in New Zealand and will be back in Canada next summer.
Good progress on your cabin. Pleased to see it coming along so well.
re: trees being too close - don't listen to anyone, the whole point is to live in the forest, not to be afraid of the trees. Insurance - phooey, if it burns down, you build another one - it's the whole point of building small, you don't worry about these things and you build to enjoy, not to worry.
If you're caught with the fire behind you, you have the river in front of you, however, fire is quite rare in those parts because the forest is still quite natural.

marker2011

# Posted: 13 Oct 2011 19:48
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Congrats Dalltxguy

I'm excited to finish this cabin and hopefully sell it so I can buy a bigger piece of land and make another cabin. I'd like to find something on a lake. By the way how did you find that piece of land?

I'm taking it you'll only be building next summer? FYI in the spring there, the black flies are really bad and I'm not kidding. First time we went up after buying was late May and we got bit so bad. We ended up staying in the tent most of the day. Then at night they sleep is it was peaceful.

Totally, whats why we pay for insurance right! For if things like that happened.

# Posted: 14 Oct 2011 13:06
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Thanks MtnDon. Perhaps I heard that incorrectly. 30 feet is certainly much more tolerable. Thanks for the info on the thinning at the next zone. We have pretty much 100% lodgepole pine and they are pretty widely spaced as it is, so it won't take much to thin them out. With the beetle kill in the area, fire is an even greater danger.

Sorry to hijack your thread marker2011. Good luck on the next phase of your project.

dalltxguy
Member

# Posted: 21 Oct 2011 05:26
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Hi Mark!

I found my property through Kijiji.
Yes, I only plan to start building next summer. Thanks for the warning about the blackflies. I am well aware of their ability to eat humans alive. I'll prepare accordingly. I have a bit of work to do before I am ready anyway preparing the site and designing my building. I plan to mill all my own lumber as well. Thanks for documenting your build so well. It's been very helpful. Hope you get yours closed up before the snow flies.

# Posted: 27 Oct 2011 12:13
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So i'm getting ready to install my wood stove. Just wondering if anyone has any pointers or tips?

trollbridge
Member

# Posted: 27 Oct 2011 13:02
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where is it going to come out of your roof? Hopefully at the peak or near. Ours was not fun, but yours may go very smoothly. Good luck!

# Posted: 28 Oct 2011 10:32
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well I wanted to put it in the middle of the 16' wall which would look really good, the only prob is we have a futon were going to put in the cabin and we feel it might be to close to the stove. about 2-3 feet from it when its in the bed mode and then 3-4' from when its just a sofa. My second idea is to put it in the corncer. Which could work and give a lot more room in the big area. My only question is, how high does the chimeny have to go? is it past the top of the roof?