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spence
Member
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# Posted: 6 Jul 2012 05:51pm
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About a year ago i found this forum and got hooked to the idea of having my own small cabin. I took a lot of inspiration from various builds, then never having built anything in my life i set off in february of this year.
The cabin is located on land that has been in my family for many generations, pretty close to where VA, TN, and NC meet. I live about 2.5 hours away in Lexington NC
The first couple of weekends, i had some really good help from a good group of buddies. Weekend #1 was rainy and about 35 degrees the entire time. I was lucky to have some good help that will work in that weather for free!:
I'm just going to fast forward through a few picture to get us up to where it is at currently:
View from up the hill.
Finally got my dad up there at this point and started on the roof
My ugly mug taking a water break
End of may, finally finished the roof
I am using 1" thick rough cut pine board and batten siding. I messed up bad and stacked it without stickers in between and nearly ruined the wood 
My plan includes a 6-8' covered porch along the front, but for now I had to put up some temporary stairs since the siding is going up
and now we are up to the present
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VTweekender
Member
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# Posted: 6 Jul 2012 06:48pm
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Awesome!!! I love everything with it, the size, the style, the board & batten, really cool!!!!!
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Sustainusfarm
Member
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# Posted: 6 Jul 2012 07:03pm
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Nice place...great views! You did just like me and set up camp inside right after the roof was on! Keep the pics coming...
What are you going to use for heat or maybe way down there you only need to think about cooling? Any plumbing? Any water available? 
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spence
Member
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# Posted: 6 Jul 2012 08:09pm
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Thanks for the kind words!
As for heat, it does get pretty cold in this area with a fair amount of snow usually. I plan on getting a small woodstove for wintertime.
I dont plan on any power except for a small solar panel and some batteries to power some LED lighting inside. The reason I decided to set up camp where i did is it is right between a small creek and a spring. The spring is located halfway between my cabin and the old log cabin visible in the far back view.
On a side note, that old cabin is really cool, but at this point I'm afraid it is too far gone to save. My grandfathers grandmother grew up in that cabin. There are old newspapers pasted to the walls inside for insulation, and you can read fragments of articles from WWI and before!
I will be sure to keep this thread updated with pictures as I continue to make (slow) progress.
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hattie
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# Posted: 6 Jul 2012 10:14pm
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WOW - beautiful, beautiful location!! It looks like it is located on a Christmas Tree Farm!! Your cabin is coming along great! Keep the photos coming and congratulations!
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rayyy
Member
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# Posted: 7 Jul 2012 05:16am
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Geeeez spence,what a beautiful place.That view is increadable.My hat's off to you and your buddies for building your cabin.I'll bet you guys had a lot of fun up there.
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cabingal3
Member
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# Posted: 7 Jul 2012 07:18am
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this is just great.great everything.i love the ruff cut pine boards i used.u have a wonderful place.
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OwenChristensen
Member
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# Posted: 7 Jul 2012 08:40am
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Yes, I like the wood too. Nice looking site as well.
Owen
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spence
Member
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# Posted: 8 Jul 2012 09:21pm
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I went up to the cabin yesterday to piddle, ended up not getting anything done. It was HOT and not as much as a breeze, which is rare up there.
On the way up the drive(1/2" mile of very rough dirt road to nearest gravel road) I encountered these two pines down from the recent windstorm. Of course they were riddled with poison ivy....
1.5 hours later I was back on my way.
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 8 Jul 2012 09:36pm
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Welcome! It will be fun to watch your cabin come along. Your land is beautiful!
If there is one thing you should know it is that ya always need to prepare for the unexpected! We don't head up north without ALWAYS bringing the chainsaw!!!!
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Spencie
Member
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# Posted: 14 Jul 2012 05:20pm
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Very nice setting for your cabin. Looks great...thanks for the progress pics.
Last name Spence or first name????
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spence
Member
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# Posted: 15 Jul 2012 11:21am
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Thanks!
My last name is actually Spencer, but I guess some people just call me Spence.
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Spencie
Member
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# Posted: 15 Jul 2012 06:09pm
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Hmmmm, my last name is Spence but I sometimes get called Spencer. Great cabin.
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westernrider4
Member
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# Posted: 16 Jul 2012 04:07pm
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Fantastic !!!! I am a single mom with three .....almost out of the house. So sick of working my butt off to pay everyone but me. Anyways I'm going to sell my hobby farm (which is just too darn big for just me) and simplify my life. I want a small log cabin for year round living. But here in Ontario, Canada there are regulations for cabins and living off the grid and I think I am only allowed 110 sq foot cabin to get away with NOT having to install electric and such with out the permits crap. Would be incredibly grateful for any input and ideas.....what a great site!!
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spence
Member
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# Posted: 24 Jul 2012 05:49pm
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I went up this past weekend and made some more progress. I got the door installed, which will make my girlfriend feel a lot better. The last couple of times we camped out in there she was worried about our little bear friend making an appearance in the night.
I also got the gables framed in and sided, leaving a small triangle where I will build a vent for the summer. I will have a panel to close it in for winter.
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Spencie
Member
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# Posted: 24 Jul 2012 07:43pm
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Lookin good
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tnky03
Member
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# Posted: 24 Jul 2012 10:26pm
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What a beautiful place and cabin! I have a son in Franklin, NC and I lov all the mountains in the area. All the best as you follow your dream.
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TomChum
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# Posted: 24 Jul 2012 10:33pm
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Very nice! Love the old wood, classic style.
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ErinsMom
Member
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# Posted: 25 Jul 2012 05:20pm
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Spence,
I also live in the corner of TN, VA and NC. God's country. It looks great.
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spence
Member
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# Posted: 25 Jul 2012 09:57pm
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ErinsMom
'It sure is! I love it up there. I hope to retire in the area. I would live there now, but when I finished college I couldn't find any jobs anywhere close
Thanks for the compliments from everyone!
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dvgchef
Member
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# Posted: 25 Jul 2012 10:50pm
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Great work, keep it up!
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rlewi09
Member
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# Posted: 27 Mar 2013 02:24am
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I know this is an older post but I figured I would still put in my 2 cents! I actually go to Appalachian State University so I am pretty close to you. I love the mountains in your area. Where did you get your siding from? I am to the point in my cabin build where I need to put siding on and this is exactly what I am looking for. How much was it a board and where did you get it? Thanks a lot. Your cabin looks great and I hope all is well!
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spence
Member
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# Posted: 27 Mar 2013 11:59am
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I got my siding cut by a fellow named Harvey Friddle down in Stokesdale. He runs a sawmill out of his front yard and was a really nice stand up guy, I would definitely recommend him. Oddly enough I found him on Craigslist.
www.friddlewood.com
I have no idea if his prices have changed over the last year, but I paid:
$3.33 per 1x8x10'
$1.25 per 1x3x10'
This is $0.50 per bd foot, with him providing the logs, which I thought was a pretty damn good deal. After taking my deposit he had my stack of lumber ready in about 2-3 weeks.
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Kudzu
Member
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# Posted: 27 Mar 2013 12:03pm
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That is a GREAT deal, it looks nice also.
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spence
Member
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# Posted: 27 Mar 2013 12:04pm - Edited by: spence
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Forgot to ask Rlewi09, is your cabin over hear the Boone area, or over on the Ashe county side? Mine is basically in Helton.
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rlewi09
Member
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# Posted: 27 Mar 2013 01:53pm
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Yea that is an awesome deal. That is pretty crazy that you mentioned him because I just saw him on craigslist yesterday advertising the same thing ha. But my cabin is actually in Burlington, about 2 hours east of Boone. I am just in school at Appalachian right now. I will definitely give Mr. Friddle a call though. Thanks a lot for the recommendation! How has that type of wood held up? Did you apply any kind of coat on it or wrap behind it to make it last? Thanks again
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spence
Member
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# Posted: 27 Mar 2013 02:39pm
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I really messed up on a couple things if I could do it over. One was that i didnt store the rough cut lumber carefully. I left it stacked tight for almost a month and it mildewed, that is what part of the wood is black. Once i realized this i "stickered" the wood by stacking old tobacco stakes in between the layers of wood and it halted the mildew problem. I did not wrap the house before i sided it, but in retrospect I should have at least put tar paper behind the wood.
I have not put any coating on the wood. I plan to let the color even out a little bit(for another year or two, maybe) and then put a clear stain on it.
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rlewi09
Member
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# Posted: 27 Mar 2013 03:16pm
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Ok looks like I might wrap mine first then. How long is this lumber supposed to dry before you can put it on? It looks like I am going to get a load of wood and it is green but has been sitting for about a week. I am kind of crunched for time because I will be home this weekend for easter break. It will be several months before I get another chance to get a long weekend to work again on this. Should I wait or could i go ahead and install it?
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rlewi09
Member
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# Posted: 27 Mar 2013 03:22pm
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By the way, do you have any more pictures of the cabin? I've noticed it's been almost a year since put a picture up. Anything else done to it?
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spence
Member
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# Posted: 27 Mar 2013 03:22pm
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I would put up the boards, but leave off the battens for now. My boards were a few months old when i put them up and they still shrunk over 1/4". If I had nailed battens over the cracks before the shrinkage occurred I am pretty sure I would have had lots of problems with cracking.
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