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elgorr
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# Posted: 23 Jan 2015 08:21pm
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Hey guys I'm new to the forum and was hoping you would be able to help me with my cabin project. My brother and I are planning to build a very small (8x8) log building in the woods on a local ski mountain (its on the backside on paper company land and we have peemission). We plan to use it as an overnight shelter before storm days so we can wake up on the mountain and ski the fresh snow before anyone else. It is to be a very simple shelter with a shed roof seven feet in the front pitching down to three in the back. All that is going to be inside is two bed platforns and a woodstove.
Our unique situation is that the cabin site is only accessible via a 3 hour hike in up a steep trail. we are building it with all hand tools because a chainsaw is too loud (we don't want anyone to know our location) and heavy to carry up. The problem is that we do not have the technology to mill boards while we are up there and packing in more than a few will be very difficult.
I have everything figured out except the floor. I really don't want a dirt floor and want to figure out a way to cover the floor with something durable that I can reasonably pack in or even better make from nature with hand tools. Any suggestions??
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Pookie129
Member
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# Posted: 23 Jan 2015 09:55pm
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Sounds interesting, good luck and welcome on board.
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elgorr
Member
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# Posted: 23 Jan 2015 09:59pm
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Thanks! I hope you guys with of your cabin building experience will have some creative solutions for me.
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GreatOutdoors
Member
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# Posted: 23 Jan 2015 10:18pm
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You could do something like this:
https://forum.canadianwoodworking.com/showthread.php?59083-Wood-block-flooring
but you would still need a sub-flooring. I don't think laying this kind of block directly on the ground would be a good idea.
Perhaps a layer of gravel / stones, a layer of plywood (you only need to pack in two 4x8 sheets for a 8x8 cabin), and then the block on top (or just have the plywood as floor).
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Just
Member
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# Posted: 23 Jan 2015 10:46pm
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Are there any flat stone up on that mountain .lay down 2 , 4 x 8 sheets of foam cover it with flat stones and grout them in..
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Salty Craig
Member
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# Posted: 23 Jan 2015 11:59pm
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elgorr
You are one energetic dude. 3 hour hike uphill? I love it!! My solutions are generally at a lumberyard. Please post pictures of your cabin. Sounds awesome.
Craig
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elgorr
Member
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# Posted: 24 Jan 2015 08:38am - Edited by: elgorr
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What kind of foam? Like 1 inch closed cell islnsulation?
Quoting: Salty Craig You are one energetic dude. 3 hour hike uphill? I love it!! My solutions are generally at a lumberyard. Please post pictures of your cabin.
Thanks! I'll definitely post pictures of the cabin however we aren't beginning building until the summer of 2016. This summer I won't be around so my brother is going to get all of the logs down and peeled so they will be dry the following summer. I'll post pictures of the site as soon as we do something! We are really in the planning phase right now.
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Don_P
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# Posted: 24 Jan 2015 09:10am
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A puncheon floor? Broadaxe or split them in half and an adze, get some shinguards if you go that route it's other name is "the devil's shin hoe".
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Just
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# Posted: 24 Jan 2015 09:17am
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Quoting: elgorr What kind of foam?
sounds good , i'm not sure it would work so u might want to try a little before you go up the hill .
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creeky
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# Posted: 24 Jan 2015 10:36am
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if you were using foam for a subfloor you'll want a fairly dense extruded polystyrene or xps. it's waterproof, the higher densities will stay waterproof, and can take weight on top of it.
sounds like a lot of fun.
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elgorr
Member
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# Posted: 24 Jan 2015 11:11am
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Quoting: creeky if you were using foam for a subfloor you'll want a fairly dense extruded polystyrene or xps. it's waterproof, the higher densities will stay waterproof, and can take weight on top of it.
I don't know if I want to use foam because when this thing rots into the ground in 20 years it is going to be a huge mess of wet foam and I really want to be sensitive to the environment up there. However it might be the best option if I cant figure out something else, so Ill keep that in mind.
Quoting: Don_P A puncheon floor? Broadaxe or split them in half and an adze, get some shinguards if you go that route it's other name is "the devil's shin hoe".
That is another good route however it will add a lot of time and logs to this cabin that is going to be built on weekends. I do like the idea though, I looked it up and a puncheon floor is a great old method.
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Pookie129
Member
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# Posted: 24 Jan 2015 11:11am
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what about a mud/straw/clay base for the flooring?? Like an earthen sub floor.....you could then lay stones or some sort of flooring on the top level....
I apologize if that isn't a reasonable idea for this project.....just a quick thought..
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elgorr
Member
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# Posted: 24 Jan 2015 01:24pm
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That's a good idea too. All of these are great ideas but I'm trying to think about the site and there just aren't that many flat rocks around. It is a sub alpine environment with a lot of moss and spruce trees.
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Just
Member
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# Posted: 24 Jan 2015 02:23pm
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IMO you should go up and take a careful inventory of what could be found .. ie. rocks , gravel , clay [chinking]' sand [mortar]
type and number of trees close by [ceder for roofing soft wood for walls , hardwood to burn , ect ... bare in mind exposure to the sun is a important thing if you are off grid so picking the sight
should come first .. water source would be high on my list if i had to carry it for 3 hours!!
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