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Simonfredette
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# Posted: 14 Apr 2021 11:17pm
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We purchased a small lakefront cottage in Central Frontenac ontario a couple years ago with a small 8x16 bunkie by the water. We layer learned the bunks wasnt permitted and was illegal. After some insurance negotiations we received a very small payout and now need to rebuild. We are going to need to build up on a ridge further from the water on ground that is littered with boulders. I have experience building an off grid cottage but not one with permits and codes etc. I'm looking at single storey maybe 16x20 with attached covered deck. Im having trouble wrapping my head around code requirements for foundations and frankly the entire permit process. We are at the point where we are having the plot lines surveyed to ensure the new location is legal and ideally finding someone to cut a driveway up to the build site from the right of way. Any help or advice, plan ideas etc would be greatly appreciated. We loved a design like the yellowtail 1 from beaver home (but they want 50k for the materials ) https://beaverhomesandcottages.ca/Model/
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Steve_S
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# Posted: 15 Apr 2021 04:10am
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Welcome Simon, several of us from Ontario lurking about here. I was looking at properties in Central & North Frontenac back during my land hunt days... They were stickier about certain things back then with regards to building codes & minimum size etc.
There are several options and depending on your intended immediate use & long term use and if later resale is a consideration (which ought to be IMO, because we never know what tomorrow will present us).
The permit process is NOT HARD but you will have to follow their minimums space requirements (if they have such). Permits are easier IF you have pre-approved plans like this you'd get with a kit from Beaver, the Yellowtail is a nice little setup, key being little.
I'd also highly suggest you look at the 2-Car garage options such as the Wyungate here: https://beaverhomesandcottages.ca/Model/Wyngate
The reason being is that it would provide a vast amount of open floor space on 2 levels (cheaper per square foot) which opens up layout potentials. You only replace the two big doors with 1) a 6' Double Patio Door and the other with a regular window or door or ?
FOUNDATIONS are tricky depending on the structure used. The Garage Based Cabin (2x6 structure) would have to go onto a Slab Foundation while your YellowTail could go onto a variety of foundations from piers to basement to slab. If this is to be used year round and you want to heat it or if it's summer only and no heat in winter etc. then that should fall into the consideration pile as well.
For example I live in my cabin Year Round (near Algonquin Park area) I have a Frost Protected Slab Foundation with hydronic Radiant Heating in it. Code requires 2" of High-Density Foam insulation under the slab and up its sides which helps to keep the slab warm & regulated. My Radiant System was supplied by http://www.radiantcompany.com/ I also have a woodstove for ambience & backup (I'm pretty remote & offgrid so everything has a backup).
KITS:
There are a variety of Beaver / HH kits and they are all pretty standard stuff, no crazy weird things to build. Be WATCHFULL especially with the garage kits. The kit MUST be 2x6 wall framed either Conventional or Advanced Framing (Advanced framing used 15% less lumber). Their blueprints are generally accepted without issue so that simplifies things a lot. DIY Build is a tad easier in some cases versus contractor built. I designed, blueprinted & self-built my home - as self designed & self-built I got things done easier around code needs (I built over code specs though).
Considerations:
Insulation for example, don't use fiberglass crap ! It provides a home to bugs, rodents and wicks moisture. For BATT type insulation, Rockwool (Roxul) is the way to go. Bugs & Rodents HATE it, it is hydrophobic and will not absorb or wick moisture nor will it burn. Alternately Foam is really the best way to go but sprayed get's expensive really fast and sheet foam in retail land is ludicrous with some having as much as 600% markup from commercial wholesale pricing.
Notes on Building in Ontario.
1) They do not approve of building with Greenwood.
2) They will require graded lumber & materials.
3) Septic requirements are relative to the township rules.
4) Well drilling is fairly open. No well can be located any closer than 50' to a sewage/septic system or field and must be above grade (uphill) of such.
5) 2021 Code Revision is due SOON this include new minimums for insulation and adds new building types & methods This may get delayed to next year though.
Hope it helps, Good Luck
Steve.
BTW: If you are considering Solar Powering your place, there is some advantage if you are building a place to orient it for maximum solar gain and exposures. Additionally, if Solar IS a part of the plan, then the build can be optimized for it at the start, as opposed to being a "tack on addition later". Solar has seriously dropped in price as have battery systems and it is NOT as hard as many think it is. If Solar is something you want to consider, then come over to https://diysolarforum.com/index.php and talk to us there. Will Prowse (that site owner) also has a Youtube Channel with extensive videos and tutorials etc.
PLEASE Consider this.
You are building from scratch. There are many things that can be included & allowed for when building a new place such as making it Solar Ready. Angles & Directions of how the structure aligns for sun gain or shading where the natural windbreaks are on the land etc. Try to work WITH Nature rather than attempting to imposing your will onto it. Ince the foundation is poured, you won't be turning it or moving it.
A note on above.
I build my home Hyper Insulated. Sheltered in a natural "nook" on my property. I used a Cool Roof System along with Rainscreen siding installation. It can be 40C outside in summer and it never gets more than 26C inside (I gave away my AC unit). The insulation in combo with the general structure design also keeps it toasty in winter. My heating system runs 2x for 2 hours each run per 24 hours to keep my place at 23C all through winter which translates into very little energy overall. Yes, 4 hours of heating in a whole 24hour period in mid winter !
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Simonfredette
Member
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# Posted: 15 Apr 2021 08:11am
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Thanks we are planning a three season, hopefully on piers if i can get the depth for it. Currently our bunkie has a wood fireplace, solar array and composting. We plan on keeping these to avoid needing sceptic, a well and hydro. The problem with the beaver homes is ou cant buy the plan, the only way is to buy the entire materials for 50k. This year, i want to at least have the survey done, and the driveway up the ridge as well as any grading or flattening at the build site, in already afraid of what that will cost for excavation and fill. The building indirectly did also provide the rules for building a tiny house which are very interesting, smaller footprint etc but it does need to follow code and be anchored to a foundation, can't just build on wheels etc. You also can't make them like you see on tv, a loft or mezzanine needs 6'9 under and over, no little 4 foot tall sleeping lofts.
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Steve_S
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2021 05:14am
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You can do what is called a Storey & a Half which is permissible. When framing your main walls, rather than using 2x6x8' you can build it with 2x6x12' and you set the second floor at the right height which gives you a 4' knee wall (half story). There are a few different ways to do this depending on the plan you have in mind.
Considerations for plan.
Excavation:
- When you excavate the topsoil and bring in fill & hard pack, also have the guys dig a Grey Water Dry Well" hole and drain lines. Then you can run your sink,shower, urinal & pee diversion from compost toilet out to the Grey Water system.
- You WILL get a lot of "eratics" which are glacial boulders deposited ages ago, from fist size to house size and teh excavation will bring a lot up. Consider what to do with that stone, landscaping, wall building and so on, so it's worth considering having the rock piled off side later for projects etc...
- Consider also what will be done with the topsoil/organics they dig out, find a place they can dump it (dips in the soil grade etc) and also having it available to finish landscaping and backfilling spots once your done the actual "hard building". It will be rocky and have roots etc in it.
Your bedrock will be Banded Granite with a large mix of assorted deposits dragged along by the glaciers as they retreated. Because of your location, you'll also likely have Loadstone (Magnetite) rocks littered around too (most notable when using a compass, spots will appear on your property were the compass will be off kilt as a result, also wreaks havoc on Cell phone reception. ALL of that rubble stone is mixed up and there is a bit of everything in it, so be really careful if you intend to use any of that stone for a fireplace or where it get's heated, use Igneous Rock only ! Wrong stone can become an explosive in fire.
A well is up to you and your intended use. I dunno if you'll be pulling lake water for basic stuff. A TIP, IF/When you get to having a well drilled, I very strongly suggest using a Cable Pounder Drill as opposed to a bore drill. The pounder will fracture the rock as it drills down resulting in higher & better water flows & recovery time at a shallower depth. A Bore Drilled well is typically 20%+ deeper to get similar waterflow. Drilling is charged by the foot and it adds up fast ! IF you get a well, remember to use only a Soft-Start Water Pump like a Grundfos SQ. That prevents a huge surge demand which is stress on a solar system. My Grundfos SQ-5 120VAC SoftStart pump is 250' deep pushing to 50 Gal pressure tank then 75' to house, never notice pressure change. It starts at 550W draw and stages up to 1100W by the time it cuts off at 52PSI.
A "Tiny House" on a Trailer does NOT follow the same building codes, it IS a vehicle and falls under those guidelines and stipulations (like cannot be taller than 14'6" from the ground surface to top). As far as the Township is concerned, Tiny Homes are classed as RV's and viewed as such and there are restrictions over RV's on properties & their uses. As I recall, Frontenac will not allow an RV to be used for habitation on a private property and cannot be a primary residence. One reason I skipped past Frontenac
RE Frontenac Building Inspectors. Years ago I dealt with a very good younger fellow <40 who was very helpful & informative. He "tipped" me about how the property can be designated. Hunt Camps & Recreational & Year Round Recreational popped up with slightly different rules & requirements. Also this depends on location within the township.
HEADS UP WARNING
Ontario is revamping property designations & allocations which is all supposed to come down this fall. Some things are being drastically changed, some good and many NOT. Remember the Tax Man never gives folks a break eh and with Dougie's gang it's a guaranteed grab! We've had a heads up notice from our Town Council here that these changes are coming partly because they had to make an interim decision for this summer that ticked folks off. So Be Aware that these things are coming and it may affect your plans BUT if you have a permit issued and your working under that, you get grandfathered in. I CANNOT say what they are tightening or loosening as far as rules / restrictions etc. I expect more info will be coming, so watch for anything coming from your township or county.
Hope it helps, Good Luck.
Steve
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Simonfredette
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2021 08:01am
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Yes we are unfortunately designated residential waterfront. That is what I meant by the tiny house on wheels, im not allowed an rv and if I'm going to build it on a frame and anchor it I still have to follow code for wall thickness, joist size insulation etc. and more importantly mezzanine heights under and over.
Mainly for budget reasons etc, we have no plans to have grey water, a well.. By excavation I mean someone will come for a couple hours and scrape me a driveway my truck can climb and ideally try to flatten a build site. We will be perched on top of a ridge with a steep slope down maybe 50' in elevation to the lake from and a gradual slope down to the right of way. as it stands the total budget is right around 17k ..
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Steve_S
Member
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2021 09:30am
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I'm on a Ridge, 1700 feet above the crest of 3 valley's, the drop just past the end of my driveway is a "doozie" and a wonderful place to shove snow.
I hafta wonder. If you won't have septic or a greywater system, AND your lakeside (more or less) what are you going to do with your wastewater from sink, shower or other ? They'll allow a Commercial Compost Toilet but not a sawdust type of setup. The commercial electric jobbies are pricey & persnickety too. Be prepared to answer those questions to the Building Inspector - people get fookered by not having a plan to address these points.
BTW, the new environmental rules for the rivers, lakes, access, pollution, etc all come into effect I believe in June, and if you thought things were tough before... getting harder.
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Simonfredette
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2021 09:57am
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Ya we have no shower, no sinks etc. Straight camping. We have a commercial composting already with evaporation chamber. We're zoned RW which according to the bylaws means we can have a sleeping bunkie, or seasonal dwelling. This will a 100% off grid sleeping cabin, not even sure the composting will be inside it or in an outhouse. I've attached the tiny house rules for central Frontenac the building inspector provided. Also our current setup which we need to take down because it was built too close to the water and I'm fairly certain over the neighbors line ( by a previous owner, decades ago). We fought with insurance and received a payout to remove it, that in turn is the budget to reproduce it legally up the ridge
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