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sixmilestill
Member
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# Posted: 8 Jul 2022 09:04pm
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Hey folks new to the forum after searching the web to see if my cabin is able to be saved. I recently purchased a property in southern Virginia that has this old two story cabin on it. I’m told it dates back to the early 1800’s? Anyhow, is this thing able to be saved and is it going to cost me a fortune to do so? I got a quote for a disassemble/restore/reassemble and it was crazy.
This would be a basic weekend getaway cabin for my family to crash while we are hunting/fishing all day so I’m praying there’s a chance to deep clean it, replace some bad logs and replace roof/windows/door etc. I’m not overly optimistic but maybe there’s hope! Thank you!
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 8 Jul 2022 09:57pm
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Pictures of foundation and roof. Anything can be saved. Get all the brush and junk away from it.
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spencerin
Member
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# Posted: 8 Jul 2022 11:50pm
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What's your repair budget?
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 9 Jul 2022 06:18am
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Anything can be saved..although not everything is worth saving. Worth in this case is an opinion and only the person wrighting the checks can say.
What have you built and rebuilt before?
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sixmilestill
Member
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# Posted: 9 Jul 2022 06:57am
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I’ll have to get some pictures of the roof/foundation next time I’m up there.
I can probably spend maybe 10-15k on the cabin
I don’t have much building experience except with concrete. My brother in law is very good and has a guy that works for him that is a professional carpenter. Also two nephews that are pretty good and have built a few “barns†that are really those fancy event places with bathrooms and bars built in with lofts etc.
Thank you!!
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 9 Jul 2022 08:54am - Edited by: paulz
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Quoting: sixmilestill This would be a basic weekend getaway cabin for my family to crash while we are hunting/fishing all day so
One important aspect I've learned in a decade of cabin life is the difference between what your projected use is and full time cabin life.
You can drag sleeping bags in there and crash for a day right now. But will you soon want lights, electricity, water, plumbing, bathroom, septic, wood stove, a heater, kitchen? All of that has taken me much longer to incorporate and sort out than putting up the basic structure, not to mention the cost involved, and should be considered in the beginning to accommodate it while building. Most of these things such as cooking and bathroom can be done outdoors for occasional weekend use, and will lower cost considerably if not incorporated into the cabin.
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sixmilestill
Member
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# Posted: 9 Jul 2022 09:29am
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I’m thinking probably a nice porch with a grill for cooking but then building a simple add on out the back for a shower, composting toilet and sink/fridge. I have power existing to the structure and a fully functional well that the neighbors use full time about 20 feet behind the structure.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 9 Jul 2022 10:19am - Edited by: paulz
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Quoting: sixmilestill I have power existing to the structure and a fully functional well
You're halfway there!
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mj1angier
Member
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# Posted: 9 Jul 2022 10:27am
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Odds are you are going to find out that it will be best to take it apart and use the good parts in a rebuild. Now how you use them can go different ways:
Do you want it back just like the old cabin? Then you will have to learn or hire someone that works with logs. Not quick, not easy, not cheap but it will have that old log cabin feel.
Or build a new cabin and use the parts of the old one as accents- use it for post, mantles, make furniture out of it... it maybe cheaper, will be quicker, might be easier and will have the history in the cabin.
Or take it down and sell the parts to fund a new cabin- quicker, cheaper, maybe easier but you lose some of the history but have a nice place to make your own.
Going to be a matter of setting down and take hard looks at whats there and what can be saved, and how many $$ you want to toss at it.
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spencerin
Member
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# Posted: 9 Jul 2022 01:19pm
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$10-15k will get you a lot farther DIY than with contractors. We haven't seen the roof yet, but if needs to be replaced, unless you do DIY, that'll easily wipe out your budget. See if you can get us some more pictures.....
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sixmilestill
Member
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# Posted: 9 Jul 2022 02:31pm
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I'm torn back and forth between the nostalgia and scrapping it to build fresh. I spoke with a reclaimed wood guy that my wife’s company works with and he said each 6-7’ section of the logs is a $500-$750 mantle and he’s selling 3-5 of them a day in the Charlotte market. I’m guessing I could offload them to him for $300-400 each and there’s a bunch them with 2 stories.
The roof seems to be relatively weather tight now with no obvious water signs leaking into the cabin.
I’ll have to get back up there for some more pictures. It’s about 2 hours away so it might be a while. Here’s one that’s hard to see with the brush but your basic rusty tin roof.
Foundation wise it looks like just up on some rocks. I’m wondering if I don’t get someone to lift it, remove the bottom two rows of logs which look to be the worst since they’re closest to ground and then put a block foundation down? I got a quote to move a barn 1000 yards for 12k so I’d hope that they could just support one while the new foundation goes in for much less?
Thanks for all the input so far! You guys are awesome!
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sixmilestill
Member
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# Posted: 9 Jul 2022 02:32pm
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Photo:
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 9 Jul 2022 05:05pm
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Anything can be saved, only limiting factor is money.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 9 Jul 2022 08:42pm
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Imo
It is a money pit And a time pit......and I am a nostalgia/history buff.
If the 'foundation' is iffy you can blow the budget just getting it good underneath.
Is the present location where you really want a structure? If not, consider building a better rustic cabin, or even a prebuilt and tear down the existing house (I consider it more a 2 story house than a cabin) for the prev mentioned salvage to offset your costs.
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 9 Jul 2022 09:21pm
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Assorted thoughts, questions and comments:
As toyota_mdt_tech stated, the only limiting factor is money.
IMO, you or I can not do very much structure saving, restoring and so on with $10-15K and do a good job that is not just a patch, especially if you have to hire out some of the work.
Supporting an existing structure, particularly a heavy log structure will require some serious efforts to safely temporarily support the structure while the faulty foundation is cleared out and a new foundation is constructed under the building. We have done some of this in the past with 6x6 and 8x8 timber cribs and large temporary beams. Lots of work; lots of dollars.
What about the structure makes you want to "save" it? Is it all old squared off hewn logs? If that is a major 'like' of yours, considering that some of the bottom logs are rotten and considering the foundation under those logs seems to be some rocks, give some serious thought to dismantling and rebuilding a new structure that will be able to last another century or two without needing additional work in a decade or two.
A friend in WV created an extremely nice cabin/home using old chestnut logs from a structure of similar age. After months of inspecting, measuring, and cataloging the timbers he designed a new cabin/home which was built on a solid full perimeter concrete foundation.
His original log structure also had some old lap siding. That too was carefully dismantled and much of it used for a stick-framed extension wing. The old siding was installed over a nice modern, insulated rain screen wall. It all fits together marvelously.
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sixmilestill
Member
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# Posted: 10 Jul 2022 09:24am
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Great point ICC about re-using the pieces.
My biggest thing is getting a hunting cabin that is safe and comfortable for as little input as possible to start. The log cabin is super cool and one day I would love to do a full overhaul and have a professionally done restoration and probably expansion but at that point it maybe better to just buy one that has already been restored/tagged and just start fresh.
I’m going to try to get a guy out there to see really how bag it is. I’m probably just wishful thinking that I could use this structure without a full/expensive investment into it.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 11 Jul 2022 10:53am
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Quoting: sixmilestill probably spend maybe 10-15k on the cabin
Your going to spend that much on materials alone to repair that.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 11 Jul 2022 01:43pm
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Used to be Id take my estimate and double it, that worked out pretty well in 'the old days'. Now I have to triple it to get close 
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sixmilestill
Member
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# Posted: 17 Jul 2022 10:10pm
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Got up to the farm today for a quick work day. I cut the the big vines, what trees I could and a did a heavy dose of roundup on everything from the cabin out to about 5 feet all the way around
After doing a close walkthrough/walk around, I think you guys are right and this one’s probably a bridge too far. Upper story logs are good and there’s a lot of good lowers but there’s some bad ones including one whole corner. Looks like a buzzard has been roosting upstairs
Updated pics inbound
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sixmilestill
Member
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# Posted: 17 Jul 2022 10:12pm
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Pics 2
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sixmilestill
Member
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# Posted: 17 Jul 2022 10:13pm
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Pics 3
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sixmilestill
Member
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# Posted: 17 Jul 2022 10:14pm
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Pics 4
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 17 Jul 2022 11:09pm - Edited by: gcrank1
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The 'modern electronics' are such a contrast to the place!
The more I see the more overwhelming it gets.
You might take a look at what that $10 to 15k would buy you for a prebuilt 'cabin' to move into the site. Get the shell and finish off the inside as you want, as you can.
See: oldhickorybuildings.com
They are in Tenn. and have dealers all over. We have been shopping about 2yrs for a building for a toolshed/workshop for the cabin, just bought an OHB product soon to be delivered.
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sixmilestill
Member
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# Posted: 18 Jul 2022 08:34am
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@gcrank I think I’m with you on this one. Either a shell building to finish out or maybe a Barndo type thing.
I found an awesome deal on a 2 story bunce building that is already wired, insulated, has AC unit and solar panels but I can’t get anyone to move it. It is too tall and too wide for normal shed moving guys. No one will touch it unless disassembled so all of a sudden the deal is not such a great deal 
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 18 Jul 2022 09:27am
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I would try to save that if it was mine but would do all the work my self and only ever expect it to be a shed.
Is the first floor ceiling low or is that an optical illusion?
Right now here about $8k gets you a nice rough cut 10x20ft shed dropped off and leveled.
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sixmilestill
Member
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# Posted: 18 Jul 2022 09:07pm
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It’s crazy in that corner it’s like the floor got lifted up but there’s no big trees over there or anything 🤷â€â™‚ï¸
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NorthRick
Member
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# Posted: 19 Jul 2022 03:05pm
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Quoting: sixmilestill This would be a basic weekend getaway cabin for my family to crash while we are hunting/fishing all day
This will depend on your wife more than anything, but maybe just clean it out real good and use it as is. If the roof is not leaking, that's a major plus. You can cook and sleep in there out of the rain.
Do that for a while and you are likely to get a much better feel for how you will really use the land and what to do next.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 19 Jul 2022 03:25pm
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Bugs
Reptiles
Rodents
All have been living there for decades?
Last thing I wanna do is get up in the night to....and find a rattlesnake on the floor.
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NorthRick
Member
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# Posted: 21 Jul 2022 04:40pm
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Quoting: gcrank1 Bugs Reptiles Rodents All have been living there for decades? Last thing I wanna do is get up in the night to....and find a rattlesnake on the floor.
Although I've been in Alaska for over 25 years, I grew up in Virginia. My passion is the outdoors, then and now. I know there are rattle snakes in Virginia but I never saw one, ever. Everything on that list can be dealt with.
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sixmilestill
Member
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# Posted: 21 Jul 2022 04:42pm
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Oh goodness a snake on the floor when I wake up might result in me burning the whole thing down.
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