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packsquirrel
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2024 07:50pm
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Hello All!
I have been poking around here for a bit, sorting through a lot of interesting ideas and experiences--thank you!
I am at the napkin sketch phase of cabin building. I have the land. I and my partner would, ideally, build a simple 10 by 12 camping cabin on it. (Simple to me means a rectangle with a door, couple of windows, insulation. No stove, electricity, solar, toilet, loft, etc.)
My big wrench in the plan is a strange time constraint. At the end of this year, we (with young kids and pets) are going to prepare our house to sell, sell our house, temporarily live somewhere near where we are looking to move with all of our stuff in storage, and then buy and move into a new place. The whole whoop-do is going to take a million years, I anticipate, and generate a fair amount of stress. And it puts a damper on our potential cabin build.
My wacky idea is to get started on the cabin by building the foundation and bottom of it this year (like now), and camp on it as a tent platform. Then, in a year or so, finish the build of the rest of the cabin on the "deck." This way we can be a bit up off the ground in a tent for now, and we have a head start on building the rest of the cabin when we do get settled.
By "deck" I don't mean backyard deck, I mean sonotubes (slight slope to the site in Northern California) holding up a structure that is constructed as the bottom of a cabin--a structure that is built with an eye to being finished later.
Can anyone think of a reason not to do this? I would think that the future floor would have to be protected from weather (rain, not snow) and bugs. But is there some thing that might structurally compromise the "deck" before the rest of the cabin is built that I am not thinking about? Has anybody done this before?
Thank you all so much for your time. I really appreciate all that I've read here before.
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ICC
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2024 08:22pm
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Well, it may just be my construction background speaking, but I do not like the idea of leaving a floor assembly open to the elements for a protracted length of time, unless the beams, joists, deck surface materials, and fasteners, etc. are meant to be left exposed to the elements.
So that would rule out the use of common sheet goods that would normally be used for subflooring.
I suppose if one were to thoroughly paint the deck (floor) surface that would go a long way to preserving the material. However, depending on the length of time of the exposure to rain and sun, there could still be some deterioration, especially if there is any pooling of water in slight dips.
But as I stated, I may worry more about this than others.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2024 09:40pm
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Ive seem folks around here (sc WI) who 'built as they could', a couple of them lived inside the decked over basements with roll roofing(?) over the deck like a flat roof.
Id want to be using the newest/best material over any floor decking with another 'wear layer' if you want to use it as a deck until building the structure.
How about this....build an actual deck to use as you go until this all sorts out and you build the cabin. Then move the deck up to it and you are good to go.
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Brettny
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2024 11:26pm
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I had a 10x14 shed on our land and set it up as a cabin. With 2 dogs and just one kid it was way to small for even a weekend place. No one could move around and if theres bugs, it's raining or it's cold your all inside. Then we bought a camper and it sucked even more.
If your going to live in a shed for even weekends with a family I'm thinking 16x20 is a bare minimum for space. Having some type of building on the property really helped us build a real cabin.
The first thing with any new build is to call the town/county to find out if you can build what you want on it. Next thing would be site prep. Site prep is really important. Taking down trees is way easier now and dealing with drainage issues is also way easier now.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 26 Jun 2024 12:48am
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Good point
I have an 8x12 'ice shanty' too; it would make a decent but tight, one 'man' cabin.
Mark out your proposed cabin footprint in the rec-room or garage. place some furniture in then add people. Does it all fit?
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Fanman
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# Posted: 26 Jun 2024 01:39am
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You could build the deck out of pressure treated lumber just like any other deck (but with building-ready construction like substantial rim joists to support the future walls), then when you're ready to build the cabin you could attach your subflooring over the existing deck boards.
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frankpaige
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# Posted: 26 Jun 2024 03:12am
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I am going with the others that have concerns about size. I taped out sizes the city home back yard. Even for a two person cabin. I could not go lower than 12x16. It gets crowed when the kids and grandchildren come. And they bring their own RV.
I can understand being impatient on the building aspect. I loved the journey. Do not fast track something that means so much. Prioritize! Even if it means not building.
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Brettny
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# Posted: 26 Jun 2024 12:38pm
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Quoting: frankpaige Do not fast track something that means so much. Prioritize! Even if it means not building
This is what we did. Bought our property in 2019 expecting to build 2020 and lumber prices went sky high. We ended up doing a ton of site work and saving money. In 1yr we now have a insulated 20x32 1.5 story cabin. No major trees threaten the cabin, the solar pannels get lots of light and the drainage around the cabin is great.
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Curly
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# Posted: 26 Jun 2024 08:58pm
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I am guessing your long term plan is to have a cabin with a traditional deck or large porch along side the cabin. If that's true, I'd suggest building the deck first and use that deck as your camping platform. Then build your cabin alongside the deck/tent platform.
As for the cabin, I agree with others that a 10x12 cabin sounds very small. I'd suggest building something bigger and plan for small additions to that main building as your family grows and as your finances allow.
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spencerin
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# Posted: 27 Jun 2024 02:09am
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I concur with the suggestion of building an actual deck to camp on, with the intention of it becoming the front deck to the cabin you attach that deck to at a later date.
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Grizzlyman
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# Posted: 27 Jun 2024 07:57pm
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Curly
This is a good strategy- build a real deck that you’ll use later.
Big benefit of this when you start building the cabin, you’ll have a nice level place to make cuts, keep your tools, sawhorses etc and they won’t be in the way when building a platform and framing.
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packsquirrel
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# Posted: 28 Jun 2024 04:04pm
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Hello again! Thank you all for your replies, I appreciate them all. A bit more information about my circumstances:
We've owned the property for over a decade, and we've camped on it for long periods of time (with two kids), frequently, for nearly the entire time. Our camping set up is a supposed 6-person tent (how REI determined that six people can fit in here is beyond me), with a footprint of 84 feet. Then we have a screened easy-up over a table and chairs, and a second tent to hold clothing and a pad for the kids to hang out on. We have a patio box nearby with the sawzall and weed whacker for trail maintenance, and hammocks and trash bags and first aid and etc.
We camp rain or shine. We hike in the woods in the rain.
We can't have a structure larger than 10 by 12 on our property at this time. We've rented a 12 by 12 "rustic" (at best) cabin close to us a few times, in January, in deep redwoods, in the rain and it's seemed like a palace compared to the tent we usually use. We've also owned and used a 13 foot trailer from the late 1950s and that, too, seemed like more than enough for us.
While building a deck first would certainly help us get some building chops in preparation to build a cabin later, and is a lovely idea, we don't really want to spend the time or money on doing first a deck and then a cabin. Our money is limited. A deck to be used only as a deck, at this time, isn't worth it to us.
We really are just looking to build, basically, a small wood tent that will make sleep during the cold and wet nights a little easier to manage. That is all.
My concern was that, while it seems like first having a bottom, and then having the sides and top a year or so later, shouldn't be a huge issue (maybe?) if a big-ass tarp is stapled all over and around the "deck" structure, it could actually be quite a large issue if something starts to rot because it isn't supposed to be exposed. Or some other issue with the structure that I cannot personally anticipate might rear up?
I share the unease with the idea that ICC mentioned--I, too, worry more than others!
Thank you all again for the replies. They have given me food for thought about our needs and process, for sure!
I think that we'll probably start building the cabin in two stages still, with a long pause between the bottom and the rest of it, with an eye to keeping the bottom dry and shaded as it waits for the top. We don't need the bottom to camp on, so we will probably just stay off of it.
Thank you all again for your replies. I poke around on this site a lot and am excited by and grateful for your ideas and experiences.
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frankpaige
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# Posted: 28 Jun 2024 04:10pm
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Quoting: packsquirrel We can't have a structure larger than 10 by 12 on our property at this time.
Can you build up? For the lack of a better term? A two story?
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 28 Jun 2024 05:58pm - Edited by: gcrank1
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The size 'limit' sounds familiar, several folks have mentioned similar in the past and it has come down to the 'accessory building' clause in the regs. Assumptions and plans are often made on a misinterpretation of the regs.
To the point, would you build bigger, like 16x16 if you could? (trust me, you will not regret building bigger than you anticipate now).
Can you clarify for us where this size limit comes from.
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ICC
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# Posted: 28 Jun 2024 06:39pm
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What gcrank1 said. If that 10x12 is because "no permit" is required <p to 120 sq ft, a careful reading of the rule will likely reveal the phrase "accessory building" which means the must be an approved residence built under s permit on site first. Check that. Post a link to the online source if you can.
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Brettny
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# Posted: 28 Jun 2024 11:54pm
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You may not be allowed to build a deck then add od a cabin. It seams like your trying to skirt codes and inspections. If a 120sqft shed will suit your needs build that but dont build that because it allows you to skirt codes. More than likely they wont allow a CO for a 120sqft building anyway.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 29 Jun 2024 12:44am
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Depending upon location you may be able to do a 'hunting, fishing, recreational cabin' that is not intended to be lived in and does not require a certificate of occupancy.
You have to read the regs very carefully.
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