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woodswoman
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# Posted: 12 Jun 2014 08:34pm
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So we've started looking at what needs to be done to our cabin so we can actually use it... and essentially, we need to rip everything out but the bare bones. And even then, we don't know what shape those are in (although everything looks straight and solid). The risers under the camp need to be replaced. It needs a new roof. Because the old roof leaked and got everything thoroughly wet and mouldy, we need to replace the floors and rip out the interior walls as well as the ceiling. There is asbestos in those walls. Some windows are shattered. I could go on.
We've been looking at pre-fab buildings of the same size and thinking we might be better off replacing the old cabin with a completely new building. Consider a) that we don't have the time or the skills to do most of the renovating ourselves except for some finish work so that means $$$$ and b) we aren't crazy about the location of this cabin and have found the perfect spot to put a new one. What would you do? Is it worth investing in an older cabin or not? Here's a picture for those of you who didn't see my other threads.
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Shadyacres
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# Posted: 12 Jun 2014 09:38pm
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If it was me, I would build or buy new and use this as a storage shed or rip it down and burn.
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TheCabinCalls
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# Posted: 12 Jun 2014 09:39pm
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Is there sentimental reason to keep it? Could you get by with saving a door or window to remember it by?
Could you repurpose it as a shed and let it live a little shabby?
For the time you will spend, which could be spent doing other fun things at your property I say get the prefab - if it gets you what you want.
I am all for keeping things when possible, but if it means tearing most of it out and the foundation and floor isn't good then it may be cheaper, faster and less stressful to start fresh. I hate to say.
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Nirky
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# Posted: 12 Jun 2014 10:37pm
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Quoting: woodswoman There is asbestos in those walls
Enough said. You do not want to disturb anything asbestos.
If this had been a valuable dwelling, you could call a business approved & licensed for asbestos removal, but it would have cost you $$$.
Again, do not disturb at all anything asbestos, because when you do, the fibre can become airborne & easily inhaled. Mesothelioma. A nightmare.
Build a new cabin.
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turkeyhunter
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# Posted: 13 Jun 2014 10:12am
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something about that NEW WOOD smell in a NEW cabin
...verses the old moldy wet//damp smelling old cabin.....
go NEW!!!!
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beachman
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# Posted: 13 Jun 2014 10:17am
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I tried to restore an old place and gave up and rebuilt new. More money will be spent and you will have a renovated old cabin. You will be much happier in the long run and will have the location of your choice - just do it. Asbestos - don't even go there.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 13 Jun 2014 10:28am
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Start from scratch. As for tearing it down, loads of water on the inside to keep asbestos at bay. Maybe bury the thing. Pull off interior sheeting, wet it all down, dig big hold behind it, push it in, either start bon fire while in the hole and then bury or just straight up bury it.
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hattie
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# Posted: 13 Jun 2014 11:19am - Edited by: hattie
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With asbestos, I'd get rid of it and build new or bring in a prefab. You don't want to mess with that stuff.
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Just
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# Posted: 13 Jun 2014 08:01pm
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If you have a legal small cabin I would do almost any thing to keep it , were I come from its not possible to get a permit to build a new one under 1000 sq ft .
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cabin_pal
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# Posted: 19 Jun 2014 07:38am - Edited by: cabin_pal
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I have a similar situation: dilapidated, old stick-built cabin (home to wood rat squatters for 30 years) on beautiful land. For most of my 9 years of ownership, I planned to shore-up the tipping post foundation and to try straightening and leveling the place out. But being a precision carpenter, I've come to the conclusion that trying to put order to this chaos would drive me crazy, and cost even more than just building new from scratch. (Plus, I've lost patience with the rats.) My plan, now, is to dismantle the old cabin, salvaging what good lumber I can (the previous owner, for some reason, built the uninsulated structure's walls out of 2X8's), and to rebuild on a solid foundation in the same location. I think you'd be best advised to build new, as well. The asbestos situation is a sticky one. If you can afford it, have professionals remove the hazard. Otherwise, learn all you can about the safe removal of this material, and do the job yourself. With the asbestos out of there, then dismantle and preferably bury the remnants of the old cabin. It's hard to get completely free of asbestos, and the safest route is to remove or bury anything that could possibly have trace amounts of the material on it. If you have gorgeous land, and a clear vision of the new cabin you'd like to build, then enthusiasm for these things can help you through the challenge of abating the asbestos. Wishing you success in realizing the positive vision for your property!
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Nirky
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# Posted: 19 Jun 2014 03:15pm
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From what I've read on the subject, some of the reasons people do not do asbestos abatement themselves are
1) working with something so dangerous, its probably outlawed
2) it would be more expensive to purchase suits & equipment than hire a qualified company
3) you can buy suits & equipment, but you have no training. How do you know what has asbestos and what doesn't? No clue.
4) how would you even know you got all the asbestos? If you aren't qualified to know what is asbestos and what isn't, you may have removed one asbestos product but left another asbestos product in.
Some things are simply not DIY, like asbestos abatement.
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 19 Jun 2014 08:20pm
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I would not touch it. I would not even go into a building with mold without a respirator. I would be worried about breaking laws removing and desposing of toxic materials. And my health. The mold in the building can make you sick. I would build new in the better location.
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woodswoman
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# Posted: 1 Jul 2014 04:35pm
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Hey all, thanks sooooo much for all your replies! They are a huge help as the consensus is REBUILD!
TheCabinCalls - we just bought the property so there is no sentimental value. We did not even know there was a cabin on it when we made an offer on it. It has no value.
Just - we don't need permits to built a cabin here. Remote location, no laws on buildings this size here.
Everyone else, I think we will just leave this cabin where it is and use it as storage, maybe even a decoy for break-ins. We have an entirely different location in mind for our re-build and it will have a gorgeous, panoramic view. It is in a remote location, so hiring someone to go out there and remove the asbestos professionally would probably be prohibitive. We are definitely NOT qualified to do it oursevles. For now, it will stay there undisturbed until it falls down by itself and we'll figure out what to do then.
In the end, I have to agree that it will be a better investment to build new. Not to mention the excitement of having a new cabin in a new location! We expect it will take a couple of years to get organized and start building but we feel it will be worth the wait. An old neighbor of ours builds baby barns so we're going to make inquiries... the only limitation is that to haul anything up there is tricky. We are not carpenters so building on site is daunting... we are exploring options.
Now to spend more time reading all these great threads to figure out what's right for us!
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KinAlberta
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# Posted: 18 Jul 2014 10:43pm - Edited by: KinAlberta
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You might want to design and partially build it as a prefab cabin and then just label and haul most of it to the site. The learning curve and mistakes would be much easier to handle at home.
Maybe sketch a rough plan then take a camera, sticks, ropes and tarps to the site to mock up various views of sight lines from within and without to give you something to study at home.
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woodswoman
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# Posted: 20 Jul 2014 08:04am
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Thanks KinAlberta - good idea about the mock-up. I always measure everything, but somehow, when it gets put together, something doesn't quite fit right!
And yes, we are going to try to have most of it put together as a prefab and assembled at the site. Hauling it out there as a completed cabin would be impossible without putting in new roads but building from scratch on site is not feasible given our limited skills and lack of access to power. We do have a generator which we can take up there, however, to help us complete the assembly and finish.
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Jim in NB
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# Posted: 24 Jul 2014 06:21am
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Looks like a great spot although the Burtt's Corner area can be interesting at times! Good to see you have got past the intitial excitement and are thinking a bit more long term. Lots and lots of options and as you explore further I am sure you will find one that meets your guys requirements. Take a serious look at the composting toilet threads. I have two - one inside the camp and an outdoor one - greatest things ever - I have asked everyone who has come into my camp whether they could smell it and even got "nos" in the throne room. Alot less work and pretty darn comfortable!
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Jim in NB
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# Posted: 24 Jul 2014 06:25am
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Asbestos - be careful with it but I personnally go off the deep end about it. I have seen many removals over time. If I had it in a camp I would get a good mask, put plastic on the floor, wet it down, rip it out, put it and the plastic from the floor in heavy plastic bags and bury it. Obviously keep the kids away - young lungs are much more susceptible to damage. I would be much much more concerned about mold - not just for kids but for adults as well.
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woodswoman
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# Posted: 31 Jul 2014 12:26pm
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Hi Jim! if by interesting you mean running into a lot of people hell bent on destroying your property while threatening to hurt you and burn down your cabin, then yes, it sure is. Our plans to build have been put on hold for the time being until we make sure the place is secure. It may take a while 
And yes, I will look into that composting toilet I keep hearing so much about if and when we rebuild! For the time being, we are leaving the old camp as is and using it mostly for storage. Luckily, we live close by so we can make lots of day trips to the camp. Not quite the same as staying overnight, but it will have to do for now I'm afraid.
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Malamute
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# Posted: 31 Jul 2014 02:23pm - Edited by: Malamute
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For less than the cost of having someone else do it, or buying a premade, you can probably buy the basic tools you'll need to build it yourself. A decent air compressor and nail gun, decent quality cordless drill, etc. People here can offer suggestions, and youtube has some good stuff that will help familiarize you with their use.
Building isn't rocket surgery. Some basic books from your library, youtube vids, asking questions on the forum, all should help get past the jitters of starting something entirely out of your normal realm of doing.
If you never need the tools again, you can sell them and recoup some of the investment, but I always seem to find uses for tools.
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Bevis
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# Posted: 31 Jul 2014 09:41pm
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Since you live close by. Build it in sections at home and transport on a trailer out to your site for erection.
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