Reclaiming Pallets for Small Cabin Construction and Design Question

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Small Cabin Forum / Cabin Construction / Reclaiming Pallets for Small Cabin Construction and Design Question


Author	Message
peskypeaty Member	# Posted: 17 Mar 2018 02:54pm Reply Hey! New member here from beautiful Prince Edward Island Canada! Me and some buddies are planning to build a small, likely 10x14 or similar, cabin on some property one of their grandfathers owns for parties and get together in the summertime. I recently started working as a carpenters helper and have a fair bit of experience helping my father with carpentry but this will be the first major project I take on so I'm looking for some advice. We were planning on using as much reclaimed material as possible for the cabin, both to save money and for a bit of fun/aesthetic flair. Through my work I have access to allot of scrap construction materials so that should not be a problem, however for most of the construction we were thinking of using reclaimed pallets. We were thinking of breaking up the pallets and using the 2x4 runners to make composite beams long enough to use in place of normal full length 2x4s and similar, probably just by nailing two or three of them together in an alternating interleaved pattern for strength. Does this sound acceptably strong for the walls on a small shack in the woods? Anyone done anything like this before? In terms of overall cabin design we were thinking of going for a single slope roof, orientated on the broad side (the 14' side) of the cabin and sloping towards what will be the rear of the cabin. We were thinking of building a deck around one of the shorter sides of the cabin and the front of the cabin. On the tallest wall of the cabin, the front wall given the single slope of the roof, we were going to try and use as many reclaimed windows as possible to try and let allot of natural light in, with a door in the middle of this wall. How does this sound? Any fundamental problems with a design like this I should keep in mind before I get to the drafting stage? Thanks in advance!

rockies Member	# Posted: 17 Mar 2018 06:21pm Reply Do not use smaller pieces of 2x4 to make structural members. In designing a building properly in order to transfer weight loads down from the roof to the foundation there can't be any "weak points" and a joint is a weak point (even if it has another 2x4 nailed or screwed to the side of the 2 boards forming the joint). You can buy a solid 2x4 for about $1.50 (although I hope you are using wider material for floor joists and roof rafters - like a 2x8 minimum) Pallet material can be very nice on the walls, but use sheet plywood on the roof deck to prevent leaks. As to waterproofing the roof, your roof pitch will probably be quite low so shingles are out. Try corrugated metal roofing in a single strip down the slope (with 15 lb felt paper underneath). That should keep the interior dry.