18X26 in Central Louisiana on Toledo Bend Lake

wed68 · March 01, 2009, 09:42:22 PM

Ok here goes, Lets start my first build thread!

My wife and I have been together for six years and both love fishing on Toledo Bend, but we live two hours away. We camped in local campgrounds for years but wanted our own place on the water. After a lengthy search the perfect one came along, but as always there was a problem, it was two lots over from my boss at work. You might say no problem, but I work for a local refinery and if you have never worked in the refining industry it can be brutal. So after all the ragging I got from my coworkers, we bought it.

We moved our camper there to build a cabin, the search for a perfect plan began. That was about a year ago. After thousands of plans hand drawn and computer generated and in books we were not convinced any of them were perfect. I put it down for a few weeks, then found this website. Then the deciding factor, we went to a local RV show and every one we went into with our two boys was spacious and layed out well. My oldest son (15) said dad this feels more like camping, he remarked that if we built the large house like cabin I was planning we would go our separate ways instead of spending time with each other at the lake like we should. Sometimes he is wiser than his years. The youngest son (10) loved the loft idea. So after another few months of searching every picture on this site I have finally finished our cabin plan.

None of the plans here were exactly what I wanted but all had great ideas, without this site I would still be lost!

Our plan is for an 18x26 1 1/2 story cabin with a loft, if I can scan in my plans I will. They are hand drawn, most is in my head, this is my first build thread but not my first build.

The beams to hold the foundation are in the air as I type, I will start framing the week after Easter, between now and then I will be working every day 12 hours a day at work, lots of hours but the money will come in handy!

I decided to leave the ground undisturbed and build on 8x8 poles that I bought locally treated with cca at .60 treatment, should outlast me in the ground. I have 12 total in the ground 8 to support the cabin and 4 for the porch support. I then notched them and sandwiched two 2x12s on either side. I place the floor joist on top of these. I took the design from buddy who built a beach cabin on Crystal Beach near Galveston TX that survived Hurricane IKE, so I figure it will take anything 100 miles inland can throw at it.

I will try to post some pics!

wed68 · March 01, 2009, 10:09:38 PM

Pictures of the 10X16 storage building we built to test the siding, stain, and roof color

March 01, 2009, 10:19:29 PM

Looks good!

glenn kangiser · March 02, 2009, 01:29:21 AM

Nice job.

okie-guy · March 02, 2009, 08:05:11 AM

Welcome! ; I love the location; is that your dock? I would plant a row of that fast growing willow between you and your bosses lot and within 2 years he won't know if you are there or not. Why 18 feet instead of 20 feet? 20 feet fits 4'X8' sheets better.
Mine is 20 foot wide and you can barely fit a queen bed and a bath within that width. Just wondering.......

March 02, 2009, 01:54:19 PM

Okie.....Yes the gray dock and boathouse are mine.....My boss being that close is really not a problem he is about to retire and is a good resource to borrow tools and materials as we are about an hour from good hardware or lumber yard.......18 ft fit the lot better with the 10 foot porch and all the total length is 28 feet.

Thanks for the replies....I will keep up the pictures if I ever get a few days off......I may not be able to get up to the lake till Easter.

Bill

devildog · March 02, 2009, 03:51:02 PM

Hi wed68, it really does look like you know what your doing. I was just curious to know what method you used to get the post level. transit?

ScottA · March 02, 2009, 04:42:21 PM

Nice job on the shed it looks sharpe.

wed68 · March 02, 2009, 07:40:42 PM

Thanks again for all the replies

Devildog......I did use a transit although I am not sure I used it correctly I set it up where I could see all 12 posts, them my wife held the graduated stick my each post. I told her the measurement and she put a speed square on the mark and marked it. It came out very level.

Curiously I pulled a sting to double check and as expected no matter how tight I pulled it there was a belly in it......

Bill

April 14, 2009, 07:43:25 PM

Finally got back up to the lake to start the framing here are a few pics of the floor and wall framing. A little dancing on the deck as well!

wed68 · April 14, 2009, 07:49:35 PM

wed68 · April 14, 2009, 07:51:08 PM

MountainDon · April 14, 2009, 08:39:23 PM

Way

A floor and a dance. Plus a big smooch!!

Alasdair · April 14, 2009, 08:44:14 PM

Coming along nicely

April 29, 2009, 07:11:02 AM

work continues, we should get the metal on this weekend and maybe get it wrapped ....... almost dried in.......then we can take a break

wed68 · April 29, 2009, 07:15:03 AM

poppy · April 29, 2009, 11:24:11 AM

Nice looking cabin and great progress.

I am rather surprised that no one here has mentioned the need for diagonal bracing on the piers. I would not build that far off the ground without bracing.

MountainDon · April 29, 2009, 12:49:20 PM

My first look in here recently.

Unless those piers were pile driven several feet into the virgin earth, there is plenty of potential for failure.

It is my opinion there should be metal post to beam connectors properly nailed in place on both sides of the pier to beam interface.

Bi-directional diagonal timber braces at the pier to beam joint are also in order. There's another very recent notation on the same topic here. No time for me to find it right now though.

The was a member who built a similarly raised building last fall and when he returned in the spring it was leaning to one side. There may have also been some water and drainage issues, however it was unbraced as well. In the end he elected to tear it down and start over.

wed68 · April 29, 2009, 01:51:30 PM

I did read the post word for word on the leaning cabin, there did seem to be a drainage issue which contributed to his problem. The posts I set are 4 feet deep and set in conctete, they range from 34 inches from grade to beam and 72 inch at the tallest posts. The soil type is heavy clay on a pretty steep slope. The beams were sandwiched 2x12s bolted and notched into the true 8x8 posts. The floor joists all have blocking tying into the beams.

I am by no means saying it does not need cross bracing, it is in the plan, just trying to let you know what I did, and it is solid as a rock!

There is also a utility room planned for under the highest corner to house the water heater, and non flammable storage.

Thanks for the comments and keep em coming!

Sassy · April 29, 2009, 10:58:40 PM

Beautiful area & you sure are making good progress! Keep the pics coming

May 03, 2009, 09:36:30 PM

wed68 · May 03, 2009, 09:38:16 PM

NM_Shooter · May 04, 2009, 09:22:30 AM

That looks great! Let me know when you get the crawfish boil hot.

wed68 · May 04, 2009, 09:22:46 PM

Amen Shooter I am ready to boil some........As soon as its dried in......your all invited!!!!

ScottA · May 05, 2009, 07:24:28 AM

Lookin' Good!