24x64 two family cabin

Started by markert2523, October 28, 2012, 11:27:13 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

markert2523

Howdy Folks,

Looks like the two family cabin is a go.  I've posted various questions along the way and finally it looks like we will break ground soon.  To re-cap, this will be in a rural club where there are about 25 other older cabins (built in 1920's-1950's) and an old central lodge building.  Sits on about 150 acres of land but the cabins are together in a single area.

The contractor has estimated a figure for a dried-in shell to include septic, bringing electric/water service to cabin, stepped concrete foundation with block wall, Advantech floor deck,  9' walls, Hardie siding, attic trusses for storage, metal roof, large covered front porch and large enclosed sleeping porch in back.  I plan to do most of the interior work and likely will do other stuff like the siding, porch decking, porch trim and anything else I have time for.  The contract is for time and materials and my contractor has always let his clients do chunks of work themselves.  I work a 7 day on/7 day off schedule, so likely I will be able to put in a lot of time on it. 

Rendering:


Floor plan:


Hopefully breaking ground in 2-4 weeks. 

duncanshannon

Home: Minneapolis, MN area.  Land: (no cabin yet) Spooner, WI area.  Plan: 20x34 1 1/2 Story. Experience Level: n00b. 
Build Thread: http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=10784.0


dablack

I'm building a 26 x 52 one story with attic trusses as well.  I have my trusses stick out 4.5" off the front of the building to make a little porch area and to give me a bigger room upstairs.  Yes, it makes the peak of the roof that much higher but it is something you might want to consider.  I have a 19' wide room upstairs. 

With all that being said, I think you design looks great and has a great cabin feel.

Austin

markert2523

Well, folks, the two family cabin is underway.  The contractor who is building the shell brought in the backhoe today and started clearing some trees and digging the foundation.  Will prove to be one of the best things I've ever done----or the worst mistake I ever made.  Only time will tell ::)

Seriously, I'm really excited to finally move on.  I just started a 7 day work stretch so I can't get up there until next week to take some pics and it's driving me crazy.

More to come.

markert2523

Finally some progress on the cabin.  The trenches are all dug for the stepped footer.  The cabin will be on a hill that slopes both toward the creek and down toward one end of the cabin.


Everything slopes down toward the pretty creek




The low corner of the cabin is maybe 10 feet up off the ground so rebar and grouting of the block wall will be important.  I also plan to place some fill dirt along the outside of that end to shore it up.  Will likely need to place some fill on the "inside" of the wall to balance that out.  Anyway, I'm glad to be going with a full foundation as I'm not wanting this thing to slide down the hill!

The porch on the front will run the length of the cabin and will be on posts.  The sleeping porch that runs the length of the back will have a full foundation like the main building.


markert2523

The concrete sub poured the footer yesterday.  I wasn't there but went up and took some pics today.  He poured it wide at 30" in most places.  The one thing that puzzles me is that he stepped it down at random heights.  Not sure why he didn't step it down in 8/24/32" increments, etc. 





Seems like the block guy will be sawing a lot of blocks to even the thing up.  Too late to do anything about it now but I hope it won't weaken the foundation.  Any thoughts?

Thanks

Don_P

section 403.1.1 and 403.1.5 relate;
http://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/icod/irc/2009/icod_irc_2009_4_sec003.htm?bu2=undefined
"Best practice" on steps is to do them in 8" increments, no more than 24" rise per step, no less than 2' run between steps. Thickness should be maintained in the vertical portion of the step, the face and soil wall should be as vertical as possible.

markert2523

Well------It rained about every three days for the last 2-3 months so little got done on the cabin.  But now we're back to hot and dry, so work is finally getting done.  Four big guys who are all brothers came to lay the block wall on the footers.  They didn't blink an eye at the step dimensions.  Just took out a big saw and cut blocks like nothing.




They are doing good work.  Pinned everything to the footer and are putting durawire between some courses.  Then the whole thing gets filled.  Should be ready for I-joists soon.  Then advantech floor decking.

More to come

rugger8

Congrats on getting started!  I really enjoyed your Modern Manshed thread :)  So, I look forward to your progress on this new build!

Jeff


markert2523

Block laying continues.  I'm getting conflicting advice on whether to grout all of the voids or just the ones with rebar.  Below shows the final height of the tallest corner of the foundation wall. 



Any thoughts on the grouting?

Thanks


nysono

Not sure what you mean about grouting the voids.....Core fill all blocks with rebar in them, all corners and core fill all blocks where bolts for sill plate will be....If that isnt what you mean then im not sure, maybe someone else can help.

rick91351

Quote from: nysono on July 01, 2013, 05:38:42 AM
Not sure what you mean about grouting the voids.....Core fill all blocks with rebar in them, all corners and core fill all blocks where bolts for sill plate will be....If that isnt what you mean then im not sure, maybe someone else can help.

Grout is at least around here, a watery mixture of pea gravel, cement, and sand.  It can be either pumped or bucketed.  It is what most likely you are referring to "core fill".

Sounds as if they are grouting all the places that are customarily grouted.  Some people however do grout all the voids but I was never around where professional block layers were on the job that they did such.  I did ask a few why they did not do that and they mostly said grout adds no strength adds to the cost of the bid.  However that was many moons ago  :o  Like mid seventies....  OOOWWWW!!!   
Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

markert2523

I think we all are talking about the same thing.  The contractor plans on using a pumper to fill all of the voids, not just the ones with rebar, corners or bolts.  I just worry that it adds a lot of weight, makes the wall top heavy, and adds little strength.  The cost isn't that much more since the concrete truck is already there and the gout isn't that much extra. 

Thanks

rick91351

Quote from: markert2523 on July 01, 2013, 10:28:32 AM
I think we all are talking about the same thing.  The contractor plans on using a pumper to fill all of the voids, not just the ones with rebar, corners or bolts.  I just worry that it adds a lot of weight, makes the wall top heavy, and adds little strength.  The cost isn't that much more since the concrete truck is already there and the gout isn't that much extra. 

Thanks

I would not worry at all about the weight and being top heavy.  It looks like you footings are more than adequate  [cool]  And the top heavy thing once that grout sets it certainly is not going any where.  It will set almost as fast as regular old cement.   ;)  Looking good!!!

 
Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.


markert2523

Thanks for helping me with my worries, folks.  But I have one more (for now).  The block guys have finished the foundation walls and they look stout, but I told my contractor I was worried he didn't use steel for the basement door lintel.  He says they built a bond beam with several courses of rebar over the doorway and, once it's filled, it will be plenty strong.  I still may have him put in a 2x12 header and a couple of jack studs to be sure.  The pic is below.  Any thoughts?


rick91351

Sounds like to me your block guys did as they supposed are to do.  Worst I ever saw doing such was a commercial job and a couple header blocks blew when we were grouting them.  I killed the grout pump and the foreman with the hose tossed it over the edge both at the same time.  Sort if synchronized OH CRAP!!!  SO what they did is pretty common to the way it is done at least here.    All that aside if I were doing it that is how I would have done it.  Like I said before' Once that grout is set it is not going anywhere.  Dropping in a header and jack studs would only more than likely cut the size of the door down to a non-standard size and add a lot of $$$ for no reason other than peace of mind.  And your peace of mind is worth a lot.....           
Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

Patrick

Like Rick said several courses bonded and core filled super strong ,No need for additional wood or steel ,look at it as a massive steel re-enforced header.Sounds like the block guys are very professional.

rick91351

How many Wal-Marts and K-Marts, Home Depots and Lowes all depend on Lego - no I mean cinder blocks. ;)
Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

markert2523

Once again....I sleep better.

Thanks all

markert2523

Howdy folks.

Just a quick question on design.

When I designed the cabin, I had the back sleeping porch exterior wall inset a couple of feet on each end, mainly for an architectural detail.  I thought it would look better than having the sleeping porch walls in line with the walls on each end.


Unfortunately when the contractor poured the footings and laid the block foundation, he made them in line with the end walls.  Essentially he failed to account for the inset as shown on the plans.  Too late to change that easily and I'm going to roll with it.  However I'm not sure how it's going to look and I'm thinking of ways to better define the sleeping porch.  Maybe side the entire back with different siding such as cedar shakes?  Maybe some kind of trim detail where the main structure meets the sleeping porch?

Or maybe I'm over thinking it and the salt box look will be just fine.  Any thoughts?

Thanks


Don_P

I usually run the main roof overhanhang down to what would be their level if no porch were there, producing that visual line, and run the porch roof overhang laying up on that. He can also repour the cross footings and tie them into the grouted wall and existing footing... his oops. I've had to have stuff cut out and replaced before, I've had plenty of those days myself, a bad day and you're back on plan. On the last big house an engineer friend stopped by to visit... and invited me over to dinner. The repair took multiple weekends, steel and welding and then a couple of days to wrap the new 2 story steel post that I had to insert after the load was on and the floors and roof were bearing on it, won't make that mistake again  d*

markert2523

Thanks Don, I think extending the roof line will help.

The contractor finally got the voids in the block foundation wall filled. 


It has been slow going, and not helped by all the rain this year (although we sure needed the rain!).  When it rains the concrete low water bridge leading to the site becomes an underwater bridge.





John Raabe

That's an interesting bridge! And a nice looking classic cabin design. There are several things you could do to add contrast to the long end wall (if needed). You could box out the two windows on the main wall then put in window seats and perhaps bookcases between. Put a little shed roof over the whole pop-out thing.
None of us are as smart as all of us.

markert2523

Thanks, John.

Looks like the bridge is back above water and the contractor is finally making some progress!

I-joists are in.  Squash blocks are being installed today.


The piers for the beam to support the 24' span are in but posts and beams are going in after the I-joists.


Advantech 7/8" delivered today.  Only got 40 of the 70 sheets needed.  Hopefully more on the way soon, but it has been a little hard to procure.  And not cheap at $40/sheet.


I believe the contractor will start the large front porch deck next.  I think it will make framing easier if he installs the front porch up to floor level.  I'm going with 8"x8" posts and I think the post on the downhill corner will be about 14'.  The uphill corner post will be about 9'.  I am trying to decide whether to use PT pine vs cedar.  Cedar would be easier on the contractor's back but harder on my wallet!

markert2523

Contractor finished the advantech decking (except a strip he left to make ledger attachment easier).  Not much of a dancer, but here goes....


Impromptu party broke out on the deck.  Probably not advisable but was fun!


60x12 front porch next.  I could get used to this hiring contractors thing.