20 X 36 in Central Utah

[OzarkBrandon]

If you try the wire wheel, I'd sure try it under the stairs first to make sure you are happy with how it turns out.  May eat the brick away as fast as the mortar.  With a fireplace on it, and wood under the stairs I wouldn't be too concerned.  It will have a rustic look.  Appreciate you sharing all the pics, I enjoy following your build.

[rdzone]

I think the masons around here use a mild acid solution of some sort to get the mortar off the brick, maybe someone else knows exactly what they use...I am no mason 


I found this hope it helps:

I try to clean mortar from brick or stone as soon as I can brush the mortar without smearing it in the joints. At that point, a dry brush and a sponge damp with water are all that's needed. However, cleaning mortar off brick even years after application is still possible, and muriatic acid is still the agent to use.

Muriatic acid is a form of hydrochloric acid that dissolves mortar. Be sure to follow the instructions on the container closely. Typically, those instructions say to begin by mixing a 9:1 (10%) solution of water to acid. The acid should always be added to the water and not vice versa.

Next the brick is wet down with water, and the acid solution is applied with an acid-resistant brush. The solution should sizzle and fizz as it dissolves the mortar. Leave the solution on for a few minutes, and then rinse the brick with water. It's important to rinse between applications because the acid solution will begin to dissolve the mortar in the joints as well as the brick itself.

If the mortar you're removing doesn't come off on the first try, repeat the process until it does. As the mortar bond weakens, use mechanical and abrasive force in the form of a chisel, a scraper or an abrasive pad. If you need to speed up the process, gradually increase the amount of acid in the mix. When all the clumps of mortar are removed, you usually will be left with a stain that looks like a faint shadow after the brick dries. At this point, apply a coat of masonry sealer, and that shadow should disappear. There are many sealers on the market, but one that I've had good luck with is Glaze 'N Seal (800-486- 1414). As a word of caution, be sure to wear eye protection, acid-resistant gloves and old clothes when cleaning with muriatic acid. Fabric and flesh don't offer nearly the resistance to the acid that the mortar does.

[suburbancowboy]

Well another long weekend got alot done but not as much as I wanted to.
Friday my chimney and gas line guy came up.  There was three of them.  They got the chimney up in about three hours.  Looks really good.  They also did the gas line.  That took them a few hours also.  It looks really nice.  So far that is the only piece I have hired out and I'm glad I did. I couldn't have done the gas line and the chimney would have been a major stress. 






Saturday the wife and step son came up and helped with the attic insulation and helped put the sheet of metal back on the roof.  I can now see why the metal came off.  Last year it was the last piece put on and it was the end of a long and hot day.  We had missed all the screws on the top half.  It wont come off now.  I also framed in the attic access and framed up the last wall that was up stairs.  This defiantly wasn't a standard wall framing.





Sunday I finished the last third of the attic insulation and started the sheet rock on the out side in preparation for the siding.  I had to cut the sheets in half to be able to manage them.  5/8 sheet rock is heavy.



I am very sore today.  Tomorrow after work I will go back up to get more sheet rock on.  Hopefully next weekend I can get more help up there to finish.

[ColchesterCabin]

Just curious what siding are you using? Wondering why sheetrocking then siding unless your doing a stuco finish or somethingg... can you clarify?

[suburbancowboy]

In utah I am building in what is called fire zone 1.  Meaning every thing needs to have a 20 minute burn rating.  Originally I was going to use hardie planking.  But later decided I wanted a more log cabin look, so I decided on log siding.  In order to do the log siding I need to have the 5/8 sheet rock between the osb and log siding.  The short answer is that it is a code thing.  Plus and extra $600 expence and an extra week of work.  I think that I will like the look lots better so worth the work and expense.

[MountainDon]

Just to be clear, this is the exterior grade of gypsum sheathing like the product in this link? Not your ordinary interior wallboard. I ask because the exterior panels I've seen around here all have Logos and brand names printed on them.

[ajbremer]

Wow, I've never heard of exterior sheet rock. You can't use that stuff as actual siding itself right?

[ColchesterCabin]

another silly question AJ but why instead of a straight veritcal run through the roof, when they installed your stove pipe they adjusted the angle penetrating the roof? To MD's point make sure it is exterior grade gypsum board or a concrete board to withstand the oisture of being outside the vabour barrier in the moisture.

[MountainDon]

Wow, I've never heard of exterior sheet rock. You can't use that stuff as actual siding itself right?

I guess that proves the point; why I mentioned or asked if this was exterior gypsum board.  It is strictly a sheathing, must be covered by finish siding. The 5/8 is rated as fire resistant.

I believe there are brands that do not need covering with a weather resistant barrier. Those are made with a fiberglass in place of paper IIRC. Those are taped much like foam insulation sheets.

[suburbancowboy]

The reason for the jog at the top was to get the chimney closer to the peak of the roof.  Two reasons first for the snow load above the chimney.  If it sits to low on the roof when the snow slides the chimney can get ripped off.  The other reason is the lower on the roof you are the taller the chimney needs to be outside the roof.  Don has some nice comment on why this is.

I am not using exterior grade sheet rock.  The cost is almost double or more.  As I put up the sheet rock I am putting on another layer of house wrap.  The the side will go on that.

[rdzone]

I would be concerned with using interior drywall.  No matter what you do it is bound to get damp or wet in the future and cause problems.  Saving a little money now, may cause big problems latter.   Just my 2 cents.

[MountainDon]

I hope I am wrong, but it seems to me you are building a mold farm.

Regular drywall is faced with paper. Mold feasts on cellulose. Paper is cellulose. Mold spores are everywhere. The spores only need the addition of moisture and a favorable temperature to begin to grow. Exterior gypsum board was not developed just to sell an expensive product and to make profits for the manufacturer. Exterior gypsum board is built to do a job. Mold has a job too; it is one of nature's recyclers.

[ColchesterCabin]

The reason for the jog at the top was to get the chimney closer to the peak of the roof.  Two reasons first for the snow load above the chimney.  If it sits to low on the roof when the snow slides the chimney can get ripped off.  The other reason is the lower on the roof you are the taller the chimney needs to be outside the roof.  Don has some nice comment on why this is.

I am not using exterior grade sheet rock.  The cost is almost double or more.  As I put up the sheet rock I am putting on another layer of house wrap.  The the side will go on that.

I get that but the esthetics factor alone only save approx 12" on a 12 12 pitch based on the photo. Be careful as MD suggests as I have seen some nasty drywall in my parents basement with no moisture leaks just lack of air flow, add driving rains, potentially not a good recipe.

[suburbancowboy]

Well I have been thinking about the comments on using the exterior grade sheet rock and so today I went to the building supply store and asked about it.  They hadn't heard about it so they had to call a place that they special order from.  The price was exactly double, ouch but I ordered the rest that I needed to finish.  So now only the south side, the dry side, will have the interior stuff.    Not the first time comments here have made me change directions.

Any way after work yesterday I went back up to the cabin and finished the south side and got the house wrap on.  I ran out of the house wrap the last three feet so I put on some old house wrap that had blown off until I get some more up there.  House wrap is a pain to put on your self in the wind.

[MountainDon]

I think using the right product is wise.

The other question that comes to my mind is "Is it a bad thing to have that gypsum board sandwiched in two layers of housewrap? Or does it not matter?  I don't have the definitive answer, I'm just wondering. It is out of the ordinary and usual way of doing things. That always raises questions to me. Sometimes it is un-necessary worry. Sometimes not. And I don't have time at present to go researching.

Also watch the window and door flashing with the added/new layer. I'm not the best way to do that at this point? Should the walls be framed out with lumber around the windows to provide a solid nailable ring around them for the solid wood siding, or not? Again I'm not sure, maybe over thinking this...   Changes in the middle of a project can affect other things in unexpected ways.

[suburbancowboy]

Went up with some of the kids and "Paid them" for some of their help.  We got the first row of exterior grade sheet rock on and got the house wrap on.  It was much heavier than the interior.  Instead of paper on the outside it had sprayed on fiberglass.  Man that stuff is itchy.  Now to finish the upper half and start log siding.

Maybe I should call it the green turtle cabin.

[Redoverfarm]

Will the added thickness cause you problems with trimming out your doors and windows?

[MountainDon]

The color grows on you....   

[ColchesterCabin]

Sorry fr the cause in directional shift on your cabin, but glad you chnaged directions none the less. I think in the long run you will be as well. that sheetrock looks fantastic and I think MD is right it grows on you.....

[suburbancowboy]

Just a quick update.  I ended up taking yesterday off instead of friday due to an upcoming software release at out company.  So I called the building inspector and had them schedule a mechanical and plumbing inspection.  So the building inspector shows up at 11:30 and was gone by 11:45.  He asks me a couple of questions on the plumbing.  Hardly checked the pressure gauges on the plumbing.  I told him who did the chimney and gas line.  He then said you passed?     I was glad it passed but not sure how I feel about how little time he took checking it out.  Anyway I'm happy.  I did ask him about my stairs and he said I need to change the treads from 2 -2X6 to 1-2X12.  No biggy.  I was going to do that anyway.  Strange thing was he kept hitting me up about electrical.  I keep saying that I don't want it.  I have the place to get away from technology and try to reconnect.  So when I get home late last night my wife tells me the building inspector called and says that he found out that I need to have some kind of minimum electrical in the cabin.  We dont even get power to the Mountain!!!!  How dumb is that???  Have any of you heard of a requirement of having some kind of minimum electrical?

Any way I will have to fight that.  After the inspector left I finished framing around the windows in preparation to putting on the log siding.  It was crazy windy and wan't much fun.  This weekend I hope to have two sides mostly done, which means probably I will have the lower half of two sides done.

[suburbancowboy]

Well I called the building inspector yesterday and he said his boss told him that I need to have minimal electrical in the cabin.  I said, "what does that entail?".  He then started to spout off all the eletrical in the cabin.  Exact same stuff that he told me last year when I was thinking of putting it in.  So I guess there is no minimum.  I then said, "Is this a federal, state or county thing",  his reply I don't know, my boss just says we are requiring all the cabins in the county to have eletrical.   What a bunch of crap.  There isn't even electrical run to any of the lots on the mountain.  What do you guys think?  Fight it or go with the flow?  I have most of the stuff from when I was going to put it in last year, before I got tired of the BS, so only and extra 500 - 1000 in expenses.

[MountainDon]

I ran into that when I was asking questions at the building department. It kind of stumped them. To me it did not matter as I knew I was doing solar. I was just curious about if they would require the normal NEC wiring if there was no power used on site. Myself, I'd put in the circuits as usual as one never knows what the future needs or wants may be. If it was me I'd ask if I could run the wires, install the boxes and all, but leave the boxes empty, no receptacles no switches, because there's no power. Blank cover plates don't cost all that much. They might go for that as a compromise and you would save a little money. Then if you ever get to wanting power, either a generator or some alternative source you're all set. I'd do that rather than take on that fight; not worth it to me. As one who has spent time crawling in attics and under buildings to add circuits after the building was completed I can vouch that post installation is a lot of extra work and in some cases is less satisfactory appearance wise, than installing it during construction.

[UK4X4]

There's probably a tick list so that they can sign off on your building as finished.....one being electrical- I guess the electrical deparment has another 150 permit cost ...too

So fit a fuse box- 1 light bulb and a switch - with a socket below all to code

then get then to sign off on it !

[Don_P]

The codebook is the minimum, he has to be able to show you something, chapter and verse, a code citation that he is enforcing if asked. 

From another forum;

The only electrical device actually required by the IRC are the smoke detectors and they specifically can be battery powered if the house is not connected to the commercial power grid.
All other base IRC requirements heat light water hot water can be met without using electricity.
Windows for natural light. Candles, gas or kerosene lights at steps--only place artificial light is required in a house.
Solid fueled stove or fuel fired gravity heating system, hot air, steam or hot water. My grandparent's house in town had a coal fired steam boiler in the basement with pipes sloped for gravity distribution and return with a mechanical feed that you filled the hopper and wound the spring and adjusted the feed rate.
Solar hot water heaters were on the market within 2 years of the first electric ones and outnumbered electric ones in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Windmill to lift from well to gravity water tank, or from an uphill source.


The electrical section in the IRC can be argued to be the same as the fuel gas section--it only applies if and when you chose to put gas or electric in the house."

"All interior and exterior stairways shall be provided with a means to illuminate the stairs. Interior stairs shall be provided with an artificial light source.... Exterior stairways shall be provided with an artificial light source.... R303.6.

There shall be a wall switch at each floor level. Illumination of exterior lighting shall be controlled from inside the dwelling unit. R303.6.1.

When the winter design temperature is below 60 degrees F, every dwelling unit shall be provided with heating capable of maintaining 68 degrees F at 3' above the floor and 2' from the exterior walls. R303.8.

Every dwelling unit shall be provided with a water closet, lavatory, and a bathtub or shower. R306.1.

Every dwelling unit shall be provided with a kitchen sink. R306.2.

All plumbing fixtures shall be connected to a sanitary sewer or to an approved private sewage disposal system. R306.3.

Kitchen sinks, lavatories, bathtubs, showers, bidets, laundry tubs, and washing machine outlets shall be provided with hot and cold water. R306.4.

Smoke detectors and alarms are required. R314.

Carbon Monoxide detectors and alarms are required in some circumstances. R315.

Most energy codes also require exhaust fans from toilet rooms, laundry rooms, kitchens, etc.

Some local codes do not permit the use of wood fired appliances in new construction.

[MountainDon]

Thank you Don_P.  Once again it pays to be well acquainted with the IRC.