24 x 32 1 1/2 story off grid debt free log home in Northern Maine

Started by Goose and Gillian, July 15, 2014, 09:26:41 AM

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Goose and Gillian

@ Austin, Lifting your journey out of debt in prayer!
@Josiah  My cousin is a Trooper in the northern part of NH.. A beautiful state! Sounds like you guys have a great plan! As for the foundation we would have gone with a slab but with Goose getting our lumber as free waster lumber from the mill he works at doing our foundation this way was a less expensive option. Also it leaves us with enough space of a root cellar area below the kitchen..

  As for frost we will go out 2-4 feet from the foundation out with insulation all around buried 6-12 inches down along with the drainage system.   We used this method with a 24 x 24 addition on our current home around the daylight basement and it worked beautifully. Also our home is being build on a lot that used to be a railroad station and then a potato house. We decided to place our home on the packed gravel along the driveway as the years of potato trucks driving over it have really made it a secure spot for our home.  Goose is the carpenter in the family and could give you a bit more detail if you are considering this type of foundation for your home. :)

Maine does have composting toilets and grey water systems as part of their code along with options for each. We hope to do a post on our composting toilet soon (its the only "build it yourself" toilet approved by Maine and its from Mother Earth News Magazine) but we did a post about our grey water system though http://thefitzpatrickfamilyhomestead.blogspot.com/2014/07/primitive-grey-water-system.html

Although our local code officers are wonderful to work with  (our land is in two towns) we have spoken with some others who tend to give an opinion over the actual laws. Some may not think a composting toilet/grey water system is a good idea which is ok but we make sure we ask for links to the laws so we can know for ourselves what is legally an option (not just opinion). Not saying this is the case in your situation but just something we have come across.

Praying for your journey out of debt and for your the process of building your farm!!

Goose and Gillian

We were able to some work done on the homestead this weekend! We will finish the walls next weekend and start the loft framing!

..and we are loving the cooler temps we are seeing in Maine. A beautiful time of year to be building..

God Bless~

http://thefitzpatrickfamilyhomestead.blogspot.com/2014/09/homestead-update.html



Goose and Gillian

We completed the loft framing today! Really cool temps in Northern Maine right now and we are loving the weather!! Starting to feel like fall ...and bird season. ;)

http://thefitzpatrickfamilyhomestead.blogspot.com/2014/09/loft-framing-completed.html

Goose and Gillian

Goose picked up the subfloor boards for our loft.. The mill had a bunch of 1 in thick boards they wanted to get rid of so we picked them up for $12 total  :) Just like most parts of our home the loft floor will be way over built but when the lumber is free (or close to free  ;) we don't complain And we wont have to worry about structural integrity, at all. lol Goose likes to say you could park a truck in the middle of the living room.. Thankfully, even with  being a bit (read a lot) on the redneck side he didn't try.  ;)

http://thefitzpatrickfamilyhomestead.blogspot.com/2014/09/loft-sheathing.html


dablack


Goose and Gillian

It is! ...We are still hoping to find 2x10x16s as waste lumber for our roof system but nothing so far. Looking like the roof system will be around $1200 for framing and sheathing. Not bad but we have really enjoyed all the free (and almost free) lumber from the mill!  :)

Goose and Gillian

Loft subfloor is down, first rafters are up and a few logs are down on the gable end.. Thankful for a great day of progress!!

http://thefitzpatrickfamilyhomestead.blogspot.com/2014/09/loft-subfloor-down-and-gable-ends.html

Goose and Gillian

We got the door buck in and the logs a bit over half way done on the first gable end!! Hoping to finish it up next weekend and start the other side.. Not too long before we are watertight!

http://thefitzpatrickfamilyhomestead.blogspot.com/2014/09/logs-going-up-on-first-gable-end.html

And we found a picture of the color of stain we would love to have on our home but cant seem to find a name for it.  ???  If you take a look and have an idea of the color please let us know!  :)

http://thefitzpatrickfamilyhomestead.blogspot.com/2014/09/we-finally-found-stain-color-we-want.html





Windpower


good pick on the weatherguard

we weathered a very bad winter with a weatherguard-only roof -- it did just fine
Often, our ignorance is not as great as our reluctance to act on what we know.

newengland Jim

I love the home your building. That is a wonderful part of the state. One of my sons goes to Umaine  fort Kent so I have spent quite a bit of time up there.  What a great place to raise a family.


Goose and Gillian

Sorry we missed this.. Thanks Jim! It is beautiful up here and that is a great school. :) Honestly we cant imagine a better place to raise our family. Our community is very loving and supportive. We are truly Blessed.

Goose and Gillian

With the new year coming we have been looking at our goals for 2015!! Excited for spring so we can get back out on the land and work on our homestead! 

http://thefitzpatrickfamilyhomestead.blogspot.com/2014/12/homestead-plans-and-goals.html

Goose and Gillian

We've set our homesteading blog to private so we can share a bit more with just friends and family but we will keep updating our debt free blog with our home building progress.  ;D

Here is our recent post:

http://ourdebtfreepath.blogspot.com/2015/01/building-our-log-home-and-homesteading.html



dablack

I really like the timber frame porch pic you put up.  I'm planning on something very similar.  I think the posts will be set at 9' and the porch roof will have a 1' overhang.  I don't want my posts getting wet all the time. 

Austin


Goose and Gillian

We do really like the timber frame look on the porch and the stone work is beautiful.. Like your idea on the overhang. We are going with a full length porch on the front, next year a framed in porch addition off the back and three season  sun room to the south. The porches will help to protect the logs from exposure to the elements but we hadn't considered extending the porch over hangs to protect the porch itself. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Goose and Gillian

After a long break over the winter and spring we are ready to start back to work on our homestead!! A couple of weeks ago we added a (free!!) new to us slider on our Southern gable end..

http://acountyhomestead.blogspot.com/2015/05/installing-slider-in-southern-gable-end.html

Then we sanded down the back of the house and applied the log home oil. On our previous log homes we used solid stains so this was our first time with a log home oil.. We love that application process and the color is beautiful.. Truly a great product.

http://acountyhomestead.blogspot.com/2015/05/sanding-and-staining-our-logs.html

Today we finished sanding down the front of our home. We are using utility grade logs but truly with the cedar once we sanded it down its just as beautiful as any log home we've seen..

http://acountyhomestead.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-difference-little-sand-paper-can.html

Hope to have pics of the front side stained by the end of the weekend. :)

BeShem Yeshua Shabbat Shalom~



dablack

Thanks for posting.  It has been a while since I was on the website and seeing the girls home and you back to work on the homestead is a blessing. 

Austin

Shadow

I also appreciate your posts. I checked your blog and was reminded that you've done GAPS with the kids. They look so very happy and healthy.