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Finally figured out photobucket----After designing many versions all last winter, started construction in late June this year. Cabin is 24x24 1 1/2 story with 10x24 loft at rear and 14' catwalk to second floor 10x24 porch. Matching 10x24 porch on first floor. both completely covered by 11' overhang of roof. Roof is 12/12 with 5' eaves to shed snow away from walls. Siding is 1x8 cedar with Behr's redwood semitransparent stain. Walls are 12' so open area at front is 14x24 with 25' ceiling. Walls are 2x6, rafters 2x12 with 5x16x36' ridge beam. R21 fiberglass in walls and floor with R50 spray foam in rafters. Will finish ceiling in pine t&g, walls in sheetrock. Undecided on floor surfaces. Heat is TOYO stove burning fuel oil. Cabin is located 90 miles north of Anchorage on a 100' ridge overlooking Susitna River valley---unfortunately woods are too thick to allow good view of river. Starting sheetrock next week and hope to reach livable stage by Christmas.
Looks good. Need more pics.
Your place looks wonderful....really really great! Yes, please.... more pictures. You did great work.
rwanders nice job. Made pretty good time on the cabin thusfar. If mine were as fast I would be satisfied.
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Don't have many other good pictures at this time----interior one shows catwalk from loft to top porch. Not much to see at this time other than insulation. Will post more as soon as I can. This started out to be just a weekend recreational cabin, but it has gotten seriously out of control. May end up as our full time summer home in Alaska with a winter place in Florida after the wife retires/ Right now I am "retired with working wife"-------I recommend that arrangement highly!!!!
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Second interior shot is of double front door and 6060 front windows. Cabin is on electrical grid----heat is fuel oil, tankless water heater and cookstove will be propane.
ED: added image separators for viewing clarity - MD
Friend of mine who recently built a camp near my cabin built a similar design 28 X 36. Well he had a contractor friend of his from out of state. Brought a 8 man crew and in 5-1/2 days they had it dried in , interior partitions, three decks and the catwalk like yours and were on their way home. I think the labor was around $11,000. Mine was cheaper.
Sounds like he got a pretty good deal on that many manhours but, your method is an even better deal for your longterm financial health! I contracted a chunk of mine too to avoid leaving the cabin open to an Alaskan winter---really really hard on OSB and even plywood doesn't like it either. Logs withstand it pretty well but log construction is pretty expensive here. I have owned two log homes here in the past----beautiful, romantic and also hard to heat, hard to wire, hard to maintain and generally 'high maintenance" structures.
Yeah I agree with all the above. But I wanted to do one and so I am. The cabin will not be a full time residence so I won't mind the heat part. I am installing individual gas heaters to take the edge off then once the wood fireplace and cookstove get going it will probably be alright for early spring or late fall. With an open floor plan there will not be anything to restrict the heat distribution. The only partitions will be the bathrooms.
very impressive. come build mine(only kidding). :)
Looks really nice! Great job 8)
Very nice rw. Glad to see you got photobucket figured out, too.
rwanders just curious as to what your plans are for the balcony/deck ceiling and the overhangs. Are you going to leave them open and just stain or cover them with something?
I would like to cover them with something----undecided at this point. I have considered using 1x6 or 1x8 cedar also stained redwood. Other possibilities could include 4x8 fir panels or 4x8 beadboard panels. Any suggestions are welcome indeed. The height and size of the areas definitely make for some difficulties. I originally considered painting or staining those areas but the OSB sheathing might make a fairly poor appearance. Would also like to find something that would minimize maintenance over the years.
Mind if I ask what the structure cost?
Hello from a fellow Alaskan --and great cabin you got there.
Love your cabin and hope you'll keep posting pictures as you finish it.
Two more pictures of interior---one of stairs which land on the catwalk going from loft to upper porch. Second is loft with bedroom area underneath loft and bathroom, closet, closet for stacked w/d and small pantry. Only partitions are at bathroom and closets. Pocket door at bathroom. Sheetrock is now hung but no pictures yet.
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:)Hello ,I am another admiring Alaskan.
Your place looks very clean and neat, a very nice job.
I am building a place in caswell lakes but I have not posted pics since May.
I will be insulating soon. I noticed the spray-foam in the roof. Did that cost an arm and a leg?
Alaskans are coming out of the woodwork!!!!
rwanders,
You are going to cost me some money. I love a couple ideas that you utilized! Please keep posting pics. One of these days, I would like to see it.
Thanks,
Mike
Sdextero: Spray foam is definitely more expensive than fiberglass----however, it does solve the problem of trying to cram enough fiberglass into a 2x12 rafter cavity along with enough ventilation space. If you use spray foam you can achieve R50=55 and you don't have to provide ventilation to avoid condensation problems. My roof area was 24x17 times 2 (816 sq ft). It was further complicated by being 24' off the floor in the 14x24 open area which required a lot of scaffolding. Bottom line was $3500 for the foam. I am hoping it is worth it in the long term.
Where did you get your rough cut wood? Popperts or someone more reasonable?
Mike
P.S. On thursdays, if you see a Dodge with a deere in the tailgate, it is me.
Almost all the wood supplied by SBS, either at Big Lake or their Wasilla stores. Sometimes the big boxes (HD & Lowes) are a little cheaper but their quality is often a little lower also. I do buy smaller items and paint and stains at HD ( I like Behrs products).
Cabin is now sheetrocked and rock is painted. I am currently applying Minwax Polycrylic (clear/satin) to the pine t&g for the ceiling. Slow going because I have limited inside space to let the boards dry before I can stack them---I was planning two coats but, after doing a test piece with two, I can't see any real difference from the first coat so may go with one only----no wear to worry about. Any advice?
Been thinking hard about how to build railings for the loft, walkway and stairs----total of about 55 ft of railings. Initially thought of a cable setup but the cost appears to be a little high for me. I am now considering a combination of 4x4 newals with a wooden hand rail and horizontal "balusters". total length is approximately 9x55 or 505 ft of material if I adhere to the usual 4" spacing. I am considering using some kind of small diameter piping for this---perhaps 1/2 or 3/4 OD-----has anyone ever done something like this----any suggestions. Would be open to paintable metal or even heavywall HDPE or similar.
Rwanders, I'm planning on using horizontal cables 4" apart for "balusters" on my deck railing, and the idea was approved by the building dept here. However, there is a school of thought that horizontal setups of this kind are potentially dangerous in that children can climb them like a ladder to the handrail and fall over.
Galvanized steel cable 1/8" dia. is available for .18/ft from MSC
http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/GSDRVSM?PACACHE=000000076374343
plus the cost of eyes, turnbuckles, etc.
I'm surprised that the horizontal placement of the cables was approved. I used to design and build playground equipment and can vouch for the fact that children can and will climb on anything easy like horizontal bars, ropes, cables, etc. Heck, a bunch of them will try climbing anything. I would not have anything horizontal except for the top and bottom rails myself.
About the two coars; it may vary from wood to wood I guess, but I could see a difference between 1 and 2 coats, but not any additional coats. I like 2 coats better, but maybe that's just me. ;D I do appreciate the idea that one coat wuld have saved me a bunch of time, though.
I have no small children in my immediate family but after thinking about it, I will abandon horizontal balusters to protect potential visiting little ones. Thanks for the good advice!
Just another interested Alaskan in your project. As soon as the snow melts and the ground softens a bit my wife and I will begin our 20x30 1 1/2 story up at mile 266 of the Parks Hwy. I guess I am always curious as to what these places up here are charging for the materials. You mentioned SBS in Wasilla, think those would be the guys to go through? It gets cold up here so the spray foam sounds promising.
Were you able to get a good price for a materials list you submitted to SBS?
SBS prices are usually pretty competitive with all the other yards. I was able to save about 10% by running my orders through a contractors account---I contracted part of the project (foundation and roof) through him. If contractors do enough business with SBS they give them varying discounts so he liked the boost to his account numbers. You can sometimes shave a little money by buying at Home Depot or Lowes but you need to be selective about the quality and many times they don't carry what you need.
The spray foam is really good but pretty expensive---I opted to only have foam installed in my large cathedral ceiling and did all the rest myself with fiberglass. The cabin is heated with Toyo model 73 (40000 BTU) and it performs perfectly---I used 40 gallons of fuel oil for the first five weeks and most of that was before the ceiling t&g was in place and also while the sheetrock was being taped, mudded and painted so it was cranked up pretty high to dry the mud and paint. Of course, this was in early winter so it wasn't super cold yet.
My roof is 12/12 pitch on top of 12' walls so the peak is really up there (about 28' off the ground) Unless you are very experienced on that kind of framing and roofing, I would advise contracting at least that part out-----even my very professional contractor was not really thrilled to be up there. One more item: Be careful about OSB and the weather---it doesn't like being wet for long periods of time so you should try to get your roof on as early as possible. Vertical OSB on walls seems to survive pretty well.
House looks very nice. Please keep the pictures coming :)
rwanders
Your cabin looks great - the pictures really show the care and detail you are putting into building it.
I have a couple of questions which I hope you don't mind answeriing -
You indicated you contracted the foundation and roof - what was the foundation/footing design ?
Did you have to deal with any permafrost conditions?
What did the contracted portion cost you ? Did you contract the foundation and roof separately - or lumped together?
Did you ever consider going with 2 x 10" wall studs on 24" centers to get higher wall R values?
BigWalt, the foundation is concrete piers (sonotubes)with 'big foot" footers set 48" deep----no permafrost and good gravel base on 100' high ridge. Foundation beams are 4x12 timbers. The foundation, roof and gable end framing, sheathing and metal roof was $16000 including all materials. Roof is 2x12 rafters and a 6x16x36' ridge beam with 5' eaves (better to throw the snow away from the walls). Total length of the rafters was 22' from ridge to rafter tail. Not the cheapest design I found after I took the plunge but it did make for a nice appearance----will post some pictures of inside of cathedral ceiling soon----over 800 sq ft of 1x6 T&G. Peak of ceiling is 25' above open area and 15' above loft area which means I lost very little loft space due to low headroom. Minus of design is more difficult and expensive building----what the hell, it's only money I would have watched shrinking in my brokerage accounts the last couple of months.e
Didn't consider 2x10 walls----staggered 2x6 would be even better. I originally planned to foam walls too which would have allowed R30 walls, but foam cost was so high it didn't seem to pencil out very well.
Those porchs are awesome. I want one.
Looks great! I'll bet you have a great view from that upstairs porch. Do you have another thread going on this project? I'm curious on the dimensions, floorplan, and wall thickness.
-- Pritch
Regarding the discussion above on horizontal cables as infill for deck rail, I scored some stainless steel welded mesh with 2" squares on craigslist the other day. I'll use that instead of the cables. It looks to be pretty hard to climb, even with little shoes.
Pitch: This is the only thread----the cabin is 24x24 plus the porches are both 10x24 making the whole building footprint 24x34. The roof eaves extend 5' to keep snow away from walls when it slides off the 12/12 pitch. First floor is very open with only walls around the bathroom and includes kitchen area, one bedroom area and small closet, a closet for stacked washer/dryer and a pantry closet for kitchen which allowed me to minimize cabinets and no upper cabinets at all. The loft is at the rear and is 10x24 and I used a 4x14 walkway from the loft to the upper porch. The walls are 2x6 and are 12' high including a 3' knee wall in the loft area which provides useful loft area (6' headroom minimum) of 10x19. The peak of the ceiling in the loft area is 15' high and is 25' above the open areas. No partitions in the loft area. Stairway is heavy timbers (4x10s). treads are 4x10 also. One item which I didn't appreciate until I started work on all the railings for the loft, walkway and stairs ------over 50' of railings (lots of slow finish work). I drew a lot of plans at 20' wide before I gave up and went to 24' wide-----creates some extra framing challenges but really made a big difference with floor plan possibilities-----12' walls really helped loft space also and makes open area really nice and makes whole cabin seem more spacious too. I originally planned on ridge board but changed to large glulam ridge beam to avoid rafter and collar ties. The huge 816 sq ft ceiling with 1x6 knottypine t&g is impressive since it is entirely open with no beams or ties needed.
RW:
I like what you've done. Thanks for putting your project on this web site, you've already answered some of my questions regarding insulation, and heating.
I may draw on some of your experience with more questions if I get my project off the ground this summer. I want to build in Willow, but am already running in to hurdles.
The Mat-Su borough wants $500 just to apply for a code variance on set back from the lake. I don't have room to stay 75 feet from the water because of the shape of the lot. I can't apply for the variance without a site plan and survey, and that really can't be done until the snow melts. They said it will take 90 days for the permit. So much for the building season. If I can't start until August, I doubt I could get it buttoned up before winter returns. Ugh!
I can also see that there may be issues over set back for well/septic with the DEC.
If I get underway, I may hit you up for the name of the contractor you used since you're only about 20 miles up the road. I don't know the low down on any in the valley. I'm getting a little long in the tooth to be framing a roof, or putting on the roofing. I did my residence in Anchorage 18 years ago, and have no desire for any more high ladder stuff.
I can't wait to see some more interior photos of your place. If I run in to so many obstacles with the MSB to make my project undoable, I'm considering some land up in Eagle's Nest as a backup. I prefer the waterfront, but I'm starting to get desperate.
Cheers.
Quote from: sourdough on April 13, 2009, 08:41:15 AM
RW:
I like what you've done. Thanks for putting your project on this web site, you've already answered some of my questions regarding insulation, and heating.
I may draw on some of your experience with more questions if I get my project off the ground this summer. I want to build in Willow, but am already running in to hurdles.
The Mat-Su borough wants $500 just to apply for a code variance on set back from the lake. I don't have room to stay 75 feet from the water because of the shape of the lot. I can't apply for the variance without a site plan and survey, and that really can't be done until the snow melts. They said it will take 90 days for the permit. So much for the building season. If I can't start until August, I doubt I could get it buttoned up before winter returns. Ugh!
I can also see that there may be issues over set back for well/septic with the DEC.
If I get underway, I may hit you up for the name of the contractor you used since you're only about 20 miles up the road. I don't know the low down on any in the valley. I'm getting a little long in the tooth to be framing a roof, or putting on the roofing. I did my residence in Anchorage 18 years ago, and have no desire for any more high ladder stuff.
I can't wait to see some more interior photos of your place. If I run in to so many obstacles with the MSB to make my project undoable, I'm considering some land up in Eagle's Nest as a backup. I prefer the waterfront, but I'm starting to get desperate.
Cheers.
I was led down the wrong path by the Code Compliance people on my land use permit. Anything that requires them to think outside the box or written regulations causes them to brain freeze. Ask for the manager and plead your case. Make him show you exactly where it says you have to do anything. One of their people told me that it if I had to helicopter a surveyor in to get a distance, then that was my problem. They did not need the measurement per the manager on the next trip. She could have cost me ALOT of money. I did lose a day and a half of work and $50 of drafting supplies.
Believe only half of what they say and only if you verify it in their regulations.
Good luck, you will need it.
Mike
I hear you Mike. I've already received some conflicting information. I am going up there next weekend to check out the snow situation. It would be a lot easier to skip the well/septic and haul water, and put in an outhouse. (that's up for discussion with my wife)
We'll see how it all pans out dealing with the Mat-Su borough.
Just found this site the other day. I know you haven't posted in awhile. I love the cabin you built and wonder if it was from plans you purchased somewhere or if you came up with them?
The plans were the product of many hours, most of them late at night, and huge stacks of 1/4" graph paper where I drew and revised, sometimes radically, many different designs. As I got close to my final design I consulted a structural engineer friend about potential issues. His input convinced me to change from a ridge board to a ridge beam and also to modify my foundation plan somewhat. I also removed some eave braces i had thought would be needed to support the 5' eaves. Some design elements such as the walkway from loft to upper deck came from other homes I had seen. Some were resulting from the site itself----that's where the big covered porches came in to do justice to the 100' bluff. The huge eaves came from living in Valdez, Alaska where the average annual snowfall was 330 inches and i lived for a time in a 1 floor house that disappeared under the snow. That experience also led me to covered porches to make them useful year round and eliminate some snow shoveling. The 24x24 inside led me to eliminate as many interior walls as possible to maximize usable space---ditto to using a pocket door for the only interior door to the bathroom. The huge window areas---13 counting the exterior doors which are mostly glass came from the wife who is always looking for more light in the Alaska winters.
Thanks for the input. I see you have well planned your cabin out. I was worried that 24 x 24 would not be large enough for us but I just love how you extended the roof and the double porches. To me that does make the cabin biger and offer extra floorspace even if its outside.
thanks
steve
If you find you need more space it is fairly simple to extend the length---wider than 24' will require the upgrading of a lot of specs i.e. roof will probably require trusses and foundation beams and floor joists would require significant upgrades.
You could also make the loft bigger----I wanted quite a bit of completely open area over the living room and kitchen area so kept loft to 10x24. Extending may make it a little cramped for a stairway though. I considered using a spiral staircase---it saves a lot of space but getting furniture up and down can be very difficult. Winder staircase is next smallest but can be tricky meeting code requirements in many jurisdictions. Loft "ladders" are often forbidden for lofts where people will be sleeping and are usually only approved for "storage lofts''.
Don't skimp on insulation----I filled between 2x12 rafters with 11 inches of closed cell foam---walls and floor are fiberglass batts. I heat cabin year round on about 300 gallons of fuel oil in an area that drops to -35 and lower in winter. You may not need to go to that amount depending on your area. But, remember----it's really difficult to increase insulation values after you find them inadequate and a cabin that is cheaper to heat or cool and comfortable will always be easier to sell in the future and momma will be happier and---when momma ain't happy----ain't nobody happy.
Use graph paper to draw plans---makes scaling and picturing spaces and fitting things like cabinets, etc much easier. I went around measuring spaces in my main home to provide guidance to me and avoid future "aw shits".
You're certainly welcome to borrow any features that will satisfy your needs and good luck to you and your family----building process was a lot of work but, it was very satisfying---nothing like looking back after each day and seeing something that you created that will probably outlive you.
ps: You could also just close in the upper 10x24 porch if you need the floor area----that would give you 1056 square feet of heated area total plus 240 feet of first floor porch. Oh yeah---the extra 2' of depth on a porch or deck will cost little extra but, the effect is very apparent when compared to an 8' deep one.
Thanks for the great build thread!
I'm starting the process myself of finding some land near Anchorage that I can build a similar cabin and you gave me some great ideas. I love the catwalk to the upper level balcony!
Great work once again!
Great looking place.
A couple questions for you regarding the platform framing. How far are the floor joists cantilevered over the beam? Also what did you use for floor joists, 2x12 or i beams?
Floor joists are wood Ibeams---cantilevered about 18 inches----foundation beams are 4x12s --three rows setting on 12" sonotubes with "bigfoot" footers---down a little over 48 inches in ground. subfloor is 3/4" OSB T&G----floor is really solid, no bounce at all.
See you are in Maine----really recommend big eaves----I get no snow pileup against cabin when steep roof sheds snow--leaves 4 feet clear along both sides including ramped walkway----no shoveling to get in or out. Plus no snow on porches---makes them usable year round rain or snow.
Spent several months in New Hampshire and got up to Maine a few times----a lot like places in Alaska.
Thanks for the info.
I took note of the eaves on your build. I really like the look of the extended eaves and the snow factor is a bonus. It also seems to hide the 12' walls too, making them look more like 10's.
Hello all! I am getting started on building a very similar 24x24 cabin. It doesn't look like RWANDERS photos are available anymore. I'm hoping by some chance that somebody has these pictures saved and can repost them or email them to me? I'm mostly interested in interior pics and floor plan/layouts. Thank you!!!!
Yeah, Photobucket's recent changes has made a lot of internet forums all higgledy piggledy. I did a search using the terms "rwanders cabin Alaska" and one of the links looks to be his library on Photobucket. If you go there you may be able to view the pictures he has available.
Here's his library.
https://s359.photobucket.com/user/rwanders/library/?sort=3&page=1
Thank you gentlemen! [cool]