14 X 24 Central VA Cabin

[georgevacabin]

Hey Glenn,

Thanks for the reply.  Nope, the joist are not nailed to the beams.  However, the rims are nailed to the joist and can be remove with a little effort (I hope   ).  I know I'm taking several steps backward.  Again, those darn rookie mistakes!

btw - love all the site improvements!

[glenn kangiser]

The thing I was wondering about is the decking - if nailed to the joists it won't pull square.  If the rim joists are laid out properly it should work fine if you pull the framing corner to corner to square it.  Possibly a block of wood and a big hammer would square it up.  If the decking is nailed to the joists -- that is bracing and it wont move.

[georgevacabin]

Hi Glenn,

The decking - nope, not nailed down.  I just laid it down to work on the wall frame.  Backwards I know.  I just wanted to get something done while I was there.   

[Redoverfarm]

George you might take along a "sawz-all" if you have nailed the rims to the beams so you can clip the nails holding it.  If you just used fastners you can pull the nails.  Once it's free you can rack it to get it square.  Then use the diagonal measurement to bring it square.  Just make sure that you use the same point of measurement on both diagonals(outside to ouside or inside to inside).  There is the standard 3-4-5 method as well.

[georgevacabin]

Hey Red,

Thanks for the tip.  I'm heading back down in the Sept. time frame.  I'll have plenty more question by then.  I'm excitedly watching considerations' project for tips.

Take care all!

[MikeG]

George....yes, I did order my 12 x 16 from Wilke's Lakes Sheds...got it delivered, too!

Basic unit; upgraded floor, walls (to 16 inch o.c.) and rafter joists (to 2 x 6).......I plan on wiring for a generator and a few lights; insulate and something on the walls...and a front porch/deck and a shed roof over it...and I've got a hunting cabin!

Will post a picture as soon as I get it off my cell phone.  Small place, nothing fancy...add a sawdust toilet and bam!..it's hunting season.
Mike

[Jackson Landers]

By all means, if it's not too late to get it square then get it square. But, I have to say that having a foundation that wasn't exactly square isn't necessarily the end of the world.

I screwed up my layout when I started building my 200 sq ft. gable roofed workshop last year. One side is about 5 inches longer than the other. It's not really all that big a deal. I had to get a little bit creative when it came to framing that end of the roof, but it's going to end up looking fine since I have a generous overhang on that gable end anyway.

Early on in my work and before I realized the error, my brother (who has never built anything in his life) wagged his finger at me and said "you know Jack, you really shouldn't try doing this yourself because if you get the foundation just a little bit off then the whole thing is ruined."  Bah! Don't be scared! Almost any mistake can be either corrected or worked around.  Wood is a very forgiving medium.

[georgevacabin]

Hey JL,

Thanks for the feedback/encouragement.  I'm heading down in about a month to see if I can figure this out.  I like Red's sawz-all idea. 

Take care all!

[georgevacabin]

Hello All!

Hope everyone is well.  Glad to know the board is alive and kicking.  I've been checking in every now and then to see all the good work (Considerations - still keeping an eye on your project.  Great job!).

Heading down in about a week to put a little more work into my 2, no 3, no 5yr project.    Really looking forward to it.  Now that my son has started school (kindergarten) the world revolves around his schedule  .  It is his Spring break so we are packing up the whole family and a few friends for this trip - it should be a fun time.

So I believe I left off with the squaring of the deck.  I figured that out, got the deck squared and all the joist in place.  That is when the cabin gremlins hit.  I went to take the tarp off of the staged decking only to find that it had been ripped by the weather.  Well you can probably guess the condition of the osb after getting rained on for a few months.   .  They all had to be replaced.  In my never-ending search for a silver lining I found that they opened a Lowes about 25 minutes away.  Yahoo!  No more driving an hour one way for materials!

I purchased new decking, hauled everything up to the site, and did the best I could with my remaining time there.  Not the most perfect deck installation . . . I will take a few pics this time down and post.

So this time down I think I am going to aim a little lower.  In 5 days my goal is to simply get the walls framed, up, sheathed, and most importantly enjoy my family.

I'm sure I'll have questions.  So ahead of time - THANK YOU ALL!

[georgevacabin]

Hello All!,

Fell off the edge of the earth.  Took a while to climb back aboard.    Haven't given up on the project.  Got a tar paper covered box at this point.  Rodent chasing time again so I will be heading to the cabin after turkey day to hunt and start roof work - in that order.  So let the suggestions begin!  I'll post a pic next time.

Appreciate ya!

[Redoverfarm]

George nice to hear from you again.  I sort of figured you had it complete but didn't have DSL service. .  Good luck on the hunting.  My sone got a 8Pt on Monday.  Are you in an area that has to use slug or buck shot.  Not sure where the dividing lines are in the Commonwealth.

[georgevacabin]

   Hey Red - good one!  By the time I finish the cabin I'm sure there will be free WiFi available!  Good to hear from you.  Congrats on your son's take.  I'm a meat hunter.  I learn a long time ago there is no meat on the horns!   The property falls under state regs so I hunt with a 30-06 rifle. 

So I am already rethinking my next trip at the end of next week.  I think that I will scale back my ambition and just finish the loft.  Which leads me to my question (in my continuing series of rookie questions) concerning loft height.  In another thread we discussed the pros and cons of a let in ledger vs. bolted.  Without rehashing, I am still going to go with the bolted version.  My question is what should the height of the loft floor be to leave decent headroom in the loft?  Still use the 7'9" as in the plans?  The plans indicate ~ 5 feet with a 12:12 pitch roof.  I currently have 10ft walls.

Thanks and happy Turkey day to all!

[considerations]

"My question is what should the height of the loft floor be to leave decent headroom in the loft?"

I made my downstairs ceiling start at 7'6".  The loft floor beams are 9-1/4" tall and the flooring adds another 1-1/2' +/-. 

So 90" + 9-1/4 + 1-1/2 = 100-3/4" So the top of my 10' walls is about 19" above the surface of the loft floor.  The cabin is 14 x 24 with a 12/12 roof like yours.  So the standing room in the loft is 24' long and about 7' wide. 

Ultimately the width of the walk around room in the loft depends on how tall you are. and also how thick your final ceiling finish is. If you are taller than me (5'8") you get less headroom, shorter, you get more.

In retrospect 12' walls would have been nice, but I'm pleased with what I have, its more than I envisioned.

[georgevacabin]

Hi Cosiderations!

Thanks for the reply.  Took a look at your project again.  Great job.  You are still my hero!   

So if I understand you, the bottom of the loft joist are at 7'6"? 

[woodteacher]

Hey George,

Looks like you're making progress.  Just say your thread and was very surprised to see your cabin is in Prospect.  I live in Prospect off of Hidden Lake Rd!  Would love to see your sight.

Good luck,

Stacy

[considerations]

"So if I understand you, the bottom of the loft joist are at 7'6"?"

Yes, making them the lowest part of the ceiling downstairs.  That is a good 22 inches over my head, which is plenty of head space on the first floor for anyone I know, but still doesn't feel like living in a cave.

[Redoverfarm]

On my cabin I chose a 7' ceiling for the downstairs to give me the extra headroom in the loft with a 24"  sidewall and ample enough headroom.  It is 15' wide.  Only downside is if you are going to mount a fan or light on the first floor with the beams.  The light would have to be a low profile from the beams or have the light somewhat hampered by the beams with a ceiling mounted fixture(no box).

[georgevacabin]

Thanks for the awesome feedback folks.  Looking forward to heading down this week.  Good day to all!

[OlJarhead]

Hello All,

I'm counting down with excitement and a little anxiety to breaking ground a week from today for a 14x24 cabin on ~ 46 acres.  The property is a 5 hr drive from my home and will be used in the Spring and Summer for family gatherings and the Fall for hunting season.  Pictures of the site are here http://picasaweb.google.com/vacabin .  
 
I am a total novice at building.  I have been reviewing the Little House Plans for about a month now (Thanks John) and hope I have everything right in my head.  I have eight guys that are going to give me two days to kick this off.  I hope to have the foundation holes dug, gravel/piers in, and beams up (like this http://www.coyotecottage.com/cabin/cabinconstruction/foundation.htm ) prior to their arrival so that we can start right away with the floor joist.  My goal is to get the exterior up and weather-tight for the winter.  Hopefully this is not too ambitious.    

The cabin will have no electricity or plumbing.  I plan on a wood stove for heat and an outhouse (using the compost system described in Humanure.).  Cooking will be done on an outdoor grill.  The interior will be completed over time.

Of course I want to keep my cost as low as possible.  I currently have a nice exterior door and six windows that were donated.  Saves me some $$ right off the bat.

Thanks for all the support given and graciously received on this forum.  Looking forward to banging that first nail!!

George

We are so similar!  Our place is on 20 remote acres about 4 1/2 hours from our home in South Eastern WA.  Same size 14x24.  Look for the thread (i'll post a link shortly) for Okanogan 14x24 by lurker

Cheers and Good Luck!

[OlJarhead]

It is amazing how the net can cause someone to miss a simple thing -- like the date!  I didn't realize you have been working on this for a long time where are you now? 

I saw your post about a felt covered box -- I wish!

[georgevacabin]

  No worries Lurker.  Confucius say "I go slow so that I may go faster."  I just haven't gotten to the "faster" part!   At the same time, I'm not in a hurry.  We make good use of the property during the Spring/Summer and I've actually slept in it as-is my last few times down hunting with my temp roof on.

Love your project (and commentary!)  You are so much further ahead than I am.  As as military man I know travel doesn't faze you.  The 4.5 hr drive gives you time to think about the fun you are having with your project!  

[OlJarhead]

No worries Lurker.  Confucius say "I go slow so that I may go faster."  I just haven't gotten to the "faster" part!   At the same time, I'm not in a hurry.  We make good use of the property during the Spring/Summer and I've actually slept in it as-is my last few times down hunting with my temp roof on.

Love your project (and commentary!)  You are so much further ahead than I am.  As as military man I know travel doesn't faze you.  The 4.5 hr drive gives you time to think about the fun you are having with your project!  

It's true the drive doesn't bother me (maybe it is from the Corps -- never thought about it much) but I tend to spend it thinking about everything I have to do!

Mostly I worry about the weather, you see where I am it could get as much as 4 feet of snow!!!  Sure it hasn't for a few years but it's been getting colder and wetter by the month...so the locals tell me it could be swinging back to lots of snow in the hills...we can hope not!

I suspect your cabin will be better built then mine   But I also gathered from reading you posts that you get less time on your property then I've had on mine (that would kill me!)...oh and you're clearly a better hunter too!

Good luck and keep posting pics!

[georgevacabin]

Happy Holidays to All!

Got the loft up on my last trip to the cabin.  Thanks for all of the tips.  Actually did more hunting than hammering.  Got to feed the family!

Heading down again for a long weekend soon and hope to get some rafters up.  I will probably be working alone and, as a visual person, was looking around the forum for close up pics of the steep gable roof (with no overhang) using Simsom Strong ties.  I found Fritz's dogtrot but hard to see the pic. 

As always - Thanks!!!   

[OlJarhead]

Happy Holidays to All!

Got the loft up on my last trip to the cabin.  Thanks for all of the tips.  Actually did more hunting than hammering.  Got to feed the family!

Heading down again for a long weekend soon and hope to get some rafters up.  I will probably be working alone and, as a visual person, was looking around the forum for close up pics of the steep gable roof (with no overhang) using Simsom Strong ties.  I found Fritz's dogtrot but hard to see the pic. 

As always - Thanks!!!   

With an airnailer it is possible to do this alone.  Set the rafter on the wall and then pivot to the ridge beam and pull up until the birdsmouth settles on the wall.  Then go down to the wall (get off the ladder) and suck it up tight, nail it, climb the ladder and nail the top

Easy peasy

[georgevacabin]

Thanks OJH,

(Love the progress on your cabin btw)  I hope to borrow a nailer.  Looking to install a clipped roof.  I saw pics somewhere where the person used ties on both the ridge board and the wall.  That would seem to make the job even peasier!    Just wish I could find those pics again.