Little Home 18x24

Started by Leviticusgauge, October 26, 2013, 10:33:52 AM

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Leviticusgauge

We just bought the plans for a Little Home and are planning on expanding it to an 18x24 to fit the foundation that's already been built. I have a couple of questions...

1. The materials list is for a 14x24, but how to I figure cost for materials for 18x24? I'm hoping it wont be that much more cost.

2. Will I need to add any form of support since the cabin is now 4 feet wider than the original plans? We are planning on building the shell first and adding in a loft later when we save up enough funds. Would 4x6 beams as rafters be sufficient support?

MountainDon

What kind of foundation is the existing one?
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.


Leviticusgauge

Cinder block with a good sized crawl space.

John Raabe

You will need to provide a treated sill plate and anchor it to the foundation. Your new design will have a new floor joist system to span the wider cabin. It looks like good quality 2x12's at 16" will probably work. The walls could still be 2x4 studs or you could go to 2x6 if you want better insulation. The simple way to do the roof would be with trusses. Check all this with your local building department and ask if they will want an inspection of the foundation before you get too far into a new design or order materials.
None of us are as smart as all of us.

rick91351

Quote from: Leviticusgauge on October 26, 2013, 10:33:52 AM
We just bought the plans for a Little Home and are planning on expanding it to an 18x24 to fit the foundation that's already been built. I have a couple of questions...

1. The materials list is for a 14x24, but how to I figure cost for materials for 18x24? I'm hoping it wont be that much more cost.

2. Will I need to add any form of support since the cabin is now 4 feet wider than the original plans? We are planning on building the shell first and adding in a loft later when we save up enough funds. Would 4x6 beams as rafters be sufficient support?

w* from Rick and Ellen in Idaho

There are a couple things that also help here.  One:  Where is the general area where you plan to build?  We are at 5000 foot in Idaho, 110 pound snow load and 90 mph wind loads.  If we were down in the 'valley' pretty minimal requirements.  That said the cost to build up here is a lot more than than down there.

Does the area you want to build in require a lot of engineering or none?  You find that out from the local building department. 

What is the history on the foundation?  Has it been through a fire?  Poured or block stemwalls or ???  Anchor bolts there?   

If you do a loft later I would think you would want to plain in your ledger boards and ceiling / floor joists now.  Your savings for such would be pretty minimal not just doing it.  If fact it might add to the cost later not planing for it now  One thing you find out real quick is it where the costs really are when you start to build.  I can tell you it is not in studs and floor joist. 

I echo John Raabe's opinion simplest way to do the roof is trusses.  The 'local' truss company here is real good at cabin and small home trusses and giving you loft head room.     

Just out of curiosity - Are you planing on using existing water and sewer?  Are they in and usable?  Is power at the site or available.

     
 
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.


Leviticusgauge

Thanks!

We are building the foundation now. We've laid the footings and are hopefully going to be setting up the cinderblock soon. Where we are in Arkansas we don't have to go through the building department. We barely get any snow at all but we do get storms that are pretty impressive. I assume because of that fact we will want extra support, though it's a tiny little house? Since we are trying to do the home debt free, I assume that going through a truss company may be a bit spendy?

I'm also considering using logs from the land for beams and if we need a support post. Does that sound plausible?

Don_P

If there is a midpost in the 24' length of the building to support the ridgebeam then a log ridgebeam with a 9+" diameter from a good southern yellow pine would do the job up there. Think about how to get that up there, crane, a tower of scaffold and hoist, etc. The center support can be a log post of similar diameter with a top coped to accept the ridgebeam. This post doesn't end on the floor, it needs a pier and footing underneath to ground. Don't forget that footing while you're doing the foundation, it'll punch right thru a floor if unsupported below, I've seen that oops.

Beveling the top edge of the ridgebeam minimally to the roof pitch would allow for the rafters to plane in sitting on top of this beam. This allows kneewalls in the loft area without them blowing outward since the roof's outward "kick" is carried by the ridgebeam. If the ridge cannot sag there is no outward thrust on the walls. Now you don't need ceiling joists tieing the rafter bottoms together to prevent the roof from pushing the walls outward, which would get in the way in a loft. 4x6 rafters in #2 SYP could be spaced as much as 32" on center. This does not allow adequate room for insulation between rafters. The best way to do a roof like that would be to deck over the rafters with full 1" or thicker boards that are the interior ceiling finish and then layers of foam insulation followed by 2x4's running up and down the roof as nailers then plywood and the roofing. Alternatively it usually takes 2x12's to get enough depth to get fiberglass insulation and a vent space in. In that case the ceiling finish is applied to the underside of the 2x's and ply to the upper side. You can cost it out both ways if money is the only driver.

Leviticusgauge

Thanks Don_P!

Another question: While pricing out the materials list, I noticed that fascia board is one of my biggest costs. The plans call for 92' of 1x8 fascia board. That's going to be about $1500! Is there a cheaper way to do this? Can I use something smaller or put it on later? Basically we are just trying to get the cabin liveable so we can move in and stop paying rent.

TIA! Sorry, rooky builder here:D

Don_P

Wow, looks like someone is making a boat payment on fascia! The most durable and fire resistant fascia is going to be cement 1x8 but I've done more cedar 1x8 than anything, should be about 1/5th that price. I have used treated and untreated pine, poplar and aluminum but they are a distant third choice. That is an extreme weathering point. I have spaced the drip edge out for fascias on temporary ripped strips and installed it later in order to keep jobs working when the roofier is ready and the fascias have not made it in yet, not ideal but it can be done. If it'll be awhile paint the subfascias to protect them.