Chesaw Cabin has been started! Pictures!!

[Willy]

Mark
I like your railing detail for your back deck, great job. nice and clean. I've never worked with that Rhino stuff but I did a ton of decks, treated, ceder, redwood. I would of mitered it and it would have opened up eventually. I have done splines, blind splines even tried to do a dovetail spline once.

Peg you have any tricks? Anybody else?

Mike

Oh yeah the rest of the place looks great.

Thanks, the railings are fir and I thought about mitering them but snow is going to be sitting on them in the winter and long hot dry days in the summer. I keep seeing mitered corners opening up and cracking later. I wanted maxium wood on the ends that is why I extended the rails out past the posts. To expand the deck larger later it would not be hard to remove a rail section and just continiou on with it also. The Rhino Deck is nice to work with unless you need to rip a long section then a special blade may help. You need a straite edge to make long cuts but a regular miter saw is a breeze on cutting the ends square. I like no knots, splinters or cracks on any plank. Mark

[Willy]

Looking good mark and taking shape.  Now if someone would invent the substructural timbers to set the Rhino on then it would be great.  You have got this great product and have to atach them to PT lumber.  I am going to try something different for my garage appartment.  I used 6" galvanized guardrail post that are cantelevered and I will either attach a composite plate or attach the flooring from the underneath side on the flange of the I beams

I did do a lot of painting under the deck first that the rhino is screwed to. I did not want bare wood to show anyhwere even if you layed on your back and looked up! They make railing, posts ect in the rhino line but it is big bucks to buy!! It is not rated for structial load use tho and that is where the other wood is needed. Mark

[Sassy]

Very nice work, Mark!  Someone's gonna get a nice get-a-way cabin 

[BiggKidd]

Mark,

Your cabin must be a record setter by now and looks super too. You have really done a job getting it all built so fast.

Larry

[Willy]

I wired the cabin today. All I need to do is cut in the outside lights and hook a generator to the feed. I also finished the driveway and cleared the land of weeds and grass to level dirt all the way around. Still waiting for my windows and roof metal. I guess I could go up and bolt in the stairs but sure would like to make it worth while for the drive! Mark

I graded around the cabin for fire reason. It tends to slow down grass fire.

[Willy]

Finished the roof, stairs and electrical today. It was allmost 90 degs the last 2 days working on it!! It was so hot the metal would burn you. I got my doors and windows in so I will go back tomorrow to finish the cabin. I hooked up the generator to the feed and tested everything. It all worked 15 lights and 18 plugs total on 6 circuits. Mark



I forgot to bring the hand railing so it goes up tomorrow


This is the storage area above the porch. It is 6' x 12' in size


This is part of the loft area. It shows the access to the porch storage and a 6x12 closet room that is next to the 12x12 bed room.


This one of the 3 matching outside lights. One on each deck and one in the carport area

[Redoverfarm]

Mark I take it that the storage is not insulated or is it. Also what kind of a price did you have to give for your lights.  I got 4 the other day for my cabin.  Rubbed Bronze colored similar to yours.

[Willy]

Mark I take it that the storage is not insulated or is it. Also what kind of a price did you have to give for your lights.  I got 4 the other day for my cabin.  Rubbed Bronze colored similar to yours.

Home Depot $29.99 each for the outside lights. The porch storage could be insulated but it realy was not intended to be. The roof, walls and floor joists are only 2x6s in that area only. The rest of the roofs are 2x10s for code insulation values. Mark

[considerations]

Hi Willy, I have a question, ok 2 questions. Please excuse me I'm construction terminology challenged. 

1  Way back when you first posted pictures of the post and piers.  I noticed that the beams were in 2 pieces.  The beams appear to be bolted to the piers through a metal dumoflagy.  Each dumoflagy has a bolt hole in the center by which to accomplish this.  Each center pier supports the butted up ends of two beams.  What doesn't show, and what I would like to know is how did you bolt the dumoflagy to the two butted up ends of the 1/2 length beams?

2  Did you drill any holes in the floor joists to run electrical or plumbing, and if you did, when did you drill them, before or after you put the floor frame together?

Patience with the beginner, please.

[Willy]

Hi Willy, I have a question, ok 2 questions. Please excuse me I'm construction terminology challenged. 

1  Way back when you first posted pictures of the post and piers.  I noticed that the beams were in 2 pieces.  The beams appear to be bolted to the piers through a metal dumoflagy.  Each dumoflagy has a bolt hole in the center by which to accomplish this.  Each center pier supports the butted up ends of two beams.  What doesn't show, and what I would like to know is how did you bolt the dumoflagy to the two butted up ends of the 1/2 length beams?

2  Did you drill any holes in the floor joists to run electrical or plumbing, and if you did, when did you drill them, before or after you put the floor frame together?

Patience with the beginner, please.

Each beam is 3 - 2x8s on 6 ft centers sitting on top of 6x6 posts. The beams are bolted to the posts with 2 -1/2" bolts and no metal brackets. I cut a section out of the post for the beam to sit on and left some wood to bolt thru. The building inspector approved this method of doing it. The floor joists are nailed to the beams with 20P Gavinised nails. The beams are stagered 12 ft long so there is full length 2x8 crosing iach post minium. I started with 2-12' boards  on the first row and then a 6' board followed by a 12 ' and then a 6' board. The third row is 2=12' boards again. Each joint has a 1/2" bolt thru it. Mark

[Willy]

Got some doors and windows in today but still waiting for 3 more windows and the sliding glass door. The total sq footage is 792 sq ft including the storage area and car port. The rear deck and front porch is another 192 sq ft of space. This all adds up to 984 sq ft. total. Mark

More Photos;
http://imageevent.com/willy/pontiacridge

I have the cabin pluged into the generator. This makes it look more like a finished cabin now


Part of the living room. The wall is 12' tall on this side


Another close up of the porch


The railing is now on the stairs to the loft. It lookd close to the steps but it isn't the angle makes it fit this way


This is the bathroom and closet goors I put in along with some sheet rock to close off the rooms

[CWhite]

Good to see your progress.  The layout sure looks like it's going to provide the maximum amount of living space per square footage, and even has storage.  I like your light fixtures too. 

The stair posts are attractive and give me a hint of your details to come. 
I'll look forward to seeing it when you get more windows installed. 
Christina

[AAA-DAY]

Great progree on your home. I really enjoy the interior updates photos.

I was just wondering about a picture of the stair to the loft that you posted today. It is the second to the last. How are you going to support the corner of the landing (to the right of the stairs as you go up)? Just curious what your finished plans are!

Please, keep the great pictures and updates coming!!

Amy

[Willy]

Great progree on your home. I really enjoy the interior updates photos.

I was just wondering about a picture of the stair to the loft that you posted today. It is the second to the last. How are you going to support the corner of the landing (to the right of the stairs as you go up)? Just curious what your finished plans are!

Please, keep the great pictures and updates coming!!

Amy

That loft floor is made of 2x10s and that small section is cantalevered. It has a 4x4 holding the stairs weight and that section up some what.  But that section is only 4 ft square with 10 ft long floor joist and 4 ft is sticking out. So to say it another way the 2x10 joist you see in the picture goes all the way to the outside of the building and is supported by a wall below and the outside wall also, only 4 ft is unsupported. The stairs are bolted to the end and on the side wall and joist going full length accross the building. On the bottom of the post and stair bottoms they are laged thru the floor right next to the floor joists under the building. Mark

[Willy]

Good to see your progress.  The layout sure looks like it's going to provide the maximum amount of living space per square footage, and even has storage.  I like your light fixtures too. 

The stair posts are attractive and give me a hint of your details to come. 
I'll look forward to seeing it when you get more windows installed. 
Christina

Thanks, The bathroom area is large enought for a sink, tub/shower and linen stuff. Storage is very important in a small cabin. A closet just coming into the house is nice for all the junk you need to wear outside when it is cold out! I hated to see the large space above the porch wasted so I put plywood on the floor before the roof rafters went on. Not a lot of head room so I put a gaurded light fixture in there, also for fire reasons if it was left on keeping the bulb protected in a heavy glass globe and steel gaurd. Mark

[ScottA]

Coming right along.  How are those stairs to climb? Is the covered area outside for a car?

[Willy]

Coming right along.  How are those stairs to climb? Is the covered area outside for a car?

With out a railing the stais are hard to go up, little scary. With the railing on now there not bad like going up a ladder with bigger places to put your feet. The covered area is realy not for a car but could be used for a small one being 12 ft deep. I figured it would be good for ATVs, BBQs, tools, snow mobil, tractor ect but it also is where the generator is wired for hookup to. Mark

[ScottA]

A second hand rail along the wall might improve things on the stairs. I'm going to put rails on both sides of mine. I thought that looked a little small for a carport. Should work great for the stuff you mentioned though. Nice to have a covered storage outside.

[Willy]

A second hand rail along the wall might improve things on the stairs. I'm going to put rails on both sides of mine. I thought that looked a little small for a carport. Should work great for the stuff you mentioned though. Nice to have a covered storage outside.

I will see if another hand rail will help Wednesday & Thursday when I am back at the cabin. My framing  & final inspection is on Thursday so that is D-Day for me! I will have the last 3 windows and sliding glass door installed Wednesday and BBQ time that night and the next day waiting for him. Re/painting the front door and 2 interior doors  with molding completes my last part of the project. It was listed today to be sold so I will soon know how my idea doing one each year works out?? Mark

[Willy]

WOW I PASSED INSPECTION with out a problem!! I even got my FINEL signed off today. The inspector liked the cabin. Got all windows in along with the sliding glass door which was very heavy to getup on the deck! Oh by the way the cabin that was being built next to me got busted! He did not get a permit and the inspector saw it. He Red Taged it and it could cost him double permit fees now and a $1,000.00 a day fine if he does any more work on it till he gets one! Glad I got a permit for mine it was not that big a deal to do it right. Mark

Here are a few pictures of the cabin finished now.

[Willy]

A second hand rail along the wall might improve things on the stairs. I'm going to put rails on both sides of mine. I thought that looked a little small for a carport. Should work great for the stuff you mentioned though. Nice to have a covered storage outside.

Talked to the inspector about the hand railing. He told me I did not even need the one I had because it was a ladder instead of stairs. Mark

[Sassy]

Very nice job - someone is going to get themselves a unique, well-built cabin - you got it done amazingly fast!  Congratulations on passing inspection & getting the final! 

[glenn kangiser]

Looks great Mark. I think the rail was still a good idea.

[Willy]

Looks great Mark. I think the rail was still a good idea.

I will probley put it in even if they don't care. I find it would be nice to have 2 to hang onto when going up. It gives you a couple places to pull on at the same time. Mark

[Willy]

Very nice job - someone is going to get themselves a unique, well-built cabin - you got it done amazingly fast!  Congratulations on passing inspection & getting the final! 

Thanks I hope they enjoy it and keep it nice. I learned that if you do your own electrical on a home you can't sell it for 2 years!! Glad I did not need a permit or they just over looked it due to a generator feeding the building. I will have to remember that on the next one. Mark