Finally underway! My upstate NY 20 x 40 off-grid gets started

[nysono]

nice, I like the log/rustic look also.  Finally started on mine too, so much fun working in mud.

[AdironDoc]

Post some photos, NYSONO, would love to see you breaking ground, etc. Crazy the rain we've had upstate this year. It never ends.

[nysono]

my thread is started 24 x 32 on tug hill.....
steve

[new land owner]

Any updates?  I am starting my PWF project soon and was wondering how your project is coming.

[AdironDoc]

Any updates?  I am starting my PWF project soon and was wondering how your project is coming.

Well, we went up last weekend but as the builder had to tend to a smaller project, nothing new had been done. He and 4 others started back on Tuesday so we'll see next weekend. He was hopeful the steel roof would be on, as well as the deck for the 10 x 40 covered porch. Meanwhile, dad and I turned our attention to the 16 x 24 guest cabin. Temps and humidity were high and for nighttime comfort I ran the Yamaha genny and a small window AC that kept us cool. Got a showerstall in the corner, and placed some cabinets against the wall for the kitchen. I'll post more o Nen the main cabin build next week. Cheers!

Guest cabin project. Creek is behind the pines.


Watching from my porch as my son and daughter mill about.



Hazy, hot and humid, esp. for kids in the loft. This made the uninsulated guest cabin comfy. Love that little genny!


A heavy rain before dawn left a thick haze over the guest camp when I woke to make coffee.



Fourth of July sun burned off the haze. A lovely day to work at the camp. But I took a splash in the creek to wake up first 





Our makeshift solar shower:



Decided to put a shower stall in the corner and studded the wall of the future bathroom. Space is critical since we only have 16 x 24 and didn't want to break up the open feel. Now all we need is a well and plumbing. A solar water bag did the trick here and drained through a trap put under the floor and onto the ground.


Beginning the kitchen. Hickory bases from Lowes. An undercounter refrigerator will do nicely. Next up, more insulation behind backsplash and up the wall behind future cabinets. Sink goes into left base cabinet.


Me and my helpers. This is what it's all about!

[speedfunk]

let me be the first to tell you how awesome the trusses look.  VERY COOL.  Its to good to know there are others doing cool builds in the hills of NY

[John Raabe]

Very interesting project Doc. and thanks for sharing the ideas you and the builder have worked up.

Your totally "no concrete" PWF basement is unique but looks solid to me. The columns have in effect a strip footing bearing on a wider and deeper crushed rock footing. The steel columns Don_P mentions can be put in later if required. I don't yet quite understand the pins that will be placed for the bottom basement plate but the diagonals take the place of the more common compression slab as a resistance to the forces on the bottom of the wall. The end walls could also be tied into the floor diaphragm with solid blocking between joists and diagonal braces if required. Obviously, if you can resolve this without the diagonals it will make for a more usable storage space.

The combination log and stud framing in the floors and roof is handsome and unique.

[AdironDoc]

The results have exceeded my expectations thus far. Thanks guys! There's been progress this week and I'll soon post the updates.

Cheers!

[Bishopknight]

Pic's look awesome! Great Job!

[nysono]

very nice Doc,  what did you decide to do with the loft gable window, one or two?

[AdironDoc]

Ah, the gable window. Well, for now, I'm sticking with the one large window. Two windows looked odd and ended up being closer together than the two windows on the first floor below. That's because to bring them out to line up with those below, they ended up hitting the roof line. I've got bigger fish to fry. And speaking of fish, I'm headed up this Friday. Hopefully the browns and brook are biting. Working this weekend, sono?

Doc

[nysono]

Ah, the gable window. Well, for now, I'm sticking with the one large window. Two windows looked odd and ended up being closer together than the two windows on the first floor below. That's because to bring them out to line up with those below, they ended up hitting the roof line. I've got bigger fish to fry. And speaking of fish, I'm headed up this Friday. Hopefully the browns and brook are biting. Working this weekend, sono?

Doc

working on camp!!!! much more enjoyable!!!  Pouring floor Friday am then lumber starts saturday, hope to have cap on by Sunday eve.
Good luck fishing, Ive got a few Brookies in the freezer, (my wife's favorite food)

[Turkeyhunter]

fine looking CAMP!!!!---and those hickory cabinets look awesome---what the $$$ at lowes might i ask===thanks

[AdironDoc]

Jeez... my 300 gallon 4ft tall x 4ft round plastic water tank has yet to arrive. I had originally wanted it buried, but when I switched to a wood foundation, I thought to put it in the basement and cover it with a well insulated box. The floor's been in a while now and there's just no way to get it in now. Guess I'll have to bury it on the side of the house, up to it's neck. Maybe put a doghouse style pump house over it.

fine looking CAMP!!!!---and those hickory cabinets look awesome---what the $$$ at lowes might i ask===thanks

Thanks! They were around $40 - 60 more than the plain jane variety Lowes usually has. As I recall, $120-180 depending on the size. Oddly, down on Long Island, Lowes has them for special order. Upstate, the 2 Lowes have stocked them. Could be they're too "campy" for suburbanites. 

[Sassy]

Love the wood grain on the cabinets!  Everything looks fantastic 

[MaineRhino]

Awesome cabinets! I bought my hickory cabinets at Lowes too! 

Beautiful place so far!

[AdironDoc]

Well, the weekend was super hot during the day but cool and comfy at night. No AC needed. The main camp construction continues and dad and I continued working on small projects in the guest cabin. Despite the creek level being quite  low, 3 ft was enough to swim and cool off. The deer flies were plenty and we went through a few cans of OFF. That's life in the woods.  

John, my builder told me today that the soil anchors in the PWF are steel bars extending downward from the 6" baseplate 8ft into the ground below to offset lateral pressure on the base of the foundation. The diagonals shown in earlier photos should be kept in place until a concrete or complete floor system is installed. Centerline of the first floor is supported by two 2 x 12's with a plywood sandwiched in between. Made a few last minute minor changes too. The one window facing the front in the living room went from one 5 footer, to two 4 footers. That will bring more light in and make the sofa seem centered. Despite the added cost, I've opted for 2 triangular windows at the top of the cathedral ceiling. Some things are non-negotiable.

Very pleased with the 10x40 porch. This is where I'll be spending a great deal of time.


The hand peeled log and conventional build combo continue to the porch too.


All the wood is from trees felled on the lot. Red pine. Porch rests on below grade timbers, 0.61 treated lumber, resting on concrete blocks.

[Turkeyhunter]

love the porch ----nice build

[nysono]

Looks very nice!!! Yes it was a HOT weekend and the deer flies were feasting.  Nice thunderstorm just rolled through but didnt change the heat index at all!!!
Steve

[AdironDoc]

Thanks guys! After 7 months of waiting and planning, I can't believe it's come together this quickly. Had enough to cover the expense of roughing in and weatherproofing, so the project is 2/3 done. Next couple weeks sees hunter green metal roofing on, windows and doors on, siding up and stairs in and out. Scouted enough yellow birch for the flooring downstairs. Upstairs needs no flooring since it's essentially log joists supporting 1-3/4 knotty pine T&G planking. Just need to sand and poly.

View from creek. Note I moved my porch from the usual front to the rear where the creek lies. To avoid a plain looking front, the main entrance will have a gabled porch 6 x 8 made of logs.


Here's the 90ft down from the porch. I suspect I'll be cooling off here regularly 


My kids downcreek at the guest cabin.


Steve, why doesn't my bug spray scare off those big black flies? They seem to laugh at it.

Glenn

[Sassy]

Love the big porch!  And that creek looks awesome.  Your kids & you will be able to spend hours fishing & swimming.  That is one feature I would have loved on our property!  I love to swim...  this year my above ground pool got a bad case of algae & haven't been able to eradicate it so haven't bee able to swim (we'll have to empty it, think I'm gonna go to using hydrogen peroxide as a disinfectant for the pool, had the salt chlorinator, but that still makes CHLORINE.  Besides, we've been having COOL weather - 70's-80's & even a nice 1/2 in rain the beginning of July!  Forecasted to be in the 80's throughout this next week, yeah!  Good weather to work in the garden, etc. 

Keep posting the great pics - always love to see people's progress 

[Don_P]

The diagonals shown in earlier photos should be kept in place until a concrete or complete floor system is installed. Centerline of the first floor is supported by two 2 x 12's with a plywood sandwiched in between.

Going back and looking at the original basement pic and this information does change things a bit. The flush girder  (2-2x12's with ply sandwiched) runs down the centerline of the floor, there are joists coming into it from each side. It is structural, this is not a clearspan floor. The posts do need to be solid BOCA posts on appropriate footings. I'd review the PWF standard looking at the floor options.

[nysono]

Sure does look nice!!!  The creek sure is a special feature that many of us would love to have 90' from the front door or any door for that matter.  The deer flies this year are ferocious, driving into camp last night I thought they were going to eat the tires off my truck.  Same color roof going on mine too, someday.
Steve

[frankbjorn]

Thanks guys! After 7 months of waiting and planning, I can't believe it's come together this quickly. Had enough to cover the expense of roughing in and weatherproofing, so the project is 2/3 done. Next couple weeks sees hunter green metal roofing on, windows and doors on, siding up and stairs in and out. Scouted enough yellow birch for the flooring downstairs. Upstairs needs no flooring since it's essentially log joists supporting 1-3/4 knotty pine T&G planking. Just need to sand and poly.

View from creek. Note I moved my porch from the usual front to the rear where the creek lies. To avoid a plain looking front, the main entrance will have a gabled porch 6 x 8 made of logs.


Here's the 90ft down from the porch. I suspect I'll be cooling off here regularly 


My kids downcreek at the guest cabin.


Steve, why doesn't my bug spray scare off those big black flies? They seem to laugh at it.

Glenn

[speedfunk]

the porch really does like nice with the round logs.  Always love the less processed stuff.  Really cool