Just starting out -- questions

[TisaWee Farm]

Hi!  I got my plans in the mail last week and I'm so excited.  Please forgive me if I sound so ignorant, but this will be my first attempt at building anything bigger than a chicken coop.   I have some questions to get me started....

Basic background first....
I have the "big enchilada" plans.
I'm building the 14 X 24 (extending it to 28') and adding a 14 x 18 addition T'ing off the side.
I'd like to use 2X6 construction
I'd like to have 12' side walls so I have a more usable loft.
I will be using 4' deep sonotubes filled with cement, and extending them another 1-1/2 foot out of the ground.
I will have a metal roof.
I'm pretty much building this on my own, so the simpler and lighter the pieces, the better (130# female)

1.  It looks like the piers on the larger plan are drawn at the line in which a foundation would be put in.  Right on the edge of the decking.   The smaller version has them in 2' from the edge.   Can I put the piers in about 6" or so from the edge so that they will be hidden by a future fascia?   Will that affect the support of the walls (since essentially the walls will be built on the overhang)?   Especially if the walls are 6" thick, 12' high and supporting a full loft?

2.  If I use the sonotube and extend it 1-1/2 foot above ground, and they are perfectly square and level, do I need to use posts between the cement and the beams?  

3.  I haven't found the Simpson connectors yet, but found something I assume is similar.  They are about $12 each at Menards.... a 6" "U" shaped piece that bolts onto the cement pier.   Does that sound like the right thing?

4.  I can't get it through my head what the pier arrangement will be where the two buildings join together at right angles.   It seems like where they join, the piers would be doubled..... do I need that?   How do I tied the beams together where they join?

5.  When I build up the 6 X 12's from 2X and plywood..... what do I use to fasten them together?   Nails?  Screws?  Bolts?   How many, how far?

6.  Pros and cons of using 12' sidewalls as opposed to 8' sidewalls / deck / 4' walls.   I can handle 8' lumber....not sure about 12' pieces!

Thanks!!!!  
Chris

[glenn kangiser]

Welcome to the forum, Chris.  Sounds like you at least have a pretty good grasp of the concepts involved.  John should get to this shortly.  Sounds like you are on the right track.

[John Raabe]

Chris:

You can inset the support up to the depth of the joist or beam and as long as the line of force is 45º this is the same as being under the load. I went further than this in the Little House plans with the lighter loads but you should stick to this limit.

I suggest you put an extra pier into the middle of the addition beam span and one under each corner. There are many kinds of brackets made in different parts of the country. You can go to the Simpson site to make sure the local hardware looks the same. You can certainly carry the brackets and beam supports right up to the bottom and eliminate the posts. Where the two side beams connect you should have a pier as I mentioned above and then a heavy duty bracket or angle iron to bolt the two together.

Here's the info on your own built-up beams. http://www.countryplans.com/builtupbeam.html

You can use the search link in the header to find other discussions, products and techniques that are on the countryplans website.

[TisaWee Farm]

Welcome to the forum, Chris.  Sounds like you at least have a pretty good grasp of the concepts involved.  John should get to this shortly.  Sounds like you are on the right track.

Thanks!   I just might have to print this out and put it in my "diary" as encouragement!  I'm pretty overwhelmed right now.  So far, I've bought the land, put in the septic, well, electric, driveway, chicken coop and 30X50 barn.  That's taken me two years so far (of course, I'm paying as I go....THAT'S the hard part!).  

Now it's time for the cabin and I'm ready to go!
CC

[glenn kangiser]

Great, Chris.  Hopefully you will be able to start a thread in the projects section and post pictures of your progress.  We love pictures.

Looking forward to following along on your project.

[TisaWee Farm]

Chris:

You can inset the support up to the depth of the joist or beam and as long as the line of force is 45º this is the same as being under the load. I went further than this in the Little House plans with the lighter loads but you should stick to this limit.

I'm still ciphering this....  if the beam is 6X12, can I inset the piers by 6"?

I suggest you put an extra pier into the middle of the addition beam span and one under each corner. There are many kinds of brackets made in different parts of the country.

I've attached a crude drawing of how what I'm doing, including piers.  I'm confused about "middle of the addition beam span" and one under each corner.   There is one under each corner now.   Where is the middle of the beam span?  There are already 3 in the middle.  

I feel the headache coming on..... <grin>

[John Raabe]

Yes, you can inset the piers 6".



You just get a single pier under the connection point where the beams come together.

You can always have the piers closer together, but don't exceed the spacing as shown in the foundation plan. Add an extra pier to cut down the beam span if you are worried about added loading.