I just wanted to share with everyone our Firstday cottage we are putting up...here's the link to it....
If anyone has any questions I'd love to answer them. I've allready had a couple of people that John & David (from firstdaycottage.com) had contact us. David is a geniuenly good guy who's intrested in helping people building there own place on a budget......
Hope you like ....
http://employees.oneonta.edu/kilpatda/spechouse.html
Wow...looks great. That is just the type of stuff I love to see on this website. I am a very visual person, so even though a lot of people do a great job explaining things....nothing beats a couple of great photographs!!
Keep us updated please!! :D
Ok working outside in January/February in Upstate NY is crazy!! Brrrrrrrr....... But it's cool little place you're building there.
Reminded me of http://www.countryplans.com/redic.html#A%20unique%20gambrel%20roofed%20cottage%20w/%20exposed%20framing
(http://www.countryplans.com/images/redic-extr.jpg)
THX I will keep everyone posted..esp since i know so many people here have looked or are looking into firstdays... the more info people can provide the easier it is for the next person...
Yeah.... it's freakin cold....esp last saterday with the wind on the 2nd floor also I hope to work more this saterday when the temp will be a toasty 15 degree's + a good wind chill, according to weather channel...... I'm just happy this winter has been so tame compared to most!!! My buddy Ron who's building this with me is working today on finishing off the roof t & G....
That pic you uploaded does look very similiar mostly b/c of the high basement like ours.... I really like the roof line...very cool... We will backfill ..but it will stick out of the ground regardless a bit. There will be a deck wrapped around the house on 3 sides..... I hope this will make the cottage appear less sky scrapperish :o ;D
Jeff
Looks pretty cool! You got a lot done in a short amount of time, but then it helps to have a crew. I'm interested to see how the deck turns out.
We've got a little Yahoo! Group going for FirstDay builders to network in, at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FDBuilders/
Yeah...this modified timber frame construction goes up pretty quick. I don't have to much of a crew. usaully just my bud and his soon to be brother. Over the last few fridays antoher friend stops over. Over most of the whole project though it's just been Me and my friend RON. It's nice though becuase I work 40 hours a week... The next house I'm going to be buiding pretty much my self....starting in late summer... this however we be OUR house to live in.... and by that time..I am going to part time..and never look back. This will give me much more time...
Oh and I will join the yahoo group ...thanks for the invite..... mommymem also mention the forum..
jeff
Great job! Just curious, what are the overall dimensions of the cabin. Length by width?
QuoteGreat job! Just curious, what are the overall dimensions of the cabin. Length by width?
Thanks!! The overal Dimension are 30 x 16... sq ft including walk out basemetn will be 1440
QuoteQuoteGreat job! Just curious, what are the overall dimensions of the cabin. Length by width?
Thanks!! The overal Dimension are 30 x 16... sq ft including walk out basemetn will be 1440
Jeff,
Is the "next" house, the one you're going to live in, going to be a FirstDay?
:D
ACTUALLY the house we plan to build will be our garage. We are trying to build all cash ..no mortage ..etc.. It will be a 600 sq. ft passive solar home simliar to the www.thenaturalhome.com. A few things will be different . We live currently in a 1400 ft. ranch on the same property as the spec house we are building. So we can move into the "HOM(e gar)AGE" I would then like to take a bit of time off and work on the land...gardens etc before we build our REAL house...which I hope to keep under 1000 sq. ft.. See what my wife thinks afte lviving in 600 sq. ft. I think she will be just fine...I understand it's tough to get real idea of how big 600 sq. foot is until you live in something that size..
Link to land we just closed on 2 weeks ago!! :D
http://employees.oneonta.edu/kilpatda/land.html
Really cool land and nice to have your own slate quarry--free building material. :)
Layout is key in living in a 600 sqft home. Our current home is 612sqft with a partial basement where my laundry and storage is. We have 2 kids under 5 who are stuck sharing a room thats roughly 5x7. If the layout was better it wouldn't be too bad. But we're a growing family so we can't wait to build our 1344 sqft FirstDay it will feel huge!
QuoteReally cool land and nice to have your own slate quarry--free building material. :)
THANX Yeah ..I'm pumped...there's mostly blue stone.... There are patches that have this rose color to it ( high iron ?) :P don't know much about slate. Thinking of picking through the small peices and using it for counter tops ... and in the bathroom. It could be cool making designs out of the differenet sizes and colors ... 8-)
QuoteLayout is key in living in a 600 sqft home. Our current home is 612sqft with a partial basement where my laundry and storage is. We have 2 kids under 5 who are stuck sharing a room thats roughly 5x7. If the layout was better it wouldn't be too bad. But we're a growing family so we can't wait to build our 1344 sqft FirstDay it will feel huge!
That's awsome...i know you will love your FD.... !!!! I bet the kids don't even care about sharing ..beingthat they are used to it?....(sharing a small bedrooms) although 5 x 7...you fit 2 beds in there? :o i bet your family is close! I know what your saying about layout...its something i've spent a bit of time thinking about too. The good thing is that when we will be buying new appliances (our current ones will go with the sale of our ranch) So maybe something stackable for laundry. I know that me and my brother and mom and dad lived in a 450 sq. ft house...while growing up..and our family is pretty tight....no where to go except outside to get away from annoying siblings
I'm going to work on uploading a floor plan I'd really like your opionion being that you have successfully lived in 600sq. ft. with kids (which are prob. a year down the road for us )..but coming QUICK!! :o
Here is a sketch (farily to scale) I guessed on most furniture :-/ 22 x 30 ...
The two bedrooms would be added when needed.. they will be simple and studed out with 2X4's so they can be remove to fit car inside when it becomes garage...
here's a view of the side. Please NOTE the piece of square foam board is to scale a real life foam board person. 8-)
2nd angle of model
The wide open space in front will be wall to wall windows....
Thermal mass will be a 4 - 5 foot deep enveloped by rigid extruded polystyrene ..prob 4 inches
Above on "master" bedroom will be a celestrial windows...to open in case of over heating..and a nice view over city...
3rd angle
Hope I'm not putting to many pics on... ;D
but here is one a floorplan when it becomes garage/green house
QuoteQuoteReally cool land and nice to have your own slate quarry--free building material. :)
THANX Yeah ..I'm pumped...there's mostly blue stone.... There are patches that have this rose color to it ( high iron ?) :P don't know much about slate. Thinking of picking through the small peices and using it for counter tops ... and in the bathroom. It could be cool making designs out of the differenet sizes and colors ... 8-)
We have it all around the gold country -- many buildings still here that were built with alternating layers of slate and clay mud then plastered over the outside. Some walls were just dry stacked slate like the wall of the bar that is below street level. Most of the walls were at least 18" thick. Slate is layed flat with outside edges even leaving a edge that will hold plaster of one the keeps the walls dry. Many house foundations built of it too. Slabs of it can also be used for shingles if the roof is a little extra strong.
I will try to get some photos of local 49'er slate construction one of these days.
Forgot to mention - slate with good cleavage -which is most of it can be split down to about 3/8 thick with a hammer and chisel - I use about a 4" wide brick chisel and 4 lb sledge. Put the chisel along the edge at the thickness you want and tap several times along the line in different places-same line- it will usually split after a few taps. Then you have a shingle or tile or whatever, and depending on the thickness of the original piece you could have several nearly the same. I did a shower floor with it - someday may actually finish the walls and bathroom - ours is mostly black with gold colored streaks -probably iron - in it - some has a few iron pyrite crystals.
And guess who he sends to the rock pile with chisel & hammer to split the slate??? :o Sassy
Looks like the roof will need some kind of support structure in the middle. Otherwise I like it a lot.
QuoteAnd guess who he sends to the rock pile with chisel & hammer to split the slate??? :o Sassy
That's because you were bad - besides you know more about good cleavage than I do. :-/
QuoteQuoteQuoteReally cool land and nice to have your own slate quarry--free building material. :)
THANX Yeah ..I'm pumped...there's mostly blue stone.... There are patches that have this rose color to it ( high iron ?) :P don't know much about slate. Thinking of picking through the small peices and using it for counter tops ... and in the bathroom. It could be cool making designs out of the differenet sizes and colors ... 8-)
We have it all around the gold country -- many buildings still here that were built with alternating layers of slate and clay mud then plastered over the outside. Some walls were just dry stacked slate like the wall of the bar that is below street level. Most of the walls were at least 18" thick. Slate is layed flat with outside edges even leaving a edge that will hold plaster of one the keeps the walls dry. Many house foundations built of it too. Slabs of it can also be used for shingles if the roof is a little extra strong.
I will try to get some photos of local 49'er slate construction one of these days.
That's a pretty affordable way to do it. THis area was mostly Morter & stacked field stones...that are irregular in shape ... People did dry stack but b/c of the shape most have shifted under pressure.
QuoteForgot to mention - slate with good cleavage -which is most of it can be split down to about 3/8 thick with a hammer and chisel - I use about a 4" wide brick chisel and 4 lb sledge. Put the chisel along the edge at the thickness you want and tap several times along the line in different places-same line- it will usually split after a few taps. Then you have a shingle or tile or whatever, and depending on the thickness of the original piece you could have several nearly the same. I did a shower floor with it - someday may actually finish the walls and bathroom - ours is mostly black with gold colored streaks -probably iron - in it - some has a few iron pyrite crystals.
t
Thanks this is a great bit of info........ Very cool actually. I was going to use the shale ( it's all over the ground) ..but it is fragile and I was thinking it would prob. crack under the weight of a person. Yeah I'd like to see a pic if you get around to it. It would be nice to show my wife something ...she doesn't quite see possolibities in raw items off our land. I'm hoping she will like using mostly materials from our land. It would just make our place blend in so much. Being that the house will be bearmed heavily on 1/2 the east side and the northside completly.
QuoteLooks like the roof will need some kind of support structure in the middle. Otherwise I like it a lot.
Yeah I have an idea in my head. I will draw something out and post it to see what you all think. I would have to say roof loads and getting them within code is something i'm not sure about what I'll need. :-/
Below is a photo of three types of floor off of our property or from the local area. The upper part is about 7% cement stabilized earth floor - center is the slate I mentioned above - couldn't find the shower picture yet. Bottom is cob floor - clay 30% sand and aggregate -claystone etc -70% - straw - no cement - 4 coats of linseed oil on top after dry then acrylic sealer. Cracks are filled with sand clay -charcoal -bonding agent grout.
(https://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/glennkangiser/64788b0e.jpg)
Working out of town for a bit so will get the local slate photos later.
Good Pic.... I like the slate look..... and best of all ..free :)