New here, not sure if this is the right forum thread......

Started by trndrvr, November 18, 2009, 06:14:13 PM

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trndrvr

but I just bought this cabin *link* up on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. It's pretty much just a camping/fishing cabin. I go there pretty regularly to go fishing, so what the heck!!!

I bought it through a divorce situation for next to nothing. I bought it sight unseen, but am familiar with the area/neighborhood that it's in. I'm basically not too worried about my investment. It sits on just over a 1/4 of an acre.

What I would like to do is to get it onto a different style foundation. Post and Pier? My goal is to design a private family campground style vacation location. Add a bath house/utility/kitchen facility, septic, bring in power/water, maybe add a couple more small cabins to it.

I'm giving myself 5 years to complete. I have another cabin (not mine) to use in the meantime.

It's not much, but for me, it's a start!!!

Thanks,
Dan.
I drive a train

muldoon

welcome trndrv.

thats a neat looking place, sounds fantastic as a fishing shack.  I like your plans of building up a camping compound.  I do have one question from the pictures, it seems to me the roof asphalt shingles should come down over the flashing on that vent stack. 

Does it stay dry and tight as it is now?  I am just asking the question as this is not something I have to do just yet and am hoping to get an answer mostly for myself. 



Thanks for sharing your project, I think it's cool. 


MountainDon


w*

It's not readily apparent to me what sort of foundation the cabin sits on. ???

My question is what is wrong with the present foundation? Why do you need to change it?


Muldoon, to me it appears that the upper edge of the chimney flashing is inserted through a cut slit in the roofing material. That would help keep the water out.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

trndrvr

Thank you for the welcome!

Like I said, I bought it sight unseen. I'm not to sure about the flashing around the stove pipe. That would be another project is to get rid of that rolled asphalt roofing and put on a colored metal roof.

As for the foundation, I believe it's on sitting on cement pier blocks. The kind of block that you level out and lay the beams on. They're not sunk into the ground. I was thinking more of a post style foundation and get it up off the ground a little more and enlarge the decking.

Like I said, it's a start and the price was right.

Thanks,
Dan.

PS It was just built in '07'.
I drive a train

speedfunk

If it seems stable you might want to think about leaving it.  Replacing foundations cane be a bit of a task. 

just a thought...GL


Pox Eclipse

Nice location.  Where abouts is that located?  I lived on the Kenai for seven years, I know most of the Peninsula: Kasilof, Nikiski, Funny River...

Am I close?

trndrvr

Quote from: Pox Eclipse on November 25, 2009, 10:31:08 PM
Nice location.  Where abouts is that located?  I lived on the Kenai for seven years, I know most of the Peninsula: Kasilof, Nikiski, Funny River...

Am I close?
Sterling. Neighborhood near the confluence of the Moose and Kenai rivers.
I drive a train

PEG688

Quote from: muldoon on November 18, 2009, 06:37:26 PM
welcome trndrv.

thats a neat looking place, sounds fantastic as a fishing shack.  I like your plans of building up a camping compound.  I do have one question from the pictures, it seems to me the roof asphalt shingles should come down over the flashing on that vent stack.

With roll roofing like that IF there is sealant under the roof jack it should be OK. I would have stuffed the jack under all of the roofing that was sliced so a upside down U cut out of the upper strip. Laid over the lower strip just as it was done. Lead the water to day light aways.  

Does it stay dry and tight as it is now? 

  What it really lacks and need is a storm collar that attaches or wraps around the round pipe , just above the roof jack. As it is water can / does and will run down the pipe all the way to the stove top. Which IF the stove is heated up isn't much of a issue except the sizzle sound , but when it's not heated the water will cause rust and run off the stove top and / or into the stove , possibly on to the floor.


I am just asking the question as this is not something I have to do just yet and am hoping to get an answer mostly for myself. 



Thanks for sharing your project, I think it's cool. 

Yes it is cool.
When in doubt , build it stout with something you know about .

rick91351

You might grab a tube of asphalt sealer from HD or Lowes run it between the flashing and the rolled roofing to hold it down.   

Off thread - is see you are a hoghead (okay for you guys that don't speak railroad that is a locomotive engineer).  We collected three Alaska engineers down here in Idaho on the Union
Pacific one winter several years ago when we were in the middle of a melt down.  One returned, two took up seniority down here on the UP.  One is still here in Idaho, one is an manager in North Platte, Neb.

Drop me a PM one of these days when you are in and tied up. c*

rlr 


     
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.


MountainDon

Quote from: PEG688 on November 26, 2009, 10:34:24 AM


 What it really lacks and need is a storm collar that attaches or wraps around the round pipe , just above the roof jack. As it is water can / does and will run down the pipe all the way to the stove top. Which IF the stove is heated up isn't much of a issue except the sizzle sound , but when it's not heated the water will cause rust and run off the stove top and / or into the stove , possibly on to the floor.



Well, shame on the rest of us, me especially, since I've installed two similar flashing in the past couple years.  d* d* d* :-[ :-[ :-[

There appears to be a gap between the chimney pipe and the lashing. And as PEG stated, there is NO Rain or Storm Collar.

Not only that, a second hard look has me wondering if that pipe sticking out of the flashing is really black pipe as it appears to be. That could explain the gap. That's not right and would be a fire waiting to happen if that's true.

Dang, have to look at the details better.  d* d*  Good one, Paul.

Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

MountainDon

Yep, that sure is black pipe, probably single wall. Look at that gap in the blow up of one of the other photos. A very bad thing.



That black pipe should be replaced with insulated pipe following all the proper clearances. And a storm collar and a pipe cap added before any fire is built in the stove.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

MountainDon

Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

rick91351

Thanks Don I was wondering what I was not seeing; but I knew it was not right.   ???

I am sort of ashamed I did not catch that...Those old stove pipe chimneys like that some times will work great.  That said when they don't it is tragedy just waiting to happen.  Don't take the chance.... they are never safe.  I know there are a lot of those old sourdoughs that will say "By Gawd they are!!"  Then there are some that literally have lost everything and I mean everything.  To bad they are not here to say they are not safe.       
 
Lehman's has a good link:

http://www.lehmans.com/store/article/1308?Args=#

Trndrvr: I was thinking those three that came down from the Alaska Railroad were engineers.  They were trainmen.  The two that stayed went into engine service first chance they got....  d*

rlr
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.

MountainDon

Quote from: rick91351 on November 26, 2009, 12:54:11 PM
Those old stove pipe chimneys like that some times will work great. 


There's no doubt that chimney would likely channel the smoke from the stove to the outside. It's what might happen someday with a hot fire, or someday down the road after some wood that has been exposed to high temperatures, finally gets to the point where its ignition temperature has dropped to unsafe levels. If anyone wants to get into that discussion there is an old thread lurking around here someplace about improperly fitted steam heat pipe causing a fire after decades of service. MikeT brought it up I believe.  ???
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.


John Raabe

Stay Safe!

Especially important for a new cabin owner that may not know the history and what can go wrong.

Kudos guys for catching potential problems from a quick photo alone! Even a couple of years ago, when few folks had digital cameras or knew how to post a photo to a forum, stuff like this would not have been caught.

High-five!
None of us are as smart as all of us.

trndrvr

Sorry for not checking this lately.

Thanks for all the great replies, info, and advice.

Like I said, I bought this sight unseen. Right now I'm waiting on my vacation schedule from work, and plan on going up to AK to check it all out and arrange to have what needs to be done, done.

One of the thing I would like to do is to put metal roofing material on it and get rid of the "rolled asphalt" material that's on it now.

Lots of ideas, too many miles. I need to go up there and exclusively work on this cabin and not fish. Right!!!

Thanks again, and Happy Holidays,
Dan.
I drive a train

lonelytree

Hi Dan!
  Anchorage here. Just got my cabin warm and dry. You really need to evaluate that piping before lighting it off. Did they install some kind of thimble in the roof? Mine is Double wall Metalbestos, then a round ring, then a square box where it goes through the roof.
   Your foundation is fine for the KP. Many are done the same way. If you wish to raise the place you can just add some blocking and bracing. The KP has very little permafrost. If you are in clay you may experience some frost jacking. If so, it is accepted as normal and adjusting should be as easy as possible.
   Call Metal Magic in Palmer for the metal for your roof. If hire it out CALL ME FIRST. I got screwed.
   Warm and dry is your first concern. Security is next. Protect your investment.

Mike


trndrvr

Quote from: lonelytree on December 20, 2009, 04:29:30 AM
Hi Dan!
  Anchorage here. Just got my cabin warm and dry. You really need to evaluate that piping before lighting it off. Did they install some kind of thimble in the roof? Mine is Double wall Metalbestos, then a round ring, then a square box where it goes through the roof.
   Your foundation is fine for the KP. Many are done the same way. If you wish to raise the place you can just add some blocking and bracing. The KP has very little permafrost. If you are in clay you may experience some frost jacking. If so, it is accepted as normal and adjusting should be as easy as possible.
   Call Metal Magic in Palmer for the metal for your roof. If hire it out CALL ME FIRST. I got screwed.
   Warm and dry is your first concern. Security is next. Protect your investment.

Mike


Yes that stove pipe will be my first concern. That and a metal roof. I have a wife and 2 daughters. Their comfort is my main priority.

Thanks,
Dan.

PS Let me know if you're down in the Sterling area. I'll try to get you to check it out for me. Thanks again!!!
I drive a train

trndrvr

An update to an old thread.

I bought this cabin 2 years ago from a divorce situation sight unseen. I bought it for I think a pretty reasonable price and I immediately put it back on the market to see if I could turn a little profit. I gave it one year, and if it didn't sell I would run with it and turn it into a learning experience. Well it didn't sell so I started to have it finished. Due to logistics, I have to have it done for me and I think I have found a good and reputable contractor that is doing the finish work.

So far I've had the inside of the lot (0.26 acre) cleared to make it accessible. I had a driveway cut in and basically the middle of the lot opened up. I also had a "floating" foundation poured and had the cabin turned 90* clockwise and moved back 26' towards the back of the lot. Re-roofed with 5 tab contractors shingles. Had the front wall moved out leaving a 12" overhang. Floor was cut out, sealed from the inside, insulated, and new floor sheeting installed. There was only one opening window on the back of the cabin, so I had another window installed on the front for some cross ventilation. Sided with rough sawn spruce siding, and the last thing for the exterior is a deck the full width of the front (16') and 8' out.

Progression shots...I'll post pictures after the stain and paint work is done.

What it looked like when bought


Sitting in its new location


What it looks like now...




Back side before and after...




Example of local wildlife...
I drive a train

maxwell-

Quote from: MountainDon on November 26, 2009, 11:42:18 AM
Yep, that sure is black pipe, probably single wall. Look at that gap in the blow up of one of the other photos. A very bad thing.



That black pipe should be replaced with insulated pipe following all the proper clearances. And a storm collar and a pipe cap added before any fire is built in the stove.

thanks for this usefull informations..
now i find what i want to know..
thanks..  ;)

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