Little House x 2?

[RonDay]

Looks like we're finally going to get started building. Originally we planned on a 14 x 24 Little House lengthened to 28 feet, with full length deep covered porches on the long sides. We were going to set up the "back" porch with short walls along the edge about 1/3 of the way up, then screening to the roof line, making provisions so we could cover the screens with plexi or lexan sheets in cold weather.

More recently we decided to include the back porch in the primary foot print of the cabin, putting down the posts & beams for the 14 x 28 plus a 10 x 28 and building a single deck across the four beams. Back wall would be 8 ft, front wall 14, with a shed roof. Is the 4 beam foundation what we need for this 24 x 28 cabin, or should we use another plan set, like the story and a half which we have in addition to the little house set, for a simple cabin of this size?

Figured it couldn't hurt to ask before we start pouring our pad blocks.

TIA,
Ron

[jraabe]

I'm not completely sure I know what you are planning here. When you put the two buildings together do you end up with a 24' (14+10) x 28' with a shed roof spanning the 24' width? If so, I would do a three beam foundation with 12' spans on the joists and rafters. You would need to adjust the beams and piers for the loads but it would cost less to do that than building an extra beam.

[RonDay]

Yes, John, we're looking at 24' x 28' with a simple shed roof. There will be a long interior wall roughly down the middle so the 24' roof span would not be unsupported. If I understand your comment I can run a main floor beam down the middle and two outer floor beams 12' on either side of center? This would put the outer ones along the edge of the deck rather than a couple of feet inside the deck edges on the "standard" Little House. Thanks

[jraabe]

Yes, to keep things simple put the walls on top of the beams.
Then the loads go straight through the floors.

You can make the centerline wall load bearing and do headers over the doors, etc. Then the beam below the main floor will be carrying 1/2 of both the roof and floor loads from each side. This beam will be loaded twice as heavily as the outside beams.