just the begining, lots of questions

Started by mysimplelife, April 06, 2011, 09:15:57 PM

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mysimplelife

April 06, 2011, 09:15:57 PM
oh my.. where to start..lol. been planning, saving, and loosing sleep for about 6 months now.(but this is the final stage of a 5 year process in downsizing). in short, i want a small, simple living space that is practicle for my lifestyle. it also needs to be easy to build as i will be the only "hired help". so i am going back and forth between a 14x24 with 9' ceilings and a slightly slopped rubber roof, or an A-frame. probly 14x20. i absolutly love the a-frame look and like the idea of my walls being my ceiling and a loft, but how high can i go up, and still manage by myself, and still have a usable loft for sleeping? 20ft seems doable, but setting those trusses seems trying. im stumped..
    my other dilemma is the plans or blueprints. so many places online offer them, but how usefull will they be? i looked at a set of plans and it didnt really help me, but rather confuse me. i know i need them for permits and crap, but is that all you get for $500? not sure what to expect and i cant really get a straight answer. what would be helpfull is having them in order as well as some sort of material list. its just intimadating i guess.
      i guess most of my queastion revolve around the a-frame. like where to run electrical? in the floor or is there a short knee wall? whats the process of insulating the ceiling if i want open joists? how do i figure out how much loft space i will have if i have 14' floor span and 20' peak. will the plans show me how to splice in rafters for a 24' peak or do i have to custom order that length? i dont know.. grr.
side note: i am 15 year contractor. i do remodels and renovations. but that doeasnt meen i know the ins and outs of building a small house. that just meens i have a lot of expensive tools..lol.


rocking23nf

#1
April 07, 2011, 11:29:18 AM
I have an Aframe, you can check my reno photos if you search my posts.

you will lose a lot of space if its only 14 feet wide, mine is 24x24, and when you get to the loft its probably only 12 feet wide at that point.

I ran my wires in the outer walls (i have no inner walls other then the bathroom) and in the floor joists for the upper floor.

duncanshannon

#4
April 07, 2011, 07:43:49 PM
hi and  w*

im pretty new here and *not* a contractor so dont put too much weight in my responses.  I've read a ton of the forum and am dreaming/planing my build at this point...

Quote
only "hired help". so i am going back and forth between a 14x24 with 9' ceilings and a slightly slopped rubber roof, or an A-frame. probly 14x20. i absolutly love the a-frame look and like the idea of my walls being my ceiling and a loft, but how high can i go up, and still manage by myself, and still have a usable loft for sleeping? 20ft seems doable, but setting those trusses seems trying. im stumped..

Might just be but it seems that the general feeling about aframes here is that while quaint and lots of people love the look, that they dont make the best home/cabin in the long run.  my conclusion is that the benefits (cost, speed of build etc) dont out weigh the cons (roofing, wasted space, angled walls for hanging cabinets etc). 


 
Quotemy other dilemma is the plans or blueprints. so many places online offer them, but how usefull will they be? i looked at a set of plans and it didnt really help me, but rather confuse me. i know i need them for permits and crap, but is that all you get for $500? not sure what to expect and i cant really get a straight answer. what would be helpfull is having them in order as well as some sort of material list. its just intimadating i guess.

well!  you've come to the right place. 

http://countryplans.com/plans

Plans for sale (cheap!) that are fully designed and of sound engineering.  Ready to take to the city for permits etc.  lots of options.

There are a ton of really helpful and amazing people on this forum... lots of people like me (no real const experience) end up building places using these plans and relying on extremely helpful people in the forum.  With your experience and the resources (people, books, links etc) here.. you've got it made!


Start thinking about what you really want, tell us about your land, be sure to post lots of pictures as you build... and it will be a great adventure.

good luck!

duncan
Home: Minneapolis, MN area.  Land: (no cabin yet) Spooner, WI area.  Plan: 20x34 1 1/2 Story. Experience Level: n00b. 
Build Thread: http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=10784.0
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