Thanks Don. Yeah, the technology is really impressive.

Beautiful work! 

When I do an addition to our place, I'll definitely be adding a mini split. Looks good.

Just wanted to say last week we passed final inspection, that's a pretty big milestone.

Still a lot of trim work left to do.


Decided to use some of the cherry on the kitchen walls. It really gives the house a warmer feeling in winter.


Hopefully I will be making doors and drawers for the kitchen soon.

Beautiful!  What will you be applying to the cherry backsplash to protect it?
Gary

Thanks Gary. It actually already has all it's getting - the Rubio Monocoat stuff I won't shut up about.   

I have used it on everything in the house and it is holding up really well. I had to sand the upstairs bullnose when i was installing the stairs, and the spot sand + re finish completely blended in like it was supposed to.

Next to the stove I've got concrete on one side, and white oak with the rubio on the other. The rubio seems completely resistant to oil stains, while the concrete is not. That really impressed me. The kitchen table gets completely abused by our toddler and somehow all the food and juice, god knows what else, has not affected the finish yet.

The one place we have had a couple water spots is on the bathroom vanity top. I am not sure if it happened before the oil finished curing, or if it's the water mixed with soap.

I would say it took about 1 hour to finish the backsplash. And don't have to worry about off gassing. That is such a time saver, I am not sure how long it would take to do multiple coats of polyeurathane. Time is definitely at a premium these days.

Either way I love the stuff.

Hope everyone is having a good new year, I thought I'd post an update on the house.

Right after the holiday we passed final inspection, which feels great even if it doesn't materially change anything.

I have just been chipping away at the kitchen.

I bought a pin nailer that can shoot up to 2" pins... that is a real game changer, / time saver you don't need to fill and resand nail holes. They seem to hold very well.

I decided to build the cabinet drawer boxes out of 3/4 pine on the sides, and 3/4" plywood for the bottom. I attached the bottom with biscuit joints and glue. For the sides you can see I just used pocket screws. Sometimes it seems like pocket screws have a bed reputation, but they have just been such a fantastic time saver for me. At this point it could have saved me days of labor throughout building the house.

Because I want the doors and drawers to be inset, I had to shim out a space behind the face frame to attach the drawers slides. I did one drawer with soft close, and all the other are just plain old ball bearing. The soft close slides look like they will not last long term, whereas plain ball bearing don't really have anything that can break on them.


So, this is how I mounted the slides.



Then mount the drawer boxes which does require some adjusting, it wasn't too bad though. I then undersized the drawer fronts by 1/4" giving a 1/8" reveal all the way around. 1/8" looks nice, and any smaller will probably drive you crazy. Especially when the weight in the drawers change.



Once the drawer front is aligned just right, I shoot a couple pins in, gently pull the box out, clamp it and screw it in from inside.



And here they are with the finish on.



The cherry I am working with is just exceptional. We have been furniture shopping and I just can't believe how much they will charge for a dresser or end table that is made up of narrow little glued up pieces. Also I really don't like the style of most modern woodworking, where it seems like the goal is to make the wood look as much like plastic as possible.

All the face frames are done now. I have been doing all my calculations for the doors and will be starting them soon. I made a little jig for the table saw and will just be doing everything on there. The plan is to use bridle joints.



Also just a note that the ductless minisplit has been great. The only thing I don't like about it is that the remote is has way too many options, and they are symbols, so it can take 20 minutes going through the manual to make sure you have everything set right.

wow, exceptional work, bravo.

Those cabinets look awesome, really nice work.

Love the cherry! Your cabinets have come out very nicely.

That looks really good, love the fact that you have two windows in the kitchen. and usable counter space.
/cheers 

Thanks for the compliments everyone. It sure is easier this winter being in a more complete house.

Very nice 
Cherry is one of my favorite woods.
If you would take exactly the same pictures in a year and post them here. It might help those who are unfamiliar, cherry continues to get richer in color with time.

Quote from: Don_P on February 14, 2019, 07:25:58 PM
Very nice 
Cherry is one of my favorite woods.
If you would take exactly the same pictures in a year and post them here. It might help those who are unfamiliar, cherry continues to get richer in color with time.

Don, it has been so awesome watching the wood change colors. The window trim is the oldest, at somewhere around 6 months - I held up one of my cabinet doors that was sanded and finished last week. (style and rails still need to be trimmed sanded and finish)



The pictures really don't do it justice.

Also the Ash that's about 10 months old has developed a nice amber color that really started showing up only a month or two ago.

Original:


10 months age:


It may be a little tough to tell in the photos because the lighting is always different. I really can't help but think about doing some kind of a wood floor downstairs, although just about every day I am thankful for the durability of the slab.

I could order 13-16' planks of some kind of wood, and T&G them myself with relief cuts on the underside and do a floor with no butt joints...

Made some more progress on the kitchen. Still not done, but getting there.


This is my jig for making bridle joints. Worked great. I initially shimmed with tape but later went back and got the fit on the fence exact.



Love how they look.


I used Blum hinges, they are amazing. It took forever to figure out how to pick the hinge+mounting plate. Their 'concealed hinge product manual' is the best resource, but they still assume you already have a baseline knowledge of their products. After I figured out what I needed, I placed a huge order with woodworkerexpress.com - they shipped my order 3 hours after placing... awesome, highly recommend and they easily beat prices of everywhere else I looked.

I didn't take a ton of in progress pics, I still have another door and end panel to make so maybe I'll take some then. I am really sneaking work time in now so it's hard to document everything.

I will say I use Excel to get all my dimensions exact... I make formulas and then use the results to draw things out in Sketchup to guarantee everything is correct. That has served me well so far.

I oversized all my styles and rails by 1/16, I wanted wiggle room because all the doors are inset... no room for error. Also it is an instant cleanup for all the glue joints.



Still have to put the knobs on, we are thinking about keeping them off the lower ones as childproofing.. 


We did under-counter lights too, that is really nice at a night. The stove exhaust fan has lights too which is great.





Part of figuring out the hinges was the right combo for a 170 degree open inset with the soft close. Quick to install though.


Drawer trash can where the plumbing cleanout is.



Decided to just make the small doors slabs, you can tell those boards were just sanded and laying in the middle of the pile by how light the color is compared to the rest of the wood... that will even out relatively quickly.






Anyway, still more to do but thought it was worth updating.

That floor is kick arse, real nice. Kitchen turned out great too.

I understand the wood changing colors, I love that too. I personally like a lot of knots in my boards, big fan of knotty pine.

Just some random thoughts.

Quote from: NathanS on August 12, 2016, 04:03:36 PM

We really love how the slab came out, leaving that as our finished floor with no stains or anything else on it.

Is this what you stuck with? I see it looks similar in later pictures, but did you ever seal it or do anything to coat it, or is it just the raw concrete as poured?

Thanks, love this build and how you covered your progress with it!

-Nate

Quote from: Nate R on February 07, 2020, 01:04:14 PM
Is this what you stuck with? I see it looks similar in later pictures, but did you ever seal it or do anything to coat it, or is it just the raw concrete as poured?

Thanks, love this build and how you covered your progress with it!

-Nate

Yup, we stuck with it. Never added any sealer or anything. They used a power trowel to finish it, which I think really did a good job of making it less pourous. The day they poured it, it was hot and sunny, so they did spray some kind of sealer that was supposed to degrade and be gone after 30 days. Not sure exactly what it was. Still no cracks anywhere either - and we didn't add any control joints.

We really love it, no plans to tile or put a wood floor on it any time soon. We have a hardwood floor upstairs for direct comparison. I love that floor too, but the slab is just so impervious and utilitarian I can't bring myself to trade it for something that needs to be taken care of. Wouldn't even want tile having to deal with all the grout joints.

It's really easy to broom and clean - think of it as one big smooth rock. I need to post some updated pics soon - I made a woodrack in the mudroom. I literally roll the wheelbarrow into the house, and dump loads of dirty disgusting firewood on the floor. Sometimes I have time to bring it in, but not stack it. I have left piles of snow covered wood on the slab overnight. Can't do that with any other floor. Everything also sweeps right up because there are no cracks or grout joints.

It is really awesome for us. Also I didn't bother with putting pex in the slab, I know people are adamant about that for some reason but in a highly insulated house it's completely unnecessary and actually the opposite kind of heat you want if you use a woodstove most of the time. Our Dec-Feb average temps are well below freezing and I can walk on the slab barefoot all winter.

Thanks for the info and feedback on it!


I had a 20x30 slab poured last year, hoping to start building on it this year....I had plans for VCT tile flooring, but seeing how well the raw slab is working out for you makes me pause. The control joints cut in ours are narrow, just saw-blade width. Would be easy to fill those with a sealant/caulk.... Might have to think about this more. I really like the idea of how utilitarian it is. And, good to hear that it's not TOO cold in winter!

Hey Nathan,

I really admire your build. It's been a source of inspiration as I plan for building from the same plan in the future. Just like you did, I too would like to install a mini-split to heat and cool a very similar floor plan in the future. While models with the right number of BTUs seem easy enough to find, I am a little concerned about an acceptable distribution of heat and cooling. How has your mini-split performed in terms of whole-house comfort? Where did you locate the head? I am especially curious since, besides your shed-roof addition, our floor plans will be very similar. Thanks!

Quote from: dmschafft on November 30, 2020, 04:03:46 PM
Hey Nathan,

I really admire your build. It's been a source of inspiration as I plan for building from the same plan in the future. Just like you did, I too would like to install a mini-split to heat and cool a very similar floor plan in the future. While models with the right number of BTUs seem easy enough to find, I am a little concerned about an acceptable distribution of heat and cooling. How has your mini-split performed in terms of whole-house comfort? Where did you locate the head? I am especially curious since, besides your shed-roof addition, our floor plans will be very similar. Thanks!

We put it next to the stairwell downstairs.

Heating is very evenly distributed. Maybe 2-3 degrees cooler in the bedrooms; it performs the same as a woodstove.

For cooling, it will dehumidify the upstairs but is not good at cooling it. I had almost put the unit in the stairwell thinking it might be able to shoot the air upstairs in the summer and down in the winter. If you have hot and humid summers and you want to experiment you could try that, or just install 2 heads.

As long as your house is well insulated and air tight, you don't have to worry about rooms on the same floor - it's just the buoyancy of air prevents cold air from going up and hot air from going down.

Resurrecting this forum, hopefully that is okay. 

First, thank you for creating this detailed post on your build of the universal cottage! It has really inspired us and answered a lot of questions. We are looking to build the same house but just extend the length to 36ft. We will be building in Maine so the climate will be similar to yours. I think the main differences we are going to make is using roof trusses 7:10 pitch and Ijoist floors. I'm considering 16 oc framing instead of 24 oc. I see a lot of mixed reviews on 24 oc framing (straightening the walls is harder, walls shake when doors are closed, etc).

I'm just curious how your house is holding up. Is there anything you would have liked to have done differently during the original build? Have you encountered any moisture issues? Any recommendations you would make to someone who wants to build this same house?

Quote from: Maine homestead on February 04, 2024, 10:40:49 AMResurrecting this forum, hopefully that is okay.

First, thank you for creating this detailed post on your build of the universal cottage! It has really inspired us and answered a lot of questions. We are looking to build the same house but just extend the length to 36ft. We will be building in Maine so the climate will be similar to yours. I think the main differences we are going to make is using roof trusses 7:10 pitch and Ijoist floors. I'm considering 16 oc framing instead of 24 oc. I see a lot of mixed reviews on 24 oc framing (straightening the walls is harder, walls shake when doors are closed, etc).

I'm just curious how your house is holding up. Is there anything you would have liked to have done differently during the original build? Have you encountered any moisture issues? Any recommendations you would make to someone who wants to build this same house?

Glad some people are still reading it! Sorry for the delayed response as I don't come on here as much anymore.

No issues with moisture or anything structural to the house. The 24" oc framing never makes any sound or feels weak, especially with roxul and exterior insulation. The wind really has to be howling to hear anything at all. Modern houses are fully sheathed versus the old triangular braces which would add to the rickety feeling, in my opinion. The pros are a little more insulation, lighter weight when lifting, and a hair cheaper. The cons of trusses are just that you can't install them alone. I can stick frame a roof alone in total comfort.

Design-wise, I wish the 8x12 mudroom went out to 10 feet, and that it ran the length of the house. Id put a little gable roof section in the middle over the entry door and put an office on the other end for my wife. Even though the ground level footprint would have increased it wouldn't have been much more work - the foundation may have even been easier. I also would consider 'wrapping' the lean-to around the house for a nice covered eating area and maybe even a small library type room separate from the living area.

A basement is also something to consider. With my current knowledge, skill and financial means I would probably go that route. Back when we were building everything was new and we had a budget to stick to, and our land is wet, so no real regrets.

We have 2 kids now so the design changes really revolve around that. Once they are older a lot of the additional spaces would likely be unused, more to take care of, and more work to heat.