Wanting to build an a-frame

[wannabuildacabin]

 Has anyone had any experience with a-frames? And where is a good place to obtain plans for one? I already have the land with well, power and septic and am ready to get started. Im wanting to build like a 20 x 28.

[Beavers]

The Nash Cabin started off as an A-frame.

I can't think of any other folks from Country Plans that have built an A-frame.  

Maybe Nash will check in and share some more thoughts on A-frames.

[Don_P]

The first roof I went off of was an A frame with cedar shakes. I got turned around and slid down. Rode to the doc's on my knees looking out the back window of the truck and had to endure the guffaws of Dad and the doc as he surgically removed a large broken off splinter from my butt. Not much help, never looked at another one the same way  . Without getting elaborate it's hard to get light in anywhere but the gables.

[wannabuildacabin]

Wonder how the natural light tubes would work for that?

[MountainDon]

I always liked A-frames. Until I was inside one. Not enough daylight for me. Have you walked through, sat around, inside one similar in size to what you want. I'd try to do that if you have not.

On the other hand, there are folks that love their's and since I don't have to live there, that's fine with me.    Different strokes.... and all that.

Roof windows can introduce daylight, but it is a roof penetration and some don't like that.   

They can be very attractive though.

[pagan]

We almost bought an old A-Frame that was used as a hunting cabin and although it looked nice it was way too small. You had to crawl into the loft on your hands and knees and if you sat up too quickly in bed you'd smack your head into the ceiling even though the bed was on the loft floor. The footprint was, if memory serves me, 20 feet by 20 feet.

[frazoo]

I worked on the interior trim in one many years ago.  My remembrances of it was that you lose a lot of sq. ft. on the upper level.  Knee walls or just short first floor walls, whichever you prefer to call them, on the ground level would help alleviate that somewhat.  Can look very nice.

frazoo

[Whitlock]

I built one Or should I say helped build one ???It was 20x30 the walls are the same length as the floor joists
So you have all the same length boards when you make your frames. Standing them up is the tricky part.
The job was fairly fast but roofing it sucked also the owners didn't like the fact that the interior didn't have flat walls to hang things on and that the loft turned out small. They do have there place in high snow areas and being easy to heat. Also low cost in building materials

[MountainDon]

... and that the loft turned out small.

An A-frame is a loft. 

[pagan]

A ground floor loft...Don?

[MountainDon]

A ground floor loft...Don?

In essence, with a steeper than usual roof, for a cabin or house.  So a loft in an A-frame, is a loft in a loft. 

[pagan]

I just like the sounds of a ground floor loft.

[texasgun]

There is lots of A-frame plans on the net at low cost. I ordered probably 6 differnt ones and there is even a book on the history and design of these houses which is very intresting. Its easy to get caught up in the idea that they are the perfect structure untill you start looking at the plans, measuring the room size and non-convential shapes and angles only then do you see why they never caught on past the inexpensive sort of primative cabin design. I still sometime catch myself figuring out a way to "make it work" for my family but the 2 story or 1 1/2 story wins every time. just a couple ideas that changed my mind: very limited on actual layout of kitchen and bathroom(sloped walls), my desire to frame out walls to be vertical at least 4 foot high (which defeats the a-frame design), loft is designed for very limited use not mutch living area. In all i spent hours luling over plans and drawing floorplans to finally give up and go back to the convential design . This is the very best website on the net and is filled with brilliant designers of world class cabins but not very many completed a-fames and I have a feeling that the reason lies in the same problems i came up with. Sorry this is so long but if you do build one post pictures because I still love to look.(maybe there is a cabin therapist in the house? I need one)

[rocking23nf]

we bought a a-frame cabin which we are renovating right now, I love it, its 24x24, the roof is around 20 feet up, its a steep roof.

My only complaint is kitchen cabinets, its hard to have upper rows on your kitchen.

[wannabuildacabin]

 Thanks to everyone for the input. If we decide to build an a-frame we will post pics of the progress.  And for the cabinets we stayed in one in the mountains and it had, I guess yo uwould call it a dormer for the kitchen and side door area. which made it feel a lot more open.

[PFunk_Spock]

Ive always liked this one.

http://details.coolhouseplans.com/details.html?pid=chp-31662&ArchStyle=A-Frame&FoundID=14&sid=chp23

[Freeholdfarm]

All the objections stated above.  I had friends who had an A-frame cabin in Alaska and I wouldn't have one.  You lose square feet due to the space next to the walls/roof being practically unusable; it's hard to attach anything to the walls so it's hard to have wall cabinets or shelves, or even hang pictures on the walls.  I know they look like they'd be easy to build (except that I wouldn't want to work on such a steep roof, either), but there are much more practical house shapes.

Kathleen

ETA:  I just looked at that link that was posted above -- interesting!  But it reminded me of one other reason why I don't like A-frames very much -- they are usually built with a two-story ceiling above the living space and I LOATHE two-story ceilings.  Not that they are exclusive to A-frames, of course.... That plan does, at least, have a decent staircase to the second floor, though.  Too many A-frames are built with a ladder or a skimpy spiral stair to the loft.  The ladder may be fine when you are young and able-bodied, but it's always good to plan ahead for the days when you won't be so young or able-bodied.  Spiral stairs are attractive but it's hard to maneuver furniture up and down them.  (I know, I'm just too practical-minded!  That's actually half the reason I don't like two-story ceilings -- it's difficult to keep the cobwebs down, or to change a light-bulb, or to wash those high windows.  I prefer the housework to be as easy and simple as possible, so I can have time to do other things!)

[rwanders]

A 1 1/2 story with a 12/12 pitch roof gives you a similar look with a LOT more usable space for your money.