My 15.75 x 30 Jemez Cabin

[John Raabe]

I'm sure you're in full production mode Don. Looking good!

[MountainDon]

Looking good Don. I now see the 2x19 in the other thread was a typo. How did you end up with 15.75? Are you going to leave the bottom open or skirt it with something?

Open for now. (with something like plywood secured under the insulation when I get that far as well as 1/4" hardware cloth at the joist ends along the long sides; for venting.)

15.75 ft = 15 ft 9 inches

That avoids the shortfall when using 4 x 8 T&G sheathing      I could have done an accurate calculation and had it come out perfect, but somethoing else would have probably messed that up.     Plus I got a deal on some end damaged 2x10's that were otherwise very very nice wood.

[MountainDon]

Okay, it's been several days, maybe a week since I've been here; back to town for a few things and some rest. It's been busy. I've had some help for a day; our son. We've also been visited by a local bear who tore up another tree stump looking for ants or whatever to eat. And a fat a$$ badger moved in down the slope; we saw his burrow. He'll be tolerated as long as he eats his fair share of mice. And it has rained; rained a lot. Then rained some more.    July is our rainy season. What a time to get building! 

So here is a shot of the 2x10 x 15'6" floor joists installed along with a row of center span blocking. (Add rim joists and you have 15.75 feet wide.)



On to the subfloor decking! Yes the sun is out, but those gathering clouds get darker and darker as the time passes into early afternoon. That's my son with the nailer.

[MountainDon]

The completed floor deck.



Shortly after this it clouded over rapidly. I was unable to find a supplier of Advantek subfloor locally. My choices came down to OSB or plywood. Some say plywood has better moisture resistance than OSB, but my neighbor had plywood delaminate on him last year.  So with the rain clouds brewing up something I got out the roll of 6 mil 20 foot wide plastic we use to cover the wood piles when we're in pine bark beetle baking mode. Laid a brand new virgin layer over the deck, made nice neat corners and nailed them over under the rim.



Then we very carefully began the first wall section T the SE corner; no tool dropping allowed!  This section is ready to lift erect. (that's what the blocks od scrap are for... getting one's fingers underneath.)

After some hours of labor here's what we had. Wall framing is 92 5/8" 2x6 studs, on 24" centersThis is looking directly south.



The timbers in the foreground are the outline of a future rock, grass and wildflower garden.

[MountainDon]

Then K and our son went home and the sky opened up for 15 minutes. I anxiously peered through the rain spattered RV window in an attempt to see how the floor fared. When the rain let up I ran outside and found...

... that even carefully handled virgin plastic has wee small little holes.   



This was not welcome news, although not a total surprise to my skeptical mind.     Before I could get all the standing water squeegeed off it rained some more for a half hour or so.

After the rained stopped the skies cleared some and we had some nice evening colors in the sky. Sorry no pictures of that. At this point approximately 33% of the floor area plastic had water trapped underneath. I pulled out the utility knife and cut the plastic free. It'll do for another wood pile, but I don't recommend it for an attempt to keep a floor dry. 

Here's my temporary step. 

[MountainDon]

A couple days and more rain showers later... (looking at the SW corner.)



That's 4 x 9 foot sheaths of OSB sheathing. Cutting an inch off the length gives full coverage from top plate down to the lower edge of the rim.

(Below) Today about 5 or 6 hours ago... (looking at NW corner). That's the doorway on the right. I came home, left K there.

[MountainDon]

Making good progress - and always such a neat worksite! 

It's easier to keep it tidy as we go along, or at the very least at the end of each day. OMMV though. I also keep track of the tools and put them away when not likely to be used again. Plus I use a lot or fluorescent orange or red paint to mark tools as I find it easier to find them in the dirt. 

[Redoverfarm]

Good progress Don.  Like the steps.  Mine was a couple scrap 2X8's nailed together with cleats like a ramp.  Alot easier to walk up for me.  It also gave me a ramp on ocassions (flipped over to the smooth side). 

[NM_Shooter]

I am green with envy. 

I am hoping to head up to Chama this weekend to set the first course of the piers in the holes.  I hate the absolute beginning and the finishing (soffits / siding / painting).  I love framing!

Just trying to get that first course level and lined up has me a bit intimidated, since I am on a slight slope.  Just fear of the unknown, as I figure I will get it knocked out ok. 

Don, that is looking like quite a quality build.  Very nice work.

-f-

[glenn kangiser]

The dancing on the deck photo, Don. hmm 

I guess if nothing better the one could be break dancing on the deck.

[MountainDon]

Somehow in all the hustle and bustle we neglected the dancing on the deck photo op.        K and I did have a hug and kiss though.      Before we knew it we were on to the wall framing.   

[MountainDon]

  I hate the absolute beginning and the finishing (soffits / siding / painting).  I love framing!

I don't really like any of the overhead work (soffits, ceiling...); kills my shoulders.

The suspense of cutting the rafters and testing for fit is about tops on my list of "fears of the unknown".



Good luck on your work in Chama.  How long a drive (time) is it? 

[NM_Shooter]

I am a little over three hours to Chama, then a half an hour up  CO17, then an hour on dirt.  (Okay, an hour on mud and rocks).  A little faster when I am not towing a load.

I called the rancher we have leased to and received a verbal agreement that he would dig the pier holes, but because of the weather I don't know if he was able to get in or not this past week.  I have decided to bring up a load of cement anyway and hope for the best.  I think I am going to need about 60 bags of 80lb total and am hoping to get half up this weekend.  If holes are dug, I'll start getting the blocks set.  If not, I'll just start digging and hope that I still get the first blocks down by Sunday.  It takes about 30 minutes per hole to dig... probably a bit more as the day goes on I bet.  I'll bring a kid or two with me though.

If I have to leave the concrete in bags, I'll bring tarps and plastic and hope for the best.

[MountainDon]

Good luck on the weather Frank. And on the holes; may there not be large immovable rocks to deal with.

FYI, an 80# bag of Quikrete yields about .6 cu. ft.; the 60# = .45 cu. ft.  (I used to use 80's; switched to 60's a year or so ago... I think it was after I turned 60.     The dollar per unit weight cost is very much the same last time I checked.)

I think as long as you can keep the bags off the ground and secure the covers well they should keep okay.



I'm heading back to the Jemez in a hour or so.

[NM_Shooter]

Hi Don, I might have driven past you today.  I was up at LANL on business with a colleague from Colorado Springs.  We took the back way down hill to ABQ as he wanted to try fishing the Jemez (who am I to argue?)  Anyway, we drove past the FR10 turnoff area and I was wondering if you were building or not. 

BTW... the fishing was good at Black Canyon.  Copper Johns, Adams, and hoppers were met with enthusiasm by the locals!

-f-

[glenn kangiser]

Have a good trip, Don - our end of the fire is easing off now so I may be able to try to keep up.  Your help was really needed.  Great time for you to be in town.

[MountainDon]

we drove past the FR10 turnoff area and I was wondering if you were building or not. 

I was likely assembling the temporary supports for the ridge board. I could have put the two of you to work.    You were only 4 miles from our site as you passed the turn off.

Back in town today for some appointments and to get a new cell phone (suddenly stopped working); probably back up there Sunday afternoon.

[BiggKidd]

Hi Don,

  Loooooooooooooking  GOOD real good!!!

I don't get on here with enough time to post much any more  . Your doing a prime job so far. Keep up the good work. We are going to be out of touch for a week or two, going back to the farm.

  I liked your idea of plastic over the floor, shame it didn't work out so well. Plastic just doesn't hold up like it use to.

When you said you tared the posts did you mean tar paper or actual tar?

Glad to see you are under way. AT LAST.

Did you decide on a wind generator yet? Keep us updated as you can and good luck.

Larry   

[MountainDon]

....tar paper or actual tar?

Did you decide on a wind generator yet? Keep us updated as you can and good luck.  

Real goopy smelly black tar!   

The data I collected indicates wind may not be worth the investment in our location. However, once the cabin is done and the solar is in we may consider one low speed 400 watt unit from Wind Blue. We'll probably never see the full 400 watts but it could/would augment the solar.  Maybe.   

[glenn kangiser]

200 watts for 5 hours is 1 KWH.

[MountainDon]

200 watts for 5 hours is 1 KWH.

Yep! But the data I've collected looks more like 50 watts for 4 to 5 hours tops in a 24 hour period. 

But then we've only been doing this a couple months. Spring is much windier, but I wasn't collecting data then. More often than not there is wind, but at the lower levels (below the 65 - 70 foot tree tops) more often than not, not strong enough to spin a rotor much.

I'd have to clear cut the south slope to do better.   

Thanks for the encouragement. 

[glenn kangiser]

Is your anemometer set where the wind generator should go?  You need to be 30 feet above the tallest trees minimum to get away from the turbulence but arould 100 feet is ideal.  My generator is set at 85'.

There is much more wind up there.  Probably about 3 times as much.  The trees apply the brakes to the wind so much that many times the wind at one hundred feet is great but we don't feel it on the ground.

[MountainDon]

Is your anemometer set where the wind generator should go?  You need to be 30 feet above the tallest trees

Yes. And I know about the trees thing.

The unfortunate thing, when it comes to selecting an optimal site for a wind generator, is that even after much thinning the are still many tall Ponderosa Pines. Raising a 100 foot tower to get into free air space would be a problem. Then the running of the necessary guy wires in among the tress would be it's own problem. Mother Nature didn't plant these trees in rows.    Many times I've sat watching the tree tops sway while the anemomter spins slow enough to the the revs myself.

The one open spot that would allow easy tower erection is down at the bottom of the south slope. Drawbacks there include the distance and being at the bottom of the slope. The anemometer down there frequently has no reading while the reading up near the cabin site shows some wind. What's a guy to do?   

[glenn kangiser]

Tower install manual.  They don't take all that much room to install.


http://www.bergey.com/Products/XL1.Tilt.IM.4.pdf

[MountainDon]

Thanks. After the cabin is dry, the interior more or less done, solar PV panels in place,... we can have a more serious look at that


There might even be something else in there that needs to be done first...