Finishing the floor at the cabin

Well we thought we would wait a few days until we went back out to finish the final details on the floor joists and lay the sub floor.  I had a little mishap after leaving the farm the last time we were out. I was about 10 miles outside of town when the tread decided to separate from the top of the tire. For some stupid reason  I had thrown the spare trailer tire and jack into the back of the Jeep which Jenn had. Problem was, I could not get a call thru to her.  I noticed the tire was still holding air so Race and I made a very slow trip home at about 5 mph.  As soon as I backed into the yard the tire blew.  Talk about someone being on my side that day.

My shift Tuesday was busy but I managed to get a couple of hours of sleep so my impatience got the better of me so I made a date with my wife to meet me in town to pick up some more materials and head out . We met up at the local big box construction store and here is what we picked up.

It's hard to tell be there are 2x4"'s in the back of the truck as well as all the flooring.  We had some load on there and with the way the wind was blowing we had to make a few stops along the way to retie the tie down straps.

We made it out to the site without any major problems.  I had a few loose ends to tie up before I could start lying the floor. We had decided to build the cabin so that it could be moved at sometime if the need arose.  This required building the cabin on "runners" or beams that are 4x6.  I placed three beams the full 16 foot length and upgraded the floor joists to 2x6's.  For all the piers we dug down below frost level, removed any organic material and tamped gravel until it was level. we then used patio blocks and on top of those the prefabricated pier blocks which the beams ride on.  In order to move it in the future or in the off chance it settles we can jack the cabin up or down and remove or add blocks, whatever the case be.  A good sized tractor should be able to pull it anywhere I wish to place it.

notice the use of the jack to get the joist level

This photo show the pier blocks I am speaking of. There are a total of 9 just for the cabin itself. The porch will require 3 more.  Prior to getting started I wanted to check and ensure we remained square and level as we had a lot of rain recently.  Lucky me we were.  We finished added the three remaining pier blocks with 4x4 blocks.  I checked everything over and found that we had missed nailing a few of the blocking boards so that was completed and we were ready to begin the flooring.

More interested in the water

Another of my apprentices assisting in securing the rim joists and blocking.

Getting the first piece straight and square was the hardest part of the day.  After that it was a simple matter of laying a bead of adhesive down and then nailing down the floor.

 Moving right along.  At the point I am on the second row of sub flooring.

Who me?  I made a mistake of letting Race have a drink from my Pepsi so now he thinks that when I have a drink it is his and he "allows" me to have drinks.

 Laying down the construction adhesive.  This floor should not come up!

Getting closer to being done for the day.

laying the last piece!  And yes I will and braces at the piers with posts

 Now that the floor has been installed it is time to review the plans for the framing. I was planning on starting framing but my unexpected hospital stay ruined those plans.
 

Race gave me his sign of approval

Jenn and I completed placing all of the wood for framing and the completed sub-floor under a tarp to keep the water off of it.  Lets hope it holds up with the wind we have been having.

This will be the view from the front porch of the cabin, except for all the butts of course.  It does not take long for raspberry plants to grow.














So we are at the end of this phase and at the beginning of a new one.  Our priorities are getting the cabin framed in and a roof over it's head.  We also have to work on an irrigation system to water all of the plants.  I had originally planned on starting the framing this week but with this nasty bug I have I can't walk ten feet and get short of breath .  After spending four days in the hospital I can act as armchair foreman however and let the girls bang some nails!

Thanks for stopping by, recommend my site to your friends, add a link to your blog in the comments and I will do the same for you.  Until next time..

Michael

A Cabin in the Woods

There has not been much progress on the homestead this winter.  Its has either been too cold, to much snow, or we are to tired to get out.  We have not been totally idle as we have found a design for the house we like.  It is a passive solar design which is totally the way to go.  You know how I feel about our sun, might as well use it since it is going to shine anyways!

We had thoughts of buying a used travel trailer to take out to the land.  We thought we could pick up something cheap as it is always nice to be able to get out of the sun and relax after spending the day working.  We looked at several older campers and really became discouraged.  If it was in good condition it was to much money, if the price was good the condition was poor.  You know the routine.  I got to thinking about what it is we really need.  The first is basic shelter.  We also need storage.  A multipurpose building would be the better option.  I spent hours on-line looking at tiny house, shed, and cabin designs and I think we found the answer!

We are going to build a 12x18' cabin!  It will have a 4' covered front porch and a loft at either end.  It is relatively inexpensive and should be easy to build.  We spent a couple of days making the rounds checking prices at the big box lumber stores and let me tell you we scored big time!  I managed to buy most of the lumber I need to frame the cabin for $250.  We got a super deal on 2x12's that are 12 feet long.  It will entail re-sawing the boards into the proper sizes but considering we saved $500 I don't mind spending some time on the saw.

The lumber is "cull lumber."  This means there is something wrong with it and it can not be sold as #1 lumber.  It may mean the lumber has knots, cracks, is bowed, or cupped.  This makes no difference to me as I am re-sawing it.  Today my daughter and I managed to cut enough 2x6 boards to frame the floor and rim joists, the 2x8 loft joists, the roof rafters, and 2x4's.  Tomorrow we plan on building the beams that will hold up the floor joists.  If we can get some decent weather that lasts more than a day or two we can actually get the concrete piers poured and started getting the cabin erected.  Rest assured you will be with us every step of the ways because we will take pictures of the event.  That way you can take what you learn and build a cabin for yourself.

The cabin will be situated in the woods near a wet weather stream.  I am purchasing a couple of solar kits from Harbor Freight to power the cabin.  Those kits along with an inverter and a couple of batteries should provide plenty of power for lighting, TV, radio, etc.  We will use the cabin for rest and relaxation on the weekends, a place to get out of the weather while we are building or tending our blue berry plants, and when the house is finished it will be my shop and later it will serve as our store for selling our berries and the other items we produce.

Keep your fingers crossed that we have an early spring, I know we are ready for it.  Till next time...Michael