Building a Guest Room at the Cabin

[Kyle241]

Wow! That is a very nice cabin. I like the detail.

 

[GPintheMitten]

Hey GP - thanks a million for all the pics during your build. We are planning to 'break ground' on a 12x16 rustic cabin on our acreage in NE Wisconsin this spring.

Is frost heave a concern for your place? My husband (yes I'm a girl) wants to dig piers but the area is so woodsy I think digging footings will be a nightmare. I prefer to use your foundation or something similar on blocks. Your place has been up awhile . . any heaving?

This was the first winter, so I can't really let you know. Normally I would build with footings below frost line, but we needed to be able to move this, (in theory).

 

[GPintheMitten]

Ps, fivefatcats,

We built in the woods as well. We cut about 5 small trees down and rented a small backhoe to remove stumps and level the site. So it would not have been much.more work to drill holes to below frostline and cement in some posts like you do for a deck.

You are probably better off doing that in the long run.

 

[Zerk]

I realize this is an old thread, and complete. Some comments on stuff I read.

They do make structural screws, this about the only thing I use these days. Coated so they can be used with treated lumber, the lags do no require pre-drilling. I like screws so I can pull it apart when I screw up during construction. 20 years from now, the nails will pry out easier then a screw will if you want to change something. But for now I prefer screws, being I am hack, and have to redo stuff.

Also you are supposed to use pressure treated wood with in so many inches of the ground. Being this building is so small, the cost is small.

I'd like to put a sauna in at my camp. I may just do it on posts, I am on sand. But I have thought about making it so it could be moved. But in reality I am probably over thinking it.

 

[Zerk]

Why do you have a floor on top of a floor? It looks like you have to layers of floor.

 

[GPintheMitten]

Why do you have a floor on top of a floor? It looks like you have to layers of floor.

The floor is a torsion box. It consists of 2x6 joists 16" o.c. with treated plywood on the bottom and 3/4" T & G osb sheets on top. It has 6" fibreglass insulation in each bay. The floor system is well attached to each of the 3 6x6 beams . The extra ply on the bottom is to seal the insulation from pests. The whole cabin is built to be able to be moved in theory which was a need for zoning issuez. I doubt that we will ever need to move it but it would be possible. Hard but possible.

 

[GPintheMitten]

I realize this is an old thread, and complete. Some comments on stuff I read.

They do make structural screws, this about the only thing I use these days. Coated so they can be used with treated lumber, the lags do no require pre-drilling. I like screws so I can pull it apart when I screw up during construction.

We did make use of structural screws in some attachments.

 

[Zerk]

The floor is a torsion box. It consists of 2x6 joists 16" o.c. with treated plywood on the bottom and 3/4" T & G osb sheets on top. It has 6" fibreglass insulation in each bay. The floor system is well attached to each of the 3 6x6 beams . The extra ply on the bottom is to seal the insulation from pests. The whole cabin is built to be able to be moved in theory which was a need for zoning issuez. I doubt that we will ever need to move it but it would be possible. Hard but possible.

Not sure why I didn't realize that. My plan would be similar.

 

[murphy1244]

Wow! Real nice job!!!