The Log house Project begins........

[MotorSeven]

Box, yes the East end wall is solid and had a Ridge post on it. 12' in from that post is a Tie Pole(this one is 5x10 to support the loft) and on it sits another ridge post(this ridge post is supported all the way down to the basement. Then two collar ties over the great room, I did skip a collar tie in the loft, but I am going to add one, but didn't know how long to make it for headroom. Now that the loft floor is in, I can install the collar tie there making the total of 3. Over the great room are two tie poles(full round Tulip Poplar..8-10" in diameter), then the Gable you see in the pic's with the other ridge pole.
Oh, and the ridge beam is a two piece 60 degree spliced 5x10x44' long.

So if I understand, you thought it was a bad idea to have ridge poles at each end, thus allowing the ridge beam/rafters to settle between them causing a roof that looked like the back of a very old rodeo horse...sway back? :thumbsup: I got it, then and you would have been correct, but I have more in play to prevent the sway back.....hopefully enough to keep things looking reasonably straight in 20+ years

Since this is all cleared up, I went ahead and installed two 4x6 frame posts for the "BIG WINDOWS"......man they look massive when standing under them....I can hear the glass company now...."Why YES, we can build those for you....how much is your retirement check monthly?????" :laughing:

 

[MotorSeven]

I wonder if the initial deflection was caused by the vertical post not shrinking as much as the horizontal walls and thereby causing the extra load that you solved with the crows foot?

It is a bit of fun to think about this, wish I was closer, would enjoy giving you a hand.

Hawk, where are you at...Grehound runs almost everywhere:laughing:

Yes, you are right, wood shrinks much less lengthwise and much more radial. Unfortunately, my house like most other newer log houses are built using many logs/wood of different moisture content. This in turn causes sometimes unexpected "shrinkage"(George Costansa) results. Log home builders are always trying to anticipate or compensate for this, but it is not an exact science. Sometimes we are caught playing catch up, and just deal with the shrinkage issues as they arise.

Now the older log houses were built on site using green lumber/trees and assembled in a few weeks. Then it all dries and shrinks together, which tends to create less major issues...if the builder knew what he was doing.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Box, yes the East end wall is solid and had a Ridge post on it. 12' in from that post is a Tie Pole(this one is 5x10 to support the loft) and on it sits another ridge post(this ridge post is supported all the way down to the basement. Then two collar ties over the great room, I did skip a collar tie in the loft, but I am going to add one, but didn't know how long to make it for headroom. Now that the loft floor is in, I can install the collar tie there making the total of 3. Over the great room are two tie poles(full round Tulip Poplar..8-10" in diameter), then the Gable you see in the pic's with the other ridge pole.
Oh, and the ridge beam is a two piece 60 degree spliced 5x10x44' long.

So if I understand, you thought it was a bad idea to have ridge poles at each end, thus allowing the ridge beam/rafters to settle between them causing a roof that looked like the back of a very old rodeo horse...sway back? :thumbsup: I got it, then and you would have been correct, but I have more in play to prevent the sway back.....hopefully enough to keep things looking reasonably straight in 20+ years

Since this is all cleared up, I went ahead and installed two 4x6 frame posts for the "BIG WINDOWS"......man they look massive when standing under them....I can hear the glass company now...."Why YES, we can build those for you....how much is your retirement check monthly?????" :laughing:

Do you have enough staging and help to be able to handle windows this size? We have installed some rather large windows and its not a fun job and you definitely need a bunch of people to be able to do it safely without losing control of the window and dropping it or seriously injuring yourself.

If it was me, I would bring in a lift and use the lift to carry the window up and have a solid, safe work platform to handle the window with at least two helpers outside and one or two inside adjusting and shimming.

 

[MotorSeven]

Robert,

No nothing this size, these are 5 & a half feet wide and almost 9 feet tall..each. I'm kinda glad I don't have the money for them yet...dreading that installation for sure.

 

[MotorSeven]

I lucked out and had a few warm days before the rain, so I got the rest of the exterior caulked and stained. I then sprayed the TreeHouseLabs Tung Oil on all the interior walls. The Tung oil really made the red cedar pop & put a nice satin finish on the wood which now feels like silk when you touch it:

I have all the gable studs up and set up 5 bucks of scaffold to reach it on the West end. I will start the live edge board on board as soon as the rain quits.

Then on to the gable windows, I called several companys local and in Knoxville and got some startling different quotes and {cough}facts.

Here are the measurments of the panels, both are not the same but close enough for a rough quote:

bottom-68
rt side-84
left side-139
top diagonal-88

Company one:
1" double pane insulated clear Tempered glass with Argon gas between the sheets- $671 each
1" double pane insulated Low E Tempered Glass w/argon -$979 each
I asked what each panel will weigh & was told approx 400lbs.

Company two:
1" double pane insulated clear tempered glass w/argon -$1500 each:shocked:
This company said they will weigh 160 lbs each

Company three:
Can't do a insulated glass panel longer than 120"

I know for a fact that double pane insulated pane that is 11 feet tall and 5.5 feet wide weighs much more than 160 lbs. This glass weighs 7.5 lbs per sq ft, so 160 is wrong.

So I had to visit Company one to confirm the quote, and yep, $671 is correct. I kinda expected these to cost more, but $1400 is quite enough:thumbsup: I am going to measure the triangles in the Crows Foot and get more quotes on 4 smaller sections of glass instead of two big one's...might be cheaper.


Anyway, the glass is on hold pending funds. Right now my next expenditure is the 24' of 8" double wall stove pipe I need to get the stove hooked up......winter is here to stay.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

...Anyway, the glass is on hold pending funds. Right now my next expenditure is the 24' of 8" double wall stove pipe I need to get the stove hooked up......winter is here to stay.

Hey, the windows can wait. You can see fine out of what you have right now and it's a lot easier to clean. :laughing:

On a more serious note, the interior looks fabulous. That tung oil really shined up that wood. You are going to have one very nice place.

 

[tnmike]

I need to get the stove hooked up......winter is here to stay.


Winter isn't even here yet. Its supposed to be sunny and in the mid 60's thursday and friday.

What did you finally come up with to spray the oil on with? Its looking good.

 

[tony Cecil]

Although I personally like the traditional window--as was done long ago--no matter what you do, you had better make sure you can open at least one window up there....You would be surprised how much of a draft you can get with just one window opened in the summer...Without it you will suffer....Tony

 

[MotorSeven]

I need to get the stove hooked up......winter is here to stay.


Winter isn't even here yet. Its supposed to be sunny and in the mid 60's thursday and friday.

What did you finally come up with to spray the oil on with? Its looking good.

I found a garden sprayer with a metal wand at True Value. 5 gal covered 1300 sq ft on the first coat...not bad.

 

[MotorSeven]

Although I personally like the traditional window--as was done long ago--no matter what you do, you had better make sure you can open at least one window up there....You would be surprised how much of a draft you can get with just one window opened in the summer...Without it you will suffer....Tony

I have a awning window up high on the East gable and am seriously considering a solar powered gable vent on that side also.