anyone build cabins?

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diymirage

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i dont suppose we got too many amish on board, do we?


before i get too far into this, let me be totally transparant, if this plan ever comes to fruition it may very well not be for several years

now, having said that, here is my thought...id like to build a cabin
we have family come over quite a bit, and like to host people in general so i thought it would be really cool if i could build what would basically amount to a guest cabin
it wil be totally on grid, so i would want to run electric to it, hook it up to the water line and tie the sewage into my septic system
(i will check with the town if im allowed to build one, and then check with my plumber to see if what i want where i want it would be possible)

if i can put it where i want it would sit behind our house with the long side facing the pond

what i would want to build would be a basic 12x24 (figured that would make sheathing easy) with a small deck, maybe 6 foot deep of the front

i was thinking of going with 8 foot walls and this general lay out

1674772970398.jpeg


i figured i could leave the kitchen and living room area open and put a loft over the bedroom/bathroom area
that would basically make it a 2 bedroom cabin, which is plenty for what i want
(about the only difference in layout would be moving the bathroom wall out a little, so the loft would run straight, or maybe find a spot for the ladder there)


so, what can you guys tell me?
 
Like, Like

Here is my 10 year cabin plan, "Winter Cabin" in a Southern Climate .

Took 10 years for it to evolve from an original idea to reality, but it came together (kind of out of nowhere) and it fit my lifestyle and time frame.

20180309_100421.jpg



8.jpg


Got to have an onboard 220v air compressor as part of the basic living essentials, Lol . . .

0328151234a.jpg


Works for me, and serves a great purpose.
 
Like, Like

Here is my 10 year cabin plan, "Winter Cabin" in a Southern Climate .

Took 10 years for it to evolve from an original idea to reality, but it came together (kind of out of nowhere) and it fit my lifestyle and time frame.

View attachment 1716039985


View attachment 1716039986

Got to have an onboard 220v air compressor as part of the basic living essentials, Lol . . .

View attachment 1716039988

Works for me, and serves a great purpose.
thats pretty cool

this guestcabin is supposed to be a trial run for our "long term" plan
in about another decade or so we should be debt free, and at that point we want to buy a plot of land, 10-20 acres and build a get away on there

so i figured might as well get my feet wet

though it is not comepletely uncharted territory for me, i did build this a few years ago
and all im really doing now is the exact some but with larger walls
 
Here is one I missed in Oklahoma, as things were transistioning to where they would sell it as is for around 10k the guy up and died.

Full Stop

Would have been a middle USA location to setup with an RV. This is one that got away. All people invested in it let it go, interests changed and life changed.

IMG952018101995140153772.jpg


IMG952018101995132436253.jpg


You get a chance to make a move on something, better pull the trigger. Things change at a moment's notice and prices are going up all the time.
 
I hace a camp up in the Adirondacks with my bunker(the quanset hut) that I use as a cabin .Way back in the early 80's I did help my friend up there cut logs and build this cabin .It was a 2 story 6 sided thing .Lots of fun work doing it .

DSCF0262.JPG


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IMG_1211.JPG


IMG_9824.JPG


IMG_0118.JPG
 
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Here is one I missed in Oklahoma, as things were transistioning to where they would sell it as is for around 10k the guy up and died.

Full Stop

Would have been a middle USA location to setup with an RV. This is one that got away. All people invested in it let it go, interests changed and life changed.

View attachment 1716040016

View attachment 1716040017

You get a chance to make a move on something, better pull the trigger. Things change at a moment's notice and prices are going up all the time.
Yes they are. Right before Christmas I had 16k in cash I couldn't find anything to put the money down on. Most everything down here that I'm seeing about an hour outside of Tampa is around 80 to 100K for a third to a half an acre with a mobile home that needs a complete and total Rehab on it this is insane....
 
man, that is cool as all get up
(not sure if im digging the mint green stove though)
I cooked some great Thanksgiving dinners on that stove ! It was an antique when I got it and that was 40 years ago. I no longer use it but I love having it around.
 
I’m probably the closest you’ll get to having an Amish on this board lol (grew up Mennonite, mom was Amish til she was 16). I never built a finished out cabin but did work in a mini barn shop for a few years. I mostly like the design you’ve come up with. Main thing I’d change is I’d go 16’ wide instead of 12’ to give more room in both the bedroom and bathroom.
 
I started late last summer.
Weather changed and it will sit for a couple of months.
then I should finish .
I still have a place on the coast.
Eventually will have 2 floors and wings like a monitor style, as time and money allows.


20221221_142111.jpg
 
I've done some looking into a very similar plan. What I've found may or may not apply in your area.

Accessory living units can typically be built as a second home on an existing property for part time use, or use for family members who need care. Details vary depending on location. Here, they have a max size OR not to exceed a percentage of the main home's floor plan.

Tying another living unit to a septic is often not possible. Depends on the size of the tank and local regs, so ymmv. Here, the health dept permits septic and its sized based on number of bedrooms. Similar for wells and power. My power is a single 400A service feeding 3 panels and I wish I had more power for the shop.

Our plan changed to basically build out a reasonably size house so that should it come to pass, we could divide the properties and sell two homes in acreage. The cost different once we pay the labor for another elec service and septic narrows quite a bit vs am accessory building.

As far as building a building. Its as much about the work flow and process as it is the actual steps and result. People who have never picked up a hammer can absolutely build a house, but it can cost lots of mistakes and redos when they don't know the details or even how to setup a site so they don't have to rearrange everything for each new wall or step. 12x24 should be a very reasonable size for a 2-3 man build.

For a fullsize house, the excavation and foundation can dominate costs (until the elec-chickens show up), but for under 300sq ft you could probably get away with post and beam on deep footings. Good underfloor insulation would be cheaper for that small a space vs a real foundation.

With a small size, the amount of surface area of the outside will be large compared to the volume inside and so getting it well insulated would be my goal. Reason is, the large surface area (relative the interior space) means it will radiate more heat per cubit foot of interior space and heat up and cool off more quickly than a larger space. I would shoot for something like double your code minimums for the area. I would also avoid banking too heavily on radiant barriers. They defitely help, but they work best in areas where UV exposure actually makes radiant gains and losses a concern. You would also easily get away with 24" stud spacing if
using staggered studs or 2x8 framing, which can keep the lumber costs pretty nominal and support lots more insulation and less bridging. The cost difference once finished will be small but heating and cooling should be stupidly easy (cheap), and make for a great little getaway if your current house ever experiences temperature extremes.

The improved insulation isn't just about heating and cooling efficiency either. Part time buildings can suffer moisture damage from condensation, and better insulation usually also comes with a tighter building envelope which can prevent bug and rodent damage.

My office is about half the size you're looking at and it's one of two rooms heated by a Mitsubishi hyper heat minisplit. Works great down to 10F, but then it quits.

That layout looks decent. I might suggest thinking about what you'd do if it could be 2-3 larger and see if there's a layout that would support future additions. May not be worth the consideration, but it doesn't hurt.

I like the loft idea, but being 6'3", I'd highly recommend making it as tall as possible. Add knee walls or something to help with vertical height. With a loft, the ceiling will be vaulted and roof insulation becomes more involved than blow-in cellulose. But spray foam or foam panels can work exceedingly well. Keeping the exterior wall a stock size (8,10,12 ft) is a very smart idea. Same inside to make finishing easier, but it's even better to have a few more tape joints and an extra foot of insulation IMO though.

I know I'm hammering on the insulation a lot, but after doing an interior remodel last year on a 900sq ft property in our family, it's become very clear how valuable it is. The place I've been working on isn't real fancy, but the additions where they skimped on insulation are real obvious when the temps are below freezing.

Hopefully some of this is helpful. Otherwise you can ignore my rant ;)
 
I started late last summer.
Weather changed and it will sit for a couple of months.
then I should finish .
I still have a place on the coast.
Eventually will have 2 floors and wings like a monitor style, as time and money allows.


View attachment 1716040071
You got all that snow I western Washington, nice !
 
That's not in western wa.
That's in eastern wa.
Newport on the Washington Idaho border.
My other place is on the coast the other side of the state.
 
My wife and I stayed in a log cabin very similar to your plan, with a loft. It was very nice and worked great. Where is the door or are they using the patio door as the main door?
 
I’m probably the closest you’ll get to having an Amish on this board lol (grew up Mennonite, mom was Amish til she was 16). I never built a finished out cabin but did work in a mini barn shop for a few years. I mostly like the design you’ve come up with. Main thing I’d change is I’d go 16’ wide instead of 12’ to give more room in both the bedroom and bathroom.

i would have to check local ordinances
the way the it sits is as follows:

1674917695162.png


the orange lines are the property lines (just roughed in)
the red outline is where i want to put the cabin

as yo can tell, if i expand out to the North, it may obstruct my path around the pond, and if i expand out to the South, i may be too close to the property line
of course, if water and sewer will not work in that location, i might put it on the green sqaure, where i can make changes regarding the foot print a lot easier

but i surely appreciate your input, having never build in, it can be tricky to know when a room is big enough or not, specially once you take framing and wall covering into consideration

I started late last summer.
Weather changed and it will sit for a couple of months.
then I should finish .
I still have a place on the coast.
Eventually will have 2 floors and wings like a monitor style, as time and money allows.


View attachment 1716040071

that is awesome, do you have a build thread on it, with some more information?
floor plans and such

I've done some looking into a very similar plan. What I've found may or may not apply in your area.

Accessory living units can typically be built as a second home on an existing property for part time use, or use for family members who need care. Details vary depending on location. Here, they have a max size OR not to exceed a percentage of the main home's floor plan.

Tying another living unit to a septic is often not possible. Depends on the size of the tank and local regs, so ymmv. Here, the health dept permits septic and its sized based on number of bedrooms. Similar for wells and power. My power is a single 400A service feeding 3 panels and I wish I had more power for the shop.

Our plan changed to basically build out a reasonably size house so that should it come to pass, we could divide the properties and sell two homes in acreage. The cost different once we pay the labor for another elec service and septic narrows quite a bit vs am accessory building.

As far as building a building. Its as much about the work flow and process as it is the actual steps and result. People who have never picked up a hammer can absolutely build a house, but it can cost lots of mistakes and redos when they don't know the details or even how to setup a site so they don't have to rearrange everything for each new wall or step. 12x24 should be a very reasonable size for a 2-3 man build.

For a fullsize house, the excavation and foundation can dominate costs (until the elec-chickens show up), but for under 300sq ft you could probably get away with post and beam on deep footings. Good underfloor insulation would be cheaper for that small a space vs a real foundation.

With a small size, the amount of surface area of the outside will be large compared to the volume inside and so getting it well insulated would be my goal. Reason is, the large surface area (relative the interior space) means it will radiate more heat per cubit foot of interior space and heat up and cool off more quickly than a larger space. I would shoot for something like double your code minimums for the area. I would also avoid banking too heavily on radiant barriers. They defitely help, but they work best in areas where UV exposure actually makes radiant gains and losses a concern. You would also easily get away with 24" stud spacing if
using staggered studs or 2x8 framing, which can keep the lumber costs pretty nominal and support lots more insulation and less bridging. The cost difference once finished will be small but heating and cooling should be stupidly easy (cheap), and make for a great little getaway if your current house ever experiences temperature extremes.

The improved insulation isn't just about heating and cooling efficiency either. Part time buildings can suffer moisture damage from condensation, and better insulation usually also comes with a tighter building envelope which can prevent bug and rodent damage.

My office is about half the size you're looking at and it's one of two rooms heated by a Mitsubishi hyper heat minisplit. Works great down to 10F, but then it quits.

That layout looks decent. I might suggest thinking about what you'd do if it could be 2-3 larger and see if there's a layout that would support future additions. May not be worth the consideration, but it doesn't hurt.

I like the loft idea, but being 6'3", I'd highly recommend making it as tall as possible. Add knee walls or something to help with vertical height. With a loft, the ceiling will be vaulted and roof insulation becomes more involved than blow-in cellulose. But spray foam or foam panels can work exceedingly well. Keeping the exterior wall a stock size (8,10,12 ft) is a very smart idea. Same inside to make finishing easier, but it's even better to have a few more tape joints and an extra foot of insulation IMO though.

I know I'm hammering on the insulation a lot, but after doing an interior remodel last year on a 900sq ft property in our family, it's become very clear how valuable it is. The place I've been working on isn't real fancy, but the additions where they skimped on insulation are real obvious when the temps are below freezing.

Hopefully some of this is helpful. Otherwise you can ignore my rant ;)

thanks Preakish, there is a lot there, so let me hit the high lights
i guess the first hurdle is a big one...the septic system

when we bought the house about 6 years ago the inspector pointed out the septic system is not up to code
apparently what happened was, back when the home was first build (in '73 i believe) they put in the septic system and it was perfectly up to code
as beaurocrats like to do, sometime between then and now, they moved the goalposts, changed the code and so now what was perfectly fine at first is no longer up to code

it got grandfathered in so i didnt need to put in a new system, but my guess is tying into it will be a no-no

for the foundation i was hoping to stay with post and beam with a added ledger board running on the inside of the posts, like this

1674919867976.png


the staggered studs, or 2.8 framing, would that be mostly to keep the cost down by keeping the studs at 24 inches, instead of 16 or is it also to be able to double up on the insulation?

im not sure if i would want to give up that much interior room, so i will have to give that some thought
(i did think it might have been a good idea to stagger studs un the section where the loft will be, and have the "second" wall in essence carry the loft)



My wife and I stayed in a log cabin very similar to your plan, with a loft. It was very nice and worked great. Where is the door or are they using the patio door as the main door?

honestly, some of our best times are had in log cabins (or cabins in general)
there is a waterpark about an hours drive from our home that we visit usually a few times a year

if it is just our family we stay in a small cabin on the grounds, but more then once we've gone with friends and all piled up in a larger one

what i really like about the larger ones is the loft layout, where they fit 4 bed up there in a semi private setting, perfect for the kids

2029af04-f3d9-4337-a09c-43bd0c9834d0.jpg


(of course, what i intend to build will not be anywhere near this size)

if i stick with this rough outline i will have to make some changes to the entry way



the entire south side of the property is pretty mushy, and where you can see a little bit of tree line it gets a little firmer (several years ago my nieghbours to the south added a bunch of soil to their yeard and now i get some run off from them in that area)

1674918767562.png


this is the way the cabin would face, the red part being the deck/porch and the front door would be right in the middle of it, giving entry into the living area/ kitchen
 
i dont suppose we got too many amish on board, do we?


before i get too far into this, let me be totally transparant, if this plan ever comes to fruition it may very well not be for several years

now, having said that, here is my thought...id like to build a cabin
we have family come over quite a bit, and like to host people in general so i thought it would be really cool if i could build what would basically amount to a guest cabin
it wil be totally on grid, so i would want to run electric to it, hook it up to the water line and tie the sewage into my septic system
(i will check with the town if im allowed to build one, and then check with my plumber to see if what i want where i want it would be possible)

if i can put it where i want it would sit behind our house with the long side facing the pond

what i would want to build would be a basic 12x24 (figured that would make sheathing easy) with a small deck, maybe 6 foot deep of the front

i was thinking of going with 8 foot walls and this general lay out

View attachment 1716039974

i figured i could leave the kitchen and living room area open and put a loft over the bedroom/bathroom area
that would basically make it a 2 bedroom cabin, which is plenty for what i want
(about the only difference in layout would be moving the bathroom wall out a little, so the loft would run straight, or maybe find a spot for the ladder there)


so, what can you guys tell me?
It looks like you are building not a guest cabin but an entirely separate living quarters. Is that how you would expect it to be used? Your guests won't have to come see you at all and they can simply live out there for possibly weeks. That would be more like a "mother-in-law" quarters.

I'll suggest that a real guest cabin is more like a hotel room that is used for sleeping only. No cookstove or dishwasher. Guests would come into the main house for that. You might also consider it as a kid's bunkhouse that can sleep 4-6 teenagers. Which would mean adding more single beds and less livingroom space. Keep the bathroom and make everything else into sleeping areas. Maybe keep one enclosed bedroom for a pair of consenting adults is all.

You also need to make allowances for housekeeping such as a vacuum cleaner and cleaning supplies storage and extra towels and sheets and trash cans. As the host, you will be cleaning and preparing the building between guests and you should make it easy for yourself.

Designing this is fun, but be sure to think it through, who is going to use it and how you are going to maintain it on a day to day basis. And don't forget it will need both heat and air conditioning. The days of folks guests being satisfied with just opening windows is pretty much gone. One more thing...plan on being able to drain the water lines to prevent freeze so you don't have to pay for heating all year.
 
I like that post and beam approach you showed. I think I've seen that video and it was a great build.
The 2x8 deal gives more room for insulation and allows wider stud spacing (24 vs 16) to reduce thermal bridging (where the stud acts like a heat sink). It doesn't so much as save cost as it doesn't increase cost much, but gives a better result. A layer of foam insulation around the outside before siding can also break the bridging too though. There's more than one way to skin a cat..

For siding, depending on the look you're after, wood slat would have a classic look and give you a little more freedom on sizing vs panel siding like T111. Find a local sawyer and you might even be able to find off cuts to make a faux log look.
 
Another option to consider is to build it in a mini barn/storage building style where you build a 2x6 floor system on 4x6 runners. You then set the building on concrete blocks. This style of building isn’t considered a “permanent structure” and therefore isn’t held to the same standards as far as property tax and coding in a lot of areas. Would also give you the option to move or sell it in the future if you wanted to. This is personally the way I would build a tiny home/small cabin.
 
Love the idea, but the width concerns me. 12' is not enough room to have two exterior walls, bathroom, interior wall, room to walk around the bed, and finally the bed. By the time you add the walls all together and the bathroom width you're only left with a 6' wide bedroom. If you want to be able to walk around a bed and access to the shelves as shown in the layout the only option I see might be a twin bed and it will be tight even with that. I wish I had a guest house as it would make life so much easier.

Tom
 
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