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Small Cabin Forum / Member's Projects and Photos / Creeky's chalet construction
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creeky
Member
# Posted: 8 Dec 2014 16:42
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Thx Wilbour. could hit the pub in Smith Falls one day next summer. Steve, sounds like you and skoota are in the same neighborhood. be nice to get a camp day going next summer for sure.

The wood seems to have reached its exhaust point. Hardly any condensation on the windows this morning. whew. next I'll be putting a pot of water on the heater to get the air moister. lol.

Bought my tin roof, I'll post pics later, came in two days. But the weekend was bitter cold and I was working. So stayed huddled inside. Today I got my work done in the a.m. and this afternoon I managed to finish some chores. Including the first half of the roof. I hadn't thought I'd be able to get to the roof this winter and was pretty unhappy about that. So if the weather holds tomorrow I'ma gonna be smiling.

Wednesday's supposed to be quite the snow storm, so keep your fingers crossed for me.

creeky
Member
# Posted: 9 Dec 2014 12:01 - Edited by: creeky
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Put a smile on my face. Headed out just before 10 this morning and by 11:04 I was back inside. Roof on.

Roof on

I eyeballed it all the way. And it came out perfect. Gotta love the human eye.

Kind of hilarious. I had wanted a medium/light blue roof but the only colour available on the colour sheet was a darker/mid blue. So I picked that. Online they had a lighter blue on the chart, but hey, it is what it is. So when I pick up the tin. I get the lighter blue. Cool.

You can go to my blog URL
for more photos, info and the detailed story (lol) of how I put the roof on.

Paint me happy. With the tin roof on this decreases my snow load on the roof by quite a margin. And with 10-15 cms of snow in the forecast for tomorrow (6-8"); just in time.

It's starting to feel a lot like ...

Steve_S
Member
# Posted: 9 Dec 2014 15:29
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Gee wiz, starting to look like a real cabin all of a sudden ! So nice out today, I had to venture around on the property to survey the damage from that freak wind storm we had a week ago... Got more logs that are gonna be cut up now... Sadly, a few that I really didn't want to become logs, ohh well, mother nature had other ideas.

I like both blues you have there, albeit have a preference for the lighter colour myself. I decided to pick up a few sheets of Black Roofing tin which will be used as backing for a solar heat collector. That's a post on it's own.... My own cabin will only have Galvalume Corrugated Tin on it's roof...

There is a huge catch in this now... As I am "standing down" from construction this winter - my brain has engaged in theories, postulation & possibilities of what I can do in the spring... Also have to figure out a very cheap, simple & easy method to heat my Pump House and to keep it above 0c / 32F...

creeky
Member
# Posted: 10 Dec 2014 15:04
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thx Steve re: "real cabin." Kinda looks like an alien space craft to me. but I'll tell ya. two years of collecting materials. $3.5k or almost 30 bucks a sq/ft. Not to mention all the labour. just glad it's working out. (wipes sweat off brow).

last night a big snow storm hit. So right now you can only see a bit of tin at the top of the roof where the wind is blowing across it. talk about "just in time delivery."

I think you'ze can see the wild grape growing up through the oak next to chalet. well last night I heard an awful screeching and I thought the roof was coming off in the wind. so I getz outta bed, pull on my long johns and race outside. turns out it was one tiny thin little arc of wild grape vine rubbing against the tin.

I don't want to pull the grape vines down, they're all about summer shade, so I got a ladder and hooked the grape vine onto an oak branch. problem solved.

I see guys with cattle keep the water trough open by running a pipe filled with water into the ground and a convection current sets up with the warm water from the earth keeping a spot in the trough open ... I wonder if something like that could be set up to keep a well insulated pump house from freezing. some'at I've been thinking about.

Steve_S
Member
# Posted: 10 Dec 2014 15:27
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Material Collection & Storage - tiz a way of life for some of us now isn't it... I un-pack-ratted "stuff" and now pack-ratting building materials and stuff for "independence & freedom". I actually prefer this type of pack-ratting as I see so many potentials in the stuff I am beginning to "horde".

Wild Grapes eh.... I suppose you'll be making Wild Wine with that later on too... Remember to save all your seeds from everything you eat and broadcast them liberally on lands you won't be "mowing" and let nature decide what will grow & flourish while providing you with ready snacking materials... Do plant some apple trees, the deer & you will love having them in a couple of years.

To run water constantly is a waste of power & resources and seems somewhat foolish. There are various solar solutions to keeping water troughs un-frozen and some are really ingeniously simple to boot. This does not solve the issues of keeping a hyper-insulated structure warm which is what my pump house is.

I'm closing in on 3 separate methods which could work but this will require some experimental construction & testing over the winter to see which is effective... Luckily, these methods are cheap (I have most of the materials @ hand) not complicated or requiring any serious engineering... In fact, I may have stumbled across a method used which could also heat & cool my cabin + serve my greenhouse as well...

creeky
Member
# Posted: 11 Dec 2014 11:26
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I guess you missed the "convection" part of my point about the water troughs. there is no power used. the water stays open on the warmth that the convection current inside the pipe draws out of the ground.

I have wild grape, hawthornes, five kinds of apple etc. I'm not super into the wild harvest, but I do a bit. Mostly wild greens. mushrooms i can readily identify. been meaning to try making wine or schnappes, but. stuff to do.

I do feel very fortunate that the previous owner planted a wide variety of trees. I mean I'm here 5 years now and I'm still finding surprises. Like the three apple trees right next to the new chalet that I only noticed this year.

can't wait to try Hattie's sock trick on my apples. and can hardly wait for spring, coming out of the chalet to an umbrella of apple flowers.

creeky
Member
# Posted: 8 Jan 2015 11:00
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I'm sure everyone is excited ;) to hear how my "chalet" aka the hay rack is working out this winter with that massive 8k btu propane heater. (for those of you new to this, most wood stoves start at 40k btu, most folks put in min. 21k btu propane. 8k is the smallest propane direct vent you can buy).

With high winds and -21C (-6F) yesterday while the sun was out: the heater was off and I was heating with solar gain. (btw with wind chill -35C or -31F)

-26C (-15f) overnight. Not sure but I figure the heater ran constantly overnight. But hey, the temp remained within the set parameter of cool to slightly cooler. Perfect sleeping temps. The window on the door has a ladybug trapped in the ice at the bottom.

I love it when an experiment exceeds expectations. er. I mean. Meets the calculated heat load requirement with minimal ancillary sourced radiant energy due to an applied insulatory matrix.

And you know. The chalet cost less than $4k to build.

So who's your daddy? Excuse me while I do my happy dance.

(If you're building in a cold climate, Google "perfect wall" by building science dot com. This is the way to insulate in a cold climate.)

creeky
Member
# Posted: 4 Mar 2015 12:05 - Edited by: creeky
Reply 


One last update on the chalet.
Went all winter with no problems to report. Did tighten up the insulation as I went along. Spray foamed some leaks that I found. I expect it will perform a bit better next year once it's taped and sided etc.
Makes a lovely winter bedroom.
Picture of the chalet mid-winter:
chalet mid-winter
chalet mid-winter


creeky
Member
# Posted: 16 Sep 2015 15:40
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so to continue the hay rack / chalet saga.

now that fall has arrived and I'm done my long and luxurious holiday (ha. had to work for a good part of the summer. right into July. yuck.) time to finish the hay rack.

I would like to add: it's a great bedroom. 10x14 is a nice size. the high roof line makes it airy and spacious. I might still add another window. From my initial design I took the north windows out. This was to add more wall space for my art collection and some cabinets.

Now, lemme send a big shout out to Nicalisa. Your kitchen and yer amazing tile work inspired the "funky" (as a friend described it) siding assembly. T'was really fun.

So: over the summer I watched for siding. I got burned on the white malbec siding. 150 sq ft with extra paint, trim etc for 130 on kijiji turned into 50 sq ft when I showed up with the trailer. ouch. the gas doubled the cost right there.

luckily I found more malbec, except in a different colour. and some black tin. and the center pieces are untreated "shou sugi ban" cedar. all in all I'm out about 50 bucks to side 100 sq feet.

So. Take a bit of inspiration (cold golden liquid) and it's hammer time.

More pics to follow.
chaletnorthwall.jpg
chaletnorthwall.jpg


creeky
Member
# Posted: 16 Sep 2015 15:54
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and while I'm at it. I mention earlier that the chalet south wall would be shaded in the summer time by an oak tree and wild grape vines.

Here is a pic of the chalet in early July at mid day. So this is as much solar heating as the chalet would see.

I will also note: the insulatory matrix was sufficient that I did not need a/c. The warmest the chalet got was 28 degrees. I found at night I could use a fan for a few hours until the night time temps with the windows open dropped the interior temperature.

that said. I only needed the fan a handful of nights. I did put up a sheet over the west window to minimize the heat gain from later afternoon sun.

so. insulation. shading.

as you can see the south wall is seeing only a tiny bit of sort of direct sun along the top of the wall.
shadedchalet.jpg
shadedchalet.jpg


creeky
Member
# Posted: 1 Oct 2015 17:58
Reply 


so originally I was going to do pretty much the whole chalet in white tin siding but I was hesitant about cutting tin as I've never done it before.

Even after I ended up with scavenged black tin I fiddled and faddled to keep from having to cut it. just kept on using it in whole sheets. well. I absolutely had to cut this last sheet of tin for around the window.

You can see the "shou sugi ban" cedar I'm using to trim out the windows/doors. man I like that deep space black.

oh. and cutting the tin for the window. I used my tin snips. and hey guess what. it was easy peasy. took 5 minutes. 10 with double checking my measurements.

goes to show. show what I'm not sure.
trimmetaleasy.jpg
trimmetaleasy.jpg


creeky
Member
# Posted: 12 Oct 2015 18:59
Reply 


whew. well. the siding is all but done. a few pieces I've forgotten or will get to later, but basically. on to the soffits.

I had the girls come by and admire my handiwork also.

yesterday morning I woke up with one of the young lasses looking in the window watching me sleep. she kind of spooked when my eyes opened. but when I didn't move. her and her two friends walked right on by.
chaletfront.jpg
chaletfront.jpg
chaletwest1.jpg
chaletwest1.jpg
turkeytime.jpg
turkeytime.jpg


Just
Member
# Posted: 12 Oct 2015 22:04
Reply 


I swear they can see you blink at 100 yards . lol

Julie2Oregon
Member
# Posted: 12 Oct 2015 23:33
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Wow, fancy!!!! Good job!!!! Were those turkeys hiding out at your place from those who wished to turn them into Thanksgiving dinner?

creeky
Member
# Posted: 13 Oct 2015 09:32
Reply 


I took the course to hunt them. But I've decided even though turkey is 'spensive in the stores. I like having them around.

Chalet is noticeably quieter now. That roof tho. Seriously considering putting roxul in the ceiling just for the sound.

abby
Member
# Posted: 13 Oct 2015 11:29
Reply 


looking great, creeky. funny about the turkey that they will hang out in your yard, but just try hunting them and they vanish in to thin air. I agree that ye ole supermarket turkey works for us here, too.

creeky
Member
# Posted: 14 Oct 2015 12:26
Reply 


the girl that spooked was maybe 2 feet from the window seen in chalet west. and i'm on the other side. them turks. they're coming by every morning now. 7:05.

i'm not surprised they were hunted out here. they are very easy to pattern.

creeky
Member
# Posted: 15 Apr 2018 17:10
Reply 


While I'm here. It's been over 3 years. I have to say the building gets two thumbs up. It was inexpensive to build. It requires very little heat in the winter. I use 2 100lbs of propane with an 8k btu vented propane heater.

I still haven't painted the interior. And I'm still contemplating putting roxul (mineral wool) in the walls and ceiling. For more insulation. That should reduce the heating required to near 0.

Plus the rain noise is loud. The downside of a tin room and 7.5" of polyiso insulation.

Visitors seem to like the cabin look of the exposed wood interior. I get many compliments. I also find the wood "breathes" moisture. Which is really nice in the winter when the air might otherwise get a bit stale.

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