JH Fish
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# Posted: 25 Apr 2011 13:21 - Edited by: JH Fish
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Hello all, new member here. Great forum!!
Our U.S. family has had property in Ontario north of Toronto on a bush lot of 200 acres since the 50's. It has always been trailers and tents. I don't mind the mice too much but I have wanted to build something. The fishing is great and I plan to go there as long as I am able and have my descendents do the same. Have not looked into material costs.
It takes us 8+ hours to get there and the nearest supplier would probably be an hour or more away. Our road in can be tedious at times, depending on how much the beavers and spring washouts have eroded or flooded. At best a 4x4 pick up pulling a single axle trailer.
The ground is varied. We have a dug well with a Kant Freeze pump, outhouse, and small pole barn we keep the row boats in for fishing in the 600 acre kettle lake. 3 older trailers, 2 mice infested and one sealed well. But snow and weather take their toll.
Back to the ground. Sand mixture with pockets of gravel and layers of clay. We may also hit granite as there are many ridges and formations on the property. I believe the frostline dictates that we will have to go down at least 4' with concrete piers. There are also several granite rises of decent size above grade and not too difficult to drive up onto but I have not looked at them with any scrutiny to see if they would present any opportunity to build upon. There are wetlands in the area and the ground can get seasonally soggy.
We would historically go up to coincide with fishing seasons/the bite (late May-late September) and no longer hunt due to cost of non-resident licenses. If we put in a cabin I could see it used it spring through fall (early May - late October). But at over 400 miles away, I don't know that I want to invest a whole lot into a cabin as I would not anticipate going up more than 3-6 times a year. My compressor and other tools would be powered or charged with a gas generator and concrete would be mixed by hand or with a gas powered mixer.
My thoughts are a 16x16 to 16x 24 with a 12/12 roof for a decent loft. I have built a couple of sheds on posts and did one addition after having a contractor do the rough-in. I have several fishing buddies who do construction so between them and the knowledge and skill I have developed I think I/we could handle any project. I was contemplating situating the bottoms of the floor joists 3' off the ground so we may access the underside to put on aluminum soffit to keep out mice (if possible!!) and insulate the floor. It would have a wood burner, propane, kitchen, couple of bedrooms, shower, and a toilet. One of the trailers had a simple toilet with a 5 gallon bucket for the bowl and we would just transfer to outhouse for the few times we did not go to the outhouse in the middle of the night or if the ladies made the trip up.
Based on what I have told you regarding the distance, property in Canada, road limitations, supplier options, type of ground, etc. I am open to any feedback or suggestions you may have regarding type of foundation, style of cabin, mouse proofing, or any other suggestions.
There are some really neat projects and dream get-a-ways many of you have shared and I applaud your efforts and thank you for your willingness to share your experiences and ideas.
Thanks and I welcome your thoughts!!
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