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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 27 Aug 2013 08:42 - Edited by: OwenChristensen
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I've built a lot of cabins and have this opinion for the most for your money and effort. As many here know, I like to build on treated skids. I think they are the most trouble free and float up and down with frost.
If the size isn't too big, it works well and I've been building like this for forty years and am still in contact with lots of my old customers, so I know. Now I also know that a 14' x 28' single floor cabin has almost no waste. I use 14' 2x4s for my 7' studs and all plates with just the 1/2'' trimming. This will give you 7'-4 1/2'' headroom. Use 2x8's for floor joists and 3/4'' t&g plywood and a plywood type siding. Build each wall complete on the floor then raise. First a long wall, the end, then another long and last an end wall missing the two outside sheets of siding, so you can raise it, then put those on after. Trusses a roof sheeting, shingles and you have a cheap cabin.
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 27 Aug 2013 08:49
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If you're short on help, you can raise a 28' wall in two pieces.
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VC_fan
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# Posted: 27 Aug 2013 08:50
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Bless you. Very practical suggestions.
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TheCabinCalls
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# Posted: 27 Aug 2013 10:45
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Interesting...
- do you build or buy treated skids. do you have a pic of this foundation detail?
- are skids tied together or float independently?
- do you make or order trusses?
- the corner detail with the concrete block - what is below it and how far down does it go?
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Redneck7
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# Posted: 27 Aug 2013 14:19
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That's great info. Wood treated skids are great. You use 6x6 or 3 ply 2x6 or 2x8? My plan for mine is 8x16 cause I have a lift of 16' 2x4 and ill have minimal waist. Can you post a picture of how you make your rafters if you build them yourself. I learned in school how to stick frame my own roofs and it works great. You can probably look it the way online, the Canadian wood framing book shows how to reinforce your rafters.
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optimistic
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# Posted: 27 Aug 2013 14:28
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My 12x12' cabin is on 4x4 treated skids that sit on a bed of gravel... It is probably elevated, by the gravel, about 3-4" off the surrounding ground.
I am always thinking about possibly raising the cabin one day on some something higher to: A. increase air movement and reduce contact with water/snow and B. add insulation between joists (I have none in the moment)
I wonder if that is a task worth taking
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Redneck7
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# Posted: 27 Aug 2013 16:17
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Probably is. That's what my 8x12 tool shed sits on and I want to jack it up and nail a 2x6 treated on either side of the 4x4s with a treated 2x4 bailed on the flat. Just for more height, it's sunk into the ground a couple inches as it sits now. What do you use that shed for? Really worth insulation?
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 27 Aug 2013 17:21
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Redneck7
I have a real hard time finding straight treated wood, and if I do it's because it's fresh, and who knows where it will go. I do laminate and stagger joints. A triple layer of 2x8's are good, if there are additional scabs over the joints. a four foot piece works good enough for that. Yes, I like to have a couple or maybe three cross blocks between skids just to hold them straight. These can be fastened better by scabbing a short 2x8 onto the beam, say a foot in from the end and this will give you good nailing to it.
O
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 27 Aug 2013 17:28
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As far as floating together or not. The plywood siding is where the true strength comes from. These building are stiff enough, that if you jack up one end there is less than a half inch bend in the 28'. It is important to nail as close as 4'' with six penny gal nails in the bottom of the siding and into the rim joists. I should mention that at the middle of the building there is a joint in the rim joist. Here a scab is needed 46-1/2'' long. The one joist then will need to be tree inches shorter than the others. If you nail that onto the scab first you'll have easy nailing. This isn't for a great deal of wall strength, just a good joint.
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 27 Aug 2013 17:42
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Yes I build my own trusses. The most common one I build is a five twelve over 2-1/2 ceiling. I have seen these handle five feet of snow. The real strength issue is with width. The wider the building the higher the snow load. Most of your cabins are small and quite narrow compared to homes or garages. A 24 wide garage has 2x4 trusses on 24'' centers, that's code in northern MN. So 2x4 trusses on a building barely half the width is easy to build sturdy. The span on a 24' truss between webs is about 12' so keep it down to 8' for good strength. What that means is a single king post truss without a web has roughly the same strength or more that a factory truss of 24'. I buy 3'' x 5'' metal plates and airnail them over joints with 1-1/2 '' nails. I think about ten shingle staples would work fine too.
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optimistic
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# Posted: 27 Aug 2013 18:03
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Owen where do you operate? I have a friend who might do a cabin soon and I could connect you two.
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 27 Aug 2013 18:06
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I'm not saying to copy this idea, just to see how to save some money.
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Redneck7
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# Posted: 27 Aug 2013 21:45
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My uncle alf is a carpenter. He's 80 something and he told and showed my aunt and uncle how to build the trusses for our shop that is 32x32. It's duable to build them any length. 24" centers is code here in alberta and many other places but I like 16" because in a few years the ply wood doesn't deflect in between the trusses. With the H clips it takes a bit longer. But that's where we should not use osb plywood. But good work in the pictures, nice and strong, very skookum.
Kyle
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 27 Aug 2013 22:06
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Yes Kyle the jury's still out on OSB, but plywood isn't what it used to be either. OSB is getting better and Plywood is going down in quality. I used to advertise '' no OSB '' now not so much. I do use it on roofs , but not floors. I did walk over to another log cabin job and they used osb black edge. they won't be able to get a roof on for a month and they trust it. Wow, I'd be nervous.
O
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Redneck7
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# Posted: 27 Aug 2013 22:28
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Yeah me too. Hopefully the weather keeps up for them. But is the osb color coding te thickness o the sheet? I haven't used it in a while but that's what it's like here. Light green I think is 5/16, green is 3/8 and blue is 1/2. I could be wrong but thoughs are the color to sozes up here. I've never seen black. Yellow was 3/4, it's alot lighter then plywood but it is getting better quality. Ill agree with you on that, well all the stuff you metioned. And to tell you te truth I didn't even think of a long post in the rafters. For more head room I just do a collar tie, I guess anything spanned that big we just order trusses.
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:34
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I buy trusses at anything over 16'. If I think my job might get soaked before I get a roof on, I use Dryply or a coated 3/4'' plywood. It costs about $5 more, but a nice piece of mind.
O
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small cabin dreamer
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2013 12:58
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Owen,
Do you think a cabin of this style on skids is safe if it had 10 foot sidewalls for a sleeping loft and a 12/12 pitch roof?
I am considering a 14x24, but am throwing around the idea of using skids as my area will only consider this small size as a garage.
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2013 18:43
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Yes, it can work. ''If'' the ground is not a swamp. ''If'' the skids will make ground contact enough to float the weight. I'd say on that size and weight, I'd like a settled gravel base with full skid contact.
here's a 16' x 20'
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small cabin dreamer
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# Posted: 14 Nov 2013 08:25
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Did that cabin use 4x4's or 6x6's under it? And should I purchase 1 piece skids (20 footers, or 24 footers). Would you mind telling me how many skids I should use? either for something 14 feet wide, or 16 feet wide?
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 14 Nov 2013 19:53
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All of my cabins set on just two skids. If , here in frost country, a middle skid would stay lifted from frost long after the outside skids have settled down in the spring. This will cause possible damage, or at least a hump in the floor. I use laminated 2x6 on small cabins , say 12' wide, 2x8's on 14 to 16 wides, and I'm now using 2x10 on a 20' wide. One piece beams are more apt to warp or twist. It's also hard to find long one piece beams.
Owen
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small cabin dreamer
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# Posted: 14 Nov 2013 20:19
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Just 1 2x8 on each side with a cantilever of maybe 8-10 inches is enough? Or should I be using 2 or 3 2x8's on each side nailed together to build them up some.
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 14 Nov 2013 22:57
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three layers with staggered joints, four is better.
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small cabin dreamer
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# Posted: 15 Nov 2013 07:37
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ok, thankyou very much.
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 5 Dec 2013 12:50
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My latest build;
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Dillio187
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# Posted: 5 Dec 2013 14:13
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looks like you just squeezed it in before the big storm
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 5 Dec 2013 16:29
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It isn't done yet. I'll need to shovel a bit.
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houserocknebuilt
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2013 11:11
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Owen, I was going to build a 16x32ft cabin. Using treated doubled up 2x12x16ft treated lumber for foundation, 2x8 for floor joists,and 2x4x8 for pretty much everything else. With these numbers, I figured I could build 8x8 sections at home then assembling on site. Using this formula I shouldnt produce much waste either right? Also, i want a simple roof than I can do on the cheap and pretty much by myself. What do you suggest? Thanks
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ErinsMom
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# Posted: 7 Dec 2013 06:56
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I wish you lived further south: northeast tn
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 7 Dec 2013 10:31
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That sounds good. I'm not sure if I mentioned it earlier, but it's nice to lap the siding over the side of the floor. If you are using 4x8 foot sheets then only 7' 4'' sidewall will allow you to do that. You can use 2x4 , 14' cut in half then with three plates you get 7'-4 1/2'' sidewalls.
14' 2x4's are always better quality than stud grade. The 2x8 joist will be OK, but have a little bounce to them. You might put them on 12'' centers or put bridging block between them.
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houserocknebuilt
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# Posted: 9 Dec 2013 08:01
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Thanks Owen. 12 OC for floor joist is what I was thinking too. What would you reccommend for the roof?
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