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Small Cabin Forum / Cabin Construction / Loft height
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doglvr
Member
# Posted: 29 Mar 2020 16:28 - Edited by: doglvr
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I am building a 24x32 cabin with a loft. I am trying maximize as much loft height as I can using 2x10X16 for my rafters mainly because of cost. Anything at my local hardware store over 16' is ridiculous and has to be special ordered. Using a rafter calculator to maximize the full length of the rafter with a 20" overhang I was able to get the most out of the 16' (15' 11 1/8" to be exact) . Using the Pythagorean theorm (also on an online calculator) it calculated I will have a height of just over 10' at the peak with an 8/12 pitch. Are my measurements correct? I was told I really should go a minimum of 10/12 if I was going to have a loft. 10' at the peak however seems plenty high enough for a loft that will be used just for sleeping.

ICC
Member
# Posted: 29 Mar 2020 17:45
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Draw it to scale on paper?

Brettny
Member
# Posted: 30 Mar 2020 06:39
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Draw to scale with a tape measure and strings in your yard.

24ft wide is pretty wide for a 20in overhang and only 16' lumber. Are you sure about the 10' head room? Did you subtract the left floor joist and sub floor from the head room?

Brettny
Member
# Posted: 30 Mar 2020 06:46
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I'm showing 16ft 1in rafter length for 20in overhang, 7.5 pitch and 7ft3 headroom not including the left floor. If your ok with a crawl in left or less overhang that may work.

That little headroom wouldn't work for me. Make your building skinnier or find a lumber yard that's got a better selection. Either way your going to need to make the roof pitch higher.

Have you thought about a gambrel roof? It fixes head room and lumber length.

Princelake
Member
# Posted: 30 Mar 2020 06:56
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What about just buying attic trusses?

Nobadays
Member
# Posted: 30 Mar 2020 08:54 - Edited by: Nobadays
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Another thought is to extend the outer walls up another 3' - 4'. Our cabin has 5 more rounds of 8" logs past the first floor so giving us 40" extra height at the eaves. This also helps with usable space in the loft.

Edit.... our cabin is 22' x 26' with a half loft (accross the narrow) and a 12/12 pitch.... makes for a large loft.

morock
Member
# Posted: 30 Mar 2020 14:51
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I have a 24 ft. wide loft 12/12 pitch. I used 12” tall I beams that sit on the edge of the second floor and on the ridge beam. If I remember correctly I think they were 18 ft long. The eaves are done with scabbed on 2X6, for a 24 inch over hang. I have a finished height of 12 ft at the peak and lots of insulation room. It’s a fantastic space. This was all engineered and permitted. I would have never come with this type of design but it works.

doglvr
Member
# Posted: 30 Mar 2020 21:34 - Edited by: doglvr
Reply 


I thought about using 2x6X10' on the walls to get extra height as well....I just think it wouldn't give the look that I am after . My calculations were off as I was measuring only to the outer edge of the top plate without taking into consideration the extra width with the overhang. So yes, the loft height would be considerably lower. It looks like I am going to have to special order the rafters to get the length that I want. Changing the width is not really an option. A 12x12 pitch I would love to go with but a little nervous about working on that much pitch. My old body isn't as stable as it used to be!

Brettny
Member
# Posted: 31 Mar 2020 07:19
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Do a gambrel roof with a kick out at the bottom. You can stand on the kick out and work on the steepest part of the roof.

Scabbing on a piece for the over hang should work too. Not preferred and in the end may cost more but should work.

Don't forget the overhang can get bigger once you add a 2x to the end of the rafters and a gutter on that. 20in over hang is quite big but at 12/12 pitch your prob only 10in away from the vertical wall.

You could always do the roof pitch your comfortable with and add dormers for more head room in a few spots

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