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Small Cabin Forum / Member's Projects and Photos / More storage
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Cowracer
Member
# Posted: 28 Feb 2017 11:25
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We are finding out that we grossly underestimated the amount of storage we need at our cabin. Actually, I didn't take into consideration that my wife would go nuts on thinking we need to decorate the cabin for every holiday, but if that's what keeps her happy, then so be it... But there is other thinks like lawn chairs, shovels and rakes, water floaties, and the like that I want to get out of the cabin, but also to keep reasonably secure and out of the weather.

We decided to build a small lean-to style 'locker' on the side of the cabin. Just about 4X8 feet. Seeing how my cabin is 16x16, that opened up the possibility of putting in an outside shower that the wife desperately wants as well. We have a community shower house at the lake, but its kinda yucky.

The plan was to set some poles 4 feet from the sidewall of the cabin. The first 8 feet will be used for the locker, the back 8 feet will be the shower. The locker will be fully enclosed, but the shower will just have a shadowbox fence around it. Enough to maintain the feeling of showering in the great outdoors, but also to provide a measure of privacy.



My usual master carpenter buddy Mike was unavailable, so I had to do it myself. It may not be exactly perfect, but it fulfills the function.

Here you can see how its going to be divided up. I eventually realized that I will need one more pole, for the shower area door. But that's an easy fix for later on. The shower head will go on the far wall (right hand side of the picture). The propane tanks will be relocated to inside the locker.



My roofing tin got delayed, so I decided to press forward and put it on last when it gets in. I got the sheathing up, and made a door, and got it all mounted.



While there are some meth-head thieves at the lake, they generally leave stuff alone unless its lying out in the open where they can walk away with it easy. 20# propane bottles and camper power cords are their favorites. In 5 years, the only thing we had stolen was a little trailer that was the chassis of a small 50's camper that came on our lot.

I'm not expecting 100% security. Hell, 5 minutes with a cordless sawzall would get you into the locker. I just want to keep thing tidy, and out of sight. I did have some security style torx head screws handy, so I used them to attach the hinges and door latch. I'll get some gravel down for a 'floor' just to make it nice and keep the mud at bay. I also have some shelving units that I will move in as soon as I get the roof on.

One side effect of this project was to show me how bad the cabin has been weathering. I have been (stupidly) putting off doing any kind of stain on the cabin siding. I wanted to let it weather a bit (everyone says let new wood sit some before you stain it) and I just keep kicking that can down the road. I was hoping it would age into a nice golden color, and it did under the overhang, but anywhere the rain hits it looks as grey as an old mans elbow. Not attractive at all. But, an afternoon with the power washer will clean it up, and then I'll get some stain on it.

At least with the locker finished, I can get the remaining stuff out from under the stairs inside.

Tim

creeky
Member
# Posted: 28 Feb 2017 12:40
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Nice work. Twin 100 lbers i see.

How'ze the shower coming?

paulz
Member
# Posted: 28 Feb 2017 14:55
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Looks good. I was thinking maybe the shower in front for a quicker streak back inside but come to think of it I spend more time dealing with stuff than i do showering.

Cowracer
Member
# Posted: 28 Feb 2017 16:42
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Shower is a bit down the list. Hopefully this year. 1 of those 100#'ers is for the cabin, the other will be used for our (future) camp kitchen. I have an 8x10 shed at the house that just mostly holds crap that I ought to throw away or donate like the kids' old bicycles and the like. We will eventually haul it down and set it up as a kitchen with fridge, my chest freezer, a gas stove/oven and some prep areas. That is a "much later" project. I got both the LP bottles for $60 and they were each half-full.

Shower will be big enough to get dressed in. No need for streaking.

Tim

Bexeler
Member
# Posted: 28 Feb 2017 17:41
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That storage shed looks good I was thinking of doing the same now I can show yours to the boss and see what she thinks.

rockies
Member
# Posted: 28 Feb 2017 19:41
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I would add a 2 x 8 to the side wall of the old cabin underneath the rafters (where they attach to the exterior wall) and lag bolt it into the wall studs. Although your upper cabin roof is quite steep the shed roof is quite shallow and might hold a lot of snow. Since your shed roof rafters are quite small (2 x 4's?) the weight of snow could pull the shed roof away from the cabin's exterior wall.

Cowracer
Member
# Posted: 28 Feb 2017 22:38 - Edited by: Cowracer
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We don't get that much snow in this area. Maybe with shingles I might worry, but with a metal roof, it should slide off. Roof pitch on the locker is around 5-12. Should not be a problem.

Tim

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