Finally ready to start building!

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Small Cabin Forum / Member's Projects and Photos / Finally ready to start building!


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Vermonter Member	# Posted: 18 Apr 2013 02:58 Reply After a number of years dreaming and planning I am ready to build my first cabin which will serve as my first house. I will be starting the site work tomorrow. I'm 19 years-old and since I was little I wanted to live in a small cabin. I've got a 12 acre rectangle plot in northern Vermont. The road is on the north end, with a brook on the south. I've planned a spot just south of the middle. The cabin is going to be 12x16 with a loft. I am going to build the cabin elevated 5 feet off the ground. Reason being I'll have a better view and plenty of space to store anything from snowmobiles to firewood. The cabin is going to sit on a giant deck that is 12x26. The cabin is not going to be log, but conventional house style with 16 inch stud spacing. The main floor of the cabin will be single room that the kitchen and living room share. The loft will be sleeping and personal space as with most. The loft will be in the back of the cabin, on the east side. As I am a tall person, the cabin will be tall. 8 foot main floor ceilings will allow room for myself and if I choose to have electricity (on the road) I can easily clear most light fixtures. I will have a propane stove (in the future) in the cabin along with two hanging propane lights (now) from the open ceiling space. Wood will be my only source of heat. The stove will be a small cast iron cheap wood stove, possibly one with a window if I can find a cheap used one. Interior walls will be the plywood I cover the studs with. The outside will be covered in wood slabs, left over from cutting lumber. It'll have the log cabin look and slabs are usually free and screwing them on is not a hard job. Windows will be what I find for free/cheap on Craigslist along with the door. The cabin will only be accessible on either foot, ATV or snowmobile for now. I will have no toilet nor shower as my mother's house is right off the property. I have cell phone service which means I can produce wifi signal though my phone and charge my electronics by car battery, ATV 12v ports or prior. I will have a source of running water. I've thought about having a tank on the roof (20 gallon) and having a tank below that I can transport by snowmobile or ATV and using a hand pump or battery operated and transferring the water to the top tank. I will most likely fill the tank the same way from the brook. Growing up in Vermont, hunting and fishing living in a small cabin just seemed like it would be living in a hunting camp. I've chosen a small cabin so I can have my own place at a young age while not needing a loan or breaking the bank. I have cleared the area and will begin my site work tomorrow. I hope to have the cabin livable by July 1st which should be no problem as I have many days off a week. If you've followed my whole plan, please give me feedback, positive and negative! Thank you!

old old buddy Member	# Posted: 18 Apr 2013 06:11 Reply Welcome to the forum Vermonter! Sounds like you're getting an early start to cabin building. I was about 58 when we thought about it. I guess I would have had a lot more fun if I did it at your age but don't know how I would have handled it financially with a family and moving all over the state of Ohio. Your plan sounds great and definitely doable. The only problem with sleeping in the loft is you'll probably have to leave that for the spring, summer and early fall. I think the winter will be extremely difficult sleeping in the loft (It would be impossible in ours during winter) because that's where all the heat lays. Assuming you'll have the cabin insulated, it will probably be 80-90 degrees in your loft during the winter in a 12X16. If your cabin were much larger, it wouldn't be a problem...I wouldn't think. Anyway...foood for thought. My son (Old Buddy) and I found out we had a really tough time figuring out how to keep the cabin "cool enough" inside during the winter. It had a tendency to get to 85-90 degrees several times on the first floor. It has gradually gotten easier. You will have a ball. Keep us updated with your photos....you'll never regret taking them. Old Old Buddy

trollbridge Member	# Posted: 18 Apr 2013 11:07 - Edited by: trollbridge Reply This is awesome!!!! I love a young fellow with a goal and a plan!!! Congratulations...I hope you realize how fortunate you are to have the land available for your use It sounds like you know what you want to do. You are smart to watch for your windows and buy off Craigslist before you begin framing. You will be able to save a lot of money. I look forward to watching your progress. Like Old Old Buddy said, take lots of photos and don't forget to share them with us!

Fusil62 Member	# Posted: 18 Apr 2013 15:10 Reply Excellent. Keep us up to date on the progress.

Vermonter Member	# Posted: 18 Apr 2013 15:25 Reply Thanks guys! I would like to place a vent in the loft that I can open. I never thought about over heating in the winter, I just figured being high up the air in the summer will become stale and warm and the use of a vent would have a fresh air flow with a window open in the front. I will also have to make sure not to get to large of a stove. My mother has 26 acres, she sold the land to me for $12,000 which is a grand an acre. My sister purchased another 12 acres for the same amount. (half market value in 2011) Its right up top on a mountain on the northern facing side. I have to say I am a Craigslist addict. I do believe I can get all my materials on Craigslist. I've seen a number of good windows and doors in the past for free and sheds for free if you haul them away. Should I be to worried about having my cabin 5 feet in the air? I plan on running insulation board between the deck floor and what will be my cabin floor. I will be enclosing most of the bottom half to keep my snowmobile and ATV out of the elements. Haven't made it down to the space yet with the rain we're having but I am getting ready to head down. I'll grab some pictures!

Vermonter Member	# Posted: 18 Apr 2013 18:02 - Edited by: Vermonter Reply Didn't do much work today, cut a few downed trees that fell during the winter and piled them up. Walked the whole thing. From the road till the river it's a 20 minute walk, 30 minutes back sense its uphill. According to town records the property was a sheep field owned by a woman Mrs. Cotton (Cotton Rd) from 1770 till her passing in 1820. The property was unused and owned by her family until 1890. The property was purchased by the Hubbards who used it for cow fields until 1950. It has since been unused and changed hands a number of times. Farmer Dave's (Hubbard) grandfather bought the property in 1890 and he personally remembers his father selling it when he was a kid. He bought the property back in the early 90s and sold it soon after. There is abundant wildlife on the property. I've seen moose, deer and bear. I saw signs of all three this afternoon. This is the spot where the cabin will be built. That is my Husqvarna 235 x-torque with an 18 inch bar. Strong saw, fuel efficient and light. $199 can not complain. I bought it for limbing and it has turned into the perfect saw to carry around in the woods. Also in the picture is my 10 year-old German Rottweiler named Spanky. He has a twin brother Beau who stayed home. Very well mannered dogs and easy to train. He weighs in a little under 200lbs. Beau is much smaller at only 160lbs. These pictures here is the brook that runs on the bottom edge of my property. It is about 4 feet deep on average and is 20+ feet wide. Very clean water, very beautiful on the rocks. Pictures do not do it justice.

Tobit Member	# Posted: 18 Apr 2013 18:08 Reply Very nice land you have there. I'm next door in NH, I will be watching your progress.

Vermonter Member	# Posted: 18 Apr 2013 18:18 Reply There is still a few spots with some deep snow in the woods. I know this isn't the greatest thing for the saw, but the snow is a few feet deep here. My "Redneck Snow Depth Gauge" This here is down next to the river. An AWESOME natural rock carving from the water.

Vermonter Member	# Posted: 18 Apr 2013 18:18 Reply Thank you Tobit, I'm roughly 40 minutes from Littleton N.H.

KSalzwedel Member	# Posted: 19 Apr 2013 12:15 Reply Love the brook. Would love to have gotten property with water, but here in alaska really hard to find and VERY cost prohibitive. Congrats on the land and as everyone said, keep us posted with pictures.

Tobit Member	# Posted: 19 Apr 2013 13:19 - Edited by: Tobit Reply Vermonter, I just bought the big daddy Husqvarna, the 20" 460 Rancher X-Torq. I'm looking forward to taking it to my land for some of the larger timber. Quoting: Vermonter Should I be to worried about having my cabin 5 feet in the air? No, not really.

Vermonter Member	# Posted: 19 Apr 2013 14:31 Reply Thank you KSalzwedel, not sure what I will do with the water. The natural rock formations are beautiful. Further upstream a ways there is a beaver pond that is full of beaver skinned wood. It's amazing. Oh wow! I'd be nervous just walking into there. I can't count how many times I have fallen out of trees. You should be happy with the 460, one of those do it all and no fuss saws I have a friend that bought one and he loves it. I've cut with it a few times, no complaints at all. I've got a 560xp, 95% of the time it's to much saw, it's a brute. Man is it fun just to lay into the biggest log you can find and have no bogging or anything! One of those "IM A MAN!" feelings :D

Vermonter Member	# Posted: 19 Apr 2013 17:24 Reply Did some more area cleaning and had a bonfire. Sucks how slow the progress is when doing it alone. That was when I first lit it. It actually did burn :D

old old buddy Member	# Posted: 19 Apr 2013 17:51 Reply What are you using to support the cabin? I'm assuming you are putting 6X6's or something similar in the ground. We used 6X6's and 4X4's with a 2"X12" wrap around the bottom to tie it all together with 1/2" bolts pulling it all together. Over the first winter we put a 2"X10" wrap around the top to keep all the uprights from bowing badly over the winter because we couldn't get to the cabin for almost 5 months after we put the wood in the ground and wrapped it with the bolted two-bys. I guess you'll be using 16 footers for uprights, correct? I figured you would want three feet in the ground, five feet under the floor and eight foot walls. Or are you using the concrete tubes with wooden stringers running across them? Your progress will be slow until you get the basic rectangular box built. Then things will go a lot faster for you. Just remember....you're building a lifetime of memories. Cherish them. Don't forget to insulate the floor with at least six inches of insulation. It will save you a lot of firewood in the future. I have to say I admire you taking this project on. My son and I had a lot of good times building our place. Old Old Buddy

Vermonter Member	# Posted: 19 Apr 2013 18:21 Reply I am doing pressure treated 6x6 12 footers. There these plastic molds that you bury and pour concrete into them that have a bigger footing than tubes. Then setting the 6x6s up onto them and then running 2x6x12s across every 16 inches supported by hangers screwed to a 2x6x16. The 2x6x16s will be bolted to the 6x6s. The 6x6s will not be in the ground, just resting on the top of the cement molds that will be buried. To insulate the floor on top of the plywood I am doing 2 inch thick foam boards. Then on that I wanna get rough sawn 2x10/12s and nail that down to get a more rustic feel.

old old buddy Member	# Posted: 19 Apr 2013 23:17 Reply Vermonter If you are not having any center support for your cabin, you might want to use 2"X8"'s for your floor stringers. It only cost a few dollars more but it is sooooo much stronger! Your 2" foam should be plenty of insulation. Also, someone told us to be sure any put tar paper down before putting your floor over the stringers (it serves as a moisture barrier). Our cabin is about 28" off the ground and we don't have any moisture problem at all. Are you planning on putting plywood/chipboard on the bottom of your floor stringers? We did because we used fiberglass insulation and I didn't want the animals to pull it all out. Even so, the additional floor keeps other critters out (snakes, rodents, etc). Keep us posted and good luck.

Vermonter Member	# Posted: 20 Apr 2013 00:18 Reply I was thinking about doing one more 6x6 in the middle of the cabin. Being 5 feet up I am not worried about moisture at all other than the 6x6 supports I will be using. They are pressure treated, but I might go over the bottom 2 feet with POR-15. It's $150 a gallon, but I'd use less than a quart on all of the supports. I am not planning on covering the bottom of my stringers. No rodents or critters will reach 5 feet up.

shooter mcgavin Member	# Posted: 20 Apr 2013 07:56 Reply Keep on updating us with your progress. It's good to hear about a young whipper snapper with some get up and go. All I hear about in Chicago is 19 year olds worrying about Facebook,gang bangin, and where to get the best weed. Must be a lot of work by yourself but I'm sure there's a nineteen year old girl out there who would like to help. Stay out in the woods kid, big cities suck!

Tobit Member	# Posted: 20 Apr 2013 10:40 Reply Quoting: old old buddy Are you planning on putting plywood/chipboard on the bottom of your floor stringers? We did because we used fiberglass insulation and I didn't want the animals to pull it all out. Even so, the additional floor keeps other critters out (snakes, rodents, etc). Even simple chicken wire will work. I plan on using chicken wire on my floor. Vermonter, do not underestimate squirrels and chipmunks. They can and will get at your floor.

Vermonter Member	# Posted: 20 Apr 2013 10:45 Reply I do have to admit I am a Facebook addict. - I've never been one for parties or anything like that. It does suck by yourself, but I got my dog. Who needs women with a dog! :D I've spent a lot of time in Boston, months to weeks at a time. Recent events aside cities aren't my thing. Any who. Going to check out a 2013 Polaris Sportsman 500 today to "help" in the building :D The 2005' Brute Force 750's is giving up on life.

Vermonter Member	# Posted: 20 Apr 2013 10:56 Reply Scratch that idea, some reason I thought to call ahead to see if they have any green 500s in stock and they are out till Tuesday.

Vermonter Member	# Posted: 20 Apr 2013 20:02 Reply Tobit, sorry I did not see your post earlier. I've not had a problem with my current house or deck in the 10 years I've been here. If the problem does arise I will take action. I do not believe I've even seen a squirrel here.

Ross Member	# Posted: 21 Apr 2013 20:06 Reply The trouble with decks is that, having no roof, they will eventually rot away. Even pressure-treated wood has a limited life span. Sounds like your cabin is going to last longer than the deck that supports it.

Vermonter Member	# Posted: 21 Apr 2013 21:19 Reply If my cabin will be on top of it. Acting like a roof.

Tobit Member	# Posted: 1 May 2013 16:56 Reply Hey buddy, weather has been real nice. Have you been able to spend time in the woods working on your land?

Vermonter Member	# Posted: 2 May 2013 21:36 Reply Weather has been amazing, but to hot for my taste. I've been battling something these last few days making me sleep like crazy. (18hr at a wack) and am pretty deep in a motor job on my car so it has been postponing my work. I have however made a decent ATV trail to the site.

Vermonter Member	# Posted: 12 May 2013 02:02 Reply Nothing really new, grass is growing and I have a number of other spring projects. A bunch load of new gardens starting! I have 14 strawberry plants now. Next summer I will be red! :D Went to Home Depot pretty much figured out how I am doing things down to the product. I was hoping to have it framed by now, oh well. I'll hope to have it finished by fall. I'm close to a month behind. Funds are running lower by the day. I don't get how you older folk can get up every morning. I've broken my back twice, 4 vertebrates once and broke two again that didn't heal correctly. I'm 19 years-old and have my days where I can barely even walk.

Vermonter Member	# Posted: 1 Sep 2013 19:36 Reply Haven't been able to do much this summer. Between the rain, wet ground and "life" I didn't get to much. I plan on starting up here in the next few weeks and get something done before winter. There is a lot of blow downs around my property with these last few storms with winds being 60+ MPH.

Vermonter Member	# Posted: 16 Sep 2013 17:51 Reply Good news. I got approved for a small business loan. It involves a 1 ton dump, trailer and a 4x4 tractor with a bucket. When I am not working I'll be able to really get some work done and perhaps trade my work for materials.