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Small Cabin Forum / Cabin Construction / Closed entryway/mudroom on front?
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Julie2Oregon
Member
# Posted: 28 Dec 2014 04:20
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Hey all,
I've been finalizing my cabin plans and was thinking it might be a good idea to have a small mudroom. I haven't seen any designs with what I have in mind -- and there might be a good reason for that so I thought I'd ask you all!

My cabin is going to be a 16X20 with a pitched metal roof and the front door toward the right on the shorter side. There will be a 4-foot bay window toward the left and a deck on the front. I'm thinking about adding a 5X5 "room" onto the front with the main steel door on the outside of it and then another entry door of some sort leading into the cabin.

It would also have a pitched roof but with a larger overhang than the main roof on this side to provide a bit of shelter over the door in rain and snow. (The roof on the cabin itself will have the larger overhang on the 20-foot sides since that is where the water and snow will be running down. I'll have a catchment system on those sides.)

This would be great in helping to keep the cabin clean, keeping "weather" out, and providing a bench seat and storage for coats, boots, shoes, etc.

Are there reasons not to do this? I'm surprised that I haven't found any cabins with a mudroom on the front. If not, what sort of second door would be appropriate for the one into the cabin?

Thanks for any help!
Julie

Bancroft bound
Member
# Posted: 28 Dec 2014 10:04
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Good Idea,
I've wondered why plans don't show it too.
Most of the designs are for 1 or 2 season usage so extra clothes/boots are not a big issue.
You are going to using your place year round so you will certainly utilize the "Mudroom".
Get it in your plans now or you WILL regret it later
I'm still planning too and there always seems to be another idea to consider.
Go for It!!!

luther
Member
# Posted: 28 Dec 2014 10:36
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I think its a great idea. I built a 20 x 20 cabin a few years ago and I am now trying to find a way to easily add a closed in porch /mud room It certainly would have been easier and more cost effective to add this during the original build.

Cheers

Scott G
Member
# Posted: 28 Dec 2014 11:04
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We are roof tight with our 20x20 and it includes a 7x6 mud/closet room. Thread is 20x20 project in project forum. I saw it as necessary to a:provide a place for the mess b: storage for boots, shovels and snowgear and c: its sonewhat of an airlock. The space will be insulated and heated as though inside but the second door into the main 14x20 cabin helps prevent a big gust of cold air getting in when someone enters.

Steve_S
Member
# Posted: 28 Dec 2014 11:11
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Julie, I would certainly recommend having an entry / mud room, moreso if your gonna have little ones running about the place... Depending on your geographic location, you may want to have it with screens for summer and pop in windows for winter.

toyota_mdt_tech
Member
# Posted: 28 Dec 2014 12:18
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Space being a premium in a small cabin, a foyer would take away from living space. I have a covered porch and one of those little boot cleaners bolted to the top step. If I have dirty or wet clothes, I can take them off on the covered porch.

Scott G
Member
# Posted: 28 Dec 2014 12:41
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Little boot cleaners... Great idea.

hattie
Member
# Posted: 28 Dec 2014 13:05
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Bob screwed a strip of steel (8" long by 2" high and it sticks up about 3/4") on our boardwalk. It is a great boot scraper!

We don't have a mud room at the front door because it would take up took much space on our porch. We do have a back door that leads to our laundry room/pantry/clothes closets. There is a door between the laundry room and the part of our cabin that we live in.

We use the laundry room as a mud room. We have a bench in there as well as an open closet to hang coats and there is a boot rack under it for boots. We keep the temperature very low in this room to save energy costs. It is perfect for acting as an air break between the outside and our cabin and it keeps all the muddy and wet gear out of sight. In this room we also have a drop down drying rack to hang our laundry to dry year round. It is a great multi-purpose room (something necessary when space is limited).

Julie2Oregon
Member
# Posted: 28 Dec 2014 16:40
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Thanks for all of the great ideas! I should do a bootscraper on the outside!

Maybe 5X5 isn't big enough. I just envision a kind of "box" attached to the front of the cabin with a good front door and place to remove coats, shoes, etc., but it should have adequate storage space and not greet people with a mess, lol.

I like the idea of a window, too. Maybe a small one, like they make for mobile home uses. This self-contained, separate entryway/mudroom can actually provide an added layer of security with two good front doors to the cabin. It gives me extra time to load a rifle, if need be. So I wouldn't want a full-sized window.

With space at a premium, I'm not going to have a laundry room. I'm doing the European thing of putting the washer/dryer combo in the kitchen. At least, that's the plan for now!

LOL, I keep thinking of new ideas and I need to nail down the design necessities soon so I don't drive the builder crazy when we're in the thick of it! My house goes up for sale in three months and I'm going up to Oregon to get the land surveyed and do some site work in four months! Yay!

cabingal3
Member
# Posted: 29 Dec 2014 19:35
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me and garyo spoke of this many times and finally decided we are going to put on of these on our cabin.
wet snowy boots,wet gloves,snow shovels...can go there.
we still have to sell our house too Julie2Oregon.
good luck.i am packing up boxes now.
gotta dung out this home in the city and be having it up for sale as soon as the new year starts.

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