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Kelpie
Member
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# Posted: 26 Oct 2015 15:29
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Hey All,
We plan to start a cabin next year and have thought about getting one of those prefab mini barn/cabins delivered and then jack it up onto piers that we are going to set. Is this something that is advisable? We have seen some that are pretty well built, but we don't want to make a decision that we'll regret later.
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 26 Oct 2015 16:58
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My biggest complaint about the ones I have seen is that they are tough to insulate properly. The roof is the worst especially if it is one of the gambrel (barn) styles.
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Salty Craig
Member
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# Posted: 26 Oct 2015 19:28
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Shop around and closely look at quality. Some are very good and others not. I'm with mtndon on the gambrel roofs. I'm actually farther than him, I hate em. Metal roofs are a highly advised option. Also, make sure walls are 2x4 or 2x6 on 16in centers for insulating ease. I've built hundreds of portable barns/sheds. When properly built and set, they will last for generations.
Salty Craig
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littlehouseontheprarie
Member
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# Posted: 26 Oct 2015 20:10
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I have seen some companies that make an excellent Shed/Cabin.
I have also seen some that I would be scared to step into.
Just make sure you are getting a quality product.
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PA_Bound
Member
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2015 08:30
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Kelpie... you don't indicate in your original post how you plan on using your cabin. Is this just a weekend get-a-way place, or do you plan to live there? Will you use it all winter, or is it only for 3-seasons?
These questions, and certainly more, affect our recommendations. I'm well on the way of finishing a pre-built shed into a cabin. I'm very happy with how it's going, and for my purposes it works perfectly. But I can see other scenarios when it would not be quite as ideal. Some of those are hinted to in the responses above.
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2015 08:39
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We've had a lot of debate on this forum about the advisability of using piers as a foundation system for small cabins.
My feeling is that it is not advisable to put a building on piers on grade- at the very least they should be poured into holes that are to the frost depth.
The above thughts about getting a quality building is good advice, a good building is worth putting onto a good foundation.
What did you have in mind for the piers?
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Kelpie
Member
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2015 16:06
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Hey All,
I plan on using the cabin as a weekend get away all year around. No plumbing but will have electricity. At my wife's request, we are looking at a stainless steel compost toilet.
I plan on drilling 4' holes and pouring piers. I was looking at a lofted cabin, but it has a gambrel type of roof. Sounds like I need to avoid those.
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2015 16:43
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Quoting: Kelpie compost toilet.
I have no idea where you are but compost action ceases at something like 50 - 55 F. So if it's colder than that nothing much happens in the compost bin.
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Kelpie
Member
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2015 21:43
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That may pose a problem. We are in west central Indiana......
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pash
Member
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2015 21:57
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Kelpie, as a fellow Hoosier, (owen county) you do have good options for a small well built building. Plenty of Amish in the area that build good stuff, you definitely pay for it, but it is worth it.
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JJHess
Member
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2015 22:02
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We have a 16x40 2-story 'shed' cabin. It has a gambrel roof. We insulated it with R-21 fiberglass batts and the ceiling finish is 1/2" plywood. It is also resting on helical piles, with the bottom of the floor 18" minimum off of the ground.
We are in north central PA and use the cabin mostly year round. The road we are on isn't plowed or cindered in the winter so there is about a 2 or 3 month span when we don't use it. That will change this winter though as I'll have my snowmobiles running this year.
If you are planning on living in your cabin, then IMO it is a house and needs to conform to building codes.
We had a local Amish shed builder frame it on site and finish the exterior. We are working on the interior as we have time. I visited their factory and looked at many of their stock models before we chose them. We went with a metal roof and that smartside siding. The plan is to paint it every 3-5 years until we just cover it with vinyl or metal.
We have personal experience with the type of cabin you are talking about and are very satisfied with the finished product. It suits our needs very well.
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smallworks
Member
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2015 23:21
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We also had local Amish shed builders construct a " garden shed "with our input. (2x6's) and a few modifications. They were flexible, it was done well & inexpensively and we're basically customizing everything within to suit ourselves; we put in a 4' block foundation. They laid the shed on top. Metal roof. We're satisfied. Still working on it.
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