Thinking about building a Log Cabin? by Jack Hudson

Thinking about building a Log Cabin? by Jack Hudson

Thinking about building a Log Cabin? This is how your determine
your foundation

There are at least three types of foundation that may be used
with many of the popular cottage plans available today. These
are: a concrete slab on grade; a full foundation wall (or
basement) around the outside perimeter of the building; and a
pier type of foundation. Most plan drawings show pier
foundations, because they are usually the cheapest to build and
the easiest for the amateur craftsman to construct.

If you have a level piece of property on which to build, you may
want to use a concrete slab. It is fairly simple to make. After
you have selected the cottage or camp you wish to build, refer
to the foundation plan that is shown with it. Get the over-all
dimensions firmly in mind.

On your site clear away the brush and lay out the lines of the
building with strings and batter boards. The next step is to dig
a trench about 12 inches deep and 12 inches wide around the
perimeter of the building. If you hit some large rode, leave it.
Taper the inside edge of the trench as shown. By cutting the
outside edge of the trench square, you can use it as part of the
form for the beam edge of your slab.

While you're trying to get the crimp out of your back, have
someone call the local supply yard and have them send you enough
gravel or crushed rock to lay a 6-inch bed under the slab. The
following table tells you how to figure how much grave! or
crushed rock you will need.

At this point, while you are waiting for the delivery of the
material, you will want to get all the rough plumbing in place.
This means that all the pipes which will be permanently buried
in the slab should be put in place, connected, and tested.

When the rock or gravel has been delivered, borrow the
neighbors' wheelbarrow and start spreading it. The finished bed,
in cross section, will look like the picture at the side. Don't
stop now, you've only begun. Get enough 15-pound roofing felt to
cover the slab area. Cover the gravel area with this, lapping
the edges about 3 inches. You're doing this, I might add, to
keep the ground dampness from coming up into your finished slab.

Around the outer edges of your cottage build a form as shown in
the picture at the side. I assume that you didn't knock the
walls of your trench in; if you did, be sure to clean them out
again. You are now ready to lay the reinforcing down. The usual
procedure is to use wire mesh weighing 40 pounds per 100 square
feet.

If you can't get it, the best substitute that I have seen is
heavy turkey wire (welded type). Roll out the mesh. Put some
small rocks under it so that when the concrete is poured, the
mesh will be in the slab. Along the bottom of the trench use two
%-inch reinforcing bars. You're actually building a concrete
beam around the perimeter of the building.

You are now ready for the big pour. By this time you will
probably be willing to call for transit mix. When you ask for
this prepared mix, tell them you want the kind that reaches a
minimum compressive strength of 2,000 pounds per square inch in
28 days. If you are going to mix your own concrete, use I part
portland cement, 2 parts sand, 4 parts coarse aggregate, and
enough water to make it sloppy.

The actual water content should not exceed 7|/2 gallons per bag
of cement. The table will help you to figure how much you will
need. The thickness of the concrete slab should be a minimum of
3 inches. After you have the framing up, you will want to add
one more inch of smooth concrete for your final finish (I part
cement, 3 parts sand).

You can also add color to this batch if you don't like the
natural gray of the concrete. There you are. Except that you
should also put some 6-inch stove bolts along the outer edge of
the slab, about 8 feet on center, starting roughly I foot from
the corner, to fasten your sill. If you are going to use the
cottage year-round and are building in the northern states,
insulate the outside perimeter with Fiberglas boards.

If you use the slab described, be sure that the soil is porous.
Heavy clay or stiff soil will require the building of foundation
walls to the frost line to prevent heaving.

About the Author
About the Author: Jack Hudson is a writer for
http://www.log-cabin-plans-n-kits.com and
http://www.best-house-n-home-plans.com/. These two sites work
collectively as a resouce for the planning and building of log
cabins as well as choosing from different house plans. Visit one
of these sites for informative articles as well as free TIPS for
building a log home or choosing a house plan.

Framing--the Backbone of your Log Cabin by Jack Hudson

Framing--the Backbone of your Log Cabin by Jack Hudson

Framing--the Backbone of your Log Cabin

Framing is the structural skeleton of your house. The drawing at
the top indicates the important framing members of any of the
cottages. The most important elements are the sill, header,
joists, girders, sole, flooring, studs, plate, and rafters.
Let's take a look at these parts.

Except in the case of concrete slab construction, the sill is
the first wood member to rest on the foundations and will be the
first wood member you will put down. The sill is usually a
2-by-4-inch piece. In pier construction you will note that I
have occasionally used a 2-by-6-inch member. This is because the
header is made up of two pieces 2 inches thick, instead of one,
as shown in the illustration.

Sills form a bearing surface for the undersides of joists. They
should be bolted to the slab or wall foundations. If you are
using pier foundations, it is important that you first put down
the sill around the building, then spike the inner header to the
sill from the underside. After this is done, lay out the joists
and securely spike the inner header to them.

At the corners, stagger these two parts. Then spike the outer
header to the inner one, overlapping at the staggered corner
edge. What you have done is to build a girder with a resting
place for the joists.

Headers, except as noted above, are usually 2 inches thick and
the same width as the joists. They run around the outside
perimeter of the building and help keep the joists in a vertical
position. They also help to transmit the roof and wall loads to
the foundation.

The notched joist arrangement is used when no sill is provided.
The blocking provides a bearing spot for the joists. If you use
pier foundations, be sure to follow the sectional drawings for
each cottage, because this header may actually be a girder
around the outside of the building.

Also be sure that the joists are securely spiked to the header.
Try, as far as possible, to make the headers of one continuous
piece of material. If this isn't possible, be sure to join the
pieces over the center line of one of the piers.

Joists members are what your flooring will rest on. The sizes
applicable to each building are shown in the sectional and plan
drawings. In most cases they are 2-by-6-Inch members laid 16
inches on center. I have tried to design all the camps so that
it will not be necessary to cut most of the joists.

They are standard lengths which you can purchase from your local
lumberyard. Because the joint spans are short, it isn't
necessary to bridge the members. However, if you want a really
good job, put l-by-3-inch pieces of lumber between joists as
shown in the sketch at the side. You can also buy metal bridging
if you would rather use it.

Bridging is usually done every 8 feet along the length of the
joist. The floor joists are typically designed to take a uniform
load of 40 pounds. The fiber stress (f) is 900 or over. Don't
worry your head about these figures.

What it means to you is that you should use Douglas fir (Coast
Region or Inland Empire), West Coast hemlock, Western larch,
Southern yellow pine, redwood, oak, or any other wood having the
necessary characteristics. Most yards carry either Douglas fir
or hemlock for framing purposes.
About the Author
About the Author: Jack Hudson is a writer for
http://www.log-cabin-plans-n-kits.com and
http://www.best-house-n-home-plans.com/. These two sites work
collectively as a resouce for the planning and building of log
cabins as well as choosing from different house plans. Visit one
of these sites for informative articles as well as free TIPS for
building a log home or choosing a house plan.

Supplying Water to your Cabin with a Driven Well by Jack Hudson

Supplying Water to your Cabin with a Driven Well by Jack Hudson

Perhaps the cheapest type of well to construct is a driven well.
However, its use is limited to locations where the ground is
free from layers of heavy rock. Such a well consists of a well
point, drive pipe, and connecting couplings. The well point is a
length of steel pipe that is perforated; it has a screen for
straining the water and a conical tip which is used to pierce
the soil. The tip should be at least 2 inches in diameter.

There are two different types of point. The regular point is
used in sandy soils. The washer well point is used in gravel.
This type has drilled and countersunk holes fitted with brass
wire gauze. Drive pipe usually comes in 5-foot lengths. It
should be galvanized so that it won't rust and should have
externally threaded ends to receive the couplings as sections
are added.

To start work on a well of this type, spade out a shallow hole
in the ground. Next, you will want to make a drive assembly
unit. This assembly consists of a nipple, coupling, and a
malleable iron drive cap. Apply pipe joint compound to the outer
threads at the top of the well point and screw on the drive
assembly.

Tighten the whole business with a pipe wrench. You are now ready
to start driving the point into the earth. When you have driven
the first length about three-quarters of its length into the
ground, remove the drive cap and nipple. Leave the coupling
attached so that you can add a length of pipe. Apply joint
compound to the threads again and connect the pipe length to the
well point.

You'll find that each blow from your maul tends to loosen the
joints. Tell Junior to give the pipe a twist after each blow.
When it gets too difficult to drive the assembly any more--use a
tripod over the well. Suspend a heavy block from the apex and
use a rope and pulley to drop the block on the top of the
assembly.

Sometimes water appears in the pipe, but more often you will
have to lift the pipe out to see. When the point has been driven
far enough, lower the suction pipe and foot valve into the well.
Hook up a pump and test the flow of water. You may find that the
flow of water is small at first.

The point is probably clogged. It will probably clear itself as
you continue pumping. After you have finished driving the well,
slip a reducer fitting over the suction pipe and screw this to
the top of the drive pipe assembly to cover the gap. If the
small opening of the reducer will not fit over the suction pipe,
file it.

Any of the pumps mentioned before will be satisfactory for this
installation. In the accompanying illustrations I have shown the
important details of such a system. A jet or reciprocating pump
is used.

This is one type of well that you shouldn't try to do yourself.
If water is too deep to be reached by any other method, or if
rock lies between the surface and water level, you may have to
use a drilled well. But this is a job for a professional. Find
out from your neighbors who has a good reputation--then hire him.
About the Author
About the Author: Jack Hudson is a writer for
http://www.log-cabin-plans-n-kits.com and
http://www.best-house-n-home-plans.com/. These two sites work
collectively as a resouce for the planning and building of log
cabins as well as choosing from different house plans. Visit one
of these sites for informative articles as well as free TIPS for
building a log home or choosing a house plan.