Building a small cabin

[Ole and Lena]

http://www.instructables.com/id/How...-on-a-Budget/step15/Finished-cabin-structure/

Looking into building something similar to this on some newly acquired hunting/forestry land. Will probably be substituting some locally cut jack pine or spruce poles for some of the above ground structural members. Will basically be a tiny house minus many of the amenities. Will be fully off-grid.

Thinking of substituting some locally cut jackpine or spruce poles for the rafter materials. Wonder if anyone else has taken on a similar project or could suggest some improvements to this plan. I intend to extend the floor joists out to the full length of the porch and screen it in with a half wall and possibly a Finnish sauna built into the porch.

 

[captivatedlife]

I am so jealous! It sounds wonderful. What are you planning on doing for power and water? Do you already have heat? Those are my only questions. Good luck!

 

[Ole and Lena]

Wood heat and cooking. Maybe a shallow sand point for wash water, filter to drink. Outhouse. Power??? what's that for.

 

[1cock2hens]

I am about to build a second tiny house and I saw your post/ our house is 12 x20 on 15 acres we own/ we built it completely by hand with no power tools except a gas auger we rented to do the foundation. its a wonderful feeling of accomplishment. Right now our house is off the grid completely, we haul in water, we have a separate building for a compost toilet and have a separate building for our kitchen/ wood burning// we are considering a gas refrigerator since living without refrigeration is not easy/ good thing my ladies work in the city. Good luck on your project.

 

[Ole and Lena]

This cabin will mostly be used as a weekend getaway. There is a bog on the property, and I will probably be building a "Yukon cooler". This is a timbered, waterproofed hole covered and lined with sphagnum moss which is plentiful on the site. Commonly used in Canadian hunting camps in the days before propane refrigerators and cheap generators. A single ice block will keep the pit near freezing for several days.

Sanitation will be a variation of the standard outhouse. I have a 50 gallon thick wall poly drum to bury for a vault. It will eventually have to be emptied or sucked, but with light use, it should be several years and have time for thorough decomposition before getting too foul.

I'm planning on sinking 8" sonnet tubes with sakrete for the footings. All ground contact timbers will be sawn reclaimed utility poles. They are designed for 50 year lifespan in direct ground contact, and given the acidic soil should last even longer. I think I will be acquiring a chainsaw slabbing mill for producing some roughcut lumber onsite. Doing some more looking at satellite photos I found some larger white pine and spruce on the property. Some had visible dead tops, so will be suitable for immediate harvest. There is also some mature aspen which will make fine paneling for non-exposure surfaces. Thinking of extending the porch to 6 feet to leave room for an in-porch sauna. Was going to build one from logs, but the county is rather sticky about permitting them apparently. May just poach it. Sauna? that's just a cookhouse!