Log Cabin - How to build foundation and flooring?

[ugkcdrock]

i see joists, but no beams?

[billgator2005]

you need an AIR BARRIER for item 7. something equivalent to tyvek.... poly will be under you subfloor as the MOISTURE BARRIER..if they are reversed your floor system will rot...

[usmcoth]

As for #8 it will need to be protected from moisture and I'd also place a skirt of either aluminum or stone to keep rodents from boring in.

[LutherRayable]

Hey GoRambling! sent you a message before i realized this is two years old at least.Very curious how this is working out for you or if your now cozy in God's back yard?Maybe do a follow up video for all of us who are wondering how you're doing??Best wishes,Luke

[jeffreysouth]

If you put skirting it to should allow for ventilation. Also to reduce the humidity underneath you could put an impermeable rubber/plastic sheet, and ensure you have adequate (min. 2%) ground slope.

What are you planning on doing for plumbing?

[jeffreysouth]

Your Vapour barrier (plastic wrap) must go on the warm (humid) side of the insulation.... best if its on the joists and below subfloor. Where you plan on putting it, it will cause water pooling, then freezing etc... You could put something under the insulation but whatever it is ensure it is perforated for ventilation.

[BeccaTheo]

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[donsjuand]

How's your project going? I'd be interested to see what's new. Did you figure out the vapour/moisture barrier issue? Did you go with fiberglass, roxul, cellulose, rigid or a combination for insulation? I'm mulling over my own planning options for a raised pier cabin. I'm leaning towards roxul batts between 2x10 joists for the floor and SIPS for walls with a scissor truss roof. The idea is to heat as little as possible in the winter with wood.

[donsjuand]

Good call on the efficient space design and planning. Just my 2 cents would be to check out postech as an alternative to concrete. It's a screw pile that attaches to a post or beam support to create your foundation for a subfloor. Instead of getting a concrete truck, you would find a local guy with a small bobcat and a pile adapter for it. This would not only be less labour, but would also be ecologically preferred due to no chemicals from concrete or big truck damage.

[soullessgingerFTW]

I might just use your foundation idea, embellished on a little, for a small building

[shylildude]

i'd use caulk on areas where water can get in

also, is the wood you're using pressure treated?

[Soundgarden8497]

bullshit video

[donsjuand]

@Soundgarden8497 Perhaps you can provide some meaningful feedback.

[Soundgarden8497]

@donsjuand perhaps you can fuck off

[Mrcaffinebean]

@Soundgarden8497 What's your problem? He has question and would like help. The video is well produced and thought out what do you have against him?

[Soundgarden8497]

@Mrcaffinebean you must be kidding

[Mrcaffinebean]

@Soundgarden8497 Do you think I'm kidding?

[Soundgarden8497]

@Mrcaffinebean you dont know a good presentation when it's right infront of you

[Mrcaffinebean]

@Soundgarden8497 Well hey thanks for clearing your statement up I understand you perfectly. Basically you wanted to post and mean comment for no reason and then allusively as to why.

[Soundgarden8497]

@Mrcaffinebean youtube is for video... google images is for photos

[Mrcaffinebean]

@Soundgarden8497 As far as I'm concerned the production quality was leagues better than most videos on youtube.

[Soundgarden8497]

@Mrcaffinebean stay out of it shit tits.

[jerryleethe1]

Yes isulate the flooring.. but go around out side of the foundation with deckertive rocks,(skirting) to cut down the wind. from going under.. theres some fake rock bording that comes on 4x8 sheeting.. this should help, and keep small animals out. . Note all mobles have skirting. Also, NOTE, HOT WATER LINES will burst under cold winds faster then cold water lines will..

[HTMDProductions]

Better an area rug than carpet; it's easier to remove and keep the place clean. Your floors WILL get messy.

[batley1]

... how about you lay a proper foundation instead of these posts? don't forget the damp proof course, plus you can build yourself a proper basement this way.

[2rybread]

for the foundation try pile driving use look up rock solid piles.com.

[AuburnDruid]

...square, because your getting allot of obstacles in regard to moving about indoors.

Other thing is make sure your design has footing in place for a future deck. I'd suggest to make your building allot higher of the ground or you might run the risk of being snowed in. This will also give you a good storage space underneath.

Alaskan mills are great rigs but make sure you have a powerful Huskavana for milling, nothing less.

Cheers

[AuburnDruid]

Howdy

I most say your video deserves good merit. Well done on presentation.

Ok thing is I am a timber frame builder, and do all of mortise and tenon joinery.I strongly suggest that you get the right tools for cutting your mortise and tenons, also first try a few test runs at home first so you know what your getting into. The weather there will be allot more extreme so conditions won't always allow best results....lol

Other thing is try to make your floor plan more square.

[BeantownJim]

Between the ground and cabin use plywood to keep wind out.Also use gravel under the cabin and 5 feet out in all directions for water or to keep plnts from growing.

[jumpthehoops]

Some quick comments that need no reply...

1. Great video. Really, great video.

2. You will most likely want to add a skirting around the base of the building to prevent drafts from moving through. This will add warmth to your building like you wouldn't believe.

3. Critters. There are a few animals in your area that LOVE the taste of plywood etc. IE: The porcupine. Make sure you take this into consideration.

4. Consider having threaded screw jacks on each piling for future adjustment...

[scrawford3813]

10' x 35' how did you come up with the size. Plywood is 4 x 8, so either go with 8' wide or 12' and the length should be 32. This way you will have less waist,

[TheBlitzvideo]

This video was awesome ;D

[mrshappy2007]

Hey GoRambling for your coating on #8 try Truck Undercoating its thick and its rubber and it will take years to rot off if ever. I used it on a dog house i build for my dog and i live in Louisiana where it gets wet alot and it works well. you can get this stuff in gallon cans I think it will work well and you will never have to worry about it.

[larrydD]

there is a insulating paint you can buy maybe use it on the underside of you cabin and inside your floors before you put insulation and they have a rubber insulating compound for roofs could use it for your bottom of your cabin i think and on your sill logs use along lasting sealant to join and the floor logs together and as you join each log together bolt one to the ather so they are tight together

[larrydD]

there is a insulating paint you can buy maybe use it on the underside of you cabin and inside your floors before you put insulation and they have a rubber insulating compound for roofs could use it for your bottom of your cabin i think and on your sill logs use along lasting sealant to join and the floor logs together and as you join each log together bolt one to the ather so they are tight together

[MrJoseph1157]

Myself and some family members will put up a summer home or a shack on our property in Or.Just something that i need to do.I wish you the best of luck,thanks joe.

[AweSomo84]

amazinfg idea gl m8

[ursushoribilisron]

Yes you can do it yourself. Yes you are going to have a blast.

It is a good feeling to live in a house that is a product of your mind and energy.

Our house is built with 8"X8" logs that stand up. They are screwed together with timberlocks. PM me and I will tell you our story and answer any questions.

[T4Dog]

go look at Richard Proenneke's cabin build. You may have seen it but the vid is called Alone in the Wilderness. Stockade is not the easy way to build a log cabin. Oh, Dick built his in 10 days. By himself with HAND tools.

[sublimemadness]

@T4Dog he got the main logs (which he cut and pealed the previous summer) in place in 10 days but it took him all summer to finish the cabin. I love that movie, I've watched it 20 times at least.

[SkyKingInfinity]

well just thought id mention if your building a cabin larger than 20 ft in any direction you might need an extra row of five supports underneath. I haven't seen your floor plans but if your planning on a medium sized cabin enough for 2 people then the 10 struts presuming they are bordering the outside of the cabin will be strong enough to support the house and the occupants but with time will have problems in the mid lines of the building due to increased stress. 3 x 5 rows should be perfect.

[traphic11y]

hey just saw your video, i love your idea and so I wonder how did your plan work out ??

[dieselpower456]

just pu boards or some plywood around the bottom givin you two purposes one keep th heat in and two storage space

[eatmoreraw]

This is very important to prevent your nice little place rotting in a few years!...

Water vapour will always condense out (ie become water), as you get closer to a cold surface. You need to line the warm inside of your insulation with a vapour barrier, and let the underneath breath. If you line the underneath outside then condensation will form which will keep timbers wet and eventually cause your floor and structure to rot. The trick is to prevent the moisture moving out into the insulation.

[markitttoss]

hi there i like your vids there quite imformative, but please no more music i can barely hear your voice ...... thanks

[aaronyeager83]

Build the cabin yet?

[spikeccx]

prefabricate it all and truck it to the site it will be a lot easyer

[xGURICAx]

Y r u moving out there? Purely curious lol. N what is with the circle patterns in the rocks around 0:30? Goodluck

[chewinette]

good luck! :) that sounds like a great project!

(can't give advice I'm myself browsing videos to learn how to set posts in concrete so I can't help you at all...)

[akflyer24]

Overall, your plans look pretty good. I've been drafting house plans in the Matsu valley for three years now. We don't have permafrost in this area, but our frost line is pretty deep. Sonotubes typically are embedded no less than 48 inches. You should seriously consider having a local contractor look at your plans before you build. Alaska is a harsh environment that is unforgiving. Good luck with the cabin.

[scooter7712]

i would check with an engineer prior to putting down the gravel that the sona tubes will sit on. i believe they should be sitting on undisturbed earth below the frost line

[acclaem]

cool project, hope it goes well ! Never built a log cabin, would love to one day, most guys probably do. Have fun and watch our for Kodiak!

[YiuTeub]

nida-core flooring is what I want, but theres always building codes that get in the way of trying something new.

[rawbu2]

Hey Ramblin... I was born and raised in Northern Ontario... not as cold as where your going. The suggestions to use foam... listen to then - twice the "R" factor of fiberglass insulation. 7 per inch compared to 3.5 for the glass. Question... water? Toilet? 25 - 50 below before the wind hits... people can get unhappy fast - frozen even quicker. Don't waste your money... do it right the first time so you won't have to do it again.

[chugachvvvv]

I live in Palmer and can show you some vertical log cabins here. Just let me know when you arrive.

[palmerguy1001]

Fairbanks was -50 last week. (1/10) Last winter at our cabin in Delta Junction the coldest day was -62. In Wasilla, we had several days earlier this winter of -23. Plan and design for the worst and then you wont have anything to worry about. I hate to say it, but your living in a bit of a dream world with this design. It does not take long before poorly desiged cabins are either torn down or abandoned. Unless, your going to live in south east Ak, then you can get by with a poor design.

[palmerguy1001]

You dont want to build a vertical log cabin up here in Alaska. Logs need 2 years to dry, expect major shrinkage. Then what? Listen to the wind all winter blowing through the walls? Then haul 3-4 times the amount of heating wood you would with a stick frame? Build 6", or better yet, 8" stick frame walls, install top grade windows, build it out of the wind and take advantage of a good sunny location. Your house should support your life style, not make you a slave to a poor design.

[woodendick]

I recommend you hire an architect familiar with the climate to produce very detailed plans and written specification with the intent of telling you (an inexperienced builder) how to construct it. It may cost you alot, but I promise it will be well worth it. And i think you should be scared, you have no idea the amount of work it takes to build a house, i hope you have a very strong vision and a hard head to ram through all of the lessons you will be learning along the way. GOOD LUCK!

[woodendick]

As an Architect, in brief: 1) stocade cabins meant to sit on the ground b/c logs will present a significant dead load to transmit to the ground 3) the building technologies we have today are far superior, i suggest you build a stick frame with a plywood skin and vaporbarrier, then put the first cuts up as siding . 4) you are not using the stockade type to its full advantage = a round structure has less surafce to volume ratio and is more effiient in may respects. (cotinued..)

[ikambor]

good luck,, u seem to have a pretty good handle on it,, Id ask people in the area about thier experiences with the depth of the permafrost,, how bad would that suck to have done everything else correct, but have that issue destroy everything,, also id ask about the skirting, if that is an issue by warming the ground too much and melting the perma frost,, heat goes up but still gobait raised a question worth asking

[ikambor]

I agree with gobait on the insulation thing,,,, Alaska , has a lot of moisture in the air,,, I would use the sprayfoam in place of the fiberglass that you has pictured,, and as far as underneath,, the area that will be exposed to the elements,, I would spray foam that too,, water will not penetrate so easy and should provide protection to the actual flooring far better than plastic or any poly,, you might want to poly the sprayfoam as a sealant,,, I dont know

[Proaconstructor]

I have an alaska mill bult up on a Stihl 090. Very easy to use, but heavy work. I would see if you can locate a copy of will maloff's book, maybe by library loan. His book will be of great assistance.

[GotBait]

-Then I would use foam backed plywood panels to skirt it in. If you build on permafrost I wouldnt use the skirting so as not to chance melting the ground under the cabin. Please anyone correct me if I am wrong here. This is just the things I picked up in the last 20 yrs. Good Luck with your adventure.

[GotBait]

Living in Homer, Ak for 20+yrs here. I would never ever put fiberglass insulation in the floor. I would use foam/blueboard and sprayfoam on all the seams. Better yet just sprayfoam the whole underfloor if you can get a reputable commercial outfit to the building location. contd

[U4TSAF2]

Frost line can go as deep as 10 ft. Anything 5 ft or more make sure you use a concrete vibrator.

You want 24" minimum above ground for a cabin and metal termite barrier. Makes sure your overhang extends minimally 36" off the house.

You'll be far happier if you go 16' wide and that fits standard lumbar.

R-38+ floor with 50+ mil plastic. Polyurethane you'll end up breathing it.

GT notch for sub floor will allow moisture to rot.

1/4" rebar.

Water/moisture kills cabins, not fire.

[CastingStonez]

Can i go???

Im mechanically inclined...

[Londynseamus]

The Vertical Log cabin is just that. A cabin! Not a executive log home with post and beam. I have built two of these for myself over the past ten years. One then another one three years ago. Biggest thing I would do is have the logs trimmed on both sides so when you cut your grooves into the sawn sides and put your splines in then it is a relatively tight fit and you can avoid using mortar and having to chink/point both the inside and outside of the building.

[kurtie99]

just wondering about the way your going to mill the wood...seems iffy..might want to get it milled at a plant. more expensive but might end up being a huge time saver..good luck in your exciting new life adventure..

[skippyradcliff]

great video

[d6a6n6o6]

also I have taken out the need for the bottom sub floor by cuting the styrofoam type of isulation to fit between joists and nailing it to bottom of sub floor. I like your ideas as well. I'll stay tuned

[d6a6n6o6]

I'm doing a cabin project just like this. What I have found with putting up the vertical log is the possibility for water to enter any splits in the log and go straight down to your sill log and sit = Rot. . I am putting alum flashing between the logs and sill to kepp water from running to my subfloor.

[GoRambling]

That makes sense about the water! Good thinking :)

I like the idea of using some flashing too. So will you nail in the flashing and then put some kind of sealant over the exposed nail head to keep water from entering that way?

Also, how are you attaching the vertical log to the sill log?

[d6a6n6o6]

I'm putting down some all purpose silicone between the flashing and the subfloor then I sit the log on that section and toenail the log. The flashing is 14 inchs wide by 10 ft long so I just move the roll ahead as needed. About 7 inches under log and 7 inches will be bent down and nailed to cover my gluelam sill. I did not use a log as you are but same idea. I thought I might share some ideas I wish I had known when I started. It may take several posts. I also have pictures. Interested?

[GoRambling]

Awesome! I'd love to see some pics. Do you have any video or anything?

[d6a6n6o6]

I also want to get input and read your on the rest as at this point I only have one wall up. You asked about the sill bolt. I leveled the sill bolt to sit about 1/2 inch below the surface of sill. I balanced the sill on the protruding bolts and marked where to drill holes. I learned the hard way to drill a small pilot hole 1/4 or less through the sill, then drill your counter sink hole to the depth you need to accept your nut and washer and then drill the rest in the sill bolt diameter.

[d6a6n6o6]

If you go this rout your sill fits over the bolts and the sill bolt does not protrude. Then lay your sub floor on top and dont have to worry about hollowing out the logs where they would hit the bolt. I also use plenty of liquid nails sub floor glue on the joists and sill to prevent squeeks. I'm just excited that someone is doing this. I get "your crazy" looks here in Colorado for building a stockade cabin. The shorter lumber lets me build it myself and I don't have to widen the roads

[MrShoeguy]

Very well done video, thanks alot.

I've got to say I'd rethink that 10' wide part. By the time you leave 24" to walk past something you don't have much left.

I'm no builder but I'll bet you don't have enough foundation. Remember logs are heavy. I'd err on the side of caution.

[GoRambling]

Thanks a lot! I like the idea of small, but perhaps you're right...I've been thinking it should be at least 12 or 15 feet by 35.

I've lived in Japan and Korea, so I'm used to small places...in fact I kind of like it now :)

Are you thinking of building a log cabin some day?