One Man Cabin Build Thread

awesome build! Something ive been thinking of doing but would have to buy precut lumber. Would love to have a good lot (20+ acres) and a nice small cabin with a shooting room built on! Someday maybe

and now im looking at land again

 

Please, please, please, tell me you either air or kiln dried your material down to less than 20% moisture content. If not, you are going to have major problems in your future.

Ryan

 

Are you concerned about excessive shrinkage and movement or the lumber harbouring mould spores ?

 

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Freshly sawn (ie: green) lumber will shrink between 10-20% in width and thickness until it reaches a moisture content of around 19%. Furthermore, this shrinkage is not consistent from board to board, or even in the same board. Finally, because of differences in grain and drying, green wood always warps, cups, checks, etc. at least a little.

When lumber mills manufacture studs and joists, they all start out at their nominal thickness and width, ie: 2x4, 2x8, etc. After air drying, which commonly takes a year or more depending on climate, or more commonly kiln drying (think of a big convection oven), moisture content will be around 20% and the actual thickness of a 2x4 will be about 1 5/8" x 3 3/4". Lumber mills will then run material through the sorting process and planers bringing the final actual dimension to 1 1/2" x 3 1/2".

When framing a new home, even with kiln dried lumber, it is important to let the building dry out even further. This is normally accomplished by quickly getting the building under roof, and leaving exterior finishes off while MEPs (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) are completed. This will allow the final moisture content to even out to around 18%, at which point it will never stray more than 1% unless you have major problems.

So what does framing with green lumber do? Drywall pops, and cracks will be the first items noticed. Windows and doors also will begin to bind in very short order. Wavy walls will happen in most cases. Trim, including cabinetry and paneling, will develop gaps and in some cases cracks due to the framing moving. Finally, fasteners will tend to rust a bit, and in the case of paneling and siding, will bleed onto the finish side. I know it's a long winded explanation, but using unseasoned construction materials can be a huge issue.

Hopefully I am wrong, but the OP's pictures and comments regarding the weight of 16' 2x10s lead me to believe that the wood has not been seasoned.

Ryan

Edited to add: Mold in houses is a relatively new phenomenon due to homes being built "tighter" with better insulation, vapor barriers, and impermeable building products. All house have mold spores in them. However, mold needs two things to grow; cellulose and water. The difference between mold spores and a mold problem though is moisture. Old houses "breathed" because of drafts from poor air sealing and insulation. New houses hold moisture caused by cooking and bathing in the house which can saturate the back side of gypsum board and stud cavities due to condensation and dew point changes. 99% of drywall is faced on both sides with paper which is ground up cellulose, and it is pretty much like candy to mold.

The new best building practices require the use of a HRV (heat recovery ventilator) in a tightly wrapped building. Think of an HRV as a fan that exchanges air from the outside with air from the inside but uses the inside air to temper it, bringing it closer to interior's temperature before exchanging it. During the winter an HRV will bring in dry outside air and exhaust stale moist air, and during the summer it will remove overly dry (air conditioned) air and introduce some humidity back into the conditioned space.

 

Bedlam, i am not building anything, but that is some excellent information. Thank's for a little free education!

 

waiting for more! This is awesome!

 

I was just asking which concern you were referring to , I'm a residential general contractor and custom home builder , had my own company now for 16 years and been a carpenter for 28

Great explanation though

 

Ryan,

Yes all the lumber was air dried for several months in a desert environment before construction started. I wanted to go the kiln route due to it being much faster but it was cost-prohibitive. I got a much later start than I had originally planned due to the air drying.

The weight of the wood I was referring to was lifting it off the sawmill back when it was cut as I was doing all the cutting solo.

 

I am putting in a 2000 gallon cistern tank for water along with a septic tank. I have a power pole available about 200' from the cabin that I will be getting my electricity from. It is pretty remote but not without the necessities.

 

Are you on a well or are you doing all rainwater collection ?

 

Good to hear. Best of luck on your project!

Ryan

 

Sorry, I get a little long winded some times. It upsets me when people waste energy and hard earned money by not knowing the details. Fortunately the OP has that covered.

I grew up in the trades, put myself through college swinging a hammer, got BA in architecture and BS in building sciences, kept swinging a hammer because there was more money in it than than pushing a pencil, and switched over to general contracting and consulting when my body started complaining too much.

Ryan

 

No worries bud , I was just rattling your cage

 

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This is pretty cool.

 

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Looks awesome man, can't wait to see some more pictures.

 

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