Tiny House Blog

Timber frame construction was used by early settlers. It is recognized by its large timbers and intricate joints. The strong structural timbers support the roof without the need for support from the walls. To give lateral support and to help resist the wind, diagonal knee braces are used throughout.There are many different ways to complete your timber framestructure. Some infill options include:

1. Straw Bale
2. Cord Wood
3. Log paneling
4. Stone
5. Shingling over walls
6. Slab Siding
7. Board and Batten
8. Tongue and Groove or Bevel

There are many timber frame building companies, but I have found a couple who specialize in small buildings and would recommend you look into them for your needs. One even offers training and workshops. Here they are:

Shelter Institute offers classes at there facility in Woolwich Maine. They also sell ready made timber frames that start at $12,050 for a 20 x 20 precut frame plus shipping. Shelter Home Institute also offers training through workshops if you want to learn more and get some hands on experience before you build. For more information visit there site by clicking the link above.

Timberlast specializes in small spaces and there kits start at 8 x 10 and go to 24 x 24. Timberlast is geared toward the do-it yourselfer. Their goal is to provide beautifully handcrafted timber frame structures at an affordable price. Their frames are easily erected in just a few hours and ready for you to finish.

Click here for a interview and slide show with David Fernandez of Timberlast.com In the next couple of articles I will look at some of the infill options using timber frame, the first being straw bale, followed by cord wood.

In this post we will discuss some tips for success and ways to finish your tiny log cabin. Steps to success:

• Draw your plans
• Build a scale model
• Make a materials list
• Do a cost analysis based on the materials list
• Redraw the plans to fit your budget
• Cut your logs when they are hardest to peel
• Floor rim joists are lag screwed to the sill log
• Might want to make the pier blocks wide enough to support the rim joists
• Lag screws every 2 feet on rim joists. Use 6″ by 1/2″ lag screws
• Metal joist hangers on 16″ centers
• Nail 1×4s across the joist hangers on the bottom to hold the insulation sheets
• Use polystyrene insulation sheets to R-19 or morePut 7 mil visqueen on top of the insulation sheets IN the cavaties stapled to the sides of the floor joists
• Use construction adhesive under the floor boards. This prevents squeeks.
• Use 2×6 tongue and groove car decking for the floor
• Second story floor joists are 4×10sGet joist hangers fabricated for 4×10sUse hot dipped headless nails to blind nail the car decking in place for the floorRPSL – Ridge pole support log is thru bolted to every other wall log with 1/2″ all threadRPSL sits on the floor for small building but for a larger one, make the center pier blocks big enough to sit the RPSL on them.

To get the RPSL straight and level, use a tripod 50′ away with a white string and plumb bob. If windy, put the plumb bob in a pail of waterCorner lifting poles. Dig 4 foot deep hole at the corners on the inside and tamp the dirt really tight. These have to be removed later rather than just being cut off. Remove by jacking them out.

• Attach guy lines from the top of the lifting poles to the bottom of an adjacent lifting pole for stability.
• Nail 2/4s to the side of the top of the lifting poles to prevent the chain from slipping down.
• Check with Pacific Iron and Metal in Seattle to get block and tackleGet 3 pulley 6 or 8″ blocks
• When lifting the logs, use nylon straps since they will be easier to get off the log when it is in place

When you submit your plans to the building permit people, ‘by mistake’, attach a copy of your LHBA membership card and a note from ’someone’ saying that these plans have been used and approved in every county in the state.

• Use 4×10s for roof rafters. They are thru bolted at the top and spiked into the top wall log at the bottom.
• Put in 4×10s pieces between rafters at the top of the walls for ‘bird blocks’. Spike these into the wall with 2 rebar spikes
• Use ‘C’ clamp to hold two rafters together as you bolt them together.
• Raise all the roof joists at the same place and then side them down after they are bolted together.
• Might want to place a 2×10 from the ground to the top of the wall to create a ramp for the roof joists top ride up as you pull them into place.

When pulling rafters, use a couple of pieces of rebar in 3/4″ holes on the top wall logs to guide them up. Can easily remove to slide the rafters over after bolted.

• Put 2×6 T&G car decking on the roof joists. Tongue up, groove down.
• Don’t use any construction adhesive. If someone is walking on your roof, you want to hear it
• Nail 2×4s on 2 foot centers to the car decking to create something you can nail the 2×8s to that will create the insulation pockets.
• Use 2×8s on edge nailed to the 2×4s to create a 8″ pocket. These are on 2′ centersMetal roof attaches to the 2×8s. There is not a sheathing before the metal roof. Talk to the metal roof people to get exact instructions on what they really want. It might be different from the above. They might want the 2×8s horizontal rather than vertical Window frames. Build around the window so you get a perfect fit. Then put them on the wall and mark the hole you want to cut with the chainsaw. Remember, 1/2″ on each side and use shims. Windows should be at least 2′ from a wall corner.

For chinking, get 6″ by 1″ sill seal fiberglass bat. Cut into 1″ wide strips. Lightly push into both sides of the crack. Leave an air pocket between the two pieces of fiberglass.Nail hot dipped galv. finishing nails on angle into the crack on the lower log. Bend them up towards the top log. When the logs shrink, the chinking will pull away from the top log. That makes it really easy to touch up the chinking later.

Chinking nails are every 3 inches

Mortar mixture1/2 part lime1 part portland cement3 parts masonary sandAdd water to the consistency of peanut butterCover the top of the mortar board with plastic stapled to the topPush mortar into the cracks from the mortar board with a cake spatula or putty knife

• If you want to use any stain, use the oil based type. However, Skip feels that any sort of preservative is not needed. Only for looks.
• Gabel ends are framed. You can do it with logs however that is harder.
• Gabel ends are constructed as follows (looking from the outside in.Board and batten30 lb felt
• Polystyrene insulation sheets to proper R valuevapor barrier (7 mil plastic)
• Dead air space
• Board and batten

A study at the University of Fairbanks calculated that the R value on a 12″ log is R-48. Wow!If you use logs for the gable ends, nail 2×4s on each side to guide your cut.

This should give you an idea what is involved. Are you up to the task? If so get your plan started and happy building.

In this post we will discuss the tools needed to construct your log cabin also how to create a log catalog of all your logs, seasoning the logs and five basic principals of construction.

1. Tools you will Need

• Chain sawBlock and tackle (6″ triple block)Hand winch or come-along
• Alaska saw mill
• Hammer
• Sledge hammer
• Brace and bits (if you don’t have electricity)1/2″ electric drill100′ of chain (3/8″ in 10′ lengths)600′ polypropylene rope 1/2″ diameter
• Carpenters level
• Hand level for shooting elevations (or Abney level)
• Rebar cutter
• Pick and shovel
• Post hole digger50′ tape measure
• Peavey
• Swede hook
• Carpenters square
• ScriberChisel set
• Bark spud
• Digging bar
• Log dogs
• Plumb bob
• Calipers
• Chalk line
• 30′ extension ladder
• Construction knife
• Portable generator (if no electricity avail)
• 10″ ‘C’ clamps
• Putty knife
• Mortar board
• Portable concrete mixer (nice to have but not required)
• 1000′ white string

You need to lay out all the logs first.

The best time to peel logs is just after they are cut.

As you are building the walls, measure the corners from time to time. They need to be within 1/2″ of each other.

2. Create a Log Catalog of all your Logs

• For each one, number them and put the following in your catalog:
• Log #Diameter at the large end
• Diameter at the small end
• Length
• Description (ie. very straight, lots of knots, bowed)
• Location (create racks of logs that are numbered)
• If you have a bowed log, put the bow facing out and but all bowed logs in the same wall
• After you catalog your logs, pick the ridge pole. It should be the best log you have.

3. Seasoning the logs

• Cut the logs in the fall after the sap goes down
• Skid to the site with the bark on
• Don’t skid freshly peeled logs
• Store on a couple of sacrificial logs
• Roll them 180 degrees each week for 10 weeks, then once per month thereafter for 10 months
• Seasoning racks should be in the shade
• The pier blocks need to be 18″ above the groundPier blocks are 7 feet on center
• Blocks need to be below ground deep enough to be below the frost line. Talk to local people to determine how deep that is
• Build the pier block forms from 3/4″ exterior plywood. 3′ at the bottom and 8″ at the top. For corner blocks, they need to be 8″ by 24″ so both the butt and the pass logs can rest on it. Only put rebar in the pass log.
• Use batter boards to layout the house. The batter boards need to be about 5′ from where the house will be.
• Build the batter boards out of 2×4s with one end pointed to go into the ground
• Use a hand level to sight the tops of the batter boards to level
• Line the insides of the pier block forms with plastic to help removing them when dry
• Rebar needs to go thru the pier block up to 6″ from the ground. It should not go to the ground.
• On top of the pier block you put felt and then 2×10 treated plates for the logs to sit on.
• Pour extra cement from pier blocks into 18″ square by 10″ deep forms to use for porch blocks. About 3″ of rebar sticking out the top.
• A triple gang sawmill is great for cutting lumber from logs. Usually, the guy will cut for free if you go halves on the lumber that was cut.

4. Five Basic Principals of Construction

• Level
• Plumb
• Square
• Parallel
• Same plane
• Don’t sharpen the rebar used to pin the logs. This would cause the logs to split.
• Only drill the top log when pinning. Use sledge hammer to pound into lower log
• Drive the rebar pins in 12″
• Use log dogs to hold the logs in place before drilling and pinningUse your level on the inside wall as you go up (at the corners)
• At about 5 feet, attach your level to a 2×4 for making sure the whole wall is level
• For any interior lumber (such as roof car decking and window/door frames, stain it before installing
• Rather than having a bedroom in the loft, you can have an “unfinished storage area with a ladder”.
• Make the openings you cut for the window and door frames 1/2″ wider on each side. Use shims when installing
• When the logs shrink, the centers of the logs will remain roughly in the same place and the top/bottom will draw towards the center.
• Check code for side of doors and windows.

Most people get 41′ logs because they can be hauled without a permit. That will allow them to build a 35′ house.

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In the last post I introduced you to my favorite tiny log home builder. In this post I want to show you some options to think about to build your own tiny log home. This is part 1 of 3 posts on this subject.

Below are some building associations to become familiar with.

• Log Building Associations and Organizations
• Log House Builders’ Association Of North America
• International Log Builders’ Association

The best way to learn is by doing. Here are a couple of schools that will teach you the techniques you will need to build your own cabin.

• Schools Teaching Log Building
• Great Lakes School of Log Building & Stonemasonry
• Earthwood Building School – Actually deals with cordwood construction
• Lasko School Of Log Building

Following are a few notes from Skip Ellsworth’s Log House Building Seminar. This will give you an idea of what is involved. This by no means takes place of the seminar but is a brief outline of what you need to think about when building your own tiny cabin.

There are three basic methods of log home construction:

• Saddlenotch
• Scandanavian
• Chinkless
• Butt and Pass

Water is the worst enemy of the log home – not fire.

You don’t need any preservatives if you keep the logs dry. You need large overhangs. At least 3 feet on the sides and 8 feet on the ends.

With a frame house, you add the house to the floor. With a log house, you add the floor to the house.

Plastic chinking doesn’t breath so water is trapped inside to rot the wood.

Mortar breathes.

The overdangles should be 1.5 times the diameter of the logs when finally cut off.

If you are going to build a notched house, you really need seasoned wood due to irregular shrinkage.

For butt and pass method, you can use green logs. No seasoning required.

Getting logs:

• Eliminate the middleman. Go to the loggers or owners.
• Find loggers by visiting the local tavern
• Tell the loggers you will pay cash, require no receipts, will take delivery after dark
• If needed pay them 10-15% above what the mill will pay themInsist that you want the option to pick your logs
• Generally, you will need 20% more logs that you think.
• Get the “Offical Log Scaling and Grading Rules” book by Scribner

To find out what the mills are paying, call five of them and act like you have a load of perfect logs to sell and see what they would pay.

A good rule of thumb is to look for logs with no more than 1″ of taper per 10′ of length

Following are types of logs that are acceptable for building log homes:

• Hardwoods
• Oak
• Hickory
• Ash
• Maple
• Birch
• Softwoods
• Douglas Fir
• White Fir
• Alpine Fir
• Lodgepole Pine
• White Pine
• Pondarosa Pine
• Tamarack
• Engleman Spruce

In the next section we will talk about the tools that you will need to construct your cabin. Check back soon!

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