Chapter 6

The Little Lodge

Constructing this cozy cabin will prove a satisfying project for your entire family.

FOR a number of years my wife, our two children and I had been making vague plans to build a cabin somewhere in the woods beside a lake, but it always seemed too expensive and too time-consuming. Then a little over a year ago we found our ideal spot just a few miles from home on a wooded slope of Bluff Point, the peninsula of Y-shaped Keuka Lake, in the Finger Lakes Region of central New York. After investigation of such factors asbuilding restrictions, availability of electricity, responsibility for road maintenance, and local sewage disposal codes, the land purchase was made and a bulldozer was hired to break a driveway through the undergrowth and level off an area for the cabin, lawn, and parking space. This was done late in the fall to allow time for the ground to settle before spring.

A number of winter evenings were spent in studying plans and in drawing our own. Then we made a cardboard model to a scale of a half-inch to a foot. After changes were made here and there, my son and I made a model of 3/16-in. plywood, including all framing details. In working out the model it was necessary to know the dimensions of furniture and fixtures such as beds, kitchen range, refrigerator, plumbing fix­tures, etc., so we cut scale miniatures of these items from pieces of pine. This may seem like a waste of time but it paid off later in preventing errors which would have been difficult to correct after the actual construction began.

Since our own vacation time is limited, we decided to build so we could rent the cabin during much of the season. We de­cided that a 20x24 ft. cabin of pine con­struction, set on concrete piers, would best fill the bill. We bought native pine and hemlock for the framing and native pine for the siding and roof boards. Most of this was still unseasoned and contained quite a bit of moisture when delivered. The flooring was matched seasoned pine. We anticipated some shrinkage in the green lumber but we piled it carefully in a num­ber of small piles so the sun could get at it, with spacers between the layers to pro­mote air circulation. Two months of this removed enough moisture so that it was not a problem. The saving of about 30 per cent in lumber cost was great enough to make the use of native-grown material worthwhile from a financial angle.

Local sanitation codes require that the sewage disposal bed be at least 75 ft. from the high water mark of the lake, so this was a consideration in deciding on the exact location of the lodge. After decid­ing this, we laid out the cabin foundation. We measured the diagonals to be sure they were equal, then set stakes to locate thepiers. The outside piers were set to the inside of the line so their outer edges would come just inside the surface of the siding of the completed building.

Holes were dug a little over 30 in. deep in order to get below the frostline, an im­portant consideration in our northern cli­mate. They were made about 18 in. square, undercutting slightly near the bottom to give a broad base. The bottom was leveled and tamped firm before pouring the con­crete. A mixture of one part of cement to five of clean bank-run gravel proved sat­isfactory.

To save concrete we used some clean stones in the middle of each column. Ce­ment blocks were set in the fresh concrete and the openings were filled. Then, ½x8-in. machine bolts were set in the inner sections of the corner blocks, extend­ing about 2½in. above the surface to anchor the sill. Care had to be taken to sec that the top of each pier was exactly the same height as the others. After the first one was completed we borrowed a surveyor's level and. with one sighting over it. another drove stakes to the correct height for each pier. In the absence of a surveyor's level, a straight 2x4, at least 12 ft. long, and a carpenter's level could have been used. We put in the corner piers first so we could stretch a string over the tops to assure correct height for the others.

Son Bill spikes the floor joists in place. Four spikes in each end support the joists. Note how a machine bolt in concrete pier anchors the sill.	Partly finished front framing is erected and held upright by boards nailed diagonally to sides while the  back  framing is being  laid out on the  floor.

Before starting the carpentry work we dug into the portion which would be under the cottage to make the trenches for the soil pipe and plastic water pipe.

The sill and floor joists are rough-sawed 2x8s. The sill is double all the way around, the two planks being securely spiked to­gether with the joints staggered. A piece of 1½x1½ in. square stock is nailed at the lower edge on the insides of the headers and on each side of the center girder. Floor joists are notched 1½ in. to fit over these. If we had used 2xl0s around the outside, the notching would have been unnecessary. Joists are also 2x8-in. stock, just as it comes from the saw. There's no need for planing here, for it is better to leave the full dimensions for strength and is less ex­pensive.

The floor joists were secured by toe-nailing four nails at each end, two on each side. Sixteen joists were used in the 12-ft. span, making a spacing of just under 17 in. between centers. In the eight-foot span, fifteen joists were used, increasing the spacing by an inch or so. The flooring came in random lengths, which we later found had an advantage, as pieces that were not quite long enough to use efficiently in one place could often be used with little or no waste in the other.

Side and partial rear view of framing with the rafters in place. Permanent diagonal braces are installed. Rafters are   tapered   at   ends.   See   drawing. Batten strips are nailed over the cracks between sidinq boards. After building was varnished, additional nails   were   driven   to   tighten   them. Only the outer windows need to be screened as the center windows are permanently installed. Window sill was    notched    to    fit    around    studs.

Scale model of lodge was built to a scale of a hall-inch to a loot to provide an accurate visual  check  on  the   over-all   layout   of  rooms, etc.	View from driveway shows how cabin is located about 10 feet above lake level and 30 feet from shore. Septic   tank   is   located   at   back   of   lodge.

We first put in one joist adjacent to each coiner, then trued up the sill again and anchored the whole structure to the piers with scraps of 2x8, each cut to fit between the sill and first floor joist, and bored for the one half-inch anchor bolt.

We used one-inch matched pine flooring, laying it lengthwise and nailing it at the edge on each joist. Because we were afraid of trouble from expansion in case the floor got wet, we kept it covered with Sisalkraft waterproof paper until it had the protection of a roof overhead. We raised the edges by laying a flooring board under each seam, thus preventing water from flowing under and covered it with more boards so the wind couldn't blow it off. The paper wasn't always convenient when we were working but it did keep the floor dry.

The completed floor made a nice surface on which to work while assembling the front, back, and center partitions. We made the front one first, laying it flat on the floor. Then three of us stood it up while the fourth spiked it in place and nailed scrap boards diagonally on the ends to hold it rigidly in place.

After erecting both the front and back frames, a line was drawn taut over the upper edges from one to the other and from this we determined the exact over-all height of the central partition. We checked this at both ends and, happily, did not find any variation. Then the center partition was put together on the floor, erected and nailed in place and secured at the ends with diagonals. This partition sets directly over the girder.

The rafters were then cut and put in place, spacing them 24 in. on center. We decided to taper the ends to improve the appearance of the finished job. This is a job for a portable electric hand saw. In fact, this was an important tool for much of the construction job and saved many hours of laborious hand sawing. The outside pairs of rafters were put up first and were spliced to make a flush surface. All others lap by each other about two feet and were spiked together with two spikes in each pair. Be­cause of the slight pitch, the rafters rest only on the back corner of each plate, which provides little bearing and nailing surface. We decided to notch the plates about a half-inch deep with a wood chisel and mallet at each point of contact, giving the rafters a good seat.

The thirteen 2x6-in. sixteen foot rafters were used on the front with a three-foot overhang. The back rafters are 2x6-in.. ten feet long, with a 12-in. overhang at the back edge.

We saved quite a bit of expense on the roof boards by having the material planed only on one side. The roof boards were un­matched and were laid smooth side down. They extend 11 in. beyond the siding at the ends. Then a 1x4 trim strip was added on the sides and ends to give a finished ap­pearance to the completed structure.

Rather than take chances with roll roof­ing on a surface with so little pitch, we decided to employ the services of a roofing concern and have a built-up roof. This cost $125 but we felt that it would last for a number of years with little or no attention.

Much of the lxl0-in. siding was not put on until after the roof was finished, al­though some boards which had not dried out were nailed loosely in place to facilitate the   curing   process. 

View from doorway shows corner of serving bar. bedroom entrance, wood-burning heater. Far wall was   left   blank   for   erection   of   fireplace   later.	The L-shaped lunch bar has plenty of storage space beneath it and divides the work area from the living  room. Bathroom is next to refrigerator.

Also, part of  the framing on the entrance end was not com­pleted until after the roof was laid. The 2x4-in. shoe (or sole plate) was first nailed to the floor, then the studs were cut to set on this and notched to fit against the inside face of the rafter at the upper end. Framing dimensions for the ends are shown in the drawing.

The unmatched siding was fitted tightly together and nailed with coated nails, keeping them within the area that was to be covered with the batten strips to pre­vent rust stains. The siding was nailed at top and bottom and on the cross-framing (or girts) between the studs. The ½x2-in. batten strips were put over the cracks, nailing in the crack between the boards with nails long enough to penetrate well into the framing. Using this precaution, any additional shrinkage in the siding will not crack the strips nor pull the nails loose. After all shrinkage had taken place and the building was varnished, additional nails were driven as needed to draw the battens down tight to the siding.

At the front and back, the siding was sawed for a tight fit around the rafters. The bathroom and two bedroom win­dows, purchased from a house-wrecking concern, are the separate sashes of upright double-sash windows which we beveled on one edge and laid horizontally to slide on the window sill. Obtained at $1.50 per sash, this was an inexpensive and simple way to solve the lighting and ventilation problem. Screens were made to set in the trim around the outside. The window sashes and screen frames were given two coats of marine blue enamel for a nice contrast with the mellowing pine of the cottage.

The kitchen window is mounted to slide upward but could just as easily be hinged at the top and tilted, using adjustable arms attached to the side to hold the window at any desired angle.

The large front window is made in four sections which are divided by the framing studs. The two wider center sections are fixed, while the two outer ones were hinged at the side to swing in against the wall. Be­cause of this it is necessary to put the curtains on hangers which can also be swung in the same direction. Some 1x2-in. strips were used as window stops on the outside.

All of the windows have a 2x6-in. sill under them, set at a pitch of about 15° so rain cannot beat in under the sashes. They are framed at the sides and top with 1x4-in. stock, nailed to the siding.

We used lxlO-in. pine siding for the inside partitions, too, but here we covered the cracks with ½xl-in. battens for a neater appearance.
In order to waste as little space as possi­ble the 2x4 framing pieces between the bedrooms, bedroom and bath, and bath and kitchen were stood on edge rather than laid flat, thus adding two inches to each room. A solid door made from leftover flooring was used on the bathroom, but for the sake of simplicity we used drapes across the bedroom doorways, suspended from rods at the top.

The L-shaped serving bar separates the work area from the living room, provides storage space for dishes, silver, and kitchen utensils, and reduces steps to a minimum in serving meals. While a plastic covering for the top would be nicest and most durable, we settled for a strip off the end of the linoleum we had bought for floor covering, binding the edge with chrome molding.

Rather  than  take  a  chance  with  roll  roofing,  we  had a roofing  company put on  a built-up roof with layers   of   roofing   fell  and   tar.   Some  of  the  siding   boards,   still   too   green.   were  hung   up   to   season.

The outside of the bar was covered with siding material, this being a good place to use up some of the scraps left from the earlier work. The kitchen side is covered with slid­ing cloth curtains to improve appearance and keep dust from the shelves.

At about this stage the feminine members of the construction crew were ready to turn their attention to wood finishing, so we rented a power sander and edger to use on the floor and they went to work with their varnish brushes. One coat of sealer and two of spar varnish were applied. We left the outside and inside walls alone for several months until we were sure the wood had seasoned properly, then applied sealer to inside walls and two coats of Valoil to the outside.

By this time the pine had weath­ered sufficiently and taken on a nice rich golden tone so it did not need any stain to darken and bring out the grain. The plumbing turned out to be a less difficult job than we had anticipated, thanks to the modern miracle of plastic pipe. The septic tank was installed just back of the  bathroom,  making   necessary  only  a short run of soil pipe. Four-inch field tile leads from the tank about forty feet across the back lawn to a dry well. Ordinarily, this might not be enough but we were very fortunate in having a very loose, well-drained gravelly soil.

Because we wanted to be able to use an electric hand saw during construction, we had a temporary electrical installation made by the power company on a pole which we had set near the foundation of the cottage. Before doing this, we obtained advice from the company as to the location of the pole and the exact specifications as to wire size, meter box. enclosed switch and fuse box. ground rod, etc. Having met the requirements for all this, it was a sim­ple matter for an electrician to change over to the cottage wiring after that job had been completed and inspected. Since we were installing an electric range, we used a three-wire installation of 230 volts.

It was a challenging and satisfying family project just to construct it and it's in the woods, beside a beautiful lake—just the place we always wanted.

A   close-up   of  the   serving  bar  shows   how   open shelves  can be attractively covered with drapes. BILL OF MATERIALS Outside view of sliding window shows sound con­struction. Window slides into wall on waxed track. Drapes hung across the bedroom doorways insure privacy and add to the attractiveness of the room.

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