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Log cabin kit or self build?

This is where we don't want anything but evidence of your finest wood butchering in all its glorious, and photograph laden glory. Bring your finished products or WIP's, we love them all, so long as there's pictures, and plenty of 'em!

Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby PearlJammer » 16 Oct 2015, 15:17

9fingers wrote:
PearlJammer wrote:I know Bob, I am compromising but it is too expensive for my budget to get a builder in and I can't do it myself. What's the lifespan of these kit cabins if you look after them ie treating them regularly?

Lee


Who said anything about getting builder in??? With surface only treatment I'd only expect a few years but I have no direct experience but I would never put non pressure treated softwood timber outside.

I can't really understand why these cabin kit people are not offering treated timber at least as an option.

Dan has pointed out their bearers are treated. On the point of the height, maybe you could get away with the floor lifted to get the bearers up off the concrete.

As for not building it yourself, both Dan and Terry were first time shed builders and learned as they went.

Bob


If I lay a concrete base to the exact footprint of the cabin, could I cut the bearers to size and put them inside, effectively lifting the floor, which will also leave room for insulation between concrete and floorboards.

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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby Andyp » 16 Oct 2015, 15:19

From my own experience softwood (of the type used in log cabins and sheds etc) if allowed to dry after it gets wet can last for an "acceptable" period of time. If it is kept off the ground and treated annually with a formulation that does not form a skin (the skin will prevent the wood from breathing and drying out if/when it gets wet). My personal preference is for a spirit based wood stain such as Cuprinol Shed and Fence Preserver which can be reapplied after simply brushing off dirt any dust, dirt and cobwebs. It is not overly expensive and can be slopped on with a large brush in no time. It does not come in pretty colours though, about 4 shades of brown IIRC.

I had a 14x8 shed/workshop treated this way for 15 years before I bought our old house in London and 10 years afterwards it was still rot free, 25 years is not a lifetime but how long is acceptable?
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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby PearlJammer » 16 Oct 2015, 15:25

Skinners recommend protek wood preserver then 3 coats of protek Royal exterior £50 for 5 litres and lots of colours to choose from. Anyone know if this is any good?
If this cabin lasts for 15-20 years I'll be happy

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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby PearlJammer » 16 Oct 2015, 15:30

Wizard9999 wrote:I tried to cover this off before Lee, but it may have been lost in the flurry of posts. A few questions. Do you get on well with your neighbours? Have you spoken to them a about your plans yet? If so did they raise any concerns? Are they likely to enjoy a game of pool in future?

If the neighbours have no issue with what you build, chances are nobody will every raise it with the council and nobody will know if it is 2.48 or 2.58cm off the ground. But if you do stray over 2.5m you just need to understand the risk is that a really difficult planner will make you take it down and reduce the height.

So if I were you I would work out what you would like, see exactly how high it will be as per Bob's drawing suggestion* and then start the charm offensive with the neighbours if you haven't already done so.

Terry.

* you don't need fancy software to do this I just shrink the rows and columns in Excel to 12 pixels each and use it like a sheet of graph paper to draw things out.


I do get on very well with my neighbours. It will only affect 2 really and the nearest point to both is around 2m, the neighbour the end of the garden is totally shielded by a tall hedge, theirs not mine, although I do pay to have my side kept neat.
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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby PearlJammer » 16 Oct 2015, 15:34

If I lay a readymix concrete base, how long would the drying time be approx?

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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby Rod » 16 Oct 2015, 16:14

It will be hard in a few hrs but not really dry for a few days - in fact you don't want it to dry very quickly to prevent surface cracks.
It very much depends on the weather etc.

Looking at your photos, you look to have a number of shed's already - are these remaining - if so they presumably should be added to your calcs for area coverage?

Have you spoken to your supplier about foundations?

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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby PearlJammer » 16 Oct 2015, 16:22

Rod wrote:It will be hard in a few hrs but not really dry for a few days - in fact you don't want it to dry very quickly to prevent surface cracks.
It very much depends on the weather etc.

Looking at your photos, you look to have a number of shed's already - are these remaining - if so they presumably should be added to your calcs for area coverage?

Have you spoken to your supplier about foundations?

Rod



2 small ones are going and larger one being re located

I was going to do break patio, whack myself and get readymix delivered

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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby PearlJammer » 16 Oct 2015, 16:24

[quote="Rod"]It will be hard in a few hrs but not really dry for a few days - in fact you don't want it to dry very quickly to prevent surface cracks.
It very much depends on the weather etc.

A friend of mine told me after the surface is dry but not completely set, give it a misting of water, have you heard of that technique?

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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby Dan0741 » 16 Oct 2015, 16:27

Lee,
The reason I was a bit precious about getting it right in relation to PP Bregs was a selfish one, or two. I wanted to be watertight if issues were raised later. Clearly I did the appropriate level of chatting with the neighbours to check everything with him, although as you will see from the post he was surprised when it arrived.

My rationale was that I simply couldn't afford to build it twice. However fine and dandy you think you get on with anyone, I didn't want to be vulnerable to a change in their mind and if issues were raised later no planning officer will be sympathetic to the "I ran it past neighbour a year ago and we agreed to contravene regs and now he's changed his mind" defence.

The other aspect, I think Mike G raises in part, (correct me if not) and I wanted to be very careful about is overall property value. I spent a lot of money on the house, I built the shed to last, and I did not want it to detract from the value of the house. It needs to be an asset and increase if possible bearing in mind how much you are spending.

However you proceed, understand that a liability you build in now could come to haunt you later whether that be untreated timber, not raising it off the ground with a dwarf wall, eventual overall height or proximity to boundary. So long as you are cognisant of that, all is good. :D
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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby Rob » 16 Oct 2015, 16:56

Concrete doesn't actually dry, it cures. The hardening process is a chemical reaction. It will be hard enough to walk on in about 24 hours and you only need to spray it down in really hot sunny weather if it overheats, the extra water prevents it curing too quickly and cracking. The other risk is frost, if frost is forecast overnight cover it with a tarp.
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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby Rod » 16 Oct 2015, 21:05

Complete flooding works very well but you can use a curing compound spray instead.
Yes frost damage is a real danger when the concrete is newly laid.

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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby PearlJammer » 17 Oct 2015, 16:39

Would clear penetrating epoxy sealer work on the outside of a log cabin to prolong life or are there any problems that might arise from this process?

Thanks

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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby 9fingers » 17 Oct 2015, 16:44

Noooooo! Anything that forms a skin will stop the timber breathing so any moisture that works its way in cant get out. In my opinion you want a spirit based preservative such as cuprinol onto pressure treated timber but we have told you this already.
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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby PearlJammer » 17 Oct 2015, 16:49

9fingers wrote:Noooooo! Anything that forms a skin will stop the timber breathing so any moisture that works its way in cant get out. In my opinion you want a spirit based preservative such as cuprinol onto pressure treated timber but we have told you this already.
Bob


Can't find a log cabin with PT wood

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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby 9fingers » 17 Oct 2015, 18:03

In that case get it pressure treated yourself again as I said before, large timber places should be able to do it for you.
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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby Mick » 17 Oct 2015, 19:16

I use a 4X6 log cabin, it was my wife's who worked from home then she made other arrangements so I inherited the log cabin. It's been u for 12 years. Gets retreated every few years with Cuprinol and to date seems fine.

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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby PearlJammer » 18 Oct 2015, 09:23

9fingers wrote:In that case get it pressure treated yourself again as I said before, large timber places should be able to do it for you.


Is it an expensive process, there's a lot of wood

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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby RogerS » 18 Oct 2015, 09:55

PearlJammer wrote:
9fingers wrote:In that case get it pressure treated yourself again as I said before, large timber places should be able to do it for you.


Is it an expensive process, there's a lot of wood

Lee


You're going to have to bite the bullet in that case if you want it to last.
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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby Dan0741 » 30 Nov 2015, 18:41

Lee, did you make any headway on this? :D
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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby PearlJammer » 07 Feb 2016, 10:23

I'm back trying to post, will as soon as I can sort out why I couldn't

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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby PearlJammer » 07 Feb 2016, 10:24

Hello again everyone. There was a slight delay but I now have a couple of friends doing the building and I'm doing the donkey work. Base is down and drying, we are using treated wood for frame, roof will be double skinned/tarred (no nails) inside will be insulated, plasterboarded, skimmed and decorated. Insulate floor and lay laminate. I'll post pics of the process as we go for anyone who's still interested. Oh size is 4m X 5m. Also when this is finished I will be attempting to build my own bar, a good quality one with a laminating epoxy resin top, so any pointers would be appreciated. Will post a pic as soon as I re familiarise my self with doing so.

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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby PearlJammer » 07 Feb 2016, 10:36

http://i1045.photobucket.com/

Is this coming through?

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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby Robert » 07 Feb 2016, 11:00

I don't use photobucket so can't help really but there is a thread here that might help -

http://www.thewoodhaven2.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=1280
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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby TrimTheKing » 08 Feb 2016, 14:05

Hi Lee

you have linked to the actual Photobucket site there rather them the IMG tag for your photo. You need to load the photo you want to share then copy the little IMG tag URL in the boxes next to the picture, then paste that in here.

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Re: Log cabin kit or self build?

Postby PearlJammer » 09 Feb 2016, 17:09

Thank you Trim

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