Framing--the Backbone of your Log Cabin

Written by Jack Hudson


Framing--the Backbone of your Log Cabin

Framing isrepparttar structural skeleton of your house. The drawing atrepparttar 100430 top indicatesrepparttar 100431 important framing members of any ofrepparttar 100432 cottages. The most important elements arerepparttar 100433 sill, header, joists, girders, sole, flooring, studs, plate, and rafters. Let's take a look at these parts.

Except inrepparttar 100434 case of concrete slab construction,repparttar 100435 sill isrepparttar 100436 first wood member to rest onrepparttar 100437 foundations and will berepparttar 100438 first wood member you will put down. The sill is usually a 2-by-4-inch piece. In pier construction you will note that I have occasionally used a 2-by-6-inch member. This is becauserepparttar 100439 header is made up of two pieces 2 inches thick, instead of one, as shown inrepparttar 100440 illustration.

Sills form a bearing surface forrepparttar 100441 undersides of joists. They should be bolted torepparttar 100442 slab or wall foundations. If you are using pier foundations, it is important that you first put downrepparttar 100443 sill aroundrepparttar 100444 building, then spikerepparttar 100445 inner header torepparttar 100446 sill fromrepparttar 100447 underside. After this is done, lay outrepparttar 100448 joists and securely spikerepparttar 100449 inner header to them.

Atrepparttar 100450 corners, stagger these two parts. Then spikerepparttar 100451 outer header torepparttar 100452 inner one, overlapping atrepparttar 100453 staggered corner edge. What you have done is to build a girder with a resting place forrepparttar 100454 joists.

Headers, except as noted above, are usually 2 inches thick andrepparttar 100455 same width asrepparttar 100456 joists. They run aroundrepparttar 100457 outside perimeter ofrepparttar 100458 building and help keeprepparttar 100459 joists in a vertical position. They also help to transmitrepparttar 100460 roof and wall loads torepparttar 100461 foundation.

The notched joist arrangement is used when no sill is provided. The blocking provides a bearing spot forrepparttar 100462 joists. If you use pier foundations, be sure to followrepparttar 100463 sectional drawings for each cottage, because this header may actually be a girder aroundrepparttar 100464 outside ofrepparttar 100465 building.

Supplying Water to your Cabin with a Driven Well

Written by Jack Hudson


Perhapsrepparttar cheapest type of well to construct is a driven well. However, its use is limited to locations whererepparttar 100429 ground is free from layers of heavy rock. Such a well consists of a well point, drive pipe, and connecting couplings. The well point is a length of steel pipe that is perforated; it has a screen for strainingrepparttar 100430 water and a conical tip which is used to piercerepparttar 100431 soil. The tip should be at least 2 inches in diameter.

There are two different types of point. The regular point is used in sandy soils. The washer well point is used in gravel. This type has drilled and countersunk holes fitted with brass wire gauze. Drive pipe usually comes in 5-foot lengths. It should be galvanized so that it won't rust and should have externally threaded ends to receiverepparttar 100432 couplings as sections are added.

To start work on a well of this type, spade out a shallow hole inrepparttar 100433 ground. Next, you will want to make a drive assembly unit. This assembly consists of a nipple, coupling, and a malleable iron drive cap. Apply pipe joint compound torepparttar 100434 outer threads atrepparttar 100435 top ofrepparttar 100436 well point and screw onrepparttar 100437 drive assembly.

Tightenrepparttar 100438 whole business with a pipe wrench. You are now ready to start drivingrepparttar 100439 point intorepparttar 100440 earth. When you have drivenrepparttar 100441 first length about three-quarters of its length intorepparttar 100442 ground, removerepparttar 100443 drive cap and nipple. Leaverepparttar 100444 coupling attached so that you can add a length of pipe. Apply joint compound torepparttar 100445 threads again and connectrepparttar 100446 pipe length torepparttar 100447 well point.

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