| Log Cabin Special -- Exterior-Wall Completion and Propane Tank |
From "Special Presentation"
episode BLC-S |
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As work progresses on the exterior walls, preparations are made for door and window framing as well as for installation of electrical outlet boxes, switches and wiring. It's important to consult plans and blueprints frequently during this phase to ensure that all necessary features and hardware are taken into account and provided for in the construction. Any problems or omissions will be much more difficult to fix in a solid-wood log wall than they would in an open framework of a conventional house.
To lay the groundwork for electrical wiring, a 1-1/18" bit is used to drill holes down through the logs and into the crawlspace.
Each log designated for an outlet box or a light switch is laid out on a pair of sawhorses so that it can be measured and marked for the location of each box. The carpenter first makes two outside cuts using a power say, then makes several additional cuts in the section of wood he'll be removing. With a couple of blows from his hammer, he removes most of the wood, then he cleans up the recess for the electrical box using a sharp chisel (figure A).
To allow for installation of windows, some of the logs in the third course were prenotched at the plant (figure B).
The window casings need to be supported on a flat surface, so it's necessary for the crew to use their saws to square off the supporting logs. Once the supporting surface has been prepared, each window casing is carefully put into place (figure C).
With the fourth row complete, the crew is able to pick up speed. In just a few hours' time, sections of the walls begin to rise from the floor, and the openings for the windows and doors take shape (figure D).
The crew uses any available lumber to serve as bracing to keep the freestanding sections of wall upright (figure E). At times, the bracing makes it difficult for the crew to work, but the inconvenience is temporary.
In the openings for the front door and windows, the crew nails a 2x6 in place to straighten and steady the ends of the log. Later they'll replace these 2x6s with a permanent casing.
The carpenters drive a small wedge into the notch in every corner to insure that the logs snug together at the ends (figure F). He hand cuts each wedge and repeats the process 13 times -- one for each course of logs -- in all four corners of the cabin (figure G). A snug fit at the corners is critical for weather resistance as well as structural stability.
In just one day's time the crew used up the majority of all of the logs and took us up to the tops of the windows and the doors (figure H).
On each course of logs, the crew made sure they had the weather stripping in place before the logs were positioned. The logs were secured together with each layer using 10" lag screws positioned at every three feet.
As construction of the exterior log walls continues -- laying down one course of logs at a time -- the cabin structure begins to visibly take shape. The final two courses, numbers 12 and 13, are at a height above the tops of the doors and windows. They help to structurally tie all the shorter pieces of wall together and give our cabin its strength. Care is taken to make sure that each log lines up perfectly with the one beneath it and that the weather-stripping stays positioned properly when the two log surfaces meet. Each log in the thirteenth and final course is carefully lifted into place. It takes several people to lift the longest logs into position. Making sure the weatherstripping and caulking are properly applied, the crew carefully positions each log.
Once each top log is in place, steel bolts are used to attach it to the row beneath. The next steps in the project will be completion of the log walls with the final courses of logs, and the installation of a propane tank for the heating system
Installing the Propane Tank
An above-ground propane tank was selected to supply fuel to heat the cabin in colder months. The above-ground design was chosen to avoid the necessity of digging a large hole and to minimize the risk of damaging the roots of the nearby oak trees. Some dirt is removed from the site where the tank will be installed to create a level surface and make it easier for them to level the 320-gallon tank.
>A remote-controlled crane on the delivery truck makes unloading and positioning the tank relatively easy (figure I).
By lifting just the lower end, the delivery crew can support and level the tank in just a few minutes, using solid concrete blocks as supports for the tank's feet (figure J).
The crew uses a trenching machine to cut a narrow ditch about 18" deep for the copper tubing that will run from the tank up to the cabin (figure K).
Like the crane, the trenching machine saves a great deal of time. It would take several hours to complete the same job by hand-digging a trench.
The flexible copper line comes in coils, which the crew unrolls as they work it down into the bottom of the trench (figures L and M). Since one coil of copper tubing can't reach from the cabin to the tank, the crew joins a second coil to the first using a special 1/2" flared connector.
At either end of the trench where the copper pipe emerges from the ground, the building code requires that the copper be protected with tough ADS plastic sheeting. After the copper line has been installed, the crew tests for leaks by pressurizing it with 50 pounds of air. Later, it will be inspected before it's put into use.
Filling the trench is done the old-fashioned way -- by hand and shovel. Later, grass seed will be sowed over the trench to conceal it completely. Similarly, the area in front of the tank can be dug up, mulched and planted with shrubbery to hide it from view as well.
RESOURCES :
Special Thanks for DIY Build a Log Cabin workshop
Blossman Gas
Website: www.blossmangas.com/
The Complete Guide to Building Log Homes
ISBN: 0806974869
Author: Monte Burch, Richard J. Meyer, Lloyd P. Birmingham
Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.
Website: www.sterlingpub.com
The Cabin: Inspiration for the Classic American Getaway
Model: 0879056711
Author: Dale Mulfinger, Susan E. Davis
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com
Small Log Homes: Storybook Plans and Advice
ISBN: 1586850431
Author: Robbin Obomsawin
Gibbs Smith Publishing
Website: www.gibbs-smith.com
Inside Log Homes: The Art & Spirit of Home Planning and Decor
Model: 087905963X
Author: Cindy Teipner Thiede, et al
Gibbs Smith Publishing
Website: www.gibbs-smith.com
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