BUILDING THE LOG CABIN

Mention of a “cabin in the woods” brings a vision to the average man of one thing—alogcabin. And, although few people will ever build a real log cabin, most of us have inherited from our pioneer ancestors a romantic attachment to the sturdily constructed homes of our early settlers. The pioneers built of logs primarily because they had no other materials and also because they needed a shelter that would be a protection against Indians, wild animals and rough weather.

But just because a cabin is built of rough logs instead of finished lumber doesn’t mean that it will be less expensive in this day and age. According to such experts as C. D. Aldrich, who designs some of the finest cabins in the country, a log cabin costs about twice as much as a frame cottage of comparable size and design. A one-room-and-porch cabin that can be built of lumber for about $500 would cost roughly $1,000 if well built of logs.

There are two styles of log cabin construction—the traditional kind with the logs laid horizontally and the stockade type in which the logs or half logs are placed upright. The latter is easier to build since skilled axe work is not required to notch the log ends and the principal task is to hew down the sides to make them fit closely. On the other hand, a cabin built with horizontal logs is the favorite with most people—probably because it is the most familiar.

Logs for a stockade style cabin need not be particularly heavy since they are to be spiked to the horizontal members of a timber frame, but care should be taken to obtain pieces as straight as possible to avoid waste. Second growth timber is most frequently used. Chinks between the timbers are caulked with oakum, or, if the fit is very loose, combine oakum with willow wands or narrow battens. However, most people building a recreational home of logs will want the horizontal type of construction, so this chapter will be devoted to that subject.

One of the first things to decide after the rough plans are drawn and the list of materials estimated is whether the cabin is to be of peeled logs or logs with the bark left on. Logs that are to keep their bark must be cut in late October or November and stacked on skids until spring. Be sure they are piled so that plenty of air circulates. Logs to be peeled should also be cut in fall or winter and seasoned—preferably for six months or more. To prevent cracks when they begin to weather, have the logs scored down one side—a two or three inch strip of bark removed the entire length. Then if the logs crack a bit, they will do so along the scored lines and they can be laid so the cracks won’t show in the finished building.

The size of your cabin, or rather the dimensions of the various walls, is not necessarily limited by the length of the logs, because they can be spliced. (SeeFig. 7for the best method of splicing.) If you are counting on leaving a projection at each end beyond the wall, then you can figure that logs 20 feet long will give you a room with inside walls about 16 feet long. Logs between 20 and 30 feet long are most satisfactory unless you have a large crew to help. They should average about 10 inches at the top end with as little taper as possible. If you get smaller logs, it will require too many to gain the needed height, and logs much larger than that are unwieldy to handle.

Fig. 7. How to splice logs.

The best timber for a log cabin on the Pacific Coast is redwood or western cedar. Balsam, hemlock, pine, and, if you are lucky, tamarack also make good logs. The latter are especially fine. You may buy your logs from a lumber company, from a public utility company’s supply of power-line poles, or you can hire a good woodsman to cut them for you—if you can find the timber. Certain sections of the NationalForests are available for cutting logs and stumpage charge is very nominal.

There are several possible methods of fitting logs together. The choice depends entirely on how much time and labor you care to devote to it, but once a style has been adopted carry it throughout the whole house. Use similar logs or poles instead of dressed lumber wherever possible. They’re more “woodsy.” Speaking of style, all log ends that project should be finished off with an axe, not sawed.

After the sill logs are laid on the leveled boulder foundation, or in the case of a concrete or stone wall underpinning bolted to the foundation, the next step is to lay the floor joists. They should be not less than 2×6 material, spaced not over two feet on center. Notch them into the sill log and the first log above as shown inFig. 8and spike them in.

You are now ready to start erection of the walls. Make frequent and careful use of the plumb line and spirit level in this work. Without constant checking the walls have a way of going off at odd tangents.

The simplest and least difficult style of fitting logs is the “saddle and notch,” in which the logs are given a rough notch and laid together without special fitting or trimming. The spaces are later caulked with oakum. While this is the simplest method, it is the poorest from the standpoint of weather tightness.

Four methods of notching logs.

Another and better method is the same as above except that the notches are so carefully cut that the logs fit closely and must be hewn down along two sides to provide neatly joined surfaces. This also will require some caulking but not as much. It is customary to lay a strip of oakum between all logs, regardless of the style of fitting.

A third method is to use “cupped” logs. The same saddle and notch is used at the corners, but the upper log has a concaved channel cut its entire length, which makes it fit down snugly over the lower log. The cup may be cut with curved-blade adz or with a heavy gouge. This is more work but well worth it. Cut each cup to fit its individual lower log, marking the cup with a pair of dividers to insure a close fit. When you have a perfect cup (which means rolling the log into position several times to try its fit) lay a layer of heavy oakum along the lower log, roll the upper into its final position and spike it down.

The finest method of all is a further refinement of the cupped log style. The upper log is cupped as above but, instead of a simple notch at the end, the upper log is cut out exactly to fit down over the lower tightly, while the lower is not notched at all. Oakum is strung the same as for other methods and laid in at the corners. In the best work of this type no oakum should show. Although the pioneers put their cabins together without nails, they did so because they had no nails to use. To be safe, spike all logs together with 12-inch spikes—the largest size made.

Before you get the walls too high, give a thought to windows and doors. There are two ways of taking care of them. The extravagant way, much used by our forefathers, was to build with logs to the top line of the proposed opening and then cut out a hole the required size. An easier—andless wasteful—way, if you are doing your own work, is to use short logs, leaving a more or less rectangular opening. Then nail a couple of straight boards where your frames should come and saw off the rough projecting log ends as illustrated above.

PLANKS NAILED AS GUIDE FOR CUTTING

Incidentally, in planning your house remember to take into consideration that a log cabin’s interior absorbs a great deal of the light unless—God forbid—you intend to whitewash the walls. Therefore, plan for as many windows as your walls will allow without unduly weakening them or disrupting your interior plans.

Use timber at least two inches thick for window and door frames and wide enough to protrude slightly on the outside of the log wall. The bottom piece—or sill—of the window frames should have a pitch of about one inch to the outside and project two inches to allow for drainage of rainwater. Don’t try to build your own windows. Order them to size from a mill and set them in.

The pitch of the roof and the width of the eaves are largely matters of personal taste and the kind of cabin you are building. A low pitched or flat roof, however, must be thoroughly braced if it is to bear a heavy load of snow, and the additional materials may cost more than a steeply pitched roof. The most effective roof for many cabins is low pitched with wide eaves—not too wide, of course, but wider than you’d have on a city house. Build the gable ends to the height you finally decide on; then trim down the rough ends along a line marked to the pitch of the roof.

If you have been wise, you have a long, straight log of unquestioned strength saved for your ridge pole. This should rest in notches at the very peak of the gables, and since it forms the keystone of your house, be sure it is solid and well bedded in oakum. The auxiliary roof supports, called purlins, run parallel to the ridge log and should be set by notching out the gable log where the purlin end rests. Cope the log above it so that the two gable logs grip the purlin firmly. These purlins ought to project eight or ten inches beyond the roof itself to allow for axe-trimmed ends. (Fig. 9.)

Rafters are the next problem. Choose smaller timbers, yet ones that are well proportioned to the purlins. For the average cabin, logs with four-inch butts are about right. They should be spaced not more than two feet on the centers. Saw a square cut into the plate log—the top logs of your walls—then square a place on your rafter to fit into this cut. Drive it well home. (Fig. 9.)

Fig. 8

Each rafter should be cut in slightly to the purlins and spiked tightly to each purlin and to the ridge log. When setting in any of these pieces don’t forget to bed them well with oakum to make sure that they are weather tight.Dressed siding is good material for the roof. On this nail the roofing you have selected.

The type of roofing used depends on how much you want to spend. Composition roofing is fire resistant and will last quite well, but it is not particularly attractive on a log cabin. Shingles laid in the customary way with the butt ends exposed for about one-third of the length make a good roof. Shakes probably make the most interesting as well as durable roofs for a cabin, although they are more expensive. Shakes come in various sizes and add a final distinctive touch to a house.

If you expect to use your cabin in very cold weather, a double roof would be the wise provision. After laying your sheathing, cover it with a layer of building paper or other insulating material. Then nail on a series of 2×2 timber strips parallel to the rafters beneath. Across these strips lay another layer of sheathing and then the shingles or shakes. This forms a dead air space that is effective in insulating the house against cold.

If you are going to keep the pioneer atmosphere in your log cabin, don’t spoil it by buying millwork doors. Good, honest plank doors—made of any dressed timber, with cross pieces firmly nailed and clinched—are more in the spirit of things. A little ingenuity will go a long way toward making a beautiful door out of humble materials. Have some country blacksmith make a set of strap hinges and an old fashioned latch. You’ll be well pleased with the effect. A good, strong snap lock is a necessity to keep out intruders in your absence, of course.

If you want a good floor with a cabin “look” to it, get a supply of planks in widths varying from 6 to 12 inches—and have them tongue-and-grooved at the mill. Instead of nailing them, bore ¾-inch holes half way through and fasten them down with screws. Into each hole drive a hardwood plug, gluing it for tightness; then cut it off and smooth it down flush with the floor with sandpaper. This gives the effect of a “pinned” floor, which was very popular with the pioneer cabin builders.

Tongue-and-grooved flooring in narrow widths should be “blind-nailed”—the nails driven in at a slant from the sides and set with a punch, but for wide planks it is perfectly all right, if you wish, to nail through the boards and let the heads show.

Log cabins, particularly those where the bark is left on, fall heir to many evils in the form of borers and beetles that make their homes in the bark. Winter-cut logs are less likely to have borers than others, and if they are to be peeled, peeling should be done in the spring before the first flight of the beetles. Cedar and redwood are almost entirely free from borers. Peeled logs are not likely to attract boring pests, but they may be the home of larvae previously laid there.

If you do not care if your logs are stained, they may be painted with a solution of liquid oil coal-tar creosote. This stains the bark a dark brown, if used straight, but diluted with three parts kerosene it stains only slightly. The odor is rather unpleasant, but if the treating is done several months before the logs are used, it will wear off.

Pyridine, a colorless liquid, is one of the best pest killers. It also has a strong, unpleasant odor. It should be applied on a windy day and in the open air. It burns the skin slightly, so be careful. Also, it is highly inflammable.

Paradichlorobenzene is a very effective control but is not permanent in effect. It will, however, rid your logs of existing pests by slowly liberating a gas which kills the insects. Dissolve three parts, by weight, in a gallon of kerosene and apply either with a spray gun or a brush. Small logs may be dipped in a trough filled with the solution. Two gallons will saturate about 100 square feet of wood surface.

For logs that are to retain their bark, it is also well to paint all cut places and knots with crude creosote soon after cutting and again before use.

Fig. 9. Gable end showing ridge pole and purlins with rafters notched over them.

BUILDING A CABIN OF STONE

Next to a log cabin one of the most effective in appearance is one built of stone—rough field stones and boulders that can be picked up on the shore of any lake or stream. Naturally, such a house is a pretty big task for an amateur builder—not that it requires much more technical knowledge but because stones have a way of getting pretty heavy when they have to be lifted 8 or 10 feet off the ground. However, the result is well worth the effort.

If you are ambitious enough to want to build a stone cabin, here are some simple directions about how to do it. They are the result of actual experience but, of course, cannot be taken as a practical course in masonry.

The first step is like the old recipe for rabbit stew—you get some rocks and a load or two of aggregate, clean sand and numerous sacks of cement. (Tell the cement dealer what you plan to do and he’ll advise how much of each you’ll need.) You’ll also need a quantity of rough lumber, 2×4’s, 1×6’s, and such, for the framework and a more or less water-tight mortar boat in which to mix your mortar.

A cabin of stone requires a full concrete or rock foundation. The walls will be extra heavy, so the footings as well as the foundation walls should be proportionately wider and thicker than those described for log and frame cabins.

FOUNDATION

After the foundation is poured, erect a frame for your house to the height of your roof plate on the inner side of the foundation walls, putting rough boarding on the outside of 2×4 studs. This will give you something to work against to insure plumb walls.

Stone walls should be at least one and one-half feet thick at the bottom (remember this in building the foundation) and taper to eight inches or so at the top. The larger rocks, of course, should be used lower down, although, if the work is carefully done, an occasional large one may be set in higher up to lend effect.

Start the first course of stones about three inches from the board form and fill in the space between with mortar. The correct mixture for this mortar is six parts of clean sand to one part of cement. After a little experimentation you will find the correct consistency, but be sure that it is well mixed. As one expert says, “Mix the stuff with your hoe until your back is broken and then mix it some more.” Wet the stones thoroughly before setting in the mortar.

The end of each stone should be firmly bedded in the mortar, and as soon as several courses of rock have been laid, tamp the mortar well down. Small pieces of rock may be pushed into the mortar if you wish to make it go farther.

When you build your wooden form, of course you put up the door and window frames. They can’t be cut out of the walls afterward as with a log cabin. Drive numerous long spikes into the outer surfaces of these frames. This gives you something to “tie” to when you reach that height with your masonry.

Building a stone house is slow work, and since you’ll have to leave your work at times, remember that all mortar that has been laid the day before must be thoroughly wet before fresh mortal is applied on top of it. And the entire walls ought to be wet down at least twice daily for a week or more after completion.

When you have reached the top course of stones, set in a row of threaded iron bolts two feet apart and long enough to allow three inches of the threaded end to stick up. On these you must bolt 2×4’s, so that you have something to nail the rafters to.

Window and door frames are set into the masonry as it proceeds, with long spikes protruding to “tie” them firmly.

When the walls have set, remove the interior wooden forms and go over the inside walls to fill up any air holes. These are not important unless they are too large. The rest of the job is done just as in finishing any other house. You’ll probably want to cover the interior with some material, because concrete is pretty cold and might remind someone of the time he was arrested for speeding.

The cost of a stone house depends on the amount of material you can find lying around the neighborhood and the cost of labor. Some stone cabins, with most of the labor hired, have been built for approximately $2.50 per square foot of floor space. This includes labor, materials, built-ins, electrical wiring and fixtures, and plastered walls. If you find it necessary to hire skilled stone masons or to transport your material considerable distance, the cost will be higher. You can, of course, lower it by doing a larger amount of the work yourself.

Remember that stone work is slow work, so allow yourself plenty of time. The first course or so of stone will drop into place pretty fast, but don’t forget that Rome was not built in a day—and Rome was built of stone.

For making colored concrete, for floors, hearths, etc., a topping containing the color is put on over the previously-poured base. This topping consists offive gallonsof water per sack of cement,onecubic foot of sand and 1½ cubic feet of coarse aggregate. You may use factory-colored cement, or mix it on the job by passing the dry cement and coloring matter through a screen with a ⅛-inch mesh until well mixed.

An excellent treatment for colored concrete is to rub the surface thoroughly with equal parts of paraffin oil and benzine. This closes the pores and brings out the color uniformly.

In considering such permanent types of construction as stone, the great advantage of concrete should not be overlooked. Walls of this material are poured between wood, plywood or metal forms in the manner previously described for foundation walls.

Perhaps you object because the finished structure would not be “in keeping” with a woods atmosphere. But one method is possible whereby a facing of natural stone backed by poured concrete combines the advantages of concrete with a stone house “look.” This is called a Flagg Masonry Wall after its originator, Ernest Flagg, New York architect. The illustration shows the method of pouring such a wall.

For a beach house the smooth, modern lines of the concrete walls are quite appropriate for the clean, clear atmosphere of a beach site.

Concrete is fireproof, termite proof, requires little or no maintenance, and is not subject to decay. In a house that is often not in use, like a beach or mountain retreat, the value of a material of these characteristics is obvious.

This is a detailed plan of the Flagg masonry wall, showing forms, concrete fill and outer covering of stonework.

FRAME CABINS AND BEACH HOUSES

Frame-type cabins present no structural problems that are unfamiliar to anyone who knows the fundamentals of ordinary frame house construction. The essential details of building almost any sort of simple frame house are the same, the main difference being in your choice of exterior finish.

If your vacation home is a beach house, you may even find the regular type of stucco finish appropriate for your particular location. Or you may want to combine stucco finish with wood siding or with board and batten. The main objective is to keep the structure in harmony with its surroundings.

This is particularly true of simple cabins in the mountains. A brick bungalow, for example, would be splendid for warmth and strength for a hunting lodge, but it would be wholly out of place in the forest, as would ordinary concrete finish, stucco, or certain types of frame houses.

There are a number of western lumber companies that specialize in manufacturing novel types of siding designed primarily for cabins and other buildings with a forest background. Some of these cost only a little more than ordinary lumber and make a very attractive cabin.

Among the novelty sidings, you may buy rounded siding that gives the effect of smoothly finished half-logs, or “hewn” timbers that look exactly like hand-hewn logs. You can even get special end pieces which, when carefully attached, give the effect of projecting log ends. As you can see from the illustrations, this novelty siding can be applied by anyone who knows how to use a set of carpenter’s tools.

This is the proper way to apply half-round siding to the studs. The log ends add a very realistic touch.

If you are planning to build a frame cottage or summer home, the field of design is, of course, limited largely by the amount of money you have to spend. If you are not an old hand at carpentering it would be well to get the assistance of a builder or a lumber company in selecting your materials. A man with a knowledge of building can keep you from making mistakes that might not be discovered until the house was built.

One of the easiest and most effective cabins is built with a “board and batten” exterior. This consists of broad planks ... their width is a matter of your own judgment ... applied either horizontally or vertically. Between each pair of planks runs a strip of batten which may be nailed flat over the seam or, if you get the specially milled battens, there is a groove into which the wide boards fit. A combination of board and batten and stone construction makes an exceptionally attractive exterior if you use some artistic judgment in combining the two.

This is the effect obtained by use of hewn siding. It is applied like any other lumber, with extra end pieces to give illusion of a real log cabin.

If you are planning to use the house in the cold months, it is well to insulate the walls at least with heavy building paper. In very cold climates it is best to finish the walls on both the exterior and the interior, filling the spaces between the studs with one of the commercial insulating “wools,” made of wood fibre or asbestos. If you must save money, you can buy sawdust at the local mill and pack it in.

Hand-split shakes also make an attractive cabin finish. The rough pioneer effect of the crude shakes is quite in keeping with the wilderness atmosphere. These are applied in much the same manner as ordinary shingles.

Shakes, either hand-split or sawed, should be laid in a definite pattern.

Here is an example of charming effect obtained by using horizontal and vertical board and batten, combined with stone.

Any of the methods shown here is a satisfactory way to fit the corners when imitation log siding is used.

If you undertake the construction of a frame cabin without the assistance of an experienced carpenter or builder, you should keep in mind the minimum requirements set up by the Forest Service as standard specifications for cabins to be built in deep snow country:

All girders should be not less than 4×4 material spaced not more than 7 feet on centers.All main posts supporting building should be not less than 4×4, spaced not more than 7 feet apart in any direction and should rest on rock or concrete base; this applies to open porches also.All floor joists (including those under open porches) should be not less than 2×6 material, spaced not over 2 feet on center.Studding in sidewalls, where siding runs vertically, should be spaced not more than 6 feet on center and should be not less than 2×4 material. At least one 2×4 should be placed around the building, horizontally, between the floor plate and ceiling plate, and the side boards should be securely nailed to this horizontal ribbon as well as the top and bottom plates.On buildings where siding runs horizontally, studding should be placed not over 2 feet on center on outside walls and be not less than 2×4 material.Double headers and proper bridging should be installed over all openings in outside walls. This is not necessary in partitions.Rafters should be spaced not more than 2 feet on center and should be not less than 2×4 material on all spans up to 16 feet. All spans of more than 16 feet should use rafters of not less than 2×6 material and be spaced not more than 2 feet on center. Rafters and other members of the roof frame should be of selected, straight-grain lumber.All ceiling joists should be good, straight-grained sticks not less than 2×4 material and spaced not more than 2 feet on center. Nail them securely to both rafters and plate. All buildings with a gable roof should contain ceiling joists. All spans of more than 14 feet should have collar beams to support the rafters.

All girders should be not less than 4×4 material spaced not more than 7 feet on centers.

All main posts supporting building should be not less than 4×4, spaced not more than 7 feet apart in any direction and should rest on rock or concrete base; this applies to open porches also.

All floor joists (including those under open porches) should be not less than 2×6 material, spaced not over 2 feet on center.

Studding in sidewalls, where siding runs vertically, should be spaced not more than 6 feet on center and should be not less than 2×4 material. At least one 2×4 should be placed around the building, horizontally, between the floor plate and ceiling plate, and the side boards should be securely nailed to this horizontal ribbon as well as the top and bottom plates.

On buildings where siding runs horizontally, studding should be placed not over 2 feet on center on outside walls and be not less than 2×4 material.

Double headers and proper bridging should be installed over all openings in outside walls. This is not necessary in partitions.

Rafters should be spaced not more than 2 feet on center and should be not less than 2×4 material on all spans up to 16 feet. All spans of more than 16 feet should use rafters of not less than 2×6 material and be spaced not more than 2 feet on center. Rafters and other members of the roof frame should be of selected, straight-grain lumber.

All ceiling joists should be good, straight-grained sticks not less than 2×4 material and spaced not more than 2 feet on center. Nail them securely to both rafters and plate. All buildings with a gable roof should contain ceiling joists. All spans of more than 14 feet should have collar beams to support the rafters.

Elevation

Floor plan

The ideal mountain cabin should be almost a part of the rugged landscape that surrounds it, with rough walls and stout roof that seem to hug the rocks. The very majesty and sweep of the hills dwarf any attempt by man to build himself a tall, imposing mountain home—it is better to build for simplicity and strength.

In this “cabin in the clouds,” resembling some of the mountaineers’ huts in the Alps, every effort has been made to keep the atmosphere as rustic and as rugged as possible, at the same time providing all the conveniences of a comfortable modern home.

The walls, the designer says, should be of stone, 16 inches thick. The roof should be of redwood shakes or slates, but remember that any roofing must stand storms and very high winds in the mountains. The railing of the car shelter is of stone, also, with roof supports of heavy hewn redwood timbers.

The living room centers around the massive fireplace, which should be of rough stone. It is flanked on one side by a built-in seat, and a wood box on the other, with an outside door. Walls should be finished in rough plaster or wood panelling, with ceiling beams exposed. All floors are of wood except the terrace, which is flagstones.

On the front a broad window overlooks the terrace and, presumably, a sweeping view of a valley. A big sliding door of glass opens on the terrace also.

Opposite the fireplace is space for two built-in bunks in an alcove, enclosed by a curtain hung from a ceiling track. The bunk room proper, with a dressing closet and clothes closet, contains two double-deck bunks.

The kitchen may seem a bit small, but it is larger than many found in modern city apartments, and much more convenient.

Elevation

Floor plan

A broad beach, with lots of fine white sand, would be the ideal location for this ultra-modern beach house, with its clean, sweeping lines. As in the case of many of the new houses, there is a generous use of glass. In the outside walls are shown 22 windows, which should satisfy any fresh air addict.

Construction of this streamlined beach house calls for a concrete substructure and first floor with wood frame above. To insure a cool house, the most satisfying exterior would be dazzling white stucco, which is an excellent heat reflector. The floors should be of concrete flagstones or tiles, tinted and waxed.

The sun deck is a welcome feature on any beach house, because there are days when the ocean breezes are cool, and one may bask here behind the protection of glass screens.

Inside, the plan calls for a single room with high ceiling, and a series of sliding curtains which cut off the bunk room and a dining alcove if desired. There is a separate bunk room for guests. If double-deck bunks are used, eight persons may occupy the house.

The bathroom has the added convenience of an extra toilet, or the space may be used for another closet. As in all well-planned beach houses, there is an extra shower just inside the entry from the beach.

The whole interior may be done in plywood panels, either natural color or painted in a light-colored eggshell finish.

The broad open spaces beneath the house serve several purposes. They offer ample storage for beach umbrellas, chairs, ping-pong table and such, as well as a dressing room for bathers. By careful planning beforehand, a dumb-waiter could be installed to connect the kitchen with the beach, thus saving many steps when serving a barbecue meal or a cold snack on the sand. It will be noted that the fireplace chimney base has been utilized as a beach barbecue, so that food may be prepared without going up to the main kitchen.

Elevation

Floor plan

Here’s a quaint little mountain hut that the Seven Dwarfs might like to live in. It’s a ski lodge, designed to withstand the roughest weather, yet its construction is simple and the cost extremely modest. The cabin consists of a 16-foot octagonal room on the ground floor for living quarters and a second floor bunk room. Five or six may be accommodated upstairs, since three beds just fit. A wall bed on the first floor sleeps two more.

Construction of this unusual cabin is all of wood, with concrete or flagstone floor. Built for use in cold weather, the walls should be of double sheathing packed with insulating wool, in addition to the shakes applied outside. Eight posts form the frame, with 3×4 rafters running to an octagonal block at the peak. Two 6×8 timbers support the second floor.

Tiny as it seems, this lodge offers a maximum of room for lovers of snow sports. The height is 14 feet from floor to peak.

Most unusual of its features is the door in the roof. At first glance this might seem odd, but the first time the main door is buried under ten feet of snow, you’ll be glad the roof door was put in.

There’s a fireplace on the ground floor, of course, and all the conveniences for a week-end stay. However, in such limited space as much of the furniture as possible should be of the folding type. It will be noted that no provision was made for bath or toilet. These features would have to be in a detached structure, which is preferable to addition of a side room, which would spoil the unique shape of the house.

A number of cabins of this type have been built on the Pacific coast in recent years. One of the first, and probably the original one, was constructed by Fred B. Stephen, Seattle architect, for his family’s use on a site in the Cascade mountains, 85 miles from Seattle.

Elevation

Floor plan

Here’s a good answer to the problem of a low-cost club house for a hiking or snow-sports group. Since much of the work on such a cabin might be done by the members, construction is as simple as possible. The exterior may be anything from rough tongue-and-grooved boards, the cheapest, to real logs, the most expensive. Interior walls are sheathed with plywood, stained or painted, and the roof covered with composition roofing. The long bunk room, partitioned off for privacy, holds nine double-deck bunks, and has separate bathrooms adjoining for men and women. A stove should be included in this room, for extra warmth.

One may drive to the front door, unload passengers or supplies, and proceed to a stall in the car shelter conveniently. The kitchen is just inside the front door, making trips through or around the house with supplies unnecessary.

The living room, spacious enough to seat twenty for meals, contains two built-in bunks. Off it is a tack room for storing skis and other equipment, which can also be used as a work shop. A large dining table might be used for ping-pong and other games. Both the woodbox by the fireplace and in the bunkroom may be stocked from the outside, a great convenience in winter when fires burn constantly.

Note that the car shelter has space for six machines.

Elevation

Floor plan

Just because a summer cabin is small and inexpensive is no reason why it cannot be smart and distinctive in appearance. The little house shown here could probably be built for less than $1000, yet it has many features worthy of a vacation home costing many times that.

Construction is entirely of wood, in a fashion reminiscent of Japanese houses, with wide doors and a broad, low roof. The easiest and most pleasing finish, both outside and inside would be plywood. The waterproof variety is durable and not costly, and it is so easy to apply that any amateur can turn out a pleasing job. Plywood is adaptable to any of the regulation wood-finish treatments from oiling or staining to painting, and will last indefinitely.

The roof would be attractive if covered with a brightly colored composition roofing, or with stained shingles or shakes.

The house consists of one large room, with alcoves for dining and sleeping. The Pullman-type kitchen, which means that everything is compact and within easy reach, connects both with the dining area and the barbecue patio at the rear of the house—a convenience if meals are to be served outside.

The same thoughtfulness has gone into planning of the bath. It has one door into the bunk-alcove and another opening on the pier, so that swimmers may go to the shower without tracking up the rest of the house.

A curtain shuts off the bunk alcove at night, and pulls back to make this part of the main room by day. Two double bunks provide beds for four persons.

Large folding doors at each end of the house open on the pier and the patio, giving an unusual sense of roominess.

The fireplace arrangement is also quite unusual, having a single chimney which serves three purposes. It carries flues from the fireplace, the kitchen stove and the barbecue grill in the patio. The woodbox is just inside the door for convenient filling.

Elevation

Floor plan

One of the principal drawbacks to a real log cabin is the amount of work involved, as well as the expense. On the other hand, the cabin shown here is an example of what can be done with “imitation logs” that give the effect of real ones, while the task of building with them is no more difficult than with any finished lumber. In another part of this book will be found illustrations of the various ways this log siding may be applied to obtain rustic effects.

If this cabin is to be left unpainted, it would be wise to apply a coat of silver stain. This gives the illusion of weathering and does away with the “raw” look of a new house. The roof, of shakes, should be treated the same way.

To avoid cluttering up the living room, the designer has provided a separate room for bunks. This one holds two double-deckers and a large clothes closet. A short hall connects with the bathroom. A really novel feature is the pair of small windows which light the “upper” and “lower” of each set of bunks.

The kitchen is well lighted with three windows and a door, and has ample space for roomy cupboards and a work table. The stove can be placed so that the flue connects with the fireplace chimney.

The living room is large enough to hold a fairly large fireplace. It has windows on three sides, in addition to a pair of French doors opening on a rustic terrace.

One of the advantages of this kind of cabin over a real log one, is the ease with which the interior can be finished. Perhaps the most suitable finish would be natural-color oiled plywood panels. Knotty pine or redwood paneling would also be attractive.

Elevation

Floor plan

For the amateur builder who wants to try his hand at a cabin, this attractive design presents a minimum of construction problems and calls for only a very modest outlay for materials. At the same time, if the work is well done, this cabin can be made as smart and attractive as one costing twice as much.

The most satisfactory, as well as the easiest way to build this cabin, would be with a frame of redwood timbers covered with half-round imitation log siding. Another finish that is not difficult to work out is with a combination of vertical and horizontal board and batten, running the boards vertically for the walls and horizontally at the gable ends.

Since this is first of all a rustic cabin, it should by all means have a roof of redwood shakes. The manner in which these are laid is responsible for lending interest and claim to an otherwise rather plain roof-line.

The front porch may be either flagstones or heavy planks, although the latter would, of course, call for a foundation. The two seats make an inviting place to rest, but as will be seen from an inspection of the floor plan, they serve for more than ordinary seats. They have corresponding seats inside the living room, and beneath them are concealed two roll-away double beds. Such construction for the beds is a great advantage in a small cabin, since they can be pulled out or put away as needed. This leaves the whole living room, which is 12½ × 20 feet, for any style of decoration you like.

The fireplace parallels the 20-foot dimensions of the room and may therefore be fairly large. A general rule is to make it one-third as wide as the longest dimension of the room.

The kitchen is very conveniently arranged. It has three windows, affording ample light. A dinette, which could be made with a drop table and folding seats if necessary, occupies one side of the room. The stove can be placed so that the flue can go up the fireplace chimney.

This plan was furnished through the courtesy of the California Redwood Association.

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