How to Build a Hunting Cabin
Building a hunting cabin is a bit different than constructing a house you'll live in all year round. Most people want their primary homes to have things like running water, cable TV and specialty appliances like dishwashers and garbage disposals. While you can certainly have these in a hunting cabin, most folks who are looking to build one would prefer something a little more rustic. What's a getaway if you're still surrounded by all the staples of modern living? Each individual will, of course, have to decide for him or herself the level of luxury a hunting cabin should have, but there are a few things that no cabin in the woods can do without. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Good Idea of What You Want
- Basic Design or Blueprint
- Building Materials (Lumber, Roofing, Hardware)
- Tools (Saw, Drill, Hammer)
- Patience
Instructions
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Knowing what you want is the key to a successful cabin building project, whether you do the job yourself or hire a contractor. If you know you want your cabin to have all the luxuries of home, the steps to get the desired results will be very different than if you want something that's more like a tent that won't blow down.
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Finding a design for our hunting cabin can be done in a few different ways. You can often find very simple plans on the Internet for free, or you can purchase more elaborate plans. If the hunting cabin you want is more like a house than a hut, you might consider hiring an architect or draftsperson to discuss your ideas with and create a custom plan.
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Now comes the actual work. The process of building a cabin is as varied as the amount of designs that are out there. Some hunting cabins begin with a solid slab foundation; others cabins are constructed on stilts or are timber framed. Log cabins require different techniques than more traditionally framed cabins. Adding indoor plumbing and electricity will make the process more difficult and more costly.
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You'll have many choices to make regarding the interior of your cabin (where a small wood stove or fireplace might be all some people will want, others will prefer granite counters and an electric oven). No matter what your design is, however, your cabin will only be as good as the planning you do beforehand. If you are hiring a contractor to do the work, make sure to discuss all of the amenities you want before construction begins, as they might require an alteration of the original design.
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Tips & Warnings
Hunting cabins are often left uninhabited for long periods of time. Make sure to take proper precautions like evacuating water from pipes and sealing off chimneys during the winter.
Small amounts of damage caused by storms or rodents can lead to huge repair costs if not attended to. Even if you don't plan on staying the night, it is a good idea to check on your cabin periodically during months when it is unoccupied.
Don't expect building a hunting cabin on your own to be easy if you've never done anything like it before. Though a far cry from constructing a Victorian-style house, constructing a hunting cabin will take patience and attention to detail.
Rushing through the process is a recipie for disaster. If you're not up for a challenge, take out the guesswork and hire a contractor.
