How to Build a Cozy Cabin

Constructing a cozy cabin requires patience and careful preparation.

Building a cozy cabin requires some careful preparation and patience. Constructing your own cabin, though challenging, is possible for even a construction novice. Make sure to do your homework, take the necessary time and ask for help when necessary.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pencil
• Ruler
• 1 can black spray paint
• Gravel and stamper for leveling foundation site (optional)
• 8 prefabricated concrete "4-way" deck blocks (each 8 inches high by 11 inches square)
• Hammer
• Nails (variety of types for framing, roofing and siding)
• 6 pressure-treated boards 2x4x12 foot
• 42 pressure-treated boards 2x4x8 foot
• 14 joist hangers
• 3 sheets of pressure-treated 5/8-inch plywood 4x8 feet
• Roof trusses (ask lumberyard for the correct number, measurements and pitch)
• 5 pressure-treated 3/8-inch plywood sheets 4x8 feet
• 1 Roll of felt roofing paper
• 5 boxes asphalt shingles
• 1 Roll moisture repelling house wrap
• Construction staples according to house wrap instructions
• 10 exterior paneling sheets or exterior siding of your choice
• Exterior paint
• 5 fascia boards

Instructions

1. Draw out the site plan for a 8x12 foot cabin. Consider the view from the cabin as you place the building, visually, on the property. Mark where you want to place the door and any windows. Call local officials and ask about building codes and any required permits.

2. Take your site plan to the cabin location. Make certain the cabin will rest on a level surface. An uneven site will require excavating, stamped gravel and/or a poured concrete foundation to level the area. Scan the area for any obstructions and mark with spray paint any trees which may need cleared. Mark the cabin's dimensions with black spray paint.

3. Use prefabricated, concrete deck blocks for your foundation. These triangular-shaped blocks have molded notches (in four directions) to accommodate 2x4's. Place one block at each corner. Center another block at the halfway mark between any two corners. Center the other three blocks along the remaining three sides of the cabin's perimeter.

4. Set two 8-foot 2x4 boards horizontally into the notches on top of two concrete blocks along the cabin's two shorter sides. Place a 12-foot 2x4 on each of the cabin's longer sides. Nail boards together, at each corner, with galvanized framing nails.

5. Place five 8-foot 2x4 boards in the center of this perimeter, laying the boards sideways between the two longer sides of the cabin. Use joist hangers to evenly space the boards 18 inches apart. Lay 3/8-inch plywood sheets on top of the floor frame. Attach the plywood flooring to the floor joists at 8-inch intervals.

6. Create a frame for one 12-foot long wall by nailing two of the 12-foot 2x4s and two of the 8-foot 2x4s to the height and width of the wall's dimensions. Construct the wall on the cabin's floor. Place studs 24 inches apart. Leave openings for any windows. Leave an 1/2-inch opening between the wall frame and any door or window frame. Add strength to the wall with one or two cross-braces set horizontally between every two studs at equal intervals. Repeat this step for the other three walls.

7. Once all four walls are complete, lift one wall upright. Nail the entire wall to one side of the cabin by nailing the bottom horizontal board (base plate) to the floor. Repeat for the other three walls. Nail each wall to the other at every corner.

8. Measure and mark where roof trusses should lay, every two feet, on top of the wall frames. Trusses will be delivered by a lumberyard and lowered with a crane onto the designated marks. Trusses will come with manufacturer's instructions on proper installation. Nail the trusses in place according to these instructions.

9. Place 3/8-inch plywood sheets on the roof over the trusses. Leave at least one inch of plywood hanging over each side of the roof. Cover plywood with felt roofing paper in overlapping, horizontal layers nailed in place. Lay asphalt shingles over the roof paper according the manufacturer's instructions.

10. Attach moisture repellent house wrap to the exterior walls by stapling the fabric to the studs. Add tape to seal the wrap at the corners. Nail wall panels over the house wrap to the frame studs. Use galvanized nails, 12 inches apart, to attach panels to the studs. Cover the panel seams with 8-foot 1x2s.

11. Nail the cabin's door and windows inside the wooden frames you created. Caulk the door frame and the windows with weather sealant caulking. Finish the exterior by painting and adding fascia around the perimeter of the roof.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask local lumberyard employees for help when you need a professional's advice. Every lumberyard has at least one employee skilled in construction.

• Do not attempt to raise the framed walls or finish the roof alone. Accidents happen when you least expect one, hence the name "accident."

References

• Small Cabin Guide: Building a Small Cabin Frame
• Small Cabin Guide: Building Small Cabin-Floor
• Mother Earth News: Buld this Cozy Cabin