Building a Log Cabin

Lt_Red · 28 Jun 2012 at 22:36

Ok here we go; what a day, totally cream crackered. Got up and took the missus to the station then by 8am had a spade in the ground digging out the trench for the upgraded armoured cable. Power was on by lunchtime, tested by 2.30, I did some of the smaller jobs and the desks arrived! Getting there....

Huge progress today, here's some images;

The cable runs under this area of turf as I just could not face any more slab laying. You can just about see where I have relayed the turf aftyer backfilling, it then goes left in front of the blue-ish bush then hard right at the boundary fence...

... and then down the side of the cabin and tidies up in to a bit of 24mm poly pipe before going through the wall. Mastic in all the holes and a fillet around the join to the wall.

Here's the consumer unit!

Laid the tiles the other day, still need to grout them but the powers on so get the washing machine back in, I'll work around it for the grout;

Back in the office and the laminate floor is laid and the plugs are in with a ring main running around the flooring shoved into the expansion gap. I just need to do the skirting boards to hide the cables;

Blinds are up on the windows, the ones for the doors were all the wrong size, the manufacturer is replacing them on Monday with a big SORRY;

Here's the extended rainwater harvesting, now with an overflow as it just seems to be filling in a day or two in the recent weather and there's 800 litres capacity out there. (mind you been boiling hot here today). Theres also a double external plug fitted between the butts for garden lighting and a mower.

Lt_Red · 28 Jun 2012 at 22:36

The service penetrations, the one on the left is the Cat5 Ethernet, the one on the right is the Mains Power;

External lights fitted. I really don't like the white PVC drip guards at the bottom of the windows. Going to paint them black (add that to the list Red);

Now for the money shots;

haaammit · 28 Jun 2012 at 22:48

Looking damn fine :cool:

What size was your original mains supply supply cable? I'm planning a 20amp supply (with 4mm twin and earth in armoured) into a consumer unit that will be sparked up for both lighting and mains :cool:

SB118 · 28 Jun 2012 at 22:50

very VERY nice.

Embed · 28 Jun 2012 at 22:57

10/10 sir

Lt_Red · 28 Jun 2012 at 22:58

Quink said:
Looking damn fine

What size was your original mains supply supply cable? I'm planning a 20amp supply (with 4mm twin and earth in armoured) into a consumer unit that will be sparked up for both lighting and mains

I have no idea, but it was on a 32 amp breaker back at the mains board in the house and the sparky insisted it was not up to 11 double sockets, lighting and externals. Its now on a 40 amp breaker.

Sonea Fifer · 28 Jun 2012 at 23:03

That looks brilliant - well done and thanks for sharing.

Also, where did you get the external lights from please?

Lt_Red · 28 Jun 2012 at 23:05

Sonea Fifer said:
where did you get the external lights from please?

Riga Tall Up/Downs in Anthracite from Amazon

haaammit · 28 Jun 2012 at 23:05

Lt_Red said:
I have no idea, but it was on a 32 amp breaker back at the mains board in the house and the sparky insisted it was not up to 11 double sockets, lighting and externals. Its now on a 40 amp breaker.

Jesus - a 40 amp supply can give 9600 watts or so - just what the hell are you running in there - are you growing stuff that needs hydroponics and lots of light and heat? :eek:

I'd still be interested to know what your initial cables thickness was - this can really affect how much current draw/wattage you can draw

Lt_Red · 28 Jun 2012 at 23:12

Quink said:
Jesus - a 40 amp supply can give 9600 watts or so - just what the hell are you running in there - are you growing stuff that needs hydroponics and lots of light and heat?

I'd still be interested to know what your initial cables thickness was - this can really affect how much current draw/wattage you can draw

I'm sorry Quink I have absolutely no idea, but when you consider the freezer, washing machine (which pulls 2250 watts when heating) and a tumble dryer which no doubt the missus will have on at the same time as the washer in the winter, plus my office equipment, PC, a kettle etc, external lighting - basically I am moving most of our household electrical equipment out there so it had to be done.

AHarvey · 28 Jun 2012 at 23:37

a log cabin to me should be made from big chunky logs, but that's personal choice.

Cracking job on the design and build though

Lt_Red · 28 Jun 2012 at 23:39

AHarvey said:
a log cabin to me should be made from big chunky logs, but that's personal choice.

Cracking job on the design and build though

Thanks mate, but this is Kent, not Kansas

PR. · 29 Jun 2012 at 11:16

Out of interest what did you use to lay the tiles?

I had my bathroom floor tiled and over time the twisting of the wooden floor (which was covered in another sheet of wood for support) cracks all the grouting, just wondering if you used some kind of flexible stuff.

Thanks

bitslice · 29 Jun 2012 at 20:07

Just a thought for anyone else planning this, if you run the cables in a bit of drainpipe under the concrete, you can pull though additional cables later. Remember to put a bit of string through first.
Same with drainage and water supplies, it looks neater coming up through the concrete rather than through the wall, just a bit more work involved at the prep stage.

Great build though, very jell

Posty · 29 Jun 2012 at 20:23

This is a great thread.

Wish I could work at home and build a office like this would be ace.

What do you do for a living?

Something Else · 29 Jun 2012 at 20:27

this has been surprisingly interesting to read haha

Nightglow · 29 Jun 2012 at 20:34

Quink: Would definitely increase the 20amp supply, to 32A or even 40A, with a ring main, lights, etc, you soon use it up.

In my fleapit/study I installed a 40a supply, 32A ring main & two 6A light circuits, but allowing for diversity,I will never exceed the loading on the lighting circuits, just want insides & outside light separate.

Lt_Red: Very neat service installation, lights look superb, very well planned & thought out build.

Just watch that water harvesting in the winter.

EDIT: Lt_Red: Is their any thing you would change or do differently?

Lt_Red · 29 Jun 2012 at 21:20

PR. said:
Out of interest what did you use to lay the tiles? I had my bathroom floor tiled and over time the twisting of the wooden floor (which was covered in another sheet of wood for support) cracks all the grouting, just wondering if you used some kind of flexible stuff.

I used a premixed flexible tile adhesive from Topps Tiles suitable for wooden floors. I will be using a flexible grout from Homebase (which I will have to mix). For bathrooms you should first lay down a 5mm layer of marine ply, screw it down in a checker board type style every 10cm or so, then coat with PVA solution, then tile onto it. This is because the boards will get wet and will twist.

bitslice said:
if you run the cables in a bit of drainpipe under the concrete, you can pull though additional cables later. Remember to put a bit of string through first.

DOH! *facepalm

Posty said:
What do you do for a living?

I'm not telling you

Nightglow said:
very well planned & thought out build. Just watch that water harvesting in the winter.

Thanks. I have a plan to put a tap on the bottom fo the barrels feeding into the overflow so I have pressure on demand and then run a hose pipe aroun the garden with holes in it so I can water the entire garden at the twist of a tap

Nightglow said:
EDIT: Lt_Red: Is their any thing you would change or do differently?

hmmm...

1. I would have had the door to the utility hinged from the other side. In fact it was drawn hinged from the other side in the original sketches I sent to Keops. To be honest I didn't notice for about a week it was wrong. Oh well small issue really.
2. I would have planned the services laid in the concrete better - the only one remaining is the TV cable, I have replaced the rest.
3. I would have followed bitslices advice.
4. I would have checked the price of the paint a little earlier.
5. I would not have laid the patio and path until I was finished.

The good news is I am typing this from within the cabin. I am in! A few more bits to move down then you'll get some images tomorrow night.

Then on to the more important bit, the Nursery...

Nightglow · 29 Jun 2012 at 21:32

PR. said:
Out of interest what did you use to lay the tiles?

I had my bathroom floor tiled and over time the twisting of the wooden floor (which was covered in another sheet of wood for support) cracks all the grouting, just wondering if you used some kind of flexible stuff.

When I tiled my bathroom floor in my last house, I removed the existing floorboards, & used 25mm exterior grade ply, fixed down with 60mm screws.
And remember to use noggins at edge of boards, stops sagging, plus 6mm gap around edge of room.

Was down for 10 years, never moved, or cracked, still there most likely.

Lt_Red: Prime the ply using an SBR primer or Acrylic Primer one part SBR to 3 parts water - do NOT use PVA.

Lt_Red · 29 Jun 2012 at 22:46

Fair play, white + gungy = PVA in my eyes, but yes it should be SBR diluted. I used SBR on my bathroom floor and on the ply partitions inside the shower unit before tiling. I HATE tiling.

Good plan pulling up the floor boards and replacing with thick ply.