# Would this be REALLY stupid?



## cc-rider (Jul 29, 2003)

There is an amish guy around here that builds houses from 4x6 lumber. It is stacked with 1X in the middle so that there is a gap for chinking. It's stacked so that the walls are 4" thick. So, I'm guessing, you'd have a 4X6 turned so it is 4" thick and 6" high, then a 1X3 in the center top of that, then another 4X6, etc., to make up the wall. That gives you 1" x 1/2" deep "chinking" space. 

They are really nice looking, and quite inexpensive. I can get a 14' X 30' for about $8K, I think. 

My question..... I know that these aren't as good as a 2X4 wall stuffed with insulation, lined with foam, and sheathed with wood..... but how bad are they, energy-efficiency wise? I'm guessing bad, because of all the thermal conductivity and only being 4"..... but maybe I'm overlooking something?

This would be in northwestern Ohio where it is very cold half the year, and very hot for another 3 months.

Thanks!
Chris


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

i guess if you use that basic construction as siding and stud and insulate the interior with fiberglass or something, it would work out. you need to run electric and such anyways unless you are a hardcore off-gridder, lol.

i would just be concerned as to the dryness of the timber. log homes shrink and require window and door maintenance. i bet it is the same with the timber homes.


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## Steve L. (Feb 23, 2004)

Wood is supposed to have an R rating of about 1 to 1.25 per inch, so the wood itself would give you an R5 wall at best. Then there's all those hundreds of linear feet of cracks just begging to let air in and out. Sounds like a pretty bad deal, to me, too.


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## cc-rider (Jul 29, 2003)

I had thought of studding it out on the inside and insulating, but you'd lose the character if you did that. (They drill out the logs where the wiring goes, so that doesn't show, either).

My only thoughts were that I would eventually build rooms on three sides of this, and those rooms would buffer this structure. Not right away, but a couple years down the road as I could afford it. 

I don't NEED to have immediate housing, as I have a house in town, so I don't want to just build a shack to "get by" until I can do better, but it'd be nice to be out there permanently instead of having to drive out every day to take care of the chickens, etc. I thought this cabin was a happy medium. Someplace nice and interesting-looking until I could afford to build something bigger (by adding on). I'm paying cash for everything, so it is taking awhile. 

So far, I own the property (only 3-1/2 acres, but it is MY 3-1/2 acres! LOL), put in the driveway, septic, well, orchard, garden, 8X12 chicken palace, and 30X50 barn. I bought the bare land (had been a corn field) in late fall/early winter 2005. Thought for sure I'd be there before this winter. Oh well.


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

Wonder,maybe 3 sided Earth Shelter?

BooBoo :gromit:


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## cc-rider (Jul 29, 2003)

mightybooboo said:


> Wonder,maybe 3 sided Earth Shelter?
> 
> BooBoo :gromit:


I'd LOVE to have an earth-sheltered home, but in the flat lands of Ohio..... I've have to truck in the dirt! 

I'm thinking of digging a basement just so I have enough dirt to level the floor in my barn. There's just enough of a slope that I have a 2' drop on one side of the barn. (By the door - go figure! I need to put 2' of SOMETHING in the barn, and outside so I can get the tractor OUT of the barn).

If I had been smart, I would have leveled the barn site before I had the barn built. Now I have that 2' gap under the doors and greenboard on at least 2 sides of the barn.

Anyway...... no earth-berming around here. Sigh.


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## Steve L. (Feb 23, 2004)

cc-rider said:


> I'd LOVE to have an earth-sheltered home, but in the flat lands of Ohio..... I've have to truck in the dirt!
> 
> Anyway...... no earth-berming around here. Sigh.


Dug-out pond?


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## cc-rider (Jul 29, 2003)

Steve L. said:


> Dug-out pond?


You know, I thought about THAT, too!!!! They charge SOOO much to excavate around here. I was quoted $6K for a 1/4 acre pond! I think I could do it myself if I rented the equipment for a weekend (but maybe I'm being optimistic.....considering I've never USED big equipment!)

I have a low spot that'd be perfect for a pond, but I really don't like water.... I'm kinda afraid of it....but it sure looks peaceful!! 

I think an earth-bermed house in the middle of a flat field would look kind of out of place, don't you think? Darn. 

I guess I'll forget about the "log" cabin idea for now and look at some other options.


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## mdharris68 (Sep 28, 2006)

Don't overlook building a pole barn type structure to start out in. It could always become a garage. The walls can be built as thick as you want within reason and can be insulated conventionally. We are buiding one now that has infloor heat. Nothing more than a nice pole barn with metal sides and roof. tons of insulation. Cozy. my2cents


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## cc-rider (Jul 29, 2003)

I've thought about that. I'm currently building a 30X50 pole barn and thought about putting a "studio" in 1/4 of it to live in for awhile. Might still do that! I purposely built it close enough that I could hook into the septic system, if I went that route.

I am putting a gravel floor throughout the barn. Do you think I could just hook joists (or whatever they call them) to the poles and then put a wooden floor down in the studio portion?


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## fantasymaker (Aug 28, 2005)

How about a good size older travel or fithwheel trailer IN the barn?might fool the assesser!


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## pilot_34 (Aug 8, 2002)

There used to be a guy near here that sold odd length 2X4s for about 15 cents a piece.I saw some pictures of buildings made by stacking them flat on thier sides to form walls and thought that was attarctive and could be cheep.If you work near a big town you might be able to scrounge enough free to build a small house.
It would be sorta like you discribe.


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

fantasymaker said:


> How about a good size older travel or fifthwheel trailer IN the barn?might fool the assessor!


Good plan,exactly what we would like to do if the opportunity presents itself.
Nice and stealthy,well protected for RV,greatly increase your 'living' space,we've thought of doing this while building.

BooBoo :gromit:<----"It'll never Work"


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## cc-rider (Jul 29, 2003)

I've actually thought about that, too. I'd like to travel alot once I retire and use a motorhome. I could just park it in the barn when I'm back in town and have a larger living room and bedroom/storage/bathroom there in the barn. Use the motor home for the kitchen or whatever. Hmmmmmm..... 

So many options....


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## FolioMark (May 10, 2002)

If you have any basic building skills, 8 k would buy the lumber and materials for a lot bigger house than 14x30. Your idea for building living space in your pole barn would make a lot more sense. Our place in Missouri is basically a pole structure that we have added to over the years. If the walls are tall enough you could get two stories out of 12-14 feet of that pole barn and be quite comfortable. Only advantage to the stacked 4x6 house is you could hang a picture anywhere you pleased. 

RE: Wooden floor in the pole barn. We built our pole house this way. We set the poles in the ground in the standard way about 14 feet apart. We then nailed 2x10 pt rim joists around the structure as close to the ground as we could get and keep it all level. Then we ran 14' foot joists between the rim joists using standard joist hangers. We put wooden blocking between the joists to keep them stiff and stop any bounce. Heres an early pic of the house that will illustrate what I mean.



















Basically you are just building a deck. You could do the same thing on the inside face of the posts.


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## Countrybumpkin (May 12, 2002)

CC Rider, good to see you finally got your land! Bet you like it a lot better than being in town!


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## KenPerry (Jan 6, 2007)

Hey all.... 

I've got a link for some hi-tec insulation board that has extremely good R value. It's very versatile, flexable and moisture proof and comes in different thicknesses.

http://p2000insulation.ca/product.php

The site is from Canada, but if you contact them, the could probably direct you to a US distributor.

Hope this helps someone out...

Great site, btw....


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## Milkwitch (Nov 11, 2006)

what about straw bales? or bailed grass. I think I read that there is a straw bale/ grass bale house in Ohio that is nearly 100 years old. I helped friends build a small straw bale house, 28X28 with half loft, it is very beautiful, and very warm and efficient. Costs something like 10,000$ Canadain. a big chunk of that was hardwood floors and pine ceiling. They are now in the process of building a larger SB house, they now have two children.


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## cc-rider (Jul 29, 2003)

I like the *idea* of straw bale, but I don't like the looks of it. I don't like the adobe-looking thing that I always see. I really like wooden cabin styles. 

Too bad, because I think I could actually do the straw bale and it'd be very energy efficient.


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