One man's struggle to take it easy
Building a Mini-Cabin: Part 8 Interior
Sunday, Jan 03, 2010
Here are some pictures of the interior as I was applying the siding and trim.
The siding went on all the walls and the ceiling and entire mini-cab is insulated with fiberglass insulation.
For the trim, I used red cedar from the local hardwoods dealer which I cut to the required sizes.
I used some floor patch to smooth out the gaps in the subfloor and laid some indoor-outdoor carpet on the floor. The carpet cost about $60 and it’s glued down to the subfloor using a mastic-like glue spread with a notched trowel.
The trim work went fairly quickly. I cut a bunch pieces at home to the dimensions I wanted and just cut them to length on-site with the chop saw. I used a finish nailer to attach all the siding and trim. The red cedar trim was a lot more figured than the cedar siding and provided a nice contrast.
It appears that you did not include any venting in the roof. Being in a cold climate, have you had any trouble with condensation? I suppose it's not as big of a problem since it's not being heated regularly, but it's a concern on my own project and I'm curious to your results after 7+ years. Thanks!
So far I have had no noticeable issues with condensation. It's very dry here in Utah so that may be a factor but my research before building the roof indicated that a tightly sealed roof would prevent condensation issues also. Apparently the sealed roof is common in Canada but not so much in the US.
I also used a vent-free propane heater for the first several years and had no condensation issues with that either, likely due to the dry climate. I did have issues with the heater shutting off due to lack of oxygen, either because of the altitude or because the cabin is tightly sealed, so I replaced the heater with a vented propane model a few years ago and it has been much better. I have heard many reports of condensation issues with vent-free heaters in other climates though.
My biggest issues so far have been:
1. Theft (three incidents, one involving damage to both doors requiring their replacement). I now have four security cameras which upload images to an off site server and have not had any incidents since then. Also, when I replaced the damaged doors I used more secure doors. Still, security is a best effort attempt, but the cameras should at least record any further incidents.
2. Water. Since I don't keep the cabin heated regularly as you mentioned, I have to "winter proof" the plumbing during winter by filling the pipes with RV anti-freeze. I can easily haul enough water each winter visit for normal use, but no hot showers.
3. Birds. I have an ongoing battle with birds wanting to nest in the porch roof and pecking at the wood siding. Not a big deal but annoying.
I honestly haven't had any issues related to the construction of the cabin. I had some hail damage to the steel roof but it is cosmetic only. I probably will replace the porch decking with a composite at some point because the cedar I used needs too much maintenance. I built a small 6'x8' shed for additional storage last summer and this year I plan on connecting the shed, porch, and utility room with a deck-like walkway so I can move from building to building without tramping through the mud or snow.