The Simplest House of All By Mark Stephen Chenail 

PAGE 3 of 4  <BACK

7)      The simplest roof structure will be a single slope shed roof.  Mark out the rafter placement on the top plate with 16” centers.  If you don’t plan to insulate the roof, you can use 2’ centers for your rafters.  Nail the first and last rafter in place with the necessary overhang.  Nail up the fascia boards on each end and use them to place the remaining rafters.  If you are going to shingle the roof, sheath the roof with boards, osb or plywood and cover it all with black roofing paper. Nail up the metal drip edge and shingle the roof in the usual manner. If you are going to use metal roofing, the method is slightly different.  Once the rafters are set, nail up the 2x4 purlins across the rafters, placing the purlins on 2’ centers. Lay out the metal roofing sheets and screw them down according to the manufacturer’s instructions. You can leave the roof overhang open, if you aren’t concerned about heat loss or insects.  If you need to winterize the structure, close the overhang with soffits or put blocking between each set of rafters, above the top plate of the walls.   If you prefer to do a gable roof, the easiest way is with purchased pre-made trusses.  They come in various sizes and are relatively inexpensive and easy to install.  If you aren’t well versed in laying out and cutting rafters, trusses will save you a lot of headaches. They can also be placed on wider centers, if you are using the purlin and metal roofing method. The lumberyard will help you choose the proper size, number and placement.  Once the roof is on, you are practically home free.

8)      Install all doors and windows on the exterior.

9)      If you have chosen to rough sheath your building and then put siding over it, now is the time to do the siding and trim work.  Once the exterior is completely closed in, caulked and ready for paint, you can go on with the interior work.

10)      The interior finish can be as simple, or as elaborate, as you like.  If you plan to wire the building, now is the time to do it.  Keep the wiring simple.  A single circuit for the lighting system should be more than adequate.  A single circuit for the kitchen area will probably be sufficient if you don’t have any large electrical appliances, but it might be best to split the plugs in the kitchen area between two separate circuits, and extend each circuit into other areas of the house.  If you plan on having an electric range, you will need to put it on a separate 220 circuit.  A separate circuit for a full-sized refrigerator is also a good idea. Just remember to keep the electrical system as simple as possible. With care and a good book on basic wiring, you should be able to manage it all nicely.  However, unless you have done it before, I suggest you hire an expert to install the panel box and hook up your circuits.  The power company will naturally take care of the connection to the main line.  All this is moot however, if you plan to be off-grid and use kerosene lamps or candles and cook on a wood stove. This is also the time to do any plumbing you may have in mind. You probably won’t be installing running water and the drains should be as basic as possible.

11)      Insulate the building well if you plan to occupy it in cold weather.  Fiberglass batts are the cheapest way to go. Two people working together can easily cut and install the batts necessary for a small structure in a day or at most two.  It’s easiest if you measure and cut a number of batts first and then install them. You will be warm as toast in no time.

12)      If climate or aesthetics aren’t an issue, the interior walls can be left open to the framework, but most will choose to put up some sort of finished wall surface. Conventional dry wall is quick and easy, and if you rough tape the seams and use textured paint, it will have a suitably rustic look. Pine boarding is just as easy.  It’s really a question of personal taste and the depth of your pockets. Once the wall surface is up, you’re down to cabinets and fixtures and before you know it, the furniture will be in and you will be hanging the curtains and making the beds.

 

Now let’s take a look at the plans for a few structures that you can build with this simple method.  Because I was inspired by Neil Shelton’s recent article about his visit to a dacha in Belarus, I have named this group of designs the Dacha series.

DACHA1:  This is the smallest and simplest of the designs at 368 sq.ft.  It’s meant for a single person or a couple.  There is a single main living space with a 10’ kitchen counter with a sink and open shelving.  The sleeping platform is big enough for a queen-sized mattress and has room for built-in drawers underneath. There is a small room for a sawdust toilet or potty chair.  A woodstove will provide heat and a place to cook.  Double French doors open to a generous front porch.  A tool house at the back provides additional storage space. Lofts can be built over the whole interior, just the bed and bath spaces or at the back. DACHA1 is shown with a gable roof and porch, but it could just as well be built with a shed roof on the main structure, the high side to the front and another shed roof on the porch. There are plenty of windows for light and ventilation.

DACHA2:  THE LONGEURE.*   This plan is meant for a larger household. It has 672 sq.ft. , but this includes attached work and barn space. It has two sleeping rooms.  The smaller room has a single bunk, but with sufficiently high ceilings, it could have double bunks for two children.  There is drawer space under the lower bunk. The larger bedroom has a platform for a double bed with drawers underneath and the room is large enough for a chest of drawers and other small furniture.  The central kitchen/living room has a 10 foot kitchen counter and space for a wood stove.  There is a 6’x7’ bath room and a 6’x10’ storage room that connects to the barn area.  The barn has a large work space, a stall for a goat or cow and a small chicken house.  It isn’t a big set-up, but would be sufficient for the new homesteader just starting out. The front door is sheltered by a wide arbor, which will make a shady place to sit in the summer.  It would be a simple matter to extend the barn in the future and  loft space could be provided over the whole structure if taller poles were used and a second floor was framed.

*NB:  A longeure is a French term for a house and barn combined into one long structure.        It’s a common traditional house form all over France.  

< Back  1  2  3  4    Next  >

Custom Search