Noah Bradley, Author at Handmade Houses with Noah Bradley

29 06, 2019

Building a log cabin

Noah Bradley2019-06-29T10:19:32+00:00

We built this cabin for a client who wanted to finish the interior himself (so I do not have any finished photos of the interior… sorry about that). But I do have some great photos of the cabin being built from a “men who build log homes” perspective… images that do a great job in illustrating the work that goes into building a log cabin.

This is a footer. It is made of four or more inches of concrete and steel re-bar.

It is perfectly level and square.

This is the rock upon which the cabin will be built.

It’s not very glamorous. It will soon be forgotten and buried, never to be seen again. But this feature of a house is what holds them all up.

The foundation comes next. We poured a concrete wall on top of the footers that will support the first floor system.

Next we waterproofed this with a spray-on black sealer and then put up fiberglass board to protect the sealer.

Now it’s time to lay the stone which will support the log cabin. The masons begin their craft.

The logs are then brought in. This is a pile of the shorter length ones. All vintage oak salvaged from an old barn in disrepair.

All we need now is for the men to assemble this cabin… and they begin to arrive.

Originally posted 2015-07-23 13:55:30.

Building a log cabinNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:19:32+00:00

29 06, 2019

Elements of a rustic cabin

Noah Bradley2019-06-29T10:19:31+00:00

This cabin has a very nice chimney… a tip of the hat to whoever the stonemason was on this little home.

The wood shake roof and the aged board-and-batten siding add greatly to the “rusticness” of this cabin.

I was concerned about how low to the ground both the cabin, and especially the sided addition were… I advised the owner to maintain a regular scheduling of termite treatment and that likely one day there would be a need for a lot of wood replacement due to rot… but for now… all was well.

I have to admit that if I had built this cabin I’d likely have done a snazzier job. I would have built the addition higher and put more of a stone foundation under her.

If the owner’s of this cabin wanted a wood-stove in this back addition I’d have talked them into a second stone chimney rather than a pipe run out the side of the wall. Yeah, my version of this cabin would have been more refined.

So, I am thankful that I wasn’t the builder, because it is these differences between what this cabin’s builder did and what I would have done that make this place as special as she is.

I really like this cabin, I could see myself living here. (my wife, not so much, she likes my refined farmhouse/cabins better) I find myself drawn to the backwoods charm and the down-to-earth feel that this cabin offers. Nothing pretentious here… You don’t vacuum the floors… you use a broom.

Nice.

A perfect man cave.

Originally posted 2015-07-22 12:54:13.

Elements of a rustic cabinNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:19:31+00:00

29 06, 2019

Log cabin living… a simpler lifestyle

Noah Bradley2019-06-29T10:19:30+00:00

One day a very wealthy father took his son on a trip to the country for the sole purpose of showing his son how it was to be poor. They spent a few days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

After their return from the trip, the father asked his son how he liked the trip. “It was great, Dad,” the son replied. “Did you see how poor people can be?” the father asked. “Oh Yeah,” said the son.

“So what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father. The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.

We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.

We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.” The boy’s father was speechless. Then his son added, “It showed me how poor we are.”

Too many times we forget what we have and concentrate on what we don’t have.

Originally posted 2015-07-22 12:32:35.

Log cabin living… a simpler lifestyleNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:19:30+00:00

29 06, 2019

A “camp” cabin

Noah Bradley2019-06-29T10:19:29+00:00

Here’s a special little cabin that I was once called out to inspect, and repair, if necessary. I found very little that needed my attention.

This cabin had served for many years as a “camp” for family members to enjoy this rural wooded area. Perhaps, to do a little hunting, but more likely just to get away from the stresses of the city. Who can blame them?

I’ve got four exterior photos to share with you… here’s the first.

Originally posted 2015-07-21 22:38:34.

A “camp” cabinNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:19:29+00:00

29 06, 2019

The raising of a timber frame

Noah Bradley2019-06-29T10:19:28+00:00

Once we completed the floor deck above the basement we set to work assembling the timber-framed wall sections.

All was going like clockwork.

We scheduled for a crane to come in the following day. Within 24 hours we would have a completed standing frame for the world to see!

As fate would have it, when the morning came to raise the timber-frame that the sky opened up and poured upon us.

The forecast called for the rain to pass quickly so we held to our schedule.

The crane was on the way.

Within minutes of the crane’s arrival the assembled timber-frame walls began to rise.

The heavy duty forklift begins hauling the trusses to the area where the crane can lift them into place. Each of these trusses weighs about the same as a small car so without all of this heavy equipment we would be assembling this frame one piece at a time… or be calling in a hundred of our closest Amish friends.

The first of four timbered trusses floats down onto the top plates. I’ve always loved these moments when men reach out as far as they can and first touch a timber as it is set into place.

One after another the trusses are set in place.

Originally posted 2015-07-19 16:07:01.

The raising of a timber frameNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:19:28+00:00

29 06, 2019

Insulated Concrete Forms

Noah Bradley2019-06-29T10:19:27+00:00

Once we had the timber-frame members created our attention turned to building the basement foundation that would support this section of the home.

We chose to go with insulated concrete forms (ICF’s). I’ve used these several times now and I really like them. They are easy to use, even for the novice, and they create an incredibly strong and well insulated wall.

The window and door frames are created and set into place and then the area in between is filled in with these hollow foam blocks that are later filled with carefully placed re-bar and concrete.

We then called in a concrete pumping truck to fill the insulated forms… by the end of the day we had a solid concrete basement… with R34 insulated walls… ready for a stucco finish on the exterior.

Originally posted 2015-07-19 15:13:14.

Insulated Concrete FormsNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:19:27+00:00

29 06, 2019

New joinery, old wood

Noah Bradley2019-06-29T10:19:26+00:00

Here’s closeup of “a wood intersection” on one of the barn frame’s trusses.

Originally posted 2015-07-18 21:54:18.

New joinery, old woodNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:19:26+00:00

29 06, 2019

Timber frame roof trusses

Noah Bradley2019-06-29T10:19:25+00:00

There is no better feeling than that felt at the end of the week in seeing what has been accomplished.

Originally posted 2015-07-18 18:40:04.

Timber frame roof trussesNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:19:25+00:00

29 06, 2019

Laying out a timber frame roof system

Noah Bradley2019-06-29T10:19:24+00:00

For this particular timber-frame structure I believe 90% of the work was in creating the complex joinery in the top plates and the rafter trusses that would set upon them. The exterior walls of this building were, after all, merely a collection of posts, cut to length, with simple tenons protruding on the upward ends.

Obviously it made sense for us to cut and assemble as much of this roof system on the ground as we possibly could. So, we began by laying out the top plates as seen in this photo.

I cannot express the giddiness that carpenters feel when given the opportunity to put together something like this. For us, it was Christmas in July. (Of course, being men, we wouldn’t let anyone know that we were giddy… that wouldn’t be very manly would it? lol )

Originally posted 2015-07-18 17:49:20.

Laying out a timber frame roof systemNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:19:24+00:00

29 06, 2019