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I realize living in a cabin in the woods in the deep snow must be cold and wet and annoying and lots of hard work. But... from here in California, my god is it beautiful. It just looks so serene and quiet and peaceful. I want to make a snowman and then go inside for hot cocoa.
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Jan 3, 2013 02:32
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Leperflesh posted:I realize living in a cabin in the woods in the deep snow must be cold and wet and annoying and lots of hard work. I built a snow-cave in a snow bank after shoveling one night... We can both sit upright inside it and the three giant dogs fit inside with us as well  No snowmen yet, but much hot liquid has been consumed.Depending on where you are in CA though you've got it way better than us as far as actually being able to choose your climate based on the day. You can be at the beach or in the snowy mountains or anywhere in between in relatively short order... That sounds pretty great, too
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Jan 3, 2013 16:18
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This project looks awesome but with all the propane and gas you have, you should really invest in some battery powered carbon monoxide detectors if you haven't already! It would really suck if we lost an awesome project to the silent killer. 
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Jan 3, 2013 21:14
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apatite posted:I built a snow-cave in a snow bank after shoveling one night... We can both sit upright inside it and the three giant dogs fit inside with us as well Well, any time there's snow in the snowy mountains it's probably not a great time to be at the beach - the ocean water around here is in the mid-50s F, since it flows down from Alaska. Maybe in socal it's better? But I take your point, it's true. I can be in Yosemite in three and a half hours, or Santa Cruz in under 2.
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Jan 3, 2013 21:29
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Hoofing it in-and-out through the snow? This thread gets better and better. Props to your testicles.
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Jan 4, 2013 03:18
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splendadietcoke posted:Hoofing it in-and-out through the snow? This thread gets better and better. Props to your testicles. If that snow gets much deeper he's gonna need props for his testicles. This project is awesome and I wish I could afford land like that.
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Jan 4, 2013 07:19
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I moved into a log cabin in upstate New York in October. The log cabin is "three season" (not winterized). So, yeah, there's the snow and that night where it hit -10F. And the long driveway, which is up kind of a steep hill - my car can't make it up the driveway, I've been walking in and out. At least I didn't have to build it myself, it was already here. Which is for the best, as I have no background in construction. When something goes wrong (fairly often), I have to go online and read how to do it. Learning a lot, though. Thanks for the stories and pics, apatite.
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Jan 4, 2013 20:28
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apatite fucked around with this message at 14:03 on Aug 21, 2015 |
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Jan 5, 2013 17:55
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apatite posted:Very cool! What makes the cabin "not winterized" aside from it being cold as hell outside? I'm guessing crappy windows/horrible infill between the logs/terrible water system/etc? Woah woah woah, better slow down, getting worked up just thinking about it Yes, there are single pane windows throughout. (Too late to change them now!) I've done a bunch of caulking, but there were places where there were gaps between the logs you could see through. It was stuffed with horsehair (the cabin is 80 years old). I've done a ton of caulking to make it somewhat more airtight. The floor had no insulation. I did spray foam insulation in the crawlspace underneath. The crawlspace is open - no sheathing. We also put down interlocking foam mats on the floor (like in a gym), which seemed to help a lot. Oh yeah, and the upstairs (loft area) and roof have no insulation at all. The water system is not that bad, and we had a frozen pipe because it was -10 out. No permanent damage, but I was up half the night thawing it out. I'm hoping we don't get too many more nights like that. It's a bleed-back system from a well with an electric pump. Heat is from a wood stove (augmented by some electric heaters) but we did not have time to put up enough wood. So we are spending about an afternoon a week cutting up dead trees. We have 64 acres, so there are plenty around. We are dependent on electricity, so a solar system would be a great thing. Maybe next summer. What you are doing sounds ten times more hardcore than what I am doing, and I'm inspired by it. People either think it is awesome or think I am crazy. I'm sure you get the same thing.
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Jan 5, 2013 20:11
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apatite fucked around with this message at 14:03 on Aug 21, 2015 |
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Jan 7, 2013 16:12
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Holy poo poo that is a lot of snow, man. Way more than I've ever had to deal with, with the exception of the odd "once-every-decade" or so storm. You're going to need some serious snow moving gear to keep that road clear if that's what your weather is usually like. Still, it's beautiful. Thought about building up your toyota frame into a Nodwell type tracked vehicle?  Lift it up a bit, rigid up the axles, take out the steering bits and use the brakes to control the tracks. Oh, and build the tracks of course. Your dad is an awesome guy to come help
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Jan 8, 2013 04:35
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apatite fucked around with this message at 14:03 on Aug 21, 2015 |
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Jan 8, 2013 16:29
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apatite fucked around with this message at 14:04 on Aug 21, 2015 |
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Jan 12, 2013 16:26
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apatite posted:sudden loss of a third of our income  apatite posted:Been trying to get a cheap metal entry door for the porch off a nearby craigslist but the guy flakes out like the most seasoned CL user. It had been listed for several days when I called and he still had it. That's because he was out of town for 'several days' and told me to call back on Saturday. Called this morning and he still has it but won't be at home for most of the day, 'try calling back this afternoon' ..... That sucks, there's always some poo poo happening with deals like this. Is there a building materials recycler's in your area? There are a couple business here that take old doors, windows, house fittings and all kinds of stuff for re-use. Check them out, you might get lucky.
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Jan 13, 2013 08:01
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Slung Blade posted:Is there a building materials recycler's in your area? There are a couple business here that take old doors, windows, house fittings and all kinds of stuff for re-use. Check them out, you might get lucky. I don't know where in NY the OP is located, but I'm sure there is. http://www.rehouseny.com/salvage/index.html
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Jan 13, 2013 14:50
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I think OP's already said he's built most of his poo poo out of salvage, so I suspect he's well aware of his local salvage places.
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Jan 14, 2013 01:02
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 Progress is progress apatite fucked around with this message at 14:04 on Aug 21, 2015 |
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Jan 14, 2013 16:41
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I just wanted to say this thread is awesome and I really like the idea of living out in the middle of nowhere, away from the noise of the city and enjoying peace and quiet. I grew up on a farm and currently live closer to a big city than I'd like and I'm trying to find a job that is in a small enough town that I can get my privacy back. I spend a lot of time reading in DIY but not posting anything, hopefully in the next year or two I'll have a home renovation thread of my own.
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Jan 14, 2013 17:21
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I really like the bench you got overlooking the stream. You've done a great job on your property so far, I'm very impressed with your work.
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Jan 14, 2013 19:59
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americanzero4128 posted:I just wanted to say this thread is awesome and I really like the idea of living out in the middle of nowhere, away from the noise of the city and enjoying peace and quiet. I grew up on a farm and currently live closer to a big city than I'd like and I'm trying to find a job that is in a small enough town that I can get my privacy back. I spend a lot of time reading in DIY but not posting anything, hopefully in the next year or two I'll have a home renovation thread of my own. Hey if you have skills relating to The InnerNetzzz (or even if not) you should look for a job that will let you "telecommute"! apatite fucked around with this message at 14:05 on Aug 21, 2015 |
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Jan 14, 2013 22:59
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Nice thread, been reading the whole thing. If you don't mind me asking, what type of job do you telecommute for, is it programming? And do you have a master plan of what you want the place to look like or are you just doing it a bit at a time?
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Jan 14, 2013 23:07
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apatite fucked around with this message at 14:05 on Aug 21, 2015 |
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Jan 17, 2013 16:56
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Keep up the good work man, I enjoy this thread. I saw those pic of the rocks, you should build a nice fire pit up there, camp out at night on the hill.
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Jan 19, 2013 09:03
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apatite fucked around with this message at 14:06 on Aug 21, 2015 |
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Jan 21, 2013 16:53
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apatite fucked around with this message at 14:07 on Aug 21, 2015 |
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Jan 21, 2013 18:39
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Congrats on the move-in. How are your pets adjusting to the trailer?
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Jan 21, 2013 20:05
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apatite fucked around with this message at 14:07 on Aug 21, 2015 |
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Jan 21, 2013 20:54
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apatite posted:At midnight it was -7F
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Jan 21, 2013 22:50
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Actuary X posted:It wasn't that cold last night and today, but the drain pipe from the kitchen froze. (It's just a pipe that empties out onto the ground outside.) I didn't manage to get it thawed out after working on it all afternoon; I finally gave up because it was getting dark and snowing. Tomorrow night it's supposed to get down to -13. More problems expected. It's going to be a brutally cold week. Was it the trap that froze, or the drain pipe itself? If it was the drain pipe you need more slope on that sucker. apatite fucked around with this message at 14:07 on Aug 21, 2015 |
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Jan 21, 2013 23:08
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apatite posted:The key to this might be that I purposely didn't bother installing a trap on it to help keep it from freezing up... A trap is only to keep sewer gas from traveling back up the drains, so a trap wouldn't really do anything but keep critters out anyway.
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Jan 22, 2013 00:27
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apatite posted:Was it the trap that froze, or the drain pipe itself? If it was the drain pipe you need more slope on that sucker. I've got a greywater mulch bed that the kitchen sink drains to, it hasn't frozen up yet even with our nastier temps but it drains at a good angle. The key to this might be that I purposely didn't bother installing a trap on it to help keep it from freezing up... No, it was the pipe itself. In the crawlspace under the cabin, the pipe goes straight down, and then hits a 90 degree elbow and goes pretty much flat across the rock. It doesn't have enough angle to drain properly. It needs to be fixed, but it's a pain in the rear end to deal with plumbing outside when it's below freezing, and in this three foot crawlspace. I'm thinking I may have to cut the vertical pipe and run something at an angle so it drains. I think I may have actually caused the drain to freeze up, because I left the water dripping to keep the water pipe from freezing. Addressing one issue caused another. Eventually, in the spring, I'd like to figure out how to get the greywater over to where we want the garden to be (on the other side of the cabin, of course). The weather here is calling for -14 tonight and again tomorrow night. I wish our woodstove was bigger. It's managing to keep warm so far (but I have to get up in the night to feed it). It will be an issue if it is also very windy when it is that cold. Actuary X fucked around with this message at 12:59 on Jan 22, 2013 |
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Jan 22, 2013 12:55
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One Legged Ninja posted:A trap is only to keep sewer gas from traveling back up the drains, so a trap wouldn't really do anything but keep critters out anyway. Exactly. We just leave the strainers in the sink, if some mouse or whatever wants a shower the next time we use the water it's entirely up to him/her  In the spring though I'll need to figure something out to keep insects from invading via the drain...Actuary X posted:No, it was the pipe itself. In the crawlspace under the cabin, the pipe goes straight down, and then hits a 90 degree elbow and goes pretty much flat across the rock. It doesn't have enough angle to drain properly. It needs to be fixed, but it's a pain in the rear end to deal with plumbing outside when it's below freezing, and in this three foot crawlspace. Yeah it sounds like the 90* elbow and then the flat run is probably your issue. Like you said, it'd probably be best to cut it off higher and run a 45* elbow... But then again, it *IS* really drat cold out. This is our forecast for tonight: " Low of -11F with a windchill as low as -22F. "
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Jan 22, 2013 15:43
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Pretty sure that loving Fisher stole one of your happy Hares. Awesome piece of land you've got.
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Jan 25, 2013 07:24
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So in the past week we have seen the tracks/sign of: Fisher Red Fox Weasel Coyote Rabbit Ruffed Grouse White-tail Deer 
apatite fucked around with this message at 14:08 on Aug 21, 2015 |
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Jan 25, 2013 16:24
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apatite posted:
I hope your cats are able to outrun those loving fishers. Once they run out of wabbits they sure as hell won't say no to a catsnack. http://www.thewesterlysun.com/news/local/article_e2a4d3d4-b6e7-5b5a-9178-18461121aa2e.html loving weasels. Are you legally allowed to provide them a fistful of 12 gauge love where you live?
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Jan 25, 2013 17:12
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Sir Cornelius posted:I hope your cats are able to outrun those loving fishers. Once they run out of wabbits they sure as hell won't say no to a catsnack. http://www.thewesterlysun.com/news/local/article_e2a4d3d4-b6e7-5b5a-9178-18461121aa2e.html I was wondering this as well about the cats. Surely the cats aren't going to be stuck inside your trailer the whole time? The weasels were there first tbh and I hope OP isn't planning on hunting them down .
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Jan 25, 2013 17:28
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VelociBacon posted:The weasels were there first tbh and I hope OP isn't planning on hunting them down I hope he is, but I admit I have a very low weasel-tolerance. Also, he can insulate the trailer with weasel-carpets. Anyway, OP, you should install a cat door in the building so the cats have a way to retreat if (when) they get in trouble. Sir Cornelius fucked around with this message at 17:54 on Jan 25, 2013 |
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Jan 25, 2013 17:50
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apatite fucked around with this message at 14:09 on Aug 21, 2015 |
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Jan 25, 2013 17:52
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Sir Cornelius posted:I hope he is, but I admit I have a very low weasel-tolerance. Also, he can insulate the trailer with weasel-carpets. We posted about winter pelt warming carpets at the same time. Surely this is some type of awesome sign of things to come.
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Jan 25, 2013 17:54
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Sir Cornelius posted:I hope your cats are able to outrun those loving fishers. Once they run out of wabbits they sure as hell won't say no to a catsnack. http://www.thewesterlysun.com/news/local/article_e2a4d3d4-b6e7-5b5a-9178-18461121aa2e.html I wouldn't worry about the weasels so much as the coyotes. They will be what eats your cats. NB: Ate one of mine, and 6 of my chickens. Regularly chased the cats inside the house.
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Jan 25, 2013 18:03
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