srheid
February 26th, 2007, 11:45 PM
I am the new owner of an old cabin on a gorgeous lake in Alaska. The cabin is 20x24 A Frame style. The post and beam foundation is in questionable condition but otherwise the place is in great shape. I want to build new footers and replace the beams. But I am not sure how to size them. The cabin is 20ft wide and 24ft long - with 3 beams running the 24ft length. There are 3 evenly spaced posts holding up each beam. The floor joists 2x8 on 24" oc. It is one story cabin with only a 1/2 loft and metal roofing. Not very heavy. As it is a very steep pitch - snowload is not an issue.
The cabin is not road accessible (boat only) and is totally off the grid system - no electric and no plumbing. I hope to be able to borrow a generator for the duration of the project.
I have searched for load and span info on the web but have not come up with much. So here are my questions:
0. I am planning on using 6x6 posts on a 22" x22" All Weather Wood pad - 3 layers. (concrete is not an option - too much of a hassle with no water available)
1) Can someone suggest appropriate sized beams - I want to make them out of 2x material so it is easy to transport in the boat
2) I would like to put a deck on the back. I know I can get 2x material in up to 16' lengths. What would the beam size need to be if I wanted to span 15 ft?
3) Will the center beam carry less load and can it be sized smaller?
4) I want to use threaded jacks so the cabin is easily adjustable in the future. What size screw jacks I would need? I have been looking at
http://www.ellisok.com/ellisok/products_screwjacks.html#6x6SJ or the timber jacks. Is this overkill or can I get away with 1" threads (available in Alaska so much, much cheaper as I won't have to pay shipping!)
5) What else am I missing? I welcome any suggestions you might have.
Thanks!
SRHeid
The cabin is not road accessible (boat only) and is totally off the grid system - no electric and no plumbing. I hope to be able to borrow a generator for the duration of the project.
I have searched for load and span info on the web but have not come up with much. So here are my questions:
0. I am planning on using 6x6 posts on a 22" x22" All Weather Wood pad - 3 layers. (concrete is not an option - too much of a hassle with no water available)
1) Can someone suggest appropriate sized beams - I want to make them out of 2x material so it is easy to transport in the boat
2) I would like to put a deck on the back. I know I can get 2x material in up to 16' lengths. What would the beam size need to be if I wanted to span 15 ft?
3) Will the center beam carry less load and can it be sized smaller?
4) I want to use threaded jacks so the cabin is easily adjustable in the future. What size screw jacks I would need? I have been looking at
http://www.ellisok.com/ellisok/products_screwjacks.html#6x6SJ or the timber jacks. Is this overkill or can I get away with 1" threads (available in Alaska so much, much cheaper as I won't have to pay shipping!)
5) What else am I missing? I welcome any suggestions you might have.
Thanks!
SRHeid
