Put the nut on the bolt first before you cut the bolt. If the thread gets a bit knarly, removing the nut acts as a die to straighten the threads out. - Just saw that it was covered in previous comment.
Realize, that prior to about the mid 70s there was no pressure treated lumber used in the building of homes. How do i know that? I know because i was in the home building business since the early 50s untill the late 90s. As we drive around the country and see all the very old barns still standing and still solid, it might be fair to ask questions about all this. As the old cliche goes, we are most afraid of the things we know the least about.
Pressure treated wood is AWAYS thicker. The treatment makes it swell. You are making me nervous by cutting away 80% of the 6x6. I have to go see the next video to see how that pans out.
You didn’t need to put that aluminum flashing down on those concrete posts bro. In fact you probably created a long term problem for yourself because water is going to pool under those post brackets. I’m still trying to understand why you did that. Galvanized post brackets are ok to touch concrete and pressure treated wood. That’s what they are made for. Completely unnecessary and you could have seriously cut yourself messing around with that flashing.
The additional complication is galvanic corrosion. Zinc (as used in the galvanised steel coating) and aluminium are next to each other on the galvanic chart and pose little risk to each other; however, using the mild steel shims and with the potential introduction of a catalyst (namely water), this is a no-no.
I'm just watching you cut that 6x6 so I'm not very far into the series but I can't believe that you're going to cut all the rest of them and waste that much lumber that's like throwing away half of what you just spent money on
For hundreds of years now cabins here in Appalachia have been built without using in ground footers at depths anywhere deeper than 12 to 18 inches. Some of those cabins, having been built as far back as the mid 1700s, still stand today. While I fully believe the building method you are trying to promote is a good idea and if both financially and physically feasible should be done, it truly is not a 100% necessity.
My grandpa built a 10x20 storage building in 1980, he used 4x4 wood post cemented into the ground. I still use said building to this day, but everybody says four by four's will only last about 10 years in the ground?
I do not, I had just borrowed one when I cut those trees in an earlier video. I’m sure it’d chew through it much faster than my small reciprocating saw. Thanks for watching !
I'm not sure the metal base to hold the posts is a good idea. They will bend and eventually crush under the weight of the cabin. Thus, may cause a serious unbalance. I also see that you plan to use mineral wool as insulation for the floor. BAD idea, very bad! Mice just love that stuff to make their nest and/or to use as a home. They will not only shred it in pieces but will also piss on it. Mineral wool is one of the worst ideas for a cabin in the woods.
How did you calculate the girder span and built up size? Also how did you calculate the pier footer size? There is not a lot of info in the code for this type of construction almost like it’s not recognized.
That’s what I do for work as a residential structural engineer. Pretty much we use the tributary area going back to each girder, apply to code imposed live loads and dead loads and run the member in a software. You can look into Forte Web. Same thing for the footings, I calculated the tributary area of floor and roof going down to each footer, apply the code loading and used a software to determine the size of my footings. I mean I might do a video about this if that’d be helpful.
@@TheDIYCabinGuy Ok, that makes sense now, becuase you had gone into a lot of other structural eng stuff in some of your videos. I'm actually a Mechanical and Plumbing Designer for industrial and commercial buildings. But I'm trying to teach myself how to run structural loads for a small Cabin I want to build like you! But that would be cool if you did a video on this topic.
Man, you need a small tractor, it would have saved you so much time. I have learned that a small tractor is much better than no tractor!! You really did this right, you said you want it to last 100 years so I will be interested to see how it weathers over time. Thank you again!
Trust me, I wish I had a tractor 😂 this was brutal work but the point is also to show that even with no real equipment, this can get done. If I were to build another one, I’d definitely get lazier and rent some earth moving equipment. Yeah curious to see how it will age too !
I wanted to do that originally but then I realized that the cabin platform was going to be 6 ft tall at the highest side. I didn’t feel like pouring a 6 ft tall concrete pier. Seemed like too much could go wrong.
@@TheDIYCabinGuy makes sense. I want to build a cabin but was thinking about a square pier to make it easier to finish off for a bottom skirt. I don’t know if there is a form for that or if I would have to build one. I know the tubes are pretty popular but the round shape limits the placement of the anchors. Maybe I can cement blocks together with a footing underneath and save on some concrete mixing? I’m afraid that eventually the wooden piers will need replacement. Treated lumber doesn’t last forever. Tremendous accomplishment by yourself thanks for the reply.
@@jimdrechsel3611 thanks, I think you’re correct, if you wanted a square pier, you’d have to build formwork yourself. I’m not aware of any ready form available for that shape.
I don’t think it’s good practice to bury post into the ground/concrete. They could decay and I can’t imagine the mess to try and replace those. I could have made the concrete pier taller, that’s true, but still would have had to go through the same struggles with installing posts and cutting them at the right height.
@@TheDIYCabinGuy I think if you use ground contact pressure treated posts they are OK. I own a old piling house and its still in great condition here in Florida the land of bugs and rot. Anyway just curious, I am no expert, just looking around at how people do piers or pilings, I am thinking about building a cabin myself.
Quick question, I see you used posts on all the piers, even the ones closest to the ground, if your land was level would you have used the Simpson tie and posts the same or just beam on top of pier? I just usually see most videos use posts only where they have to and this was interesting to see
If everything was level, I probably would have put the beams directly on the Simpson post bases directly on the concrete (no post) but that means you have to make sure to level all your concrete pilasters. As far as the ties, I added them because my area is classified as high winds per the building code. But let’s say you build in the forest in a « normal » area, I probably wouldn’t have used those ties. Having said that, it’s cheap and easy so why not!
@@TheDIYCabinGuy When you said you were going for overkill, I thought you were exaggerating. I had no idea what I was in for! I watched Mark Karnowski's series on building a cabin and I think if he were to build it like you, he'd still be out there building it. But, maybe your next build will be less challenging thanks to everything you learned on the first one.
@@CringePanda also keep in mind that building codes do vary based on where the building is in the USA. I’m in a high wind zone which requires me to follow certain requirements which would seem overkill in other area of the USA.
@@TheDIYCabinGuy I'm actually amazed anyone is building anything right now with the current lumber prices. I'm planning on building my first cabin, in Arizona, later this year and I'm thinking of building out of concrete block just because lumber is so expensive. They have this thing called surface bonding cement which means you just dry stack your blocks and coat the outside of it with the cement. BTW in the first video or so you mentioned that you would talk about costs. I think I haven't seen that in the later videos. But, I'm watching them all out of order.
@@CringePanda yes keep going, I’ll cover the costs, you will see. Yes lumber is INSANE! I put an order two months ago, sheathing has literally doubled since. It might be worth it to look into alternatives for sure !
Great content. I'm a bit surprised that you'd notch out more than 50% of the piling. It's not allowed by code to do that. You'd need to strap both the girders and the beam down with a metal plate a thru bolt it.
@@melvinp.h.3069 thanks but it seems like this only applies to areas defined as coastal high hazard areas, ocean hazard areas, flood plain and high wind (150mph) area. I’m in a high wind area but only above 4500 ft do we need to use 150 mph, most houses are below that elevation. Thank you for bringing that up, it was interesting to look at these details.
@@jond661 still looks fine almost 2 years later. It was to prevent bugs from crawling up the posts. I had seen that done back in Texas, they called it a termite shield.
Oh man, that would have been nice. I seriously considered getting a used atv for that reason but they’re expensive ! Now I’m too far into the project to be worth it, surely was a good workout to move every single piece of material I used for the cabin.
You almost had it with the hand truck. If you put them lengthwise with one end on the dolly, you can then strap them to the dolly and use it as wheels on the far end and it will take most of the weight of the wood. Great videos.
So I would have enough room to get under the cabin for the plumbing work and installing insulation which is why I’m working on now and I’m glad I have some space down there.
Great research, detail, persistence. We have old cabin on our property built in 60’s. It was not tied down just sitting on wooden blocks. We replaced with solid concrete squares. Building technology has obviously improved 😎keep up the great work. Thank you
Finally started watching the whole series with my daughter. Thanks for all your work and replies. Eventually we want to build a small cabin as well. I'll throw a tip in the ring for your future projects or others reading this. You can dip/soak the lumber into the solution if you're doing it over and over again to make it faster at bigger scale. If your pieces are too wide or tall for the can, get a plastic tote of the right size and use a cup to 'baste' the piece. (I'm a remodel contractor of a decade)
@@TheDIYCabinGuy Doing as much as you did, brushing it on works great. I just had a job once where I had to buy a TON of that copper green stuff. And after a while I got fed up and started basting it over a big tote and it was awesome.
You can now get the free DIY Cabin Blueprint at :
thediycabinguy.com/blueprint
Put the nut on the bolt first before you cut the bolt. If the thread gets a bit knarly, removing the nut acts as a die to straighten the threads out. - Just saw that it was covered in previous comment.
Yeah that’s a good one to know!
Realize, that prior to about the mid 70s there was no pressure treated lumber used in the building of homes.
How do i know that?
I know because i was in the home building business since the early 50s untill the late 90s.
As we drive around the country and see all the very old barns still standing and still solid, it might be fair to ask questions about all this.
As the old cliche goes, we are most afraid of the things we know the least about.
Interesting!
Pressure treated wood is AWAYS thicker. The treatment makes it swell. You are making me nervous by cutting away 80% of the 6x6. I have to go see the next video to see how that pans out.
Keep watching you’ll see :)
You didn’t need to put that aluminum flashing down on those concrete posts bro. In fact you probably created a long term problem for yourself because water is going to pool under those post brackets. I’m still trying to understand why you did that. Galvanized post brackets are ok to touch concrete and pressure treated wood. That’s what they are made for. Completely unnecessary and you could have seriously cut yourself messing around with that flashing.
My idea was to prevent any pest/insect crawling up the structure.
The additional complication is galvanic corrosion. Zinc (as used in the galvanised steel coating) and aluminium are next to each other on the galvanic chart and pose little risk to each other; however, using the mild steel shims and with the potential introduction of a catalyst (namely water), this is a no-no.
@@TheDIYCabinGuy That won't work, they will still get there if they want to.
I'm just watching you cut that 6x6 so I'm not very far into the series but I can't believe that you're going to cut all the rest of them and waste that much lumber that's like throwing away half of what you just spent money on
I ended up using most of them as braces so I don’t think I actually wasted that much.
For hundreds of years now cabins here in Appalachia have been built without using in ground footers at depths anywhere deeper than 12 to 18 inches. Some of those cabins, having been built as far back as the mid 1700s, still stand today. While I fully believe the building method you are trying to promote is a good idea and if both financially and physically feasible should be done, it truly is not a 100% necessity.
It is a necessity if you want to pass the county inspection 😂
My grandpa built a 10x20 storage building in 1980, he used 4x4 wood post cemented into the ground. I still use said building to this day, but everybody says four by four's will only last about 10 years in the ground?
@@mattgeiger8247 well I would say that it’s not because you have an example of one building still standing that it makes it a good practice
So much bureaucracy today and some much money needed to pass codes
So you’re the reason I can’t find pressure treated lumber anywhere 😂
Lol yeah I bought it all up !
A chainsaw (if you have one) works great for cutting those 6x6's in one go. Great info in this video series!
I do not, I had just borrowed one when I cut those trees in an earlier video. I’m sure it’d chew through it much faster than my small reciprocating saw. Thanks for watching !
Yep, I was about to say that :)
I'm not sure the metal base to hold the posts is a good idea. They will bend and eventually crush under the weight of the cabin. Thus, may cause a serious unbalance. I also see that you plan to use mineral wool as insulation for the floor. BAD idea, very bad! Mice just love that stuff to make their nest and/or to use as a home. They will not only shred it in pieces but will also piss on it. Mineral wool is one of the worst ideas for a cabin in the woods.
How did you calculate the girder span and built up size? Also how did you calculate the pier footer size? There is not a lot of info in the code for this type of construction almost like it’s not recognized.
That’s what I do for work as a residential structural engineer. Pretty much we use the tributary area going back to each girder, apply to code imposed live loads and dead loads and run the member in a software. You can look into Forte Web.
Same thing for the footings, I calculated the tributary area of floor and roof going down to each footer, apply the code loading and used a software to determine the size of my footings.
I mean I might do a video about this if that’d be helpful.
@@TheDIYCabinGuy Ok, that makes sense now, becuase you had gone into a lot of other structural eng stuff in some of your videos. I'm actually a Mechanical and Plumbing Designer for industrial and commercial buildings. But I'm trying to teach myself how to run structural loads for a small Cabin I want to build like you! But that would be cool if you did a video on this topic.
Man, you need a small tractor, it would have saved you so much time. I have learned that a small tractor is much better than no tractor!! You really did this right, you said you want it to last 100 years so I will be interested to see how it weathers over time. Thank you again!
Trust me, I wish I had a tractor 😂 this was brutal work but the point is also to show that even with no real equipment, this can get done.
If I were to build another one, I’d definitely get lazier and rent some earth moving equipment.
Yeah curious to see how it will age too !
@@TheDIYCabinGuyI’m interested to know how much weight you gained from the muscle you had to be building while you built the cabin! No gym needed!
@@Agrillot6 I don’t think I really got to gain muscle but it definitely got me fit !
all of these videos are great, detailed, information is good and helpful tips throughout.. très bien!
Glad you think so!
How come you don’t level the concrete and place the beams right on the concrete instead of wooden posts?
Thanks for sharing.
I wanted to do that originally but then I realized that the cabin platform was going to be 6 ft tall at the highest side. I didn’t feel like pouring a 6 ft tall concrete pier. Seemed like too much could go wrong.
@@TheDIYCabinGuy makes sense. I want to build a cabin but was thinking about a square pier to make it easier to finish off for a bottom skirt. I don’t know if there is a form for that or if I would have to build one. I know the tubes are pretty popular but the round shape limits the placement of the anchors. Maybe I can cement blocks together with a footing underneath and save on some concrete mixing?
I’m afraid that eventually the wooden piers will need replacement. Treated lumber doesn’t last forever. Tremendous accomplishment by yourself thanks for the reply.
@@jimdrechsel3611 thanks, I think you’re correct, if you wanted a square pier, you’d have to build formwork yourself. I’m not aware of any ready form available for that shape.
Such an underrated channel. So informative and thank you for sharing your experience in such detail.
Sincerely appreciate the comment Daniel! I’m very glad you enjoyed it.
In place of shimming the post why not shave the bottom of it so the post is plumb.
Could have been a possibility
Don't you have simpson strong parts in the US? This company comes from Amerika.😂😂😂👍🇩🇪
Termites can fly...
I just happened apon your videos and am fully enjoying ,for a DIY guy great job , thanks
Thanks Doug!
7:24 you can alternately use 5 gallon paint ucket lids as caps.
Thanks
I'm hoping u earn enough from this channel for a miter saw
How do you think he cut the 6x6's. It showed him using a DeWalt miter saw.
Why not save a huge amount of time and just get 4 foot post and cement it into the ground? Or make the cement pier thing a foot taller?
I don’t think it’s good practice to bury post into the ground/concrete. They could decay and I can’t imagine the mess to try and replace those.
I could have made the concrete pier taller, that’s true, but still would have had to go through the same struggles with installing posts and cutting them at the right height.
@@TheDIYCabinGuy I think if you use ground contact pressure treated posts they are OK. I own a old piling house and its still in great condition here in Florida the land of bugs and rot.
Anyway just curious, I am no expert, just looking around at how people do piers or pilings, I am thinking about building a cabin myself.
I questioned the Al flashing when I watched time lapse deck. I so spaced out the termite connection. Duh.
Not really common in NC, that’s more something I had seen done back in TX. I figured, why not?
@@TheDIYCabinGuy why not. I agree in a little extra for durability
Quick question, I see you used posts on all the piers, even the ones closest to the ground, if your land was level would you have used the Simpson tie and posts the same or just beam on top of pier? I just usually see most videos use posts only where they have to and this was interesting to see
If everything was level, I probably would have put the beams directly on the Simpson post bases directly on the concrete (no post) but that means you have to make sure to level all your concrete pilasters. As far as the ties, I added them because my area is classified as high winds per the building code. But let’s say you build in the forest in a « normal » area, I probably wouldn’t have used those ties. Having said that, it’s cheap and easy so why not!
Thank you and it looks like with my level of concrete work posts are much easier to level versus a concrete pillar, hope the build is going good
Channel should be called "The OCD Cabin Builder." 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Lool guilty as charged, well that’s what engineering school will do to you.
@@TheDIYCabinGuy When you said you were going for overkill, I thought you were exaggerating. I had no idea what I was in for! I watched Mark Karnowski's series on building a cabin and I think if he were to build it like you, he'd still be out there building it. But, maybe your next build will be less challenging thanks to everything you learned on the first one.
@@CringePanda also keep in mind that building codes do vary based on where the building is in the USA. I’m in a high wind zone which requires me to follow certain requirements which would seem overkill in other area of the USA.
@@TheDIYCabinGuy I'm actually amazed anyone is building anything right now with the current lumber prices. I'm planning on building my first cabin, in Arizona, later this year and I'm thinking of building out of concrete block just because lumber is so expensive. They have this thing called surface bonding cement which means you just dry stack your blocks and coat the outside of it with the cement. BTW in the first video or so you mentioned that you would talk about costs. I think I haven't seen that in the later videos. But, I'm watching them all out of order.
@@CringePanda yes keep going, I’ll cover the costs, you will see.
Yes lumber is INSANE! I put an order two months ago, sheathing has literally doubled since. It might be worth it to look into alternatives for sure !
This channel actually teaches me how to do things. Thanks
Thanks! Glad you’re enjoying it
Great content. I'm a bit surprised that you'd notch out more than 50% of the piling. It's not allowed by code to do that. You'd need to strap both the girders and the beam down with a metal plate a thru bolt it.
Melvin, that’s interesting, do you have the reference for the post? I would love to look at it if you could tell me which chapter you’re referring to.
@@TheDIYCabinGuy Of course. Here it is.
2018 NC Residential Code
R4603.6 Tying and bracing of wood piles. (180313 Item B-4)
@@melvinp.h.3069 thanks but it seems like this only applies to areas defined as coastal high hazard areas, ocean hazard areas, flood plain and high wind (150mph) area.
I’m in a high wind area but only above 4500 ft do we need to use 150 mph, most houses are below that elevation.
Thank you for bringing that up, it was interesting to look at these details.
@@TheDIYCabinGuy I got you. Didn't know it wasn't a general code. I just subscribed. Love that you keep it real. I'm on episode 7 of the series.
@@melvinp.h.3069 no problem, I love the feedback, I don’t know it all.
Thanks for watching!
Not gonna lie, that struggling up the hill with the wood and dolly gave me a solid chuckle!! Keep em coming! I’m loving the content.
😂 the struggle is real
Me too hahah 🤣
Would the aluminum flashing corrode from touching the pressure treated lumber and/or the concrete?
I dont see why it would. Having said that, I’m not a metal expert.
@@TheDIYCabinGuyhow does it look? Also what did you put the flashing for., im not sure that's why I ask❤
@@jond661 still looks fine almost 2 years later. It was to prevent bugs from crawling up the posts. I had seen that done back in Texas, they called it a termite shield.
@@TheDIYCabinGuy we have a cottage and the posts were being eaten by porkupines.
@@jond661 omg, never heard that before!
I was just hoping a neighbour would show up with a quad and a trailer to help with those materials!!!
Oh man, that would have been nice. I seriously considered getting a used atv for that reason but they’re expensive !
Now I’m too far into the project to be worth it, surely was a good workout to move every single piece of material I used for the cabin.
You almost had it with the hand truck. If you put them lengthwise with one end on the dolly, you can then strap them to the dolly and use it as wheels on the far end and it will take most of the weight of the wood. Great videos.
Sounds like I didn’t have the proper technique with the dolly, oh well, I always look at it as getting a small workout moving that wood up. Thanks !
Good video good job but nothing better than watching a green horn trying to work with lumber lol.
Lol gotta start somewhere
Why did you determine 18” to be the height of your first post?
So I would have enough room to get under the cabin for the plumbing work and installing insulation which is why I’m working on now and I’m glad I have some space down there.
I appreciate the real life asspect of the video.
Thanks ! I don’t want to sugarcoat anything
Does your current budget include any of the building materials or just for the tubs and beams?
It should include every building materials
@@TheDIYCabinGuy oh okay thanks cause I noticed you had a few add ons that I didn’t count for in my budget list lol
You need to invest in 4 wheeler and then sell it
Yeah trust me I thought about it,
If I ever build another cabin then I will definitely do that! Hauling those concrete bags was insane!
sir, sir how u cut the post?
Is that a rhetorical question 😂?
How you know what lumber to get?
I just really planned everything. I drew it up so I have a fairly accurate idea of what I need to be using.
i see all the trees there. why not use a guide post and rope and wheel the wood up hill like loggers do timber. just a thought
Could probably work, didn’t really though about it and don’t even know how to do such a thing to be honest.
Can it be stainless instead of galvanized?
I would check with the store or whoever you’re buying it from to know for sure that it’s for outdoor use.
It can be, and it's a much better product, but you'll see it's at least 5 times the price of galvanized.
Aluminum on concrete will corrode over time. Better to use scrap Azek or even a couple layers of Ice n’ Water.
Good to know! Time will tell, if it gets bad, I can always remove it.
I really appreciate how thorough and informative you are. Thank you for an excellent video
Thank you Marc! Appreciate the positive feedback !
Great research, detail, persistence. We have old cabin on our property built in 60’s. It was not tied down just sitting on wooden blocks. We replaced with solid concrete squares. Building technology has obviously improved 😎keep up the great work. Thank you
Thanks a lot! Yes, lots of improvement since the 60’s for sure 😄
The first thing you need is an ATV....
If I ever build another one, I swore to myself that I would get a used one, would have saved lots of time and efforts.
I'm looking to build an addition onto my house next year and this was a great help. I am definitely subscribing. Hopefully I can learn alot
Thanks! And glad to hear you’re doing my vidéos helpful !
You have never done this before, and know what your doing. Good luck buddy.
Thanks !
Finally started watching the whole series with my daughter. Thanks for all your work and replies. Eventually we want to build a small cabin as well.
I'll throw a tip in the ring for your future projects or others reading this. You can dip/soak the lumber into the solution if you're doing it over and over again to make it faster at bigger scale. If your pieces are too wide or tall for the can, get a plastic tote of the right size and use a cup to 'baste' the piece. (I'm a remodel contractor of a decade)
Glad to hear this Kyle and thank you for the tip, that makes great sense and is probably much better than applying with a brush like I did.
@@TheDIYCabinGuy Doing as much as you did, brushing it on works great. I just had a job once where I had to buy a TON of that copper green stuff. And after a while I got fed up and started basting it over a big tote and it was awesome.
Awesome. My daughter loved HOW ITS MADE when she was little, that and This Old House. She thought they sounded funny.
This is some of the best content on this subject. Very well made and informative.
Thanks a lot Caleb! Glad you’re finding this helpful because it takes a lot of time to put together 😂
@@TheDIYCabinGuy for sure. I’m actually a home builder. I only work with post tension slabs though.
@@caleberwin65 that’s what I used to design back when I used to work in Houston Tx. Here, it’s another story since all lots are sloped !
@@TheDIYCabinGuy yeah, I’m looking at building my own house by myself and it’s just not realistic with any sort of slab. P/B/J is the way to go.