Damp arrival - electrical shed under water
Before we can get started, however, a small surprise awaits us: our electrical shed is under water. The water runs free from the lower door slot. Since water and electricity form a suboptimal combination, we initially panic. Fortunately, however, the water is not so high that it reached the electric box or other critical elements – the area would have been a bit more charcoaled then. So ... we spend the first evening doing two things: sweeping water out of the electrical shed and looking for the cause.
It quickly becomes clear that the water is running out of a plastic pipe that leads into the shed and ends there. And "ends" means that the pipe has been cut off semi-professionally and is manifasting an unsealed exit in the area. Someone must have been a little off their rocker - we think to ourselves. It is spectacular that the water does not quilt out of the open end of the pipe - how conventional would that be - but it simply splashes out of a small crack that has formed over time. Is there any point in patching the crack, or should we rather look for the source of the water flood?
OK, let's investigate! But since we have a rough idea where this pipe might come from, we dig at the same place. It is the old water pipe that was laid between the house of the former owners - and our new neighbors - and the former mobile home. Courageously, we simply cut the pipe, since no one will definitely need it anymore. And so the water seeps into the ground instead of soaking the floor and walls in the electrical shed. But why the water all at once started and also where it comes from is unclear. Our neighbors have had a new seepage group built. We assume that the old water pipe was simply cut off on their side, but the water still continues to look for its way and finds it. Well, neighbors and construction workers are informed.
Framing
Framing the exterior walls is pretty fun, as you can see progress. With each new wall the cabin takes shape and form - and we're starting to get a feel for the space as well.
Lumber
For the exterior walls we use 2×6 wooden beams (2×6), so 1.5 inches by 5.5 inches (3.8 by 14 cm) - because, as we all know, 2 is 1.5 and 6 is 5.5. 🤐 By the way, the things are 8 feet long. The outer walls of the cabin, however, are not quite 7 feet high, which is why we have to cut each of the countless 8-foot beams individually. This results in quite a bit of leftover wood, which we will certainly be able to use elsewhere later.
Now the question arises why we use 2×6 and not 2×4, which is more common and also more usual in North America. 2×4 beams are - you can almost guess from the name - 3.5 inches wide, or 8.89 cm. A nearly 9 cm thick outer wall just seems a bit too little to us. Especially when you consider the insulation. After all, that's what's between the individual beams. It doesn't take a genius to guess that 14 cm of insulation is a bit more than just under 9 cm. Another reason for using 2×6 is the various wires in the walls: Holes need to be drilled in the support beams for water pipes and power cables, and again, it just seems to make more sense to have more wood around the hole.
Exterior Walls
The framework of the exterior walls follows a simple principle: a continuous beam rests horizontally on the subfloor and forms the base of the wall; on top of this stand the wall beams (studs) vertically at a distance of 24 inches from each other; at the top the frame is finished with another beam. This simple basic framework is laid out on the floor - like a large jigsaw puzzle - and then the individual components are nailed together with a nail gun.
By the way, you can optionally set the studs at a distance of 16 inches from each other. This is also the standard here in North America. Again, we deviate from the same because the 24-inch spacing in the outer walls gives us more room for insulation and also requires less raw material in the form of wood. This does not affect the stability of the Cabin. Both 16 and 24 inches are covered and approved by the building codes that apply here.
Once you have expertly stapled the individual components together with a nail gun, all you really need is strength and perseverance and patience to get the exterior wall into its final place. It is important that the wooden frame is straight and vertical in all directions. With the first wall, this is still a challenge: holding the wall with one hand, the spirit level with the other, the cordless screwdriver and the screws with the third, and the beams that are then to hold the wall in place with the fourth.
Just like the first wall is built, all the other walls are. In itself, that sounds pretty simple, doesn't it? In total, the first level of our cabin consists of nine walls. So we'll have to work hard to get them all on the platform properly.
Sheating - stabilize exterior walls
The basic framework of such a wall is not sufficient for the construction to be stable. Just as a shelf or a cabinet only really stands properly when the back panel is nailed down, a wall is also only stable and structurally usable when the so-called sheating is attached. This is chipboard that is nailed to the frame and thus gives the framework stability.
When building the exterior walls, you have the choice whether to attach the sheathing already when the wall is still on the ground or when the wall is standing up. We decided to install the sheathing afterwards, because it seems easier to stand up the frame than the much heavier clad wall. In all honesty, this was a semi-good decision. Of course, on the one hand, it's easier - purely in terms of weight - to put up just the wooden beams nailed together. However, a nearly 24-foot-long collection of nailed-together wooden slats is also a pretty shaky affair, where such cladding might have helped. Anyway, in the end the walls are up and we can get a first impression of what it might be like to live here.
Cabin Playlist
Music is Emotion. Music holds Memory. This is the soundtrack for the build of our Cabin at the Upper Sunshine Coast.
So finden wir jederzeit zurück zu den Momenten voller Herausforderung, Freude und Zufriedenheit.
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Cabin-Blog-Zeitleiste
All our posts about RITICOLO Cabin have been organized in this fancy looking timeline. Pretty cool, eh! Have fun looking around and leave a comment if you enjoy what you are reading.
Trees, a Wood Stove, Lumber and Paws
Vapor barrier - cabin interior
Thermal Insulation and What it Takes to Get There
Roof – The big Finale
Roofing for Dummies
Roofing - shingles or metal roof?
Cabin - New Year Progress
Cabin Timeline
Roofing – Part Two
Roofing - Part One
Gable Walls and LVL
Lofts
Header Beam – Ein dicker Balken, der alles zusammenhält Zum Bau der Außenwände hatten wir…
Things we learned so far
Basecamp
From concrete piers to the finished subfloor
It's amazing what you can accomplish in a few weekends. During the construction of our
Demolition, Homework and some Problems
Progress - Getting Rid of Stuff
First Steps in Lund
On the February long weekend (Family Day), we pack up our MINI and head to our
Lund - The Property
2 replies on “Der Bau der Außenwände”
Ähm, an die Türen habt Ihr gedacht ?!
Die kommen erst viel viel später.