Phase 3: Housewrap, cabin windows, and exterior door

Over the last few weeks Tony and I worked more on closing in the cabin, including housewrap, the cabin windows, and the exterior door. A few weeks ago I left you off with our cabin looking like this, with the exterior framing and aspenite almost finished…

 

Housewrap

Over the Christmas holidays we finished off the exterior framing, and then wrapped the cabin in typar that we got from Morrisburg Building Centre. The purpose of typar housewrap is to add weather and waterproofing to the exterior. It prevents water from getting inside the structure, but still allows vapors to pass through. It comes in a long roll, and you basically just wrap it around the house and staple it as you go. 

Cabin Windows and Exterior door 

We decided to get used windows for the cabin. Brand new windows would be nice, but it’s a cabin. And I found a great deal on some large wood windows that still were in great condition. I am no expert on installing windows, but here is the general process of what we did. When we framed the walls, we framed the window openings two inches bigger each way. When you install a window, you first screw a few blocks to the rough window opening for the window to rest on. Then you use shims to make sure the window is level in all directions. Screw through the window frame into the shims and the blocks to secure it in place.  The door is installed pretty much the same way. 

We did a total of six cabin windows – the biggest one is at the front in the living room, the next biggest are in the living room and dining area, as well as in the kitchen. There’s a small window in the bathroom, and a fairly large window up in the loft. 

Other things

Tony installed the electrical panel so we now officially have electricity and a plug at the cabin. No more extension cords through the snow. 

I installed the joists for the loft. It really makes the cabin start to take shape and we can get a better feeling for the layout

And the pond is slowly starting to fill up! It’s actually pretty beautiful with the snow

Next steps

Next Tony will work on the wiring inside the cabin, and I’ll start installing the wood siding outside. 

 

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CABIN DESIGN AND PLAN

PHASE 1: SITE PREP AND EXCAVATION

• Trench for water line and electrical
• Basement, gravel pad, blocks, and beams
• Pond and driveway

PHASE 3: CLOSING IN THE CABIN

• Tin roof and tiny cabin exterior framing
• Housewrap, cabin windows, and exterior door

PHASE 4: INTERIOR FINISHING

PHASE 5: FURNISHING