After completing the framing and roof trusses, the next major step was finishing the cabin exterior — including the tin roof, house wrap, windows and doors, and wood siding. This is Part 6 of our waterfront cabin build series, and it marks the last stage before we could turn our attention to the inside of the cabin.
Tin Roof
For the roof, we went with wood rafters and strapping, followed by a galvanized tin roof. We are big fans of a metal roof. They are durable and long lasting, and it’s pretty cozy to fall asleep with the rain falling on the roof.
HOUSE WRAP
Once the roof was installed, we wrapped the entire cabin in Typar, a waterproofing house wrap that acts as a barrier against moisture and wind before the siding goes on. It’s not the most glamorous step, but it’s an important one.
WINDOWS AND DOORS
Next came the windows and doors. The cabin has three windows in the living room, a window in the stairwell, and a window in the loft — plus a front door and a second door on the side that leads down to the basement. After months of open framing, having the windows and doors in place made the cabin start to feel like an actual building.
SOFFITS AND PARGING
Another piece of finishing the exterior was the soffits. We used wood paneling, and then I caulked all the joints and painted everything white. It’s a small detail but it really tidies up the roofline.
To finish off the foundation, we added a layer of parging — a thin coat of mortar that gives the concrete a clean, finished look and adds an extra layer of protection against the elements.
Starting the WOOD SIDING
Then it was time for the siding. We were able to reuse a lot of the original boards from the cabin in our backyard, which was one of the big reasons we took such care dismantling and labelling everything when we took it apart.
We didn’t have quite enough siding to cover the entire cabin with the new extension at the back, so I decided to do something a little different in the gables. Rather than trying to match the siding exactly, I stained cedar shakes and installed them individually. The cedar shakes give the cabin some character and breaks up the look. By this point it was getting well into the fall and starting to get colder, but there was still lots of outside work to do.
Electrical, Septic, and the Artesian Well
Alongside the exterior work, a few other big milestones happened during this phase. We got the electrical meter installed and power supplied to the cabin, which made working on the property a lot easier.
And then there was the well situation. If you read Part 4, you’ll remember that the well driller hit an artesian well with so much pressure that water was just pouring out of the top. It got worse before it got better. After the well was installed, the pressure eventually blew the top right off. We hired a plumber to install a well buster, which fixed the problem and got everything under control.
The septic system was also installed by a contractor during this time. Another huge step towards making the cabin actually habitable.
The View Made It All Worth It
There was never a shortage of beautiful sunsets while working at the cabin. With the exterior well underway, we were ready to do some work inside. At this stage there was so much work to do both inside and out. We remained busy the entire winter!
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