Sweet l@@king good job. I had my cabin built by someone, we have a cabin in the "UP " also. I went with metal siding so I have no maintance on the outside. We wish we had installed 6 foot windows, so when you are sitting down inside drinking coffee when the bugs are bad you can look outside.
Thanks! We absolutely LOVE it and have made some improvement but need to get our butts in gear and create an updated video. Appreciate you taking the time to watch!
What an excellent video. You two did a fantastic job building your cabin. I am sure that it will provide you with many years of happiness and solitude in your own little piece of paradise!
I love it! That siding is so cool. I just have shiplap, and there are enough nooks and crannys that the flies got under it, then the woodpeckers followed. Now I spray it every year for bugs and I don't have a problem. Also have a couple owl decoys which I think help.
Thanks! We just came up with that while were there and love it! The shiplap would be excellent too and we'll probably do more of that on the inside. We milled LOTS of logs and made knotty pine tongue and groove for the walls - that video is in edit now and we are hoping to have that done soon! Thanks for watching!
It's our happy place for sure! Thanks for the positive feedback and for watching the video! We are working on another video where we make the tongue and groove walls from logs on the property - it will be coming out soon! We couldn't be happier with the location - sure is nice to get away and enjoy the UP - so beautiful!
I did a 16x20 structure similar in northern Wisconsin. I'd never pick apart anyone's creations but I set mine on a concrete slab reenforced with steel rebar and fiber mesh. I also put insulation down under the concrete and added a concrete additive called Vapor lock. It reduces the ability of moisture to pop up during humid days or condensation coming up through. Menards sells a flooring product it's 2x2 foot squares it's particles board with hard plastic liner under it. On top of that I put the roll flooring insulation down then laminate flooring. It gets a little chilly on the floors in the winter but it has worked great for structural movement. Definitely steeper pitch and steel roof is the way to go with the amount of snow we get. Nice build and enjoy! Cheers.
Thanks for all the info Gerald, as with most things - we learn along the way and so far, we have received some helpful feedback on the foundation. We will be keeping an eye on it and if we have to make a better foundation, it's small enough to make changes. I'll be looking into those Menards items (we go there quite a bit for things). Thanks for watching and keep an eye out for more videos on the interior additions - we've been working and filming all winter and can't wait to get the videos out for those too!
Slow down your footage a bit, but love your content and cabin! We have a cabin in the lower part of the mitten state that we are in the midst of renovating- Please watch for our own WOODSMOKE blog/vlog soon and see if I can film 🎥 it all as well as y’all 😎
Appreciate the feedback! This was a challenging video with mostly stills so it's all new territory for us. We have been much better with the footage for the interior work (cabinets, nook , etc.) so that video will be better! And good luck on your video - please share the link and I will check it out. After all, we're all about sharing the experiences! Thanks for watching!
Hey, y’all are doing great and if we can film and take our stills as well as you? We will be doing ok- Please keep doing you and make it unique- We are all in this together! We are from central Indiana and have our place up north that we love-
Thanks Kyle! We are working on more videos and the main workshop is under renovation to prep for more content. Over the winter we'll have more cool stuff to post. Thanks for watching!!
I really do love this state and the UP has a special place in my heart since I was a kid. This is a dream come true for me - no need for a big 'ole fancy place, this suits us just fine :). Thanks so much for watching!
Great job guys ! It is going to be an awesome little cabin you will be very proud when its all done :) I have done most of my building by myself on my little place, called in a little help when I needed but I just do a little at a time when I'm caught up on all my other cores as I am here full time 100% off grid, when you move in before its complete it is so hard to work around things,
Thanks for watching and yes, we are really looking forward to getting it done enough to have the basic functions. We have been busy building and filming over this winter to add new things like a kitchen area and a small breakfast nook area. Those videos will be out as soon as we can. This is probably the most fun project we have worked on!
I love it here too and the UP has a special place for us. It is such a beautiful place to be! I've been thinking about some of those training courses, just want to find the time to do it! Thanks for watching and we are filming the next set of updates but they just take a while to complete. We'll be posting as soon as we can!
Lol, yes - I've been telling that story for a while but I don't film all the content :). Looking back, I wish we would have filmed it with better equipment and with the proper orientation but it's a ton of work and the filming was kind of an after thought. Thanks so much for watching and keep an eye out for our next video on installing tongue and groove walls that were milled from logs on the property. That project took a TON of time but we are super proud of it!
We used vapor barrier all over the place and put it under the flooring. Looking back, I would have liked to insulate the floor and covered the bottom with plywood. Hindsight is 20/20 - it's all a learning experience. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the feedback - siding options are plentiful and we really like the rustic look and feel. The upper window is above the loft by a few inches, right where we wanted it. Hard to see with the loft not finished in this video. We need to get some updated videos posted - been too busy working on it :). Thanks for watching!
I know that there’s a whole video. Do you still reply to comments from all the radios? I’m building my cabinet in the upper peninsula I have some questions.
Sure do! We are waiting for another month or so before we work on this years projects. We plan to install the T&G ceiling, shower house, well and a wood shed this year along with some other small stuff around the property. Looking forward to a great season and enjoying the UP!
Good luck with the search! If you haven't had a chance to drive around in the area you want, that is a great way to find property. There are some on Zillow, etc. but there are others you can find by exploring. Thank for watching! We'll be creating more content in the coming months!
They are like most areas - it's all based on the township and county you are in. This is less than 200 square feet it's considered a 'shed'. We did follow the rules for this type of structure and if we choose to expand it - we can move it to a better foundation and spruce up the floor joists *OR* we may just build a HFT (Hunting Fishing Trapping) cabin which does require an inspection but has more relaxed rules. You can look around for that option in your area too! Hope that helps and thanks for watching!
What did you do about building permits / zoning? I can’t seem to find anywhere in MI that will allow anything small and/or unconventional without having an existing primary structure. All I want to do is build a small cabin to live in.
It's best to check with the local township as they can be different than the county you are building in. Good luck and thanks for taking the time to watch!
I’m dealing with the same issue Garrett. I don’t even want to “live” there, just want to build a weekend retreat/hunting camp. I can only assume that they didn’t answer your question because they didn’t pull anything, I could be wrong, but I know I wouldn’t have if I was in the U.P., but I’m in the northern L.P. and it’s far more populated down here, which means nosey neighbors can ruin it all very fast.
Thank for your patience! I'm working on a HUGE video and editing takes a LONG time. We build the table, countertops and cabinets and I'm starting the Tongue & Groove walls this week (need to plane, straight edge and router them). I'm hoping to have the new video in the coming weeks! Thanks for your interest - helps us get motivated!!
I've been monitoring it over the winter so we are keeping an eye on movement. It's a first for us but so far, so good! Fortunately, it's a small 12x16 < 200sq ft structure so it should hold up well. We have been talking about something bigger and that will have actual footings (as it should) so we'll keep the channel updated. Thanks for watching!
The cost varied a bit - bought the lumber from Menards and it was about 1k USD for what I needed to frame with, insulation and misc hardware. The rest was milled from the trees on the property. I bought one window and the others I had on hand from a remodel project. The roof was about 900 USD with everything needed. Overall it was pretty cheap doing it all ourselves and using milled lumber from the trees on the property. Thanks for watching and stay tuned for some videos this summer - we are working on filming now!
Yes, we are getting quite a bit of tips on the foundation. After all of the great feedback we're received, we may be working on some changes to the foundation and we're learned so much for a future build. Sure glad we didn't make the cabin too big (it's small enough to jack up and make changes). Thanks for the feedback and your time watching!!
We tamped the sand and it's been holding up really well. Being that it's a shed (small) we weren't too worried about it. If the structure were larger - we would have put in a proper foundation. Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback and watch the video :)
Interesting, so why not those specific species? Most of the surrounding trees are Jack Pine and that is what I milled for the wood used. Appreciate the tip and look forward to your comment. Thanks for watching!
@@handncreations I've had a cabin in the U.P. for over 30 years with balsams around it and I've dealt with all sorts of problems from them. From what I can see from your drone shots, most of the trees around your camp are spruces or balsams. They are a short lived tree and the ones I see there are old. They are also trees that are very prone to blowing over, or breaking off during wind storms. Those species are also very susceptible to spruce bud worm kills, which is a natural bug infestation that cycles through every once in a while. it weakens or kills spruces and balsams. The weakened ones are then more susceptible to carpenter ant infestations. I can see from your drone video that a lot of your trees are sickly looking or already dead, probably from both of those bugs infesting them. I've had an ongoing bud worm breakout on my property over the last few years and between that and carpenter ants, I'm losing about half my balsams and spruce trees. There was another breakout there in the late 1980s and early 90s. Even if they are health, they are terrible species, especially when big, near a cabin due to wind. Years ago, during deer season, we had a wet heavy snow and heavy winds. We had trees snap off all around my cabin with some hitting it. They are also a pain along your driveway to your camp always falling down across it. I've cleared out all the balsams and spruce along my driveway and around my camp. I'm still working on clearing them away from my blinds, roads and trails in my property.
@@handncreations You are also going to have a lot of problems with carpenter ants infesting your cabin in that setting too. You will need a constant pesticide program to keep them in check. I use Termidor in June once a year. However, with your choice in siding, you will also have wood peckers attacking too, so you may need more frequent spraying in your case covering the entire building. You will likely have red squirrels and porcupines chewing on the cabin too. Fishers, martins and weasels are great at controlling them, but I shoot porky's and red squirrels on sight around my cabin, due to their destructive habits.
@@mikeveine I've seen some of those white worms in the trees, especially when downed and sitting. I had been thinking of cutting the trees around the cabin in a 60 ft radius for that very reason. Now I'm more convinced that is the right thing to do but it's just hard to be rid of the trees that make it feel 'in the woods'. The alternative is not what I want to deal with so with your comment I may have more wood to mill up for projects. Thanks for taking the time to comment and give me that insight! Looks like I have some work to do :)
Looks amazing! Enjoy those precious moments!!
Thanks! Appreciate your time to watch the video!
Sweet l@@king good job. I had my cabin built by someone, we have a cabin in the "UP " also. I went with metal siding so I have no maintance on the outside. We wish we had installed 6 foot windows, so when you are sitting down inside drinking coffee when the bugs are bad you can look outside.
Thanks! We absolutely LOVE it and have made some improvement but need to get our butts in gear and create an updated video. Appreciate you taking the time to watch!
What an excellent video. You two did a fantastic job building your cabin. I am sure that it will provide you with many years of happiness and solitude in your own little piece of paradise!
I love it! That siding is so cool. I just have shiplap, and there are enough nooks and crannys that the flies got under it, then the woodpeckers followed. Now I spray it every year for bugs and I don't have a problem. Also have a couple owl decoys which I think help.
Thanks! We just came up with that while were there and love it! The shiplap would be excellent too and we'll probably do more of that on the inside. We milled LOTS of logs and made knotty pine tongue and groove for the walls - that video is in edit now and we are hoping to have that done soon! Thanks for watching!
Really like that siding. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much! We are busy working on the interior bits and will be posting more videos soon, thanks for watching!
Considering the fact that the roof is steep, and you have a porch, and live edge siding, it looks really good!
Appreciate it - We are very happy with it, the 12x12 pitch has been great with the snow and can't wait for our next additions! Thanks for watching!
you need a steep roof it snows over ten feet
I'm sooo proud of you guy's !! I love it !!!
Thank you! It's been a great learning experience and we can't wait to learn more!! Thanks for watching!
Looks awesome great job!😉
Thanks Bruce! Appreciate the kind words and thanks for watching!!
Nice cabin guys! Living me dream, its so peaceful up there.
It's our happy place for sure! Thanks for the positive feedback and for watching the video! We are working on another video where we make the tongue and groove walls from logs on the property - it will be coming out soon! We couldn't be happier with the location - sure is nice to get away and enjoy the UP - so beautiful!
I did a 16x20 structure similar in northern Wisconsin. I'd never pick apart anyone's creations but I set mine on a concrete slab reenforced with steel rebar and fiber mesh. I also put insulation down under the concrete and added a concrete additive called Vapor lock. It reduces the ability of moisture to pop up during humid days or condensation coming up through. Menards sells a flooring product it's 2x2 foot squares it's particles board with hard plastic liner under it. On top of that I put the roll flooring insulation down then laminate flooring. It gets a little chilly on the floors in the winter but it has worked great for structural movement. Definitely steeper pitch and steel roof is the way to go with the amount of snow we get. Nice build and enjoy! Cheers.
Thanks for all the info Gerald, as with most things - we learn along the way and so far, we have received some helpful feedback on the foundation. We will be keeping an eye on it and if we have to make a better foundation, it's small enough to make changes. I'll be looking into those Menards items (we go there quite a bit for things). Thanks for watching and keep an eye out for more videos on the interior additions - we've been working and filming all winter and can't wait to get the videos out for those too!
@@handncreations enjoy!
I love the siding👍
Thanks Alan! It was an idea we came up with to use what we had o the property and we are very happy with how it turned out. Thanks for watching!
Great job guys. Hope to see it in person one day!
Thanks Jeremy! Appreciate you watching!
Slow down your footage a bit, but love your content and cabin! We have a cabin in the lower part of the mitten state that we are in the midst of renovating- Please watch for our own WOODSMOKE blog/vlog soon and see if I can film 🎥 it all as well as y’all 😎
Appreciate the feedback! This was a challenging video with mostly stills so it's all new territory for us. We have been much better with the footage for the interior work (cabinets, nook , etc.) so that video will be better! And good luck on your video - please share the link and I will check it out. After all, we're all about sharing the experiences! Thanks for watching!
Hey, y’all are doing great and if we can film and take our stills as well as you? We will be doing ok- Please keep doing you and make it unique- We are all in this together! We are from central Indiana and have our place up north that we love-
Appreciate it Beth!
Very cool
Thanks Kyle! We are working on more videos and the main workshop is under renovation to prep for more content. Over the winter we'll have more cool stuff to post. Thanks for watching!!
Pure Michigan..,
I really do love this state and the UP has a special place in my heart since I was a kid. This is a dream come true for me - no need for a big 'ole fancy place, this suits us just fine :). Thanks so much for watching!
Great job guys ! It is going to be an awesome little cabin you will be very proud when its all done :) I have done most of my building by myself on my little place, called in a little help when I needed but I just do a little at a time when I'm caught up on all my other cores as I am here full time 100% off grid, when you move in before its complete it is so hard to work around things,
Thanks for watching and yes, we are really looking forward to getting it done enough to have the basic functions. We have been busy building and filming over this winter to add new things like a kitchen area and a small breakfast nook area. Those videos will be out as soon as we can. This is probably the most fun project we have worked on!
Great looking Cabin 👍👍
Thanks Paul and thanks for watching!
Love Michigan! Gaylord, Rogers City and especially the UP! Did some wilderness survival training in Ocqueoc and the Porcupine Mountains. Subscribed.
I love it here too and the UP has a special place for us. It is such a beautiful place to be! I've been thinking about some of those training courses, just want to find the time to do it! Thanks for watching and we are filming the next set of updates but they just take a while to complete. We'll be posting as soon as we can!
Narration reminiscent of Gil Fisher of the Scuttlebutt Lodge.
I've been looking for that video and cant' seem to find it. Want to share it with me? Thanks for watching!!
Very nice. ( tip. Turn your phone sideways when you video to get a full screen )
Lol, yes - I've been telling that story for a while but I don't film all the content :). Looking back, I wish we would have filmed it with better equipment and with the proper orientation but it's a ton of work and the filming was kind of an after thought. Thanks so much for watching and keep an eye out for our next video on installing tongue and groove walls that were milled from logs on the property. That project took a TON of time but we are super proud of it!
Your cabin looks really nice
Thanks so much for the kind words and we really appreciate you watching! We are working on editing videos now so please stay tuned for more!
@handncreations sounds good looking forward
I'm a few minutes in and I don't see a vapor barrier. If it's not there rain is the least of your worries.
We used vapor barrier all over the place and put it under the flooring. Looking back, I would have liked to insulate the floor and covered the bottom with plywood. Hindsight is 20/20 - it's all a learning experience. Thanks for watching!
@@handncreations 👍
Not a big fan of the siding. Makes the cabin look nervous and too busy. The upper window isn't above the loft ! It is actually in the loft -right?
Thanks for the feedback - siding options are plentiful and we really like the rustic look and feel. The upper window is above the loft by a few inches, right where we wanted it. Hard to see with the loft not finished in this video. We need to get some updated videos posted - been too busy working on it :). Thanks for watching!
I know that there’s a whole video. Do you still reply to comments from all the radios? I’m building my cabinet in the upper peninsula I have some questions.
Sure do! We are waiting for another month or so before we work on this years projects. We plan to install the T&G ceiling, shower house, well and a wood shed this year along with some other small stuff around the property. Looking forward to a great season and enjoying the UP!
Curious. What's it zoned for? We are in the process of looking at land in the UP
Good luck with the search! If you haven't had a chance to drive around in the area you want, that is a great way to find property. There are some on Zillow, etc. but there are others you can find by exploring. Thank for watching! We'll be creating more content in the coming months!
Very Nice!! How are the building codes in the UP? If any?
They are like most areas - it's all based on the township and county you are in. This is less than 200 square feet it's considered a 'shed'. We did follow the rules for this type of structure and if we choose to expand it - we can move it to a better foundation and spruce up the floor joists *OR* we may just build a HFT (Hunting Fishing Trapping) cabin which does require an inspection but has more relaxed rules. You can look around for that option in your area too! Hope that helps and thanks for watching!
What did you do about building permits / zoning? I can’t seem to find anywhere in MI that will allow anything small and/or unconventional without having an existing primary structure. All I want to do is build a small cabin to live in.
It's best to check with the local township as they can be different than the county you are building in. Good luck and thanks for taking the time to watch!
I’m dealing with the same issue Garrett. I don’t even want to “live” there, just want to build a weekend retreat/hunting camp. I can only assume that they didn’t answer your question because they didn’t pull anything, I could be wrong, but I know I wouldn’t have if I was in the U.P., but I’m in the northern L.P. and it’s far more populated down here, which means nosey neighbors can ruin it all very fast.
ummmmm. waiting for the update... ;)
Thank for your patience! I'm working on a HUGE video and editing takes a LONG time. We build the table, countertops and cabinets and I'm starting the Tongue & Groove walls this week (need to plane, straight edge and router them). I'm hoping to have the new video in the coming weeks! Thanks for your interest - helps us get motivated!!
@@handncreations Good deal, looking for ideas, We are in western u.p.
So how does that foundation or blocks work when you get frost and the ground freezes and moves?
I've been monitoring it over the winter so we are keeping an eye on movement. It's a first for us but so far, so good! Fortunately, it's a small 12x16 < 200sq ft structure so it should hold up well. We have been talking about something bigger and that will have actual footings (as it should) so we'll keep the channel updated. Thanks for watching!
I would suspect after 1-2 winters the door wont open. I wouldnt suggest this type of foundation on even a shed.
What were the cost
The cost varied a bit - bought the lumber from Menards and it was about 1k USD for what I needed to frame with, insulation and misc hardware. The rest was milled from the trees on the property. I bought one window and the others I had on hand from a remodel project. The roof was about 900 USD with everything needed. Overall it was pretty cheap doing it all ourselves and using milled lumber from the trees on the property. Thanks for watching and stay tuned for some videos this summer - we are working on filming now!
Plastic vapor barrier under shed
Yes, we are getting quite a bit of tips on the foundation. After all of the great feedback we're received, we may be working on some changes to the foundation and we're learned so much for a future build. Sure glad we didn't make the cabin too big (it's small enough to jack up and make changes). Thanks for the feedback and your time watching!!
Dope
Thanks for watching! We're lovin it and the work still continues! I need to finish my editing for the next video!
How are you going to keep the block from sinking? Horrible design. Good luck
We tamped the sand and it's been holding up really well. Being that it's a shed (small) we weren't too worried about it. If the structure were larger - we would have put in a proper foundation. Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback and watch the video :)
You dont want any large spruce or balsam anywhere near a building. Looks like most near your cabin are infested anyway.
Interesting, so why not those specific species? Most of the surrounding trees are Jack Pine and that is what I milled for the wood used. Appreciate the tip and look forward to your comment. Thanks for watching!
@@handncreations I've had a cabin in the U.P. for over 30 years with balsams around it and I've dealt with all sorts of problems from them. From what I can see from your drone shots, most of the trees around your camp are spruces or balsams. They are a short lived tree and the ones I see there are old. They are also trees that are very prone to blowing over, or breaking off during wind storms. Those species are also very susceptible to spruce bud worm kills, which is a natural bug infestation that cycles through every once in a while. it weakens or kills spruces and balsams. The weakened ones are then more susceptible to carpenter ant infestations. I can see from your drone video that a lot of your trees are sickly looking or already dead, probably from both of those bugs infesting them. I've had an ongoing bud worm breakout on my property over the last few years and between that and carpenter ants, I'm losing about half my balsams and spruce trees. There was another breakout there in the late 1980s and early 90s. Even if they are health, they are terrible species, especially when big, near a cabin due to wind. Years ago, during deer season, we had a wet heavy snow and heavy winds. We had trees snap off all around my cabin with some hitting it. They are also a pain along your driveway to your camp always falling down across it. I've cleared out all the balsams and spruce along my driveway and around my camp. I'm still working on clearing them away from my blinds, roads and trails in my property.
@@handncreations You are also going to have a lot of problems with carpenter ants infesting your cabin in that setting too. You will need a constant pesticide program to keep them in check. I use Termidor in June once a year. However, with your choice in siding, you will also have wood peckers attacking too, so you may need more frequent spraying in your case covering the entire building. You will likely have red squirrels and porcupines chewing on the cabin too. Fishers, martins and weasels are great at controlling them, but I shoot porky's and red squirrels on sight around my cabin, due to their destructive habits.
@@mikeveine I've seen some of those white worms in the trees, especially when downed and sitting. I had been thinking of cutting the trees around the cabin in a 60 ft radius for that very reason. Now I'm more convinced that is the right thing to do but it's just hard to be rid of the trees that make it feel 'in the woods'. The alternative is not what I want to deal with so with your comment I may have more wood to mill up for projects. Thanks for taking the time to comment and give me that insight! Looks like I have some work to do :)
@@handncreations trees are a renewable resource. Cut them down and other trees will take their place.