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moving a log house

Started by treeboy, January 13, 2006, 03:34:02 PM

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treeboy

Hi thanks to advise from here and friends, we decided to start building a post and beam house in a semi-remote location (3 miles of very rough trails from the highway).

I inquire with our neighbour about using a log cabin on his property which is never used. I offer to repair his leaky roof (started leaking last year) in exchange for use of the cabin instead of camping. His repy was sure you can use the place, but I'm not interested in fixing it up - too many things on the go for him, plus he never uses the cabin. He then offered the cabin to me to move to my property about 600 metres away. The cabin was built in the 50's about 20'x30', logs on the bottom timber frame on top. Logs were notched on the ends, lay on top of one another, lots of chinking - or mud. Logs on the south side in rough shape (no shortage of beetle kill in this area though). The trail is too narrow to try and move the hole thing. What would you do? I have a International loader backhoe with forks, and thats it. I would have to drag the pieces or something.





Thanks for any thoughts

Jim_Rogers

Take it apart and move it.
Find the last piece put on and take that one off first....
Work your way to the ground.
Create a drawing of the entire structure before you take anything off......
Pictures pictures pictures.......
Photograph everything even if you're going to throw it away..... you might someday want to know what it did look like before ........

Get lots of help and have fun......

Good luck with that project......

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

srjones

QuoteTake it apart and move it.
Find the last piece put on and take that one off first....
Work your way to the ground.
Create a drawing of the entire structure before you take anything off......

And label everything (the wood and the drawing)   ;)
Everyone has hobbies...I hope to live in mine someday.

isawlogs

 I would not drag them ...  I am sure you could get your hands on a old wagon or a newer one  , put the wood on it make a few trips .. aint that far . And yes label evevything ... and takes notes to where things are in relation to others .  :P :P :P :P

    This could be a very interesting project .  8)
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

treeboy

Thanks guys if I do this I will take lots of pictures, and label everything.

Isawlogs, just turn right on Hwy 1, after your past Ontario I hear it's easy driving :D You also can stop in and see doublecut - it near his neck of the wood.

TW

I am currently in midst of my first loghouse moving project. We have made a couple of misstakes that has created lots of extra work.

1 Do the markings with something really waterproof. Some of the permanent marker pens do not hold on over time. I would use pieces of aluminium sheet with stamped numbers the next time.

2 If the lowermost log is rotten so you can not figure out the excact height, then measure down from the top of the wall to the second log and mark the height on it. When you put the house back together you just have to take care to get all those marks on a constant height.

treeboy

Thanks TW. Those are two things I wouldn't have thought of. Never thought I would be getting advise from Finland!

ksu_chainsaw

I have used blank dog tags for marking timbers on a barn that we moved one time.  I was looking at the ULINE catalog today and found some plastic tags that would wrok pretty good for that, but they arent that cheap, $.28 each  :o You could write in marker on both sides and staple or nail the tag on, so if one side fades, the other side is still readable.

Charles

Jim_Rogers

Several years ago, I worked on a Guild job where we tagged an entire frame and then disassembled it. Then we repaired or replaced all the pieces that needed work and reassembled the barn.

The first day they taught us how to create a drawing for the standing frame.
And tag it.

Here is a photo of the blank tags:



I think he got them from Home Depot or someplace like that and that they are washers for screws that hold up sheet rock or something like that. I'm sure if you ask at one of these stores they can tell you what they have on hand.

Next the tags were labeled:



Here the timber framer, was marking the tags using a metal punch set of numbers and letters to identify each timber. The id number/letter was drawn on the timber on the plan in the location that the tag was placed on the timber.

Here is a shot of the tags in place:



Here is a close up of one of the tags:



There was a special number and lettering system that the master timber framer/crew chief used and I used to know what it was, but any system will work if you make the same labels on your plan as on timber/tag.

Hope this helps.

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

TW

"Stamped" was a misstranslation for "punched" Sorry. 
Jim Rogers has explained it much better than I can.

The tags can be made from any scrap aluminiom sheet if it is thick enough. You just cut it to rectangles of suitable size. I have seen it done this way and I will do like this next time.





logmason

That is what we used, aluminum coil stock. Mark with chisel, roman numbers and E W N or S, for what wall it came from, North, South, etc. All tagged uniform as to interior or exterior, and all on left or all on right.
Jambs we start at main entry and go clockwise around building, 1 for first floor, 2 for second.
Rafters, start from North, mark E1, W1 etc
Flooring is always the hardest. Mark with magic marker or chisel, if you cut or break one piece, you are short. Always planned the end of run to be under cabinets if possable so if other wood was used it is hidden. If a lot of flooring is unusable, you can mix the replacements at random.
Roof sheeting and gable siding is usually burned, unless nice, twenty inch American Chestnut comes to mind there.

treeboy

Thanks guys, I have see those tags before, now I just have to find them again. Looks like I'm all set - just waiting for spring thaw and a wagon. Does anyone know how to build a wagon?

DanG

Check with a nursery suppy company.  I have seen tags used to mark plants in wholesale nurseries that are made from a heavy foil.  When you write on them with a pencil it leaves an indentation that is readable forever. :)
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

treeboy

Hi I got some more pics from the owner, I will go up next month to check it out. I email the building inspector these pics - he didn't like them, said the logs were too small, roof was probably not safe. I don't know? what do you guys think? This is a semi-remote location, materials are hard to come by.






ScottAR

I used to sell them when I worked at Lowe's...  They're in the roofing section. 
Tin Tabs are what they are called in the trades.
Nail washers is also another name. 

If you go to lowes, find the dirtiest lookin worker there, They'll probably know.
;D    What a customer told me once... I guess I was the dirtiest one that day.

Scott
"There is much that I need to do, even more that I want to do, and even less that I can do."
[Magicman]

Raphael

  Instead of a wagon you may find something like this useful:



  It started life as the front axle assembly of an old truck and was converted into a trailer before being discarded; the tie rods have been cut and welded to keep the tires fixed in line.
  You could cinche up one end of a log or timber to your backhoe and strap the other to a similar set of wheels.  It'll take more trips that a wagon but it's easier to move around empty, takes up less space and could be used to build a trailer at some point in the future should the need arise.

  Also let me add my voice to those voting for aluminium tags or marks carved directly into the wood, you'll see this in some old barns.  I just reassembled a frame labeled in "permanent marker", about one in five marks were legible and I was working without a key to the markings.  I got it sorted out well enough to assemble and marked it permanently with a small V gouge before raising.


... he was middle aged,
and the truth hit him like a man with no parachute.
--Godley & Creme

Stihl 066, MS 362 C-M & 24+ feet of Logosol M7 mill

treeboy

Cool, thanks guys. I'll look for you at Lowe's there Scottar ;). Raphael I was sort of thinking of somthing like that - glad to see it works!!

Don P

I've got some 150+ year old timbers with Raphael's chiselled in roman numerals still in fine shape.

You asked about the inspector. I would find out what his requirements will be. He might view this as new construction and the parts will have to be up to modern code. That has the potential to be a real dealbreaker, I would find out now  :-\.

UNCLEBUCK

I use to use indelible pencils but they penetrate and also bleed so bad or a wax lumber crayon. Boy that looks like a fun project especially for the price . Have a great time . All the timberframe people here really have alot of experience and good advice . Ask the building inspector his credentials for making such a statement and if he wont tell you then go above him in a heartbeat !
UNCLEBUCK    bridge burner/bridge mender

Rockn H

Those foil tags DanG mentioned can also be bought here at Wal-Mart in the fishing department to put your name on trotlines and YO-YOs.

Having a building inspector involved in moving an old log cabin in a remote location doesn't sound like a lot of fun.  Those are some nice pics.  Looks like a nice cabin to start with.

treeboy

Ya, it seems kind of dumb - we thought we were doing the right thing involving the building inspector, the building is obviously sound and been standing for over 50 years.

I found building standard for log houses from the International Log Builders' Association. They say 8" min. diameter, so when I go up next month I will measure those logs! Sure looks close.

Rockn H what's a trotline?

Thanks again!

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