Strength Designed Into Cabin Arched, Rigid Frame Provides Open Living Space Without Interior Posts

Fri., Feb. 17, 1995

Don And Dave Runyan U-Bild Features

Building a cabin is probably the most affordable way to become the owner of a vacation home, outside of inheriting one.

For do-it-yourselfers without wealthy relatives, here’s a do-it-yourself cabin project that has been popular for many years for a couple of good reasons.

First of all, it’s economical. Doing the work yourself or with a few friends, of course, saves contractor and labor costs.

And although it’s essential to use high-quality lumber and plywood, the required materials are standard and are stocked in virtually every lumber yard.

Second, it’s strong. A Winnipeg man who built this cabin several years ago wrote to report that during a heavy snowfall, 15 nearby cottages collapsed under the weight of three feet of rooftop snow. His cabin, he said, “didn’t even budge.”

The secret of the cabin’s strength lies in its “rigid frames,” which depend on the principle of the arch and provide a wide, clear living space without interior posts.

For the standard cabin (20 feet-by-24 feet, plus a 6-foot-deep covered deck), 13 archlike rigid frames are used. The cabin can be lengthened by adding more frames, and windows are built only into the end walls.

The Rigid-Frame Cabin plan, No. 370, is $6.50 and includes step-by-step instructions with 14 photos, large construction diagrams and a complete shopping list and cutting schedule.

Before beginning work, do-ityourselfers should be sure to review their local building codes.

Also available for $6.50 is “Vacation Homes,” No. A50, a catalog featuring over 30 different vacation-home floor plans. In addition, a catalog picturing hundreds of other do-it-yourself projects is available for $3.95.

Prices include sales tax, postage and handling.

MEMO: To order, clip this article and send it with a check or money order to U-Bild Features, c/o The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2383, Van Nuys, CA 91409-2383. Specify the plan number and allow three to four weeks for delivery. For first-class mail, add $1 per item.

To order, clip this article and send it with a check or money order to U-Bild Features, c/o The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2383, Van Nuys, CA 91409-2383. Specify the plan number and allow three to four weeks for delivery. For first-class mail, add $1 per item.