Today’s project
Popular from Canada to the Caribbean (and everywhere in between), this strong and economical cabin project is a fun and affordable way for do-it-yourselfers to acquire a vacation home. The secret to the cabin’s strength – and comfort – lies in its archlike “rigid frames,” which provide a wide, clear living space without interior load-bearing posts or walls.
A Winnipeg man 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.” A reader from Florida wrote that her two cabins in the Bahamas had “survived nearly 30 years of seaside weather (including hurricanes!)” and were still going strong.
What you need
The cabin measures 20 by 24 feet, plus a 6-foot-deep covered deck. As designed, the project requires 13 rigid frames, but the structure can be lengthened by adding frames. Windows are built only into the end walls, and the builder can divide the interior into smaller rooms as preferred. The required materials are standard and are stocked in virtually every lumber yard.
How to order the plan
The Rigid-Frame Cabin plan, No. 370, is $9.95 and includes step-by-step instructions with photos, construction diagrams, a complete shopping list and cutting schedule and a toll-free help line. Before starting, do-it-yourselfers should be sure to review local building codes.
A package of cabin plans, No. C81, is $22.95 and includes this project plus plans for two other cabins. A 480-page book, “Vacation Home Plans,” No. A50, is $12.95 and pictures over 500 home designs. A catalog picturing hundreds of do-it-yourself projects is $2. Please include $4 for postage and handling (except catalog-only orders) and allow about two weeks for delivery.
To order by mail, clip this article and send it with a check or money order to U-Bild Features, c/o The Spokesman-Review, 15241 Stagg St., Van Nuys, CA 91405.
To order by credit card, call (800) 828-2453. Visit U-Bild on the Web at u-bild.com.