Buddy of mine owns a few acres at the top of a ridge, he wanted to build a weekend/bug out place up there, so I designed and helped build kind of a unique one. The ridge top is fairly narrow, so we put the cabin off one side. Cabin is 24x24. Basement had to come up 14' to get level with the ridge top, then we put first and second story on that. All 8" block, fill with rebar and concrete. Has central chimney we lined with 6" steel well casing, then bricked around, wood stove on the first and second floors. The masons would brick up so far, then I'd climb up and weld on another section of well casing, and repeat..... Between the first and second floor, we put 8" I beam out in a "star" to cantilever a deck 4' out, all the way around (like a fire tower, which is kinda what I had in mind)....then used steel grated deck for the walkway. That corner is about 25' off the ground, but the way the ridge slopes, you clear 50' trees almost immediately....as you can see. For security, we put no windows in the front lower level, you have to have a good ladder to reach any. For power, we installed 1500w of solar on the southeast facing roof, and later, we added another 1000w (after we could tell his usage) on the southwest roof. This is run thru an Outback power board, 120v, 3500watt inverter, with an 800amp/hr set of flooded L-16s for storage. In the basement, he also has a Kubota 4kw diesel genset wired in permanent which will come online automatic when his batteries drop to 70%. Also in the basement we put a 2500gal plastic tank, his rainwater catchment supplies all his water. Drilling a well up there not in the budget.
Looks real nice. Up here in NH we have to use double wall - insulated stove pipe. The cold and wood smoke would require you to clean the creosote etc out of a stove pipe made that way nearly every day. Want to keep the inside wall of the chimney at least 230 degrees or so. Would take a really good fire to keep the smoke that hot in that tall of a chimney.
We poured vermiculite (volcanic rock insulation) around the casing as they bricked it up....and both his stoves are low emission, gasifer type stoves that burn real clean.
I seem to remember seeing part of that construction several years ago. Couldn't find it to merge the threads, maybe you can give me a hint?
That is quite the structure. Does the location provide enough snow and rainfall to fill the tank? Also what is he using to filter the water in case it is needed for drinking?
Filtration is cartridge type, then a UV light. It is drinking as well as everything. We average 45 inches rain/year here which is enough for his use. He does have a couple of 1500gal tanks few from shed roofs for his gardening.
You sir, are amazing! I wish I had your knowledge and skills because certainly could use them around here. That is a really nice cabin.
