Building and Remodeling Your Getaway
The cabin in the country was perfect for me and my hunting forays but was not large enough for my wife. My old cabin was comfortable but was not what my wife had envisioned as her dream house in the woods.
Retirement was still several years away and spending a lot of money on housing that would be vacant 95% of the time was not what I had envisioned. A trip to Shreveport in search of housing brought forth good results. We found a 14 x 28 foot metal building that had nothing but bare walls. The building had one large door in the front plus two front windows. There was a large garage door at one end. Obviously this building was meant to be used for a vehicle storage unit.
We made calls to the builder and asked for changes to be made to the building that was
being built for us. An exact duplicate of the one we had seen on the lot but with our
changes implemented was ordered. We called for the elimination of the garage door and an
added window space for an air conditioner. We asked the builder to install five electrical
outlets with light switches for a ceiling light.
Our wait of two months ended on the day that the builder said that the movers were ready to bring the building out to our acreage. The bull dozier and operator that I had hired to clear the trees for the installation did an inadequate job. On the third trip to our acreage the movers were finally able to gain access to the installation area.
I installed fiber glass insulation in the walls and in the ceiling area. The ceiling was very tall
and required huge amounts of insulation which I installed with a staple gun. I used chicken
wire to hold the insulation up in the ceiling. I added canvas cloth over the wire instead of
another type of ceiling covering. I installed wood paneling in the walls. The floor was covered
with padding and carpet, A partition was selected to wall off a bathroom area. A shower
enclosure was installed along with the proper plumbing. A toilet was added next to this
small area. The light fixture in the ceiling was exchanged for a ceiling fan with attached
lighting. We installed a loft at one end of the building that could be used for storage or
as extra sleeping quarters.
A weighty concrete step was added for stability at the entrance. An air conditioner was
installed into the extra opening in the wall that was cut by the builder. Under the loft we have
added a refrigerator and freezer. Cabinetry has been cut to accommodate the spacing
available in the building. Bedding is located at one end which is surrounded by a couch with
a suitable structure built for the television. The dining area is set off to one side. It includes
a table with matching chairs. The walls have been decorated to suit the tastes of my wife.
Exiting the building we encounter an electrical pole with external outlets located on it.
Wiring from an electrical device built to control bug populations is plugged directly into one
of the outlets.
The remodeled building is located hundreds of yards away from any habitation. It is situated
about fifty yards back off of the main road. This seems to be a perfect solution for a desire
and dream to have a cabin located in an area of total privacy. The plans are now in the works
to add a deck in front with space for a hot tub. My wife has picked a spot for our new stock
tank. A pier will have to be built to accommodate the fishermen that will use it.
Our ideas are endless.
Stephen Graham-Writes articles from his own life experiences.
http://buckskinnews.blogspot.com
http://goodstuffintexas.blogspot.com
[tags]cabin, woods, kitchen, shower, hunting, storage, housing, building, insulation, electrical, storage[/tags]