8 x 8 permanent shack pics and tips

[billditrite]

i am just about finished with my shack and thought i might share with you
floor is 2  x 4's with the second one in on each end being a 2 x 10 for a skid and 1/2" advantech plywood painted with skid stop



the walls are 2x2 with plywood corners for strength



 the windows are lexan in a slotted frame so they all slide


the sheathing is 1/2 " thick foam insulation, about 8 bucks a sheet at home depot
 

i will wrap the roof with a tarp pulled tight and stapled to tthe edges and walls will be covered with typar housewrap so the black side is out for more heat from the sun

as mentioned above floor is painted with skid stop so its bright and not at all slippery


and dont forget something to make it cozy

[grumpymoe]

very nice job Scott....betcha can't wait to truck that out to the hardwater....get the finished shanty pic up as soon as you can....and do show us all the inside comforts.....Grump

[billditrite]

will do grump when shes 100% ill put in the stove and the chairs and all the things that make it a home away from home then ill  post a pic

[Poorboy]

That is a bona fide work of art!  Thanks for the pics and ideas.

[transplantfromMN]

Hey lookin great scott I am very very impressed.

[baginwal]

Scott,

Great looking shanty!  But............where's the skylight and cable hookups??

[icy mike]

cool shack (hopefully warm too ).  I would love to build a nice shack.  Problem in my location are the winter winds (south-central Alaska) can reach 75 mph plus at times.  A shanty like that would be blown apart within hours if not minutes.  Most of us stick to portables up here.  But some day... some day...

Icy Mike

[drillin n chillin]

awesome shack, any idea how much it weighs? i am debating whether to build one or buy a portable. i need to be able to move it often to follow the walleye where i fish.

[billditrite]

yes it weighs in at about 400 lbs which isnt bad for a shack this size.ive seen them others this size weigh twice as much.

[chrisN]

how much did it cost for all the material?

[billditrite]

it would prolly run about 300 bucks but i am a carpenter so the wood is readily available.the insulation was 80 bucks for the 1/2 " and 120 for the 1" trust me you could really get buy with just the 1/2 on the outsides but i put the 1" between the studs and it is very nice

[transplantfromMN]

Well Scott we pretty much took your ideas and ran with it the only thing we did different is we used 1/8" hardboard for skinning it and put a big wood stove inside so we dont have to insulate. The hardboard is great if you put lots of support in otherwise it warps pretty bad but hey its a shanty..

[billditrite]

looks awesome chad cant wait to christen it with you guys!!

[Poorboy]

Great looking shack, Chad.  Is the roof covered with a tarp?  I completed the floor last week and most of the wall framing today for my 4X8.  The roof is 6'9" on the high side and 6" lower on the low side.  I'm just gonna use half inch OSB with rolled roofing or a tarp or some simple thing like that, just wondering what you used to sheath your roof.

   I saw the 1/8 inch hardboard at HD and wondered if I could use it...I'd like to wrap my shack in Typar when done which may make the hardboard OK, too cold to paint as I am building outdoor.  Actually, the walls are 2X2 @ 24" with horizontal strapping every 24" on the outside.  Then 1 1/2" blue rigid insulation scrounged off jobs for the past year screwed thru roofing washers from the inside into the strapping.(sawed to fit perfectly into the space between 2X2 studs)  This is so solid that I think I could forego the sheathing and wrap it with Typar.  Like you said---just a shanty---no need to get too carried away. 

[transplantfromMN]

Poorboy, That 1/8" hardboard is really cheap at home depot like 6 bucks a sheet. I used that on the roof and than covered it with a tarp. rolled the ends around a 2x3 and spiked it to the side. Works awesome. OSB can get mighty heavy that is why we used this crap.

[Poorboy]

Thanks Chad, weight is something I have tried to design around except for the floor which has to be what it has to be---solid!   I will prolly try using it (hardboard) on the roof with 2X2 "joists" and see what I think.  So far I have about 50 bucks tied up, had to break down and buy the 2X4's today so I could GET GOING!  Scrounging takes too long.  Screws are not cheap either.

[transplantfromMN]

Just remember that the hardboard is pretty flimsy stuff but if you get it painted asap (we bought paint from a redemption center for 2.00 a gallon) and tarp the roof it should work out for you. Its not the greatest stuff in the world but it works. With the big ole wood stove in there we are not using any insulation and can heat that thing up to over 100 degrees but have enough control to keep it comfy. Its not terrible just rip your 2x's in half and you will be good to go. It may seem way to flimsy until you skin it and it will be solid. Any questions please feel free to ask.

[billditrite]

my sheething is rigid foam insulation my roof is a tarp and my walls are typar all weather resistant and lightweight. strength is in the framing

[Junior9]

Great job on the house...as a matter of fact you have inspired me to try and build one on my own.  I am a complete rookie at any construction projects....actually a buddy and I built a floor for a portable house once and that still is in good shape, so hopefully I am better than I think I am.   

Well anyways...do you think this is a project that a novice like me can take on....any help you can offer...maybe some more pics or detailed plans?  Please email me if you have any advise you would like to share.

Thanks in advance,
Dave
[email protected]

[transplantfromMN]

Hey man just keep it light... Ours is heavy and a pain to tow around.. But a joy to have.. If you are going to try and stay cheap like me... LOL just buy 2x4's and rip them into 2x2's I think the best person to talk to would be Builditrite.. I copy'd his idea and the only thing I did different was not spend the money on the insulation.. His is much lighter than mine but mine is much cheaper... Talk with him and if you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact me... Take it easy...

[Junior9]

So you didn't insulate at all, just wood walls?

How much do you think you spent total on yours then? 

Can you shoot me an email so I have your address, I can't seem to view any profiles.

[Butthead]

I had decided not to make a permanent this year, but I got bored and my Dad is retired so we said what the heck. 

Here is a picture from last week. 
It's 8x8-4 holeswith 1/2 inch treated floor, 2x6 treated runners, 1/4 inch OSB walls and framed with 2x2's on for everything but the floor.  We should finish it this weekend.  I think it will weigh around 500 lbs.  We can take it all apart for storage.  The walls are bolted together.  We added quite a few corner braces to strengthen the 2x2's.

I didn't have the camera today, but we finished the roof today.  Once the walls went on, it became very sturdy.
We should finish it up this weekend.  I'll post a couple of picks when we're done. 

[Mongo]

transplantfromMN & billditrite
Great shacks, I would like to try to build something for next season. Weight is not a issue as I have access to 2 4x4's to haul it out, my issue is I want to be able to disassemble for the summer as I do not have a big enough yard to store it. Any info would be appreciated.

What did you do for some type of ski
What do you do for off season

[transplantfromMN]

Mongo,
     Well I used pressure treated 4x4's for skids and am thinking of lining them with old rain gutters... I figure that will give it a little extra slide.. for winter we are leaving ours assembeled We thought about doing to whole take apart and put togather thing but if you do make sure you have some extra lumber on hand when on the ice to brace the corners togather... anyway good building and good luck.. Dont over build...

[Junior9]

Thanks for the info Cider....a few more to posts to go then.

Transplant, where in MN are you a transplant from?

[powderburns]

Any of you guy's hear of puck-board. Cut into strips, the width + length of your skids or runners + screwed on. Can be bought at lumber yards or building supplies stores. Your runners will last 4ever and slippery as all get out. They are also used in hockey arena's along the boards. I've picked up pieces, they were throwing out, 8ft lengths, various width's. Check it out.

[transplantfromMN]

Thanks for the info Cider....a few more to posts to go then.

Transplant, where in MN are you a transplant from?

Cannon Falls.. And yess I miss it... what about you where ya from

[Junior9]

I actually live in Shakopee right now...and no we do not have ANY ice here or snow for that matter....just WIND.

How do you guys move that house around?

[billditrite]

like this...

yeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaw!

[blue igloo]

cool shack (hopefully warm too ).  I would love to build a nice shack.  Problem in my location are the winter winds (south-central Alaska) can reach 75 mph plus at times.  A shanty like that would be blown apart within hours if not minutes.  Most of us stick to portables up here.  But some day... some day...

Icy Mike

Blue igloo here in windy Manitoba. Since you use portables in high winds I need to ask, "How do you anchor it?"
I bought a suitcase style 2 man portable and I slid halfway down the river while trying to set it up by myself. Once it was up, I realized I couldn't step out without the shanty becoming airborne!!!! Needless to say, I collapsed the kite (shanty) and took it home very disappointed.......I loss an hour of good angling, I was sweating and then had to sit in minus 30 Celsius winds to fish.......
Any insights will be useful.