Wooden house design

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User00035

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I'm looking at buying a plot of land in Scotland that has a dilapidated wooden cabin on it that is no longer fit for habitation but was once a residential dwelling. It has all service to the plot including mains drainage and a phone line.

I want to build my own sustainable. low-energy wooden house. I'm a bricklayer by trade and an experienced small builder and competent carpenter. Technically, I can build the whole thing myself with ease. But I'm looking for structural pointers for building control and fire regs compliance, and some design ideas. I don't want to employ an architect if I can avoid it because it shouldn't be necessary to obtain planning permission under permitted development rules. It will only be a small single story structure and I can produce my own drawings for building control.

I'm looking at single story, two bedroom cabin, with kitchen, bathroom, living room and utility. I will want a log burner. Hot water and central heating I'm undecided upon. Tempted just to stick an LPG tank in the grounds. But the more energy efficient and off-grid I can be, the better.

I've built many a timber outbuilding but not a dwelling. Pointers and advise gratefully received.
 
I should also ask, what are the implications for firearms security when living in a timber house? There is a reasonably substantial block-built outbuilding on the site which I want to restore and enlarge as a workshop/garage/tool store etc. But if keeping guns in a timber house is a no-no, it would be possible to construct a secure gun room within the stone outbuilding. But if possible, I'd rather fix gun cabinets in the house in the usual way if that is permitted.
 
Finch said:
I should also ask, what are the implications for firearms security when living in a timber house? There is a reasonably substantial block-built outbuilding on the site which I want to restore and enlarge as a workshop/garage/tool store etc. But if keeping guns in a timber house is a no-no, it would be possible to construct a secure gun room within the stone outbuilding. But if possible, I'd rather fix gun cabinets in the house in the usual way if that is permitted.
Click to expand...
I'd think just decide where you want the cabinet and cast a reinforced concrete pillar to bolt it to. Simple cheap and stronger than a conventional wall.

Personally, I wouldn't touch any property in Scotland with a bargepole given the political risk.
 
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Apthorpe said:
I'd think just decide where you want the cabinet and cast a reinforced concrete pillar to bolt it to. Simple cheap and stronger than a conventional wall.
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The above or a variation of that might see the cabinet/safe cast into a concrete structure. I like the idea of designing and constructing a property around a rifle cabinet which would be sure to impress your FEO!

Good luck with the rest of the build that I can’t help with.

K
 
Gun cabinets attatched to timber structures in scotland must now be fairly common as they been throwing up timberframe kit houses up there for years..
 
I'm sure there's a workaround. I need to consult the FEO beforehand I guess.

I'd like not to build a full concrete foundation, because it's expensive. I'd rather have the building on steel stilts. But I could incorporate a steel frame into the structure where the cabinets would go. I can't see how that is any less secure than bolting to a masonry wall.
 
Apthorpe said:
Personally, I wouldn't touch any property in Scotland with a bargepole given the political risk.
Click to expand...
I was walking behind a couple of guns at a really posh shoot about 25 years ago when I heard one say. "Anybody would be mad to buy land in Scotland now".
 
We built a big two-story timber extension to our house. Doubled the size of our dwelling. The framework is all 8"x 8" larch. Some serious baulks of timber. I would have no qualms about bolting a gun cabinet to one of the structural timbers. It wouldn't be any less secure than if bolted to concrete.
 
JTO said:
I was walking behind a couple of guns at a really posh shoot about 25 years ago when I heard one say. "Anybody would be mad to buy land in Scotland now".
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Those posh guns were probably thinking in the region of thousands of acres, not a small patch with a dream of off-grid like Finch is thinking about!
 
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Finch said:
I'm looking at buying a plot of land in Scotland that has a dilapidated wooden cabin on it that is no longer fit for habitation but was once a residential dwelling. It has all service to the plot including mains drainage and a phone line.

I want to build my own sustainable. low-energy wooden house. I'm a bricklayer by trade and an experienced small builder and competent carpenter. Technically, I can build the whole thing myself with ease. But I'm looking for structural pointers for building control and fire regs compliance, and some design ideas. I don't want to employ an architect if I can avoid it because it shouldn't be necessary to obtain planning permission under permitted development rules. It will only be a small single story structure and I can produce my own drawings for building control.

I'm looking at single story, two bedroom cabin, with kitchen, bathroom, living room and utility. I will want a log burner. Hot water and central heating I'm undecided upon. Tempted just to stick an LPG tank in the grounds. But the more energy efficient and off-grid I can be, the better.

I've built many a timber outbuilding but not a dwelling. Pointers and advise gratefully received.
Click to expand...

There are so many variables.
If you are unsure about this, get a DECENT architect that will work with you and design what you are asking for.
 
Sounds like a great plan, although I would still be tempted to get an architect to draw up a rough plan. We always fancied one of the houses from the theweehouseco.com as all you had to do was provide the ground and services and they would provide the construction - a bit more expensive, but some of their designs might give you some ideas for a self build. Good luck with it.
 
Hi finch
The easiest way to fix a gun cabinet to a timber frame is to pattress it using 8x 2 noggins/ Dwangs between the frames and long screws .
As for lpg the cost of a tank and the contract for gas’s can be quite costly compared to cylinders .
 
reiver said:
Hi finch
The easiest way to fix a gun cabinet to a timber frame is to pattress it using 8x 2 noggins/ Dwangs between the frames and long screws .
As for lpg the cost of a tank and the contract for gas’s can be quite costly compared to cylinders .
Click to expand...
erm......forgive my ignorance, but having just a bit of trouble with this. - Can't use Google Translate without knowing which language !
 
The gun cabinet will be the easiest bit and there are no issues with securing to a timber frame. Reiver described a suitable method that is clear, to me. As said above there are lots of gun cabinets already in modern timber framed houses.

I don't doubt your experience but unless you have experience of planning and building control in Scotland, I'd recommend getting professional help, Architect/Chartered Building Surveyor & Engineer. You will need planning unless you are rebuilding exactly as was there and it sounds like you are changing the structure and appearance. Planning requirements will also depend how dilapidated the building is and when it was last used as a dwelling, where the building is and if it is in conservation area etc.

Building Control will want lots of details including but not limited to drawings showing; full insulation etc to current standards, an accessible WC, bedroom accommodation on ground floor, structural engineers design calculations for the timber frame and foundations, SER certification. It is also worth remembering that you shouldn't start any warrantable work in Scotland before getting a building warrant, if you start without a warrant then fees increase and it all becomes a lot harder.
 
Have look in the home office advice for securing firearms. Mention is made in that of a cabinet secured in a caravan so a timber build should not be any problem.

Funnily enough just yesterday I received a couple of Photos of our Canadian friends log cabin build. They downsized from their farm and moved closer to their grandchildren. The harvested the trees they needed for the build from the farm and shipped them to the new plot. Steve is a fastidious woodworker so is cursed that to get the standard he wants he is going to have to do it all himself. 61402C9D-ADD8-4510-BCA7-4C4D73307700.jpeg6510F775-DD78-4795-95C8-D00765461C52.jpeg
 
Alantoo said:
Have look in the home office advice for securing firearms. Mention is made in that of a cabinet secured in a caravan so a timber build should not be any problem.

Funnily enough just yesterday I received a couple of Photos of our Canadian friends log cabin build. They downsized from their farm and moved closer to their grandchildren. The harvested the trees they needed for the build from the farm and shipped them to the new plot. Steve is a fastidious woodworker so is cursed that to get the standard he wants he is going to have to do it all himself. View attachment 278467View attachment 278469
Click to expand...
Interesting to see how how the end of the horizontal logs are sealed/secured to the upright main structure using a couple of battens screwed to the main frame and slotted in, the weak point for water and draughts will be where the battens hit the main structure. Do you know if they do anything else to solve this problem?? I'd love to be doing what they are.
 
Bo Diddley said:
Interesting to see how how the end of the horizontal logs are sealed/secured to the upright main structure using a couple of battens screwed to the main frame and slotted in, the weak point for water and draughts will be where the battens hit the main structure. Do you know if they do anything else to solve this problem?? I'd love to be doing what they are.
Click to expand...
probably just the inside skin ain’t it?
 
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