Cabin restoration project – Update for May 2014 and general plans moving forward

It’s been quite some time since I’ve mentioned the cabin restoration project (“Introduction“, “Out with the old“) because frankly, nothing had been happening with it. Well, that all changed this past Saturday, when renovation work commenced once again. Instead of continuing with the old farm house, though, we decided to change tactics and renovate the building which is in the best shape first, the sauna building.

This small building has two rooms, the actual sauna room on the left and a changing room on the right. It’s by far the newest building on the property and will require the least amount of work. So far, we have removed the floor boards in both rooms, as some of them were moldy and beginning to rot. In a few weeks, some of the Woodsbabe’s relatives and I will return to raise the building up higher to remedy the ground moisture problem. Then we’ll install new floor insulation, floor boards and a new “kiuas” (sauna stove). This, plus giving the place a general scrub-down and exterior paint job, will pretty much complete the work on the building. Although not large enough to be used as a cabin in its own right, the finished sauna building can serve as tiny sleeping quarters for one or two people while other renovation work is being done, so overnight stays at the property will be more convenient.

So that’ll be one job down with only 10,000,000 to go! 😉 A few other upcoming tasks for this spring/summer include:

• Buying and assembling a small milled-plank cabin kit and outhouse kit
• Finish stripping the old farmhouse walls and ceilings down to the bare log frame (so a professional can then come in and help with the restoration)
• Having the well cleaned
• Getting a new hand pump for the well (or fixing the existing one, if possible)
• Clearing some of the saplings, bushes and tall reedy weeds which have sprung up in the farm fields over the years

You’ll notice that I mentioned buying and assembling a small cabin kit. “But isn’t there already a house there, Weekend Woodsman? You know, the one that’s going to be restored?” Yes, indeed there is. That project, however, will take time and money. It was decided that a little 20 m² (220 sqft) one-room cabin kit should be set up in the meantime so folks can already go there and enjoy the old farmstead while the big restoration job is underway. Once the main house is restored to usable condition, the small one-room cabin will serve as a guest house.

Some other future jobs at the old homestead will include:

• Reestablishing the garden plot
• Clearing a trail to the lake
• Getting rid of the dilapidated old wash house
• “Un-tilting” the barn and woodshed
• Going through the collapsed log building in the woods to search for treasure (so far, I have seen a few horse-drawn plows)
• Landscaping and general purdying-up of the place
• etc. etc. etc…..

I’m very excited now that more real work has been done. Look forward to sporadic updates as the spring and summer progress!