Active & Upcoming Builds

Over the past two-weeks or so, Mike has been investing a lot of time, energy, and research into figuring out the design for our next build: a small 12X12 guest hut, which we plan to make in such a way that it will be able to be moved, should that need arise down the line. His first thought was to make an A-frame style dwelling, but upon further consideration, he has landed on this design style:

Guest hut design on Google sketchup

If the build goes well, we may look to replicate this same design when we erect more huts for folks to stay in, which is part of the plan here at Empty Mountain. But Mike also has interest in many other building styles, so we’ll see what transpires as time goes on.

After an exhaustive time spent pricing out materials to figure out the cost of the new build, he took a trip to big-T town, as I like to call it (aka Missoula) - versus little-T town which is the small and lovely town we live closest to (aka Superior) - to purchase some of the necessary supplies just a couple of days ago. Based on the weather here and our wide swings in temperature, often in the span of one day, figuring out the insulation value of what we planned to put in the walls and how to make the most of materials and have the least amount of waste was a big part of the painstaking process of determining the ins and outs of the build.

Building materials for the guest hut

But we’ve decided this new build will start once we finish the interior walls, ceiling and loft flooring of our cabin, which is what we started working on yesterday. We don’t have a lot left to do and the cabin is small so we’re thinking it won’t take us very long. But we also know how it goes when it comes to the realm of building. There’s a stellar good chance things will take longer than we think. But maybe in another week or so, we’ll be able to hop onto the guest hut build.

The wood we’re using to finish the walls, ceiling and loft floor is what will be left of the lumber Mike milled from trees on site two-years ago. We plan on using shellac to treat the boards today before we do the install. Given the hassle involved and how small our cabin is, we’re hoping we can manage to move our mattress down from the loft just once, and then get it back up there by the end of the same day. If we can at least get the floor in, then we can likely manage to install the ceiling in the loft with the bed up there and just work around it. It would be easier to have the mattress out of the way when finishing the upstairs, but moving it up and down from the loft will take some doing. Once again I think about how much of an added thing it is to renovate or build whilst living in the space being worked upon. Living in the fray of a construction zone, with all our things getting moved around, and also dusted with the detritus of work being done, is really not my favorite thing. I also understand, of course, that it’s necessary. And I am also so very thankful that Mike has the skills and know-how to do the work, and also an artist’s eye for caring how things look and feel in the space. And. I will be glad not to live in an active building zone, at least for a little while. I mean, we still need to build our kitchen and we also need some shelving around the cabin, but we’ve decided to prioritize the guest hut build over these projects, as having a more substantial place for folks to stay feels more important.

Above pics: flooring for the loft

The guest hut will also serve as an extra space for Mike and I to make use of. I’m hoping my small writing desk will fit in there alongside the bed. And maybe even a bookshelf where I can house some of my books that are hanging out in boxes inside our shipping container. A girl can hope! The hut will especially come in handy next winter, since Mike and I are right now planning to stay home versus fly south as we’ve been doing the last few years. Winter in Montana with two people in a 12X14 cabin, with both of us home most of the time, is likely a recipe for feeling way too cramped up together at times. So having another heated space to hang out in will serve us well I think.

It’s 26-degrees F out right now as I type this post (-3-degrees C) on Sunday morning. And by the end of today, just like yesterday, it’s slated to be around 65 (18 C). And in the forecast for the next three-days, there is a chance of snow. Welcome to springtime in Montana!