Finally building my Sugar Shack!

[Pdiamond]

Your new digs are taking shape.I too will have water for next year with a hose. I am going to get a tank hot water heater from sportsmans guide. I got a brand new ss sink from my nephew with all new line and faucet for nothing but a jar of syrup. I will really be in heaven with that system. You are going to really like being inside. How big are you planning the cupola?

[claystroup]

Todays update on my Sugar Shack progress. Had a productive weekend and day today until the rain started this afternoon.100_9132.jpg100_9133.jpg100_9134.jpg

[Ghs57]

This looks great. My biggest mistake with my shack is the dirt floor. My plan is to pour concrete this year (with radiant heat), run a proper sub-panel and water line, and build an extension. But this will have to wait until later in the year.

You will never regret it once you start to boil indoors!

[Trapper2]

Got the treated floor system done yesterday. 2 x 6 that are 16" on center with lots of bracing and 3/4" treated flooring. Now on to framing the walls with the rough sawn lumber from the Amish saw mill. Not bad for a 60 year old retired guy. Attachment 20091Attachment 20092Attachment 20092Attachment 20093Attachment 20094

Looks great so far. If I may ask, why a treated floor instead of concrete?

[claystroup]

I went with a treated floor system instead of concrete for purely financial reasons. I got multiple quotes for concrete and they were all $1200 to $1500 more than going with the treated floor system. Construction is booming in our area and certain trades can name their price. Small jobs like mine would have been aren't desirable when bigger more profitable jobs are plentiful. I have no concrete experience but a lot of carpentry experience so I decided to do the treated system myself along with all the other carpentry work. It only took me about 7 hours to do the floor system myself so it worked out good for me. Also in our township, I will not be taxed on the building because it is not considered permanent. Our tax assessor said it would save me about $80/year over if I had built it on a permanent concrete foundation. As this is a hobby for me all the costs had to be factored in. My estimate to build my shack was $4200 to $4500 total and so far I am right on budget.

[Trapper2]

Those are all good reasons Clay. Yours looks nice.
I have the equipment and gravel for a base, so I will be doing concrete for mine, but I will be doing the concrete with a friend so the cost will be minimal.

[claystroup]

Time for an update on my new Sugar House. Finished the rafters today. Installed all the siding last week. I made one change from my original plan and that was going with a 6/12 roof pitch instead of an 8/12. This was done in an interest of age and safety. Namely, at 60 years old the 6/12 seemed much safer for me to frame in and walk on than an 8/12 would be. So far, I have cut every board and pounded every nail myself. Only help I have had was lifting the walls up once they were framed. I am out of lumber now so going to get another load at the Amish lumberyard. Time to build the overhangs and sheet the roof with 1" x 12" then on to framing the cupola.100_9138.jpg100_9139.jpg100_9140.jpg100_9141.jpg100_9142.jpg

[Z/MAN]

Looking great. You are going to love making good syrup inside.

[maple flats]

Looks great! You will love it. I'm impressed with the progress you've made too.
Back in the 2 or 3 seasons I boiled on a wooden floor I made a platform using concrete blocks and capped it with a sheet of 18 ga. galv. sheet metal. It gave me a raised platform of 8" with a hearth out front. The Hearth stuck out 32" in front with a 1" bend down on each side and the front to keep sparks from getting to the wood floor and on my 2x6 arch the hearth was 46" wide (also with 1" folded down on the sides. Then a second sheet of sheet metal, also 18Ga. went under the first piece about 3" and extended under the firebox. That part was only 2" wider then the base of the arch and it also had 1" bend down on all edges except where it went under the hearth cap. I then had one block under each rear leg for height.
While I never had any problems with the wood floor, I was far more comfortable (peace of mind) after I removed that wood floor and put in the concrete. I used to use one side of the hearth width to stage my next fueling of wood on, it was quite handy.

[claystroup]

I have a Bill Mason 2 x 5 arch and pans and the ash pit does not sit on the floor but is raised off the floor about 10". I am going to get a piece of sheet steel approx 3' x 5' to put under the front of the arch to keep any sparks from landing on the treated floor. With Bill's arch very little if any heated is radiated to the floor.