Off Grid Cabin in the Woods, Start to Finish - Building a Bedroom Addition Alone
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Date: 2025-12-23
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Comments and reviews: 20
GeorgePallotto
Beautiful work! I’ve always found the idea of digging a wider hole for the sonotubes and placing them into the ground with a void around them to be anti structurally sound. I always have cut the tubes down to the height above grade that I need and fill the hole with concrete, then set the tube on grade above your excavation and continue filling to height. No backfilling around the outside of the tube, which is nearly impossible to fill correctly, as it’s filled solid slightly wider than your tube. Plumb and level your tube and you’re done. I’ve seen a lot of leaning piers because of the inevitable void around the tube. Usually on deck piers.
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Beautiful work! I’ve always found the idea of digging a wider hole for the sonotubes and placing them into the ground with a void around them to be anti structurally sound. I always have cut the tubes down to the height above grade that I need and fill the hole with concrete, then set the tube on grade above your excavation and continue filling to height. No backfilling around the outside of the tube, which is nearly impossible to fill correctly, as it’s filled solid slightly wider than your tube. Plumb and level your tube and you’re done. I’ve seen a lot of leaning piers because of the inevitable void around the tube. Usually on deck piers.
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InDeathOnlyNothing
I wonder what struggles you are still having after you've reached this point and got whatever utilities built up, a kind of electricity for lighting and a kind of water source to have at your home, etc. the wood stove and fireplace for heating, living up north so you'll need less air conditioning, food issues, and so on, what is still missing that makes your new Cabin feel like it's a downgrade from an on the electrical grid and city/county waterline kind of system Anything that you think could be improved on to get you closer to feeling like you don't even need a water department or power company
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I wonder what struggles you are still having after you've reached this point and got whatever utilities built up, a kind of electricity for lighting and a kind of water source to have at your home, etc. the wood stove and fireplace for heating, living up north so you'll need less air conditioning, food issues, and so on, what is still missing that makes your new Cabin feel like it's a downgrade from an on the electrical grid and city/county waterline kind of system Anything that you think could be improved on to get you closer to feeling like you don't even need a water department or power company
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leeakers4525
I am always amazed as I see that house, and realize that you designed it, laid it out and have cut and placed every log, cut the trees, and milled every board, drove every nail and screwed every screw, as well as placed and cemented in every brick and stone, and you did it entirely alone by yourself, and mostly by hand, with hand tools. That is amazing. You are my hero.
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I am always amazed as I see that house, and realize that you designed it, laid it out and have cut and placed every log, cut the trees, and milled every board, drove every nail and screwed every screw, as well as placed and cemented in every brick and stone, and you did it entirely alone by yourself, and mostly by hand, with hand tools. That is amazing. You are my hero.
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florinpopa1511
Hello from Romania. Have you thought about putting stone inside the fireplace as well Maybe I gave you a good idea. The stone accumulates heat well and releases it long after the fire is over. Of course, when there is no more fire in the fireplace, you have to close the chimney, so that the heat does not escape outside. I appreciate everything you do. Good luck
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Hello from Romania. Have you thought about putting stone inside the fireplace as well Maybe I gave you a good idea. The stone accumulates heat well and releases it long after the fire is over. Of course, when there is no more fire in the fireplace, you have to close the chimney, so that the heat does not escape outside. I appreciate everything you do. Good luck
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HotrodRon75
Thats what i say, you planed this all out. You must of saved a ton of money on Wood. Enjoyed Watching. Something Done Right. Getting everything Sealed up, is Quite a Job. Keep those big Spiders out. Haa Time two get a Cat Shawn. if you got chickens you got mice. nice steel ill bet it cost a fortune. are you ready for Christmas. Be careful man
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Thats what i say, you planed this all out. You must of saved a ton of money on Wood. Enjoyed Watching. Something Done Right. Getting everything Sealed up, is Quite a Job. Keep those big Spiders out. Haa Time two get a Cat Shawn. if you got chickens you got mice. nice steel ill bet it cost a fortune. are you ready for Christmas. Be careful man
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Sportsfan58
Most Canadians are boycotting going to the USA, protesting Trumpism, American fascism and you are going to support the American economy. Say hi to Gretzky and Orr, Trump lovers unite against Canada. Shameful. Thank you to all Canadians who understand the boycott and live up to Canadian values and decency.
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Most Canadians are boycotting going to the USA, protesting Trumpism, American fascism and you are going to support the American economy. Say hi to Gretzky and Orr, Trump lovers unite against Canada. Shameful. Thank you to all Canadians who understand the boycott and live up to Canadian values and decency.
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coindesigner7477
Shawn, love your episodes. Question. If you had it to do all over again, would you have initially built bigger My brother and I are planning to go off grid, and Ive noticed on several sites they end up adding on. It seems it would be much easier to make the footprint the size you want at the beginning
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Shawn, love your episodes. Question. If you had it to do all over again, would you have initially built bigger My brother and I are planning to go off grid, and Ive noticed on several sites they end up adding on. It seems it would be much easier to make the footprint the size you want at the beginning
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FrankW1VBX
For a man of your age, you are a remarkable man. Building that addition all by yourself. I tip my hat to you. I believe you lived to be 100. I just retired at 62 and I hope and can do a quarter of the work you can do when I turn 65. Great job. You take pride in the work you do. I wish I had that trait.
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For a man of your age, you are a remarkable man. Building that addition all by yourself. I tip my hat to you. I believe you lived to be 100. I just retired at 62 and I hope and can do a quarter of the work you can do when I turn 65. Great job. You take pride in the work you do. I wish I had that trait.
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rickm9001
Hey Shawn, random question. I know every day you wake up to a to-do list, but have you ever looked at the list and thought I know there's important stuff on here I need to get done, but I'm super excited about another thing on the list so I'm gonna get that done because I wanna know how it looks, etc
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Hey Shawn, random question. I know every day you wake up to a to-do list, but have you ever looked at the list and thought I know there's important stuff on here I need to get done, but I'm super excited about another thing on the list so I'm gonna get that done because I wanna know how it looks, etc
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timothygazda9441
Did you calculate that the thermal mass of your large diameter cabin wall logs were sufficient without an interior stone wall behind your main heating/cooking stove as a thermal storage battery Beautiful construction, a Master Class in cabin construction!
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Did you calculate that the thermal mass of your large diameter cabin wall logs were sufficient without an interior stone wall behind your main heating/cooking stove as a thermal storage battery Beautiful construction, a Master Class in cabin construction!
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Kens902
Gee, I wish I had a few workers like you on the job, by I'd fire everybody else. Still hard at it man. I've been watching you for years. Love the cabins you're after building and the new fireplace in the master bedroom is epic Great job man!
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Gee, I wish I had a few workers like you on the job, by I'd fire everybody else. Still hard at it man. I've been watching you for years. Love the cabins you're after building and the new fireplace in the master bedroom is epic Great job man!
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h34p
As a European, this always looks surprising to us at first.
In Europe we usually rely more on heavier sections or solid corner details for stiffness.
I assume the shear resistance here comes mainly from the wall sheathing once it’s installed
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As a European, this always looks surprising to us at first.
In Europe we usually rely more on heavier sections or solid corner details for stiffness.
I assume the shear resistance here comes mainly from the wall sheathing once it’s installed
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theodorehowe2262
Shawn,
I’ve been with you for the start of your journey and it still amazes me how much you have accomplished in these years.
The new cabin homestead is looking great and I hope you have a wonderful Holiday with your family.
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Shawn,
I’ve been with you for the start of your journey and it still amazes me how much you have accomplished in these years.
The new cabin homestead is looking great and I hope you have a wonderful Holiday with your family.
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20x20Ghost
Shawn is where I get most of my inspiration at these days and before him it was Dick Proenneke thanks so much Shawn it looks great. Now if you have time can you make a Time lapse of all the footage that would be great if you have the time
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Shawn is where I get most of my inspiration at these days and before him it was Dick Proenneke thanks so much Shawn it looks great. Now if you have time can you make a Time lapse of all the footage that would be great if you have the time
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AZ_Living
Shawn, you've done a superb job with this cabin addition per usual and a great job capturing the build on video. For the last 6 or 7 years I've observed your skillsets, vision and perserverance, I'm always impressed.
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Shawn, you've done a superb job with this cabin addition per usual and a great job capturing the build on video. For the last 6 or 7 years I've observed your skillsets, vision and perserverance, I'm always impressed.
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jeanlynch1582
I think this is one of your best edited videos on your building process I have seen. I learned so much from your visual review of the steps you took to complete your bedroom addition. It is a ratify room.
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I think this is one of your best edited videos on your building process I have seen. I learned so much from your visual review of the steps you took to complete your bedroom addition. It is a ratify room.
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shawn_james
You've created your own paradise and mastered so many things along the way. I thoroughly enjoy your videos. Hope there are more to come. Much happiness to you and your family. Enjoy the fruits of your labor!
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You've created your own paradise and mastered so many things along the way. I thoroughly enjoy your videos. Hope there are more to come. Much happiness to you and your family. Enjoy the fruits of your labor!
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CharbeeCapps
I'm sure I speak for a lot of people watching this, that you're living my ideal lifestyle. If circumstances were different, I'd take off grid cabin living over the hustle and bustle of city life any day
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I'm sure I speak for a lot of people watching this, that you're living my ideal lifestyle. If circumstances were different, I'd take off grid cabin living over the hustle and bustle of city life any day
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survivalstories68
The moment the new bedroom walls went up and sunlight poured through the window opening was beautiful it wasn’t just an addition, it felt like expanding a dream deeper into the woods.
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The moment the new bedroom walls went up and sunlight poured through the window opening was beautiful it wasn’t just an addition, it felt like expanding a dream deeper into the woods.
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LifeBliz
Watching the master bedroom take shape felt like witnessing a dream deepen it’s one thing to live off-grid, but another to make that life more rooted, more permanent, more like home
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Watching the master bedroom take shape felt like witnessing a dream deepen it’s one thing to live off-grid, but another to make that life more rooted, more permanent, more like home
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