The big project for 2022 was the completion of the Cabin Tower or Dollhouse or whatever it will be called. In 2021 we had completed the framing and the exterior, so in 2022 we started with the electrical work. I installed a sub-panel with four breakers and it’s own grounding rod. Everything electrical was done to code.
I added outlets and light switches/fixtures throughout the rooms:
After the electrical, the next step was the insulation layer between the exterior tar paper and the future drywall. I decided to use a bunch of leftover 2″ rigid insulation from an old project:
The insulation was a challenging part of the project because cutting it on the table saw generated so much dust and the cuts had to be pretty precise to reduce waste. Once the insulation was complete we began the drywall installation. This was my first time cutting and installing drywall. It’s heavy stuff so it presents its own challenges:
Here’s the raw drywall in the upstairs bedrooms:
Notice the plywood clamped to the rafters as a temporary floor. Once the drywall was up we were able to add the plywood subfloor:
And then once all the drywall was up we added drywall “mud” to fill the gaps and corners:
The only outside help I contracted for the cabin was the drywall texturing. I wasn’t particularly pleased with the contractor’s communication or the cleanup but the end result was satisfactory. The next step was doing the tile entryway, which my friend Simon helped me with. We started with the concrete fiberboard underlayment:
Then we added the tiles using spacers:
Next, we grouted the tiles with a sponge. This was a really cool process:
And here’s the completed tile entryway:
I was super happy with how it turned out. Next was the flooring in the main room. We needed to use some levelling compound since the plywood subfloor wasn’t very level:
Then we added the tar paper:
I bought a pneumatic flooring nailer which made the stranded bamboo flooring install pretty easy. Next I assembled the redwood ladder on the yurt deck:
And finally we installed the ladder now that the flooring was complete:
As you can see we also started work on the wainscot panelling, which was composed of pieces of american basswood that I had burnished using a blowtorch. It looked so beautiful!
Back upstairs we added soundproofing to the walls:
And then we were able to paint the two upstairs rooms:
Next I started work on the upstairs doors, which had to be custom made because of the small size. I made them from redwood lumber and put vinyl soundproofing inside them which made them extra heavy:
As usual with redwood, they became much more beautiful once I tung oiled them:
I then added black metal strapping and accent bolts to cover the screws and make them look prettier:
I was very proud of them once they were finished. They and the wainscotting are my favorite parts of the cabin. Here are the completed doors installed upstairs:
After the doors were finished I installed track lighting in the upstairs rooms:
Then I installed a mini-split system for heating and cooling. This was pretty easy after what I learned installing mini splits in the house:
The final touches included finishing carpentry and shelving in the main room:
Here’s a view of the three rooms once they were fully completed:
