I was a little surprised that so many were so critical of your building

techniques. No, they are not to "government" standards, but they are

fine in this instance based on the size of the structure. I will wager

that the building will still be there when most posting here are dead

and gone as long as you continue to do maintenance on it as required. I

like it and it is a nice cabin.



I am a licensed contractor, so I

clearly understand building codes and safety, and I still see no issues

with your shed/cabin. Building codes are different everywhere, and I

actually built a small 20x20 cabin using almost similar techniques 25

years ago when I was very young and had limited building skills at the

time.



My small cabin was in a rural county location where there

were no building codes at the time, so I could do it however I wanted. I

used 6x6 pressure treated posts (no concrete either), although I put

them about 4 ft down on hard undisturbed soil with about an inch of

gravel in the bottom of the hole, then packed them back with the dirt I

dug out of them. To this day my 6x6 posts are still as solid as the day I

buried them.



My cabin is 8 ft off the ground due to flooding

possibilities, so it sits almost 20 ft off the ground at the ridge

points. I have done very little maintenance on it as well, since it was

stained instead of painting. I haven't even had to stain it again. I

used a good acrylic stain and it is amazing how well it has held up. I

shingled the roof with 30 year 3-tab shingles and they look like they

could last another 10+ years even today.



My building is still

standing today and we use it often. It looks exactly as it did the day I

completed it really other than the trees around it are all much larger

and I have improved the interior over the years. It hasn't sagged,

settled, blown down or collapsed and the walls haven't pushed our or

apart either. I have vaulted ceilings as well, and my construction was

very similar. Looking back, if I could to do it over again, I would have

placed my ledger boards for my floor joists directly on top of the 6x6

posts, rather than bolting them to the 6x6s. That is clearly a better

building technique that didn't seem that important at the time. I just

didn't know any better. The key to my success and the longevity of me

doing it that way is my ledgers and bolts are not exposed to the

elements. There is always the concern of shearing, but after 25 years

without any issues, I'm feeling pretty good about it. As low as his

structure is to the ground, shearing isn't much of a worry. 8 ft off the

ground is a different story.



My siding over hangs my ledger

boards, so they are out of the weather and the ledgers along with my

bolts remains dry at all times. I inspect them from time to time and

even considered making some changes to that part of the cabin once I

learned better techniques, but my boards and bolts still look as clean

and new as the day I bolted them in place. 25 years of solid service, so

I have just left them as they are and believe it or not, it hasn't

sagged or collapsed as some here claim it should.



We get very

little snow here, so snow weights on my roof are a non factor really. If

you live some place where you get lots of snow, then by all means take

that into consideration. Obviously if you have the money and materials,

build it all to code. I'm not suggesting anyone build anything that is

not safe, so do not take my post the wrong way. All I am saying is his

building techniques might not be to government code, but they are good

enough for his structure and I believe that his building will last as

long as he does if maintained properly. Even the best built homes will

deteriorate and collapse if not maintained over time.

