Thunderhouse

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Once the trusses were up, leveled and braced temporarily, the 4' x 8' x 5/8" sheets of plywood were applied and fastened to the frame for stability. The building stands on six 4" x 4" x 12' pressure-treated posts, resting in concrete deck blocks. The posts go in after the plywood and are also screwed to the plywood for stability. Pete screwed everything together not only for additional strength, but also because we always considered the cabin a temporary building which could be repositioned or taken down at a future date. It should be noted that ultimately we plan to build a pole house at which time we will reposition the cabin (it sits on the nicest spot on the property). At that time we will go through the necessary permitting process, but for this very unconventional temporary building we chose not to. It harkens back to the old saw, "it is easier to seek forgiveness than to seek permission."

Prior to the delivery of material, our local lumber yard had to make cuts only on the 1/2" 4-ply roof plywood and rip only one sheet of 5/8" plywood for a section of the 10x16 floor.

It worked out so that everything needed for the entire building, including the 4square of architect-style shingles, was made in one delivery.

We wanted the windows to be as versatile as possible, and settled at first for screens that were stapled under thin strips of window trim. When the window tarps were up during cold or rainy weather, a small skylight installed on the east side of the roof gave us a great view of the moon. Of course, many times it was pleasant enough to leave the tarps down, and for us it was a tremendous experience lying there, surrounded by rustling trees and endless varieties of night sounds with nothing between us and the wilderness but the screen. Frequently, an owl perched on the huge branches of the nearby oak, calling to a mate or instructing a youngster nearby on the fine art of midnight hunting.

When we designed the cabin, we anticipated having to struggle with the Florida heat, not the Florida cold. It wasn't long before we realized that living in the Southeast in the winter months brought some snappy north wind. Originally, the two 10x12 green tarps we used to cover the plywood during the short construction process became the covers for the screened ends of the building. We tolerated this makeshift solution for a while, but in spite of the skylight, the dark tarps made us feel too closed in during the cold snaps, and so this year we installed a large PGT window on the north end. This lovely slide-by window allows light into the building on the infrequent cold, rainy day, but still permits a breeze to refresh the cabin on warm afternoons. This last year, we brought down a little stove with a firelog set that adds ambience and a little warmth before the sun kicks in during the cold spells. We were reluctant to succumb to these creature comforts but the few times we used the stove were just heavenly.

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