Drop your info below and Ill start you off on my email tutorial series. Hey Kevin, I cant really estimate numbers for you on this stuff but you gave me a great idea for a YouTube video on how to do this kind of estimating. Here are five of the most critical questions the experts say you need answered before you get, There are five important questions you must answer before the installation of your steel garage kit. Later that afternoon we were rewarded with a rainbow. Say bye-bye to thermal bridging! In the fall, the greenhouse will extend the growing season into the colder months. Perhaps someday well take some of the end panels back out and frame in some windows on this wall. My build also required a workshop to build the other components, and the Quonset hut is something that could be . In my opinion, the finishing work done in American construction can be overly expensive and time consuming. Goofy ideas are goofy ideas. While I like the look of the open joists, theyre not intended to be left exposed, as theyre rough cut, with excess glue and machine cutting marks exposed. The buildings didnt leak! Ready to learn more about these bizarre, amazing, shiny, round, prefab structures? The Seattle based Pacific Hut Inc. had an initial one million dollar contact with the U.S. Army to deliver 1,000 units. Or are you just tired of the same old same old and want something unique and beautiful? They are 5/16 threaded rods but the length varies by what you are doing with them. Its a short one this week, and the end is rather abrupt, but here it is anyway. This is called a floating slab, as it sits on a foot of gravel. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Our building, an S Model, was manufactured out of 22-gauge Galvalume steel. While I think it may be possible to purify the cistern water to make it potable, at this time we purchase treated water for cooking and drinking. Converting quonsets was quite popular in the 70's. Once we have insulation well be in great shape to get through the winter at high altitude, while continuing progress on the Loft House. However, by the next time I went out there, I found that the wind had lifted the front third of the Quonset out of the groove. I plan on putting 1/2 OSB on the outside then cover it with Hardy Lap Siding or just Hardy Board 48 sheets. They are timid but super charming, and they are starting to seem less afraid of the construction than they were at first. Since all the manufacturers dimensions vary a little bit etc there isnt really any one size that is the right size. However, I am concerned about the following: (1) might there be a negative chemical interaction between the foam and metal that could cause corrosion? Well give them a restricted free range during the summer, and then butcher them in the fall. Step 2 Push the insulation on to the pin. This discovery led me to the idea of capturing rain in a cistern and using it for non-potable purposes the building was even designed with drip lips at the slab level. 130 Planning and Building Your Tiny House. After we modified the opening, the box fit great! Well start temperature-sensitive plants such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant in the ground under the greenhouse cover. Spray foam insulation left natural, covering up conduit runs to suspended pendant lights. We determined that our arch thickness would be 4 layers of 3/4 plywood, and that we would build them up in halves, two layers at a time, with a section overlapping at the top where the two halves could be glued and screwed together. This won't delete the articles you've saved, just the list. Originally a British design dating back to World War I, in the United States they were first manufactured on Quonset Point in Rhode Island during World War II in response to the need for lightweight, portable buildings that could be assembled without skilled labor. So for now you can get to the FB group at https://www.clevermoderns.com/group (that will redirect to the group). Working on wood framing was a fun break from the seemingly endless Quonset bolts! Russell Mullin shares ways to plan, design, finance, site, build, and move a tiny house to fit your dream, lifestyle, needs, and budget. Do you have any pics or vids or know where I might find some? Slab-level drip lips can capture up to 40,000 gallons of water per year! Inside the perimeter beam, the concrete is the standard 6 inches thick. To improve the look, I sprayed a diluted drywall compound onto all visible joist surfaces, and finished by spraying white paint over the joint compound. The heavy-steel Armco Hut was intended for ordnance storage and air raid shelters, and the Jamesway Hut was designed for even quicker assembly in cold Arctic regions. What would you say is the minimum total length in feet, of threaded rod one would need?? You can take inspiration from them and build and decorate your own Quonset hut. Eventually we will add wood framing like this to the underside of the whole metal shell, as support for a plywood ceiling. Earth Tubes as Part of a Home HVAC System, Installing QuadDeck ICFs for the Mezzanine Roof. In late summer, its common in the afternoon and evening for monsoon rains to blow up from Mexico and cause intermittent downpours. We just glued and clamped and screwed it all together as we went. Every project is different and unique, and what worked for us shouldnt be taken as a recommendation as to what will automatically work for you. By the time the full four-layer arch was in place, it was really strong! We found everything pretty much as we had left it. Since MOTHER EARTH NEWS was first published back in 1970, weve dreamed of improving the quality of our lives and being self-sufficient. In total, you'll need to spend at least $286,156 for a single building. Even then, erecting the shell took a three-man crew two weeks to complete. Sometimes called arch buildings, they are typically used for storage, or as a workshop, carport, or garage. Display art on tables rather than trying to mount pieces on the structure's convex walls. In today's Q\u0026A, Earl talks about Quonset hut end walls, explaining how he put together the end walls that came with his huts. The most common way to finish the interior of a Quonset hut house is to bolt some wood framing (usually 24s) to the metal, so that you can have some spray foam insulation put in, and then use the 24s to attach drywall or plywood or whatever you want for your interior ceiling/wall finish. Theyll be frozen, canned, or eaten. In addition, we distribute graywater to the fruit and nut trees next to our home through a system of underground pipes. More than 3,000 nuts and bolts were required. At each end of the arch we built a little wooden base, which was supported on 1/4 shims in lieu of using pressure treated material to get it up off of the concrete. The most common way to finish the interior of a Quonset hut house is to bolt some wood framing (usually 24's) to the metal, so that you can have some spray foam insulation put in, and then use the 24's to attach drywall or plywood or whatever you want for your interior ceiling/wall finish. The steel ribs went up very quickly. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Many Quonset huts round shoulders are hidden behind false fronts. Build a conventional core with (Downstairs) dining in the center, utility and bath on the left and kitchen on the right. From laying the concrete foundation of your steel building to installing and erecting each individual arch. Or want to see some latest Quonset hut interior designs and ideas? Simple to manufacture and easy to assemble, the Quonset Hut is an easily recognizable architectural form. During last summers stay at the farm, we tripled the size of our garden, adding 50 blueberry and raspberry bushes, 13 beds for beans, pumpkins and asparagus, a two-bin composter, and a few fruit and nut trees. See my disclosure for more info. Measure the area, calculate the ceiling arc and make a rib pattern of brown Kraft paper. The other big building task we took on was to get one of the side window boxes installed. After that, you could build framed walls inside the quonset hut, perhaps with a cathedral ceiling, drywall it, and then fill the cavity between the drywall and the spray-foamed metal exterior with cellulose. I would then jack them up and pull them forward to the open 3rd where a crane could lift them up and over to where they needed to go. Our expert outlines processing used cooking oil in a small DIY plant. I have already erected the building and tightened all the bolts and just finished putting the trim parts on both ends. He also. By the end of WWII, an estimated 150,000 units had been built around the world. Ive always dug their style40s/50s utility/war surplus type stuff especially when used as auto repair shops and garages. We used coupling nuts and threaded rods to bolt the wood wall to the metal wall. By the end of the week there were lots of people volunteering and I was buying a few extra half inch sockets and wrenches so there would be tools for everyone. Decorative Ways to Hide a Load-Bearing Ceiling Beam, Los Banos Community: Quonset Hut Interior Eagle Field California, Ventana Monthly.com: Beautiful on the Inside, Quonset Huts.org: Chapter 6; Quonsets Today; Concluding Thoughts. It had been almost a year since the first 2/3rds were erected. A complete and fully installed Quonset hut home can cost around $30,000 to $40,000. (affiliate link) Blocks bolted into place in the Quonset hut arches. I asked the operator and he said that he could lift them up and pull them out of the building if I finished it. Learn more and request to join the Facebook group here. Exposed duct work run along the floor/wall junction. The drawback with bolting the wood directly to the metal shell is that the wood typically acts as a thermal bridge and conducts some amount of the heat to the exterior. We chose to install a full slab featuring an 8-inch-by-12-inch perimeter concrete beam. Headquarters Electrical System of floor space (a good part of it was unusable due to the slopping sides) was too small to serve as a family home, or commercial application. Quonset Hut Homes: The Most Beautiful. Step 1 Add the illusion of more room and reflect light emanating from windows and glass doors by choosing white or another light color as your paint choice and then use it throughout the interior of your Quonset hut so it optically expands the space. It sounds like you have already sprayed your 1 of foam insulation, is that correct? I have some ideas but I would still like to see how others did theirs for additional ideas. I would normally suggest that you use the Quonset bolts on the inside, with a coupling nut, to attach 2x4s for ceiling framing. Telephone (360) 586-3065 The result is one large 40-foot-by-40-foot open square with an 18-foot peak. The quonset hut could probably support a significant earth load, if it were carefully distributed, etc. This may increase to as much as $10,000 to $50,000 or more, depending on various factors mentioned above including labor costs. This thermal bridging as its called, is an issue in any conventional wood-framed building, and is not an issue that is specific to Quonset hut homes. Stran-Steel issued a press lease in late 1946 which listed 257 adaptations. The glow illuminating the bolts is the rising full moon in the east. 7 in under two hours. Quonset Hut Village, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, c.1944. Keep things ultra simple. Bright colors and decorative touches give the house a cozy feel. Theres something really great about the open-ended shell of a Quonset hut. Looking to build an inexpensive but beautiful home debt-free? When we live here full time, well sustain a flock of chickens year-round. by Earl | Oct 8, 2019 | Building the Quompound, Headquarters Hut | 6 comments. You just have to buy them and cut them down. The components of the building were delivered on three pallets. Is a wood frame house cheaper than steel? First we used a tape measure to find the radius we needed, which we drew on a sheet of plywood. If you insulate the exterior you end up with, as Dana suggests, some protective coating. These panels were 16 gauge, which is .06 or about 1/16 of an inch thick. I would love to know the type and length of the threaded extensions you are using to frame the inside. As far as I know, closed-cell spray polyurethane foam will work in this application, and is in fact probably the best insulation option. When it came time to stand the tall metal panels in place, we were more than a little disappointed to realize that SteelMaster cut nearly every one of our end wall panels too long. We bought a bunch of 12 ones at Home Depot and cut to length as we use them. A jackrabbit stopped by one afternoon. Canadian Subscribers International Subscribers, Canadian subscriptions: 1 year (includes postage & GST). A Quonset House might be the answer for you. Looking at the small load, I couldnt believe it was all there: Not counting the end walls, the arched structure involved bolting together 160 panels, each approximately 2-feet-by-8-feet in size. Good luck. Anyway, it was windy and we didnt want to try erecting Quonset sections with just the three of us. Curious about Quonsets? As the interior space of a Quonset hut is unobstructed, it provides a large and open interior. I love how the bolts glimmer in the moonlight with the Milky Way in the background. The concrete floors were stained to create a finished look. I wish you had reached out before you sprayed your foam! One square foot of rain, 1-inch deep, provides .625 gallons of water. His skills and knowledge of construction techniques have been invaluable. Do you have any suggestions? Looking to build an inexpensive but beautiful home debt-free? To get the window boxes to fit, we had to bend back the edge of the arch panels on either side of all six openings. On the other hand, a Quonset hut homes start as low as $5 per sq. Recent Quonset Hut Pricing. The quonset hut could probably support a significant earth load, if it were carefully distributed, etc. I estimate that using the cistern saved us about $1,500 versus drilling a deep well. The 20 measured twenty feet by forty-eight feet, while the 40 (also called the Elephant Hut) stood forty feet wide by one-hundred feet long. ft. With the same amount of living space, how much buck can you spare? This might actually be one of those circumstances where a couple of solar tubes could be useful for daylighting if the ends don't gather enough light. To supplement the passive solar heating elements, we installed radiant heat in the concrete floor and a super-efficient Vogelzang Durango woodstove, which we keep burning constantly once the outside temperature drops below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Emulate the ribbed design of Gothic architecture when finishing your Quonset hut. Some have both. Eventually we expect to live in Pennsylvania year-round, but for now we enjoy exploring the South during the winters, leaving Pennsylvania after the harvest and returning in time for spring planting. Hello Earl The Stran-Steel Company set up dealers all across the country to promote a variety of uses for the huts including use as a single family home or as an agricultural outbuilding. This is an encouraging note(!) Inside the perimeter beam, the concrete is the standard 6 inches thick. To withstand wind and weather and secure the 30-year warranty, these steel buildings must be attached to the earth, either by narrow concrete footers along the base of both sides of the structure, block or wood walls erected to support the structure, or a concrete slab the full width and length of the building. You'll find tips for slashing heating bills, growing fresh, natural produce at home, and more. https://www.clevermoderns.com/quonset-loft-house-end-wall-attachment/. If you built another one exactly like this, and flipped it over on top of this one so the single layer areas overlapped, you would have one full arch, two layers thick. This post contains affiliate links, meaning I get a commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to make a purchase through my links. Were calling our solution the plywood arch method because, as the name suggests, it employs an arch we built out of plywood to support the ceiling framing. Apart from that, it went together relatively easily. A pretty encouraging sign! So, we wanted to come up with a method that would (1) eliminate the extra hardware necessitated by the bolt-on method, and (2) eliminate or greatly reduce the thermal bridging in the assembly. I do not sell the buildings. Cheap and easy to build and very changeable in use. Break out your woodworking equipment to craft 3D dome embellishments fashioned of delicate wood ribs that emulate woodwork found on the ceilings of Gothic interiors. Install chair rail halfway up dome walls on both sides. Learn how your comment data is processed. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Dining below, adjacent to the kitchen etc. I figured I would come back and take care of the anchor bolts next time. We mounted some plywood around the door to attach the conduit to, and I used blue tape to map out where the conduit would be attached. Paste a nature mural on the wall, beginning at the rail line and attaching the mural panels up toward the ceiling. Ready to learn more about these bizarre, amazing, shiny, round, prefab structures? My research included visits to the county water resources department and talks with neighbors. We were actually done before the Pizza lunch I ordered arrived. Continue Reading Steel "Quonset Hut" type buildings How to finish inside? Shipping and taxes calculated at checkout. A Medium to large-scale Quonset house may cost somewhere between $5,000 to $35,000. The trend died away without leaving any really successful examples. The most common way to finish the interior of a Quonset hut house is to bolt some wood framing (usually 24's) to the metal, so that you can have some spray foam insulation put in, and then use the 24's to attach drywall or plywood or whatever you want for your interior ceiling/wall finish. Cheap and easy to build and very changeable in use. You don't need much, however. The plumber had more work to do to finish hooking up our cistern and pump so that we could get water pressure in the building. I could use that sheltered space at the back to form the ribs. The base plate is the weakest link in the whole assembly as far as potential for leaking. That's why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our earth-friendly automatic renewal savings plan. "The purpose of those kinds of buildings is. If I could get one fairly cheap, in the 100-foot long range, thatd be perfect for me. It was great to have a real roof over our tent in time for monsoon season! We are in the process of framing the living room and kitchen. We are planning on doing something light and thin up there, like paneling or corrugated metal. What does it take to live in a tiny home? I have used it to weld steel arches, store materials, and most importantly, to form my large concrete ribs. Learn how to catch guinea fowl and all about how to raise guinea fowl. Below: We set a few 24s in place as temporary supports, using the bolt-on method described earlier. Hi Donna, your new home sounds awesome! The source of our 40-foot-by-40-foot building was SteelMaster, a company founded in 1982. Now when we have the foam insulation sprayed in, there will be a continuous layer of insulation that is uninterrupted by the wood. How do you finish the inside of a Quonset hut? Quonset huts are easy-to-spot, rainbow-shaped living structures that are traditionally fabricated of sturdy metal. Here's the calculation: a traditional house-building will need approximately 2000 sq. Row of ceiling fans at the apex. How cost-effective this approach would be is another question entirely, of course. 86K views 5 years ago DIY Quonset House Series In today's Q&A, Earl talks about Quonset hut end walls, explaining how he put together the end walls that came with his huts. If this should happen, could moisture from the ambient air get between the metal and foam, condense at times, and lead to corrosion? However, that is a good number for assembling the steel arches, so we spent most of the afternoon doing that. We ended up wasting several man hours and a lot of sweat getting it back into place. Id like to watch it again! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook. Work with fabric glue if you want a tight bond or tack down wood strips, using them to anchor the material at junctures along the interior of the dome with decorative tacks. 2023 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved. eHow may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Good luck with your build! If you follow me on Instagram or are a member of my DIY Quonset Dwellers group on Facebook (both of which I highly recommend, btw) you have probably seen some sneak preview images of whats to come in this post. The ribs were taking me a long time to make and closing off the building would save me a lot of hassle, so that seemed like a good idea. No worries, we had other work to do (not captured on film). This feature has been temporarily disabled during the beta site preview. Images may not be used without permission. The two-story buildings were custom-engineered to achieve the height required for the second floor. Theres no way these photos can do justice to the sight. That water is channeled through pipes into a 1,000-gallon concrete cistern buried underground. Images may not be used without permission. Announcing The Quorum The Quonset Forum. He lives nearby, and hes spent most of his career in the construction business. Adding skylights is another way to allow the sunshine to make that steel shine. When the crane came out, it did lift them straight up and over, but I noticed that it actually had a telescoping arm. We will have no debt related to the farmstead, and expect to generate some income from our labors through the sale of our excess crops, shiitake mushrooms, and honey. BIG doors on both ends for access. Since it is a self build, I kept most of my spans shorter than 15 ft. With rain in the forecast, we set up our tent right inside the Workshop Quonset, since it now had an end wall in the back, and a partial front wall as well. We live in Tn. Thats 240 labor hours. Closed cell polyurethane bonds well to metal, and even if it separated from the metal it is sufficiently rigid & structural to form a self-supporting free standing monocoque if formed in an arch. Then, when the threat of frost has passed, well slide the greenhouse away to expose the plants to full sun and weather. Olympia, WA 98501, Mailing Address Thanks. Do you know of analogous applications where people apply spray foam to the underside of sheet metal roofs? Kevin. Im thinking a pair of doors like a hangar has, that open the entire end of the building. End wall utilized a combination of traditional stick framing with autoclaved aerated concrete with a stucco finish. Kevin, Hey Kevin! Turn the arc of your Quonset hut into a dramatic focal point just as long as you have no plans to load up the space with lots of furniture, colors and art. Here again we had trouble with the factory parts provided by SteelMaster. This is the only room well need to heat during the winter while were away. And after spending most of our careers in the city, we finally got our chance in 2005 when 13 acres in northwest Pennsylvania 10 of which were once part of a cornfield came our way.