Doon Doon Shack Building adventures
Overview
The "shack", is a 3-level building experiment in Doon Doon, northern
NSW.
Mostly it is just an excuse to wield power tools and learn how to
build without making the same kinds of mistakes on the "real thing".
Building commenced in December 1999, and continues whenever sufficient
time is available to be there and complete projects. The goal is to
have a functional place to live in while building the "real thing"
sometime in the future.
Archival slide photos also document the process, but none have
currently been scanned. Some trips made use of a low
quality digital camera. Almost all recent trips are documented with a
Sony DSC-S85, which provides suitable resolution for archival quality prints.
Potted history
- December 15 1999 - January 14 2000: Site
determined; initial design completed; poles and framing timber
obtained; holes dug, poles erected; bearers strapped to poles;
mezzanine floor joists installed; gable roof beam attached to central
pole; rafters and battens set for roof; part of west verandah roof
laid.
- March 2000 (1 week): Roof finished on verandahs
and house gable; ridge capping attached; plywood floor in mezzanine.
- September 2000 (1 week): Gable ends finished in
laserlite (clear corrugated plastic).
- Christmas Eve, Christmas Day 2000: 9000 litre
water tank platform leveled, and installed; gutter on south verandah
fastened on.
- March 2001 (2 weeks): House footprint cleared;
drainage channels dug; dumpy level lines set for flooring; more soil
cleared to provide clearance; sub flooring (bearers and joists)
in house and south verandah laid.
- April 2001 (2 weeks): Flooring (4x1 inch dressed
one side) laid in house and south verandah; west verandah sub flooing
laid; south verandah vertical stud frame installed.
- July 2001 (1 week): West verandah flooring laid;
more stud frames installed for mudroom; colourbond walling in mudroom and south
verandah installed; bracing on poles; kitchen bench design and shaping completed.
- Sep 2001 (several days): Composting toilet
(mainly built by Thomas); kitchen bench
- Jan 2002 (a couple of days): cross bracing of poles; commencement of east wall
- October 2002 (a week): east wall and window construction
- December 2002: plantings around toilet
- March 2003 (several days): south wall windows, citrus grove planting
- July 2003 (a day):door drops in mudroom; vermin proof box for futon storage
- October 2003: micro solar LCD lighting panel installation; steps from west verandah; finishing path to toilet
- December 2003: uphill water tank, water line to
shack, sink and draining rack in mudroom
- June 2004: north deck - grey gum posts, hardwood
beams (ready for pergola), rose gum joists and flooring
Photos
Materials
The materials for the shack have been sourced from a number of
locations:
timber
- off the property, for poles initially and now for general building following milling of flooded gum
- Uki sawmill, for hardwood flooring and framing
- JH Williams, for pine
roofing, walling
Much of the roofing and walling is assembled from BHP Colourbond,
obtained from Hughes Steel in Murwillumbah, and Tubemakers Metalland
in Lismore.
Additional recycled windows and a door have been obtained from Kebers
building materials, in Murwillumbah.
plumbing, screws
Most of the plumbing, screws, strapping, flashing and all the other
bits and pieces you need to glue a building together come from JH
Williams and/or Primac in Murwillumbah, and Bunnings in Tweed Heads.
Credits
In no particular order, here are the people who have worked on
building the shack at different times.
- Peter
- Thomas
- Michael
- Nigel
- David
- Danielle
- Quintin
- Fiona
- Chris
- Simon
- Heather
- Reagan
- Blair
- Maggie
- Sophie
- Joshua
- Bec
- Ian