framing ice house

[Ol' Lund]

Hi-

Was jsut wondering what you guys used for lumber to frame up your walls? I was thinking 2"x2" inches on center with 2"x4" in the corners, do you think this will work? house will be 6.5' x 16'.

Also, for the floor, i was thinking pancake style, 1/2" plywood 1 1/2" foam, 1/2" plywood. Think this will work? Does plywood have to be green treated? Do i have to add bracing in between the plywood, or jsut the foam?

For the roof, should i give it a little peak, or give it a slight angle? What would you recommend and why? I think i'll just tin the roof too.

thanks guys!

[TWISTERSOCK]

Well I used 2x2 wood, because I used car siding (Like tounge and groove notty pie) On my interior, however a lot of people use steel stud 2x2 framing because its lighter. Yes your floor should be 3/4 treated and glued down to the frame. If your sandwiching foam on the floor I would recommend laying a 2x4 flat every 2 feet, otherwise the floor will feel like its bouncy.

The roof is really up to you. I never put a pitch to it, but it wouldn't be wrong to add one. I used a rubber roof, so the water can't penetrate it and I felt the slope was not necessary.

Some other things to consider. Your exterior siding materials and if your riveting alumn siding on or other things like that. Also plan out your wiring. If your using a direct vented furnace make sure you plan it out so the the drop hinges don't interfere with the exterior vent. Insulate it as best as possible, not for heat loss, but noise!!! If you ever want to sleep at night that is lol.

[Bothun]

Do your self a favor and have the floor spray foamed. with the cost of the extra plywood and foam you will be cheaper off doing the foam. You will also be lighter also. If you get the snow cleaned off the ice when you set down and use full ice buster bobbers you should be able to see the bobber from the other side of the house. If you have the money to do it, do not hesitate to spray the entire house. It will take a mere fart to heat it! Don't forget fans either, 2 fans in opposite corners should be suffice. Also, many are using rubber roofing these days over tin.

[Ol' Lund]

do you know on any posts or anything dealing with a how to on the rubber roofs? are they expensive?

[Ol' Lund]

also, what types of bolts or lags do you use to attach the framing the the trailer frame?

[jigginjim]

I would think metla working screws should be find. Are you building a wheelhouse? I had a sloped roof on my house, topped with a tarp paper much like standard shingles. It helped melt the snow from the roof. A friend also added a solar panels used when he was fishing, it would a battery for lights at night.

[TWISTERSOCK]

A rubber roof only costs around 120.00 from Menards. What I did for my floor was just get some self tapping screws with wide heads and screw the plywood into the frame. You want to use a really good grade of multipurpose floor adhesive and then just add enough screws so the plywood lays flat all over and then the adhesive will dry after about 2 days in this weather. Then I got extra long self tapping screws to screw the walls down only adding a few in each section of wall, plus the adhesive again to the plywood. So in 16 feet I would put a screw every open wall cavity so around 2ft on center.

To lay the rubber roof I would suggest at least 2 people. Then lay the roof out on top of the plywood roof. Pull the rubber halfway back and then take a paint roller and roll the adhesive on the plywood and the half of the rubber pulled back. Then get under the rubber and start pressing down working from the center out to the sides. Remember once the roof touches it will be stuck for good so don't get any wrinkles. Then do the same for the opposite half.

I would suggest the spray foam 2, but it is expensive. Having the floor done alone costs about $400-500. I ordered a spray foam kit off the internet for $350 and did the floor myself, but I used the pink 1 1/2 foam for the walls and ceiling.

Good luck!

[erik-the-great]

i dont if you have metal frame or wood but i would bolt the walls down thru the 2x2s wall plate and all the way thru the floor joists then when have to jack up and down your walls dont seperate

[Ol' Lund]

its a metal frame, and yes, i will jsut run bolts all the way through!

[TWISTERSOCK]

I wouldn't go all the way through, it will weaken the frame considerably. Plus the bolts will melt and dig into the ice and could freeze the house to the lake. Using the self tapping screws and the strong multipurpose glue is indestructible. This is coming from a person who has been a Carpenter for 15 years. If you don't believe me buy a tube of the adhesive and then glue 2 pieces of wood together or to a piece of metal, and wait 2 days and try to get them apart. This is code for home building and commercial construction use, and it is for a good reason. Because it plain works!

Plus go look at a Ice Castle and you won't see any bolts through the steel! Just saying that's really a bad idea. The lowering of the fish house doesn't cause any flex of the actual trailer if it is tube built.

BTW the Brand of Glue to purchase is Liquid Nails Multi Purpose adhesive.

[Ol' Lund]

I'll take your advice twistersock! thanks much

[TWISTERSOCK]

No Problem man! Good luck and just msg me if you have any other questions!

[erik-the-great]

twister sock my dad and i built a 8x12 with a 3x3 metal tubing around the outside and 1.5 inch angle iron for the joist and used self tapping screws for the plywood worked good but then we use carriage bolts and drilled holes thru the frame and the 2x2s that was back in 1988 and iam still using today, in 1997 i built another using the same tubing but forgot to fasten the walls to the frame with carriage bolts just screwed torxs to the floor the screws just pulled thru the floor and had to drill holes on the lake and put lags in to get it home have had nothing but trouble getting off the ice in the spring on lotw now i always block the house up with at least a 4x4 its easy to do now while on dry ground than on the lake just my thoughts

[south_metro_fish]

I am building a skid house and I am wondering about making the frame for the floor. I have some good solid pine 2x4's that are not made out of the normal knoty pine. Should I use thoughs as is to make the floor frame out of? Then should I just rip them in half to make the rest of the house frame out of? Im not going to sleep in it but I have vaneer that I was planing to do the inside with would I still need to get some of that foam sheeting to insulate with or would the air space be enough?

[TWISTERSOCK]

Well depends on how long you want it to last. Pine after it gets wet soaks up water, expands and contracts which loosens the screws or nails and then falls apart. I would use 2x4 green treated lumber with 3/4 treated plywood. Also don't forget to use green treated for the bottom of the wall framing. I wouldn't recommend ripping the 2x4 in half because you will end up with really bowed studs. Its actually really inexpensive just to purchase the 2x2 and less hassle anyways. I would also use 6x6 green for the skids and lag the 6x6's to some good bracing in the floor.

[south_metro_fish]

Im trying to make this as cheap as posible and I already have a bunch of this wood from my work along with a bunch of partical board plywood so I am trying to use what I have. These are not typical pine boards they are a little heavier then normal pine and they kind of have a red tint to them so I am thinking they will not bow like normal pine. As for treating the wood I have could I just cover it with some kind of water proof stain?

[TWISTERSOCK]

Like I said before. It just depends how long you want it to last and stay together. Have you seen partical board get wet for extended periods of time? It will swell and look like a wave. Really won't matter if you use a waterproof stain cause it will seep into the sides and cracks and pop the walls up. The pine boards will last probably around 2 years and a max of 3 years. Now take into account for a 6'x8' house you would only need 2 4x8 sheets which run around 24.00 a sheet. And you would need 8 2x4 8' treated studs that will cost around $3.00 each. Throw in 2 tubes of adhesive for $6.00 and the total cost to build the right floor would be around $84.00. Not including the 6x6's for the skids. So I would guess around 130.00 for the right floor really isn't all that expensive.

[mediocrates67]

if you are spray foaming, you need to use 2x3's as the foam expands more than 1.5 inches. plus it is nice to have that extra room when you're drilling holes for the wires. fishhousesupply.com has the self-drilling coated sinkers you'll need for the floor and there are screws for the bottom plate. use 3/4" for the floor and spray foam if you can...should be about $300.

don't be too concerned about the roof peak. if you're using the black rubber that will help a lot to melt the snow/ice. plus, you're only spanning 6.5 feet so I wouldn't go through all the hassle of ripping boards, etc.

don't drill all the way through the frame.

[erik-the-great]

i agree with twistersock the floor is not the place to cut corners i used 6 inch t-50 torks drill a small hole thru the 2x4 and screw it into the skid they cost about .50 a piece

[hibanks1]

anyone use steel studs like the ones you get at menards...galvanized vs. Wood

[erik-the-great]

for the walls? wood is alot easier to work with

[TWISTERSOCK]

Ya steel studs are really a lighter application, but it depends on what you want to use for interior and exterior siding. If your using alumn cargo siding, then I would say go ahead with steel studs and rivet it on, otherwise I would use wood. I personally used pull barn siding (exterior) and car siding for the interior, so with my application it was easier to go with wood, plus I personally feel it is much stronger.

[spinnerboy]

I used metal studs and would never do it again. Alot of work and they sweat through my paneling and the paint falls off the walls. I never used a vapor barrier. I would use wood next time,but I was trying to make it light. 7X16 came out to be 1900lbs.

[wyattboche]

I used metal studs and would never do it again. Alot of work and they sweat through my paneling and the paint falls off the walls. I never used a vapor barrier. I would use wood next time,but I was trying to make it light. 7X16 came out to be 1900lbs.

Next time use a vapor barrier and you probably won't have that problem again.

[landscaper]

good advice