Building 8x10 Perm - Let me learn from your experience!

[Blaze]

Greetings fellow Ice-Junkies! I'm looking at building a perm 8x10 house with a couple other FMers, and trying to do it on a budget. Help us avoid mistakes and build a "smart" house by sharing your "must have" features and what to avoid doing as well.

To put some context around this project, we are fairly proficient with power tools (still have all our fingers/toes) and the guys I'm working with are pretty smart too (I can't claim that one). If you have a complex design that has turned out to be the cat's meow, bring it on!

Ok, here we go.

Size: we are going 8x10 on skids (considering some wheel options too) due to the size of my sled trailer. We have to make it fit reasonably well for transporting purposes.

Some things we'd like input on:

* Bunk design/placement

* Heaters

* Windows/door - I want to look for a used camper/house door

* # of holes/placement

* Lighting

* ?????

If you can share pics, that would be great, but any help is appreciated. THANKS!

[coldmark]

I'm no expert but...

* Bunk design/placement - With a 8x10, I would do flip down bunks to save space.

* Heaters - Reddy Outdoorsman, 10K btu, thermostat, $135

* door - I want to look for a used camper/house door - I went to the local hardware store and they had around 25 doors just laying around. I picked out a brand new 24" interior door for $15. I put a good coat of paint on it to make it weather-proof.

* windows - ask around, can usually get a couple for free. I also bought one slider at a local vinyl window place for $25. I wanted to be able to open at least one window

* # of holes/placement - if possible, build it first and then sit in it with your friends and decide where to put them. most guys end up putting them in the floor.

* Lighting - i'm going to use my boat and camper batteries and hook them together. i'm also going to try to use my pickup to charge them. i'll probably install 2 or 3 low watt lights (maybe led lights)

* stereo - i would like to buy a used car stereo on hsolist so that I can hook it up to batteries and rock the place. I have outdoor deck speakers that i take down every Fall, i'll use those.

* paneling - not sure if i'll do it this year, but when I do, i'll use luan.

* roof - i went with a pitched 9/12 roof so that I can build a loft for the kids, but it looks too high. if i had it to do over a would go 7/12. i built the rafters out of 2x4's tied together with plywood (nails and liquid nails). these babies are strong and pretty light.

* roof - i'm using rolled roofing because it's cheap and easy. some guys use tin or rubber

* siding - I used 3/8" plywood on the walls, i'm going to paint it and skip the siding. I got "miss-tint" paint for $2.50/gallon at a paint store

[Farley]

Yeah, defenetly put the holes in the floor

It all depends on you. On our fish house we usually have a bunch of guys fishin in it so we put lots of holes and no bunks or anything, to keep it wide open. If it's just two of you fishing a lot of the time you might want to make it more comfortable.

I would put the bunks on the 8 foot wall. I would put the heater on the 10 foot wall right in the middle. The door I would offset on the opposite 10 foot wall from the heater about 2 feet from the corner, opposite the bunks. That size house I would want probably 6-8 holes. If you guys use tip ups a lot go with 6.

[stmichael]

We built a 8x12 on skids, instead of holes we decided to put in troughs. on the 12' sides. It is just under 8' we used steel roofing, steel for the studs/rafters, and we made the roof at a slant instead of pitched. This house is not complete yet, we still have to put in the insulation and interior walls, I figure that we can do that on the ice when the fishing is slow. We are thinking about the expanding foam insulation, has anybody done this? It seems that it would be the way to go. ???

[huntingislife]

I was curious about holes vs troughs. Does anybody have any problems with heating when you have troughs. Or doesn't it make much of a difference?

[stmichael]

I have not had any problems in my buddys house. he keeps the heat on all the time. It is a direct vent heater. The house is 8x12.

[coldmark]

What are troughs? It sounds like you're feeding pigs out on the ice.

[stmichael]

Instead of having holes you have a rectangle cut out, allowing a couple of holes to be drilled in the opening. We have the lids attached by hinges. For example we have an opening of 2' x 8' which will allow for four holes. You can see the 4 holes without having to be directly over them. Plus you can leave the beverages inside the house directly on the ice. This 2'x8' section also has a cover(the original cut out of the floor) that is attached by hinges so it can be closed when the holes are not in use.

[ice_it_06]

My neighbors 18ft is set up with (4) 3'foot long X 12" deep rectangular openings as described. Hindged & framed for support when closed, large hole lights over each opening.

Works great like mentioned all holes can bee seen. He drills two 8" holes at the ends and a smaller one in the middle for his ducer, and uses the exposed ice for drinks

[coldmark]

Oh I get it, an 8 foot cooler that can optionally be used for fishing...Nice!

[HarryG]

I can't say I am an expert but here is my advice. If your are going to put in bunks, then go with 8x12. Mine is 7x10, and it sometimes is a little short. I use a big cot which makes it more versatile. I put a strike master heater in mine, but now I wish I put had the side vent style. I think I saved some money at that time by going with the stack vent style. I would also look at some fish house trailers and build the house to fit the trailer. In the future, you could just buy the trailer and it would already fit. Look on FM for good deals on heaters and other stuff as well as garage sales. hsolist is good too. I did not build mine as I crunched the number for what I wanted and a manufacturer gave me a better deal than what I could build myself. Don't rush it, you will be surprised as to how many ideas you will come up with while alone in your shack. Also, don't just go the cheapest route as in the long run it will cost you more in either money or lost fishing time.

Good Luck!

[Eric Wettschreck]

Cupboards cupboards and more cupboards.

Small shelves above the holes are nice, but you need storage space for all the other dump you bring. Cupboards are nice cuz they are up high, out of the way, and stuff doesn't bounce out when dragging it around.

And make sure you leave wall space for dogs playing pool on velvet and a nekked girlie calendar.

[JigginIsLife]

I would say take your personal items into effect when choosing how you are going to build it. the idea of putting your fishing buddies in there and see where you think you will sit is deffinatly a good idea (never thought abuot it). another thing is take your depth your sitting at and the cone width (if you have a vexilar) another is put a hole in the middle for the aquaview if you ahve one of those. um also a place for boots and hats and mittens and extar TOOLS. cupboards up and down. ones on top for needed items, ones on bottomfor hideaway stuff. thats alli can think of off the top of my head!!

[bigtimeelectric]

you catch cover hole covers for every hole you put in definetly worth it.oh yeh go bigger if possible. good oluck

[minneman]

if your going to put skids under dont use 2x material, use 5x6 etc, also, if you plan to pull from the front of the skids, put a permanent spreader between so they dont pull together when you yank it.

its best to layout the hole patern before building the house due to the floor joist locations, also remember you can auger up close to a wall pretty easy, but in the corners you have to leave some room for the handles on the auger, or ... drill a slanted hole.

when ive slept in bunks, the top one was usualy way too hot to sleep in, cots IMO are a better option.

A shelf above the heat made of that wire closet shelving makes a real nice glove/boot dryer.

use led lighting to save on recharging.

[MinnesotaMuskie]

Watch your weight...I had the same size...sold it as I would not get it out until January.

Be srue to accomodate a 4-wheeler.