Cabins: A Guide to Building Your Own Nature Retreat [Paperback]

Jeanie Stiles (Author), David Stiles (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 3, 2001

"Clear, practical book ... full-color photos help do-it-yourselfers realize their dreams." -- Log Homes Illustrated

The best-selling Cabins is back in print, at the same great value of its original price. This authoritative how-to title gives readers all the information they need to build their own cabin, including:

A useful list of essential questions to consider during the planning process

Types of cabin construction, such as pole built, stick built, post and beam, stone, cordwood, wood siding, and the advantages of each

Site preparation, foundations, windows and doors, ladders and stairs, insulation, roofing, electricity, water systems and heating

Essential information on log cabins

Cabin designs and their advantages

Furnishings and accessories

Construction methods are clearly illustrated in meticulous line drawings and precise plans with measurements. Cut-away cross-sections and exploded diagrams give the builder the true perspective and detail needed to obtain the best result, allowing readers to get the most enjoyment out of their newly built wilderness retreat.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Cabins have come a long way from the 19th-century rustic structures familiar to all school children. The Stileses, a husband-and-wife team who have collaborated on a number of woodworking titles, show how to build a cabin that reflects the builder's lifestyle; some are simple, while others contain multiple rooms and utilities. Although the authors make it look easy, the amount of work that goes into a log cabin is staggering (even small cabins require 60 or more logs that each take five to seven hours to hew by hand). Other designs include a Japanese moon-gazing cabin, a pyramid-shaped cabin, and an A-frame cabin. A section on cabin accessories (including brief construction hints for rustic wood furniture) and a list of sources (including web addresses) completes this title. It should be part of in-depth public library collections.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

The Stiles ... show how to build a cabin that reflects the builder's lifestyle. (Library Journal 20010901)

If you've ever thought of building a little retreat somewhere ... you will probably enjoy this book. (New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal 20010526)

You'll find not only the practical issues ... but also the inspiration to help select the cabin that is perfect. (Kandis Carper Spokane Spokesman-Review 20010525)

An invaluable resource ... step-by-step instructions starting with basic planning. (Stacie Gentile Calgary Sun 20010616)

The kind of book that stirs the imagination. (Lexington Herald-Leader 20010603)

A primer for anyone with dreams of 'getting away from it all.' (Ted Hainworth Saskatoon Star Phoenix 20010721)

Clear, practical book ... full-color photos help do-it-yourselfers realize their dreams. (Log Homes Illustrated 20011101)

With this study ... anyone's yearning for the last great place can be satiated. (Patrick A. Smith ForeWord 20011001)

[The book will] lead the clumsiest carpenter through the necessary steps to build a cozy getaway. (Annie Stoltie Adirondack Life 20050401)

You can do it!... For tips read Cabins: A Guide to Building Your Own Nature Retreat. (Rebecca Sawyer-Fay Cottage Living )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Firefly Books (March 3, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1552093735
• ISBN-13: 978-1552093733
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,304 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #7 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Small Homes & Cottages
  • #38 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > How-to & Home Improvements > Building & Construction
  • #42 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > How-to & Home Improvements > Home Design > Design & Construction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just great!, October 19, 2001

By 

Donald J. Berg (Rockville Centre, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cabins: A Guide to Building Your Own Nature Retreat (Paperback)

This book is an absolutely essential guide for anyone planning to build a getaway home. It takes you, step-by-step, through the process of choosing your site, planning and designing your cabin and then building it. It includes plans, details and do-it-yourself hints on building all types of cabins: pole-frame, A-frame, timber-frame, log, stick and stone. Designs included range from Thoreau's 10'x15' cabin on Walden Pond to a big, comfortable lakeside cabin with all the extras. If you're dreaming of a little place in the country, get this book.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even Better Than Stiles' Usual Excellent Work, August 6, 2001

By 

Jonathan Pote (Mississippi State, MS United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cabins: A Guide to Building Your Own Nature Retreat (Paperback)

I have always enjoyed books by Stiles and her group of architects. I built a tree house from one and a play structure from another. This is the most thourough book I have seen by her. Lots of good tips, superb drawings, construction details, etc. This is not just a pretty picture book (although there are some of those, too. This is a book for the real do-it-yourselfer.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Has Everything You Need, March 29, 2003

By 

Eliza (Ohio, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cabins: A Guide to Building Your Own Nature Retreat (Paperback)

This book is wonderful. It contians all the information you could possibly need for building a cabin, whether you want a one room hut with no amenities, a two-betroom beach house with running water, electricity, and a bathroom or something in between. It covers everything I can think of and gives clear instructions for projects.
This book lives up to its title: it really is for someone who is serious about building, with more diagrams than "arty" pictures of the wilderness. However, there is a nice section of color pictures in the middle of the book to give a taste of what sort of results you can expect from your efforts.