Sunday, June 7, 2009

Dovetail Style Shell Kit

Recently, we built a Dovetail style shell utilizing large Douglas fir logs which we harvested in a U.S. Forest Service salvage sale, on Long Creek, about 10 miles west of our log yard. We milled them into large timbers, 8 " thick and an average 18" high. Then, we joined the corners with handcrafted, dovetail-style notches. The walls are 9 ft. high.

We consider the inter-mountain, high elevation, standing-dead Douglas fir logs a superior building material. The massive, 8" thick timber walls will provide excellent insulation.

This shell is available For Sale, as a kit, and can be seen at 4560 U.S. Hwy 26, nine miles west of Dubois, WY.

  • It is 2867 sq. ft. on the ground floor, including a 20 ft. 4" x 9 ft. 4" double entryway.
  • The inside dimensions are 48 ft. 5" x 40 ft. 11".
  • It includes a Tie Beam with three Support Posts and Floor Joists for a loft.
  • The optional Loft is 700 sq. ft.
  • There is an Engineer's report for the foundation.
  • Drawings of the four elevations and a suggested floor plan are available upon request.
  • It was designed with a large Sun Room for potential passive solar benefits.
  • The timbers can be numbered and disassembled and loaded on a flatbed truck for reassembly on your home site.
  • Tim Rogers can supervise the reassembly.