Lake Arrowhead Cabin Build Journey

Lake Arrowhead Cabin Build Journey Building an energy efficient, pet & family friendly vacation home at Lake Arrowhead CA.

Some good progress.We installed a 36” tub and three wall tanks for the wall hung toilets. Put up cement boards for our m...
04/21/2025

Some good progress.

We installed a 36” tub and three wall tanks for the wall hung toilets.
Put up cement boards for our massive fireplace, pantry and featured wall where we want to put stone up later on.
Carried 100 sheets of 5/8 drywall inside the house, each sheet weight 70lbs!! Couldn’t have done it without the help from our teenage boys.
Scored a beautiful brand new vanity from the marketplace that saved us over $1000!

We passed the insulation inspection! 🥳🥳🥳Here is what we did:R12 spray foam on the ceiling + R30 Rockwool R23 Rockwool on...
04/12/2025

We passed the insulation inspection! 🥳🥳🥳

Here is what we did:
R12 spray foam on the ceiling + R30 Rockwool
R23 Rockwool on exterior wall and under the floor
Spray foam around all windows and doors and between the double studs
Fire rated spray foam for holes between two floor
Sound proofing all bedrooms

And here on the mountain, we also need to put a moisture barrier on all exterior wall.

We can finally move on to drywall. Yeah! 💪

03/23/2025

Visual proof that insulation works. Taken with my FLIR attachment and my iPhone. You can see where the insulation is yet to be placed near the top of the vaulted ceiling. Even with two inches of closed cell foam in place, the R-30 Rockwool does an amazing job making our ceiling R-42

Painted rocks on Pop's Bench
03/23/2025

Painted rocks on Pop's Bench

More snow, but at least our exterior walls and ceiling are insulated now.
03/07/2025

More snow, but at least our exterior walls and ceiling are insulated now.

03/03/2025

A surprise visit from Alvin, Simon, and Theodore 😆.

We stained all the beams and deck ceiling.We painted and installed the James Hardie cement siding. We built the fireplac...
02/06/2025

We stained all the beams and deck ceiling.
We painted and installed the James Hardie cement siding.
We built the fireplace.
We installed the windows and sliding doors.
We installed the composite deckings.
We installed the railings.

We did almost everything ourselves!

Lots of learning curve and hard work, but the satisfaction of seeing the transformation is priceless.

Neighbors enjoying sledding on Fritz Lane. Very happy to see them having so much fun.
02/03/2025

Neighbors enjoying sledding on Fritz Lane. Very happy to see them having so much fun.

In additional to cement siding and fire suppression system, we will be using spray foam and Rockwool for our insulation....
02/01/2025

In additional to cement siding and fire suppression system, we will be using spray foam and Rockwool for our insulation. Rockwool is fire resistant. The fire insurance has been skyrocketed for mountain homes even before the LA fire. In some cases, home owners are paying over $7000 for home insurance!! Though it is more expensive to fire proof the house, it will be worth it in a long run if we could keep the fire insurance cost down.

By the way, we finally passed the combo inspection!!

Loving the 7.25 in wide ‘drink rail’ on the main deck. It looks nice, functional and feels just right under our arms.O...
01/06/2025

Loving the 7.25 in wide ‘drink rail’ on the main deck. It looks nice, functional and feels just right under our arms.

On the other hand, we use 3.5 in decking boards on the stair rails so it is small enough to grab on to….. very important when the stairs are covered in snow.

A real fire. The firebox is 36 inches. To fill it, logs need to be 30 inches long. Fortunately we have lots of long logs...
01/05/2025

A real fire. The firebox is 36 inches. To fill it, logs need to be 30 inches long. Fortunately we have lots of long logs laying around from clearing the area for our house. Cedar, spruce, pine, fir, oak. I have my pick. Cedar is my favorite. It lights easily and smells great.

We are using Timbertech widest (7.25”) PVC decking as our top rail which combine clean, modern look and exceptional func...
01/03/2025

We are using Timbertech widest (7.25”) PVC decking as our top rail which combine clean, modern look and exceptional functions with no maintenance required. It also doesn’t get as hot as composite under the sun.

The only challenge now is resist putting everything on the railing …. 😅

12/30/2024

When we started this project the hope was that we would build a relationship with one inspector who could explain how local ordinances differ from California and San Bernardino County code. There are many differences when building in the mountains than in the flat semi-desert of Southern California.

Well, that relationship never developed, and I've lost track of how many inspectors have come our way. Some are great to work with and helpful, others... not so much.

We are still trying to get past the Combo inspection. One inspector is fine with most things and has only a few suggestions. Others are way over the top and cannot be reasoned with even when quoting the Code because, "local jurisdictions override state and county building code," and "that's how it's done up here." Pro Tip: maybe that's why so many structures didn't make it through the past two winters, and our house had no problem whatsoever dealing with the worst winters in 100 years.

The latest debacle came when the inspector started pointing out structural differences between the plans and existing framing that have been there for years and reviewed by other inspectors. I asked him why the existing Structiral Observation from the local engineering firm didn't cover it. His response, "I don't know I didn't look at it, but you need to..."

So, the saga continues. Gotta love California. Can't see the Forrest for the trees...

Our deck is finally safe! We were going to use aluminum posts and railings at first but then fell in love with a differ...
12/23/2024

Our deck is finally safe!

We were going to use aluminum posts and railings at first but then fell in love with a different design we came across on Zillow (last pic ).

The wooden posts not only add rustic vibe to the deck, but also support much wider drink rails.

We still have to finish the lower deck and put the top (drink) rail down. Luckily no snow yet.. fingers crossed.

First fire in the indoor/outdoor fireplace. The draft is great, and no smoke leaks! The only problem is that logs need t...
11/17/2024

First fire in the indoor/outdoor fireplace. The draft is great, and no smoke leaks! The only problem is that logs need to be twice as big as normal.

We over ordered the decking boards, so we use the leftover to finish the porch ceiling.
10/28/2024

We over ordered the decking boards, so we use the leftover to finish the porch ceiling.

We did it!! It took approximately two weeks. Laying down deck boards is not hard. Planning and preparation is the key. W...
10/14/2024

We did it!!
It took approximately two weeks. Laying down deck boards is not hard. Planning and preparation is the key. We could have done a bit better but overall we are happy with how it turned out.

Building a deck has been the most satisfying DIY project we have done so far. It goes quickly and the transformation is ...
10/11/2024

Building a deck has been the most satisfying DIY project we have done so far. It goes quickly and the transformation is amazing. We are more than half way there, hoping to finish it by Sunday.

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Lake Arrowhead, CA
92352

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