I appreciate the discussion/thoughts/suggestions.
I am thinking about using this as a “Little Home”. As noted in my first post – 16′ long, 16′ wide, with 16′ sidewalls.
Either a concrete floor or a plywood covered 2 by on roofing felt floor. 7′ up the bottom of the loft rafters making roughly a 12′ x 8′ loft area. MAYBE a 4′ knee wall, which would make all of the 16×16 area useable and would make the loft 12xclose to 10. A knee wall would allow gutters at the bottom of the sides making rainwater collection easier.
Crow Bar – Looking at the plans, again, I think I would go with a gambrel roof, add the loft for a larger sleeping area, insulate with 7 inches of R7 spray foam, the cast iron stove, the knee wall with the rain catchment system.
A gambrel roof would allow for more space but adds construction complexity I’m trying not to have. Spray foam insulation is my primary plan for now.
GnomeInPlaid – climate – 2×4 construction will not hold up to heavy snow – fireplace at the end wall. Expansion and contraction from heating and cooling will cause the meeting surface between the stones and the wood to separate and eventually rot. You’ll also lose a lot of heat through the rocks to the outside. I have my wood stove centrally located.
The roof pitch is a 1 to 2 run/rise. For every 1 foot of run the rise on the roof is 2 feet. I do believe it will shed snow fairly good. You are right about 2×4 construction not being as strong as it could be. My initial plan is to use 2x8s on 16 inch centers. The cross pieces between the 2x8s (to be where the sheet metal side is nailed) will probably be 2×4 every 2′. Interior sheathing is going to be 1/2 plywood glued and screwed. That will make the 16×16 sidewalls fairly rigid and insulated as noted in my reply to Crow Bar. I am planning on a glass front wood burning stove for heat and for something to look at, at night. I will be bringing in an outside air pipe for the stove.
The Loft cross pieces will be bolted to sidewall members and will provide additional rigidity to the structure.
Climate – I live in Texas – so one day I can be melting from the heat and the next be “lower posterior orifice” deep in snow. My plan is to have a thru the wall by the front door High Efficiency window A/C for cooling and screened windows loft and bottom – front and back for cross ventilation.
Right now – it’s all just a plan.