2x6 laminated house

[4good2]

I have posted this on three other sites, HGTV, DIY and Bobvila. I have built a large doghouse this way and it turned out beautiful. I sealed and stained it with Olympic Honey Gold sealer. I over lapped each corner in alternating direction, which made it look like "finger joints". Is Very heavy and very solid. I got some good debate going on the DIY board. Maybe I can get some good debate here as well Thanks. This looks like a great site.

New Member and my first post. After researching and pricing log homes, laminated log homes and metal pole barn type homes (Morton Building homes), I have an idea. My Grand View UMC church has beautiful 2x6 laminated beams (arches) approximately 25 feet tall which is the main structure for our octagon shaped building. There are also laminated 2x6 beams between main beams sort of like timber frame buildings. There are also two 2x6 laminated beams set on brick columns holding up the main front drive under entrance. They are all beautiful and 15 years old. The outside beams just needed some sanding and refinishing this year and it was pretty easy to do.
Has any one seen or know why I couldn???t build a house with solid 2x6 walls? I priced the lumber and for under $6000 I can build a 30x 50 solid house. I would double this 1500 sq. feet by putting it on a full basement. I would also put on a metal roof and 10 ft. wrap around porch. This would protect most of the wood. I think I would do the end gables in metal or cement board siding. Starting on top of the basement I would use a 2x6 treated sill then just start gluing with Liquid Nails and driving galvanized nails. In logic I would be building a laminated wood Home I could make drill templates for each wall and drill the wiring holes as I go up. Or drill them down and run them into the floor trusses.
Window and doorframes could be made out of 2x6s or 1x6 plastic deck wood. I bought enough 2x6 today to build a 4x5 doghouse just to show folks how beautiful it would be. About half the folks I tell all this to think I???m crazy. The other half can???t wait to see it built so they can see if they want one. My old shop teacher said it best. ???Well you have always been crazy but I can???t think of a single reason why it won???t work. ???It is too easy and nobody could charge you a massive amount of money for laminated logs and such???.
I have 32 acres and 36x50 shop and a 130-year-old drafty house I hate. This seems like a great idea for me, and a way to build my Dream Home for my wife and sons. Any Thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
I have added pictures of the dog house on the DIY board. I don't see how to add them here. Maybe I missed something.

[rreidnauer]

Sounds completely do-able to me. Really, it's similar to a kit loghome, only you're using lower height logs. Sealer maintenace will be critical to long term success. I'm surprised the lumber for a 30x50 (x9 high?) could come in at $6000. Sounds low, but I never priced out something like that. I don't see any reason you couldn't continue the same method up the entire gable. (though it would only be for aesthetic value if you go with a closed attic area)

You got a link to the pictures?

[sparky]

What about collecting scrap pieces of 2 X 6 from building sites for free!

[4good2]

The only reason I didn't want to do the gables I guess would be that there are not protected from the rain and sun like the walls would be. I was thinking a 9-10 foot porch (dutch gable on the ends) all the way around would protect the walls. Also I was not sure about keeping it plumb that high up. Is there a way to add a picture to these post? I can't seem to get it to take. Thanks for you help.

[4good2]

This my math... I would be more than happy if I was wrong.......maybe.
2x6x10 at Lowe's is $4.78 each. 96" high (8 foot) would take 80 (1.5 thick) boards a 30x50 would take 1024 2x6x10 brds. = $4894.72
Ten foot walls would take 1280 2x6x10 brds = $6118.40

160 ft of 10' brds (16 brds long) x 64 brds high=1024 brds x 4.78 = $4894.72

160 ft of 10' brds (16 brds long) x 80 brds high =1288 brds x4.78 = $6118.40

I may check into buying direct from the mill.

[4good2]

Man I can't seem to add an image of the dog house. Anybody know how I can do it.

[4good2]

Sparky, Free would be good. I looked a Boeing surplus sales in Wichita Kansas and the have tons of scrap but most of it is from China. Lots of bamboo (some real boo) and pallets with 2x6 boards. However most of it very poor and irregular, dirty, split and such. Who knows what and where it comes from or whats been on it.

[4good2]

Ok, looks like I can't add a picture. You can see it on DIY network under "message boards" and then "General Home Building" "laminated 2x6 house" But you have to be registered on DIY to see the pictures. To bad, it is really nice. Not done yet, but nice.

http://www.diynetwork.com/

http://boards.diynetwork.com/eve

[rreidnauer]

I don't know if the anti-spam limitations prevent you from posting pictures or not, but if you can, you simply place the BBCode tags around the address of your photos like this:

[img.]http://www.yourimagehost.com/yourpicture.jpg[/img]

Remove the period in the front tag. I put it in there to kill the tag so you can see it.

Or you could just post the photo address, and let folks click on it. BTW, I went to the DIY board, and the pictures were not viewable. (might just be my computer here at work)

[Vern Street]

Hey 4good2 -
I just purchased a bunch of 2X12's 8ft, 10ft, and 12t from 84 lumber. They were priced at $2.00, $3.00, and $4.00 respectively. Cut them in two and you have two 2X6's. That's a dollar a piece for an 8 ft 2X6. That will make your numbers look good. That is, if you have an 84 Lumber around somewhere. I'm in Tulsa but they are all over the East.

Vern and Sara Street
www.vernstreet.com for pix