Finnlife Joki Log Cabin

Finnforest Joki Log Cabin: very complementary to your garden space.

The Finnlife Joki Log Cabin is a no-fussing type of cabin, and that's why it will always look perfect anywhere. Wherever it goes - by the pool, near your exclusive tennis courts, overlooking the lush croquet lawn - this log cabin always blends in.

The Joki may come with Nordic style, yet doesn't look ill-fitting anywhere on the British landscape. Here, the living is easy.

Why buy the Finnforest Joki Log Cabin?

* Made from precision-cut top quality Scandanavian White Softwood
* 34mm wall logs - provides additional strength, insulation and resilience to cope with extended year-round use
* Timber joists
* Roof shingles
* Ready made, fully glazed doors
* Reinforced corners and wall battens
* All necessary fixtures and fittings
* Illustrated instructions

Dimensions

Width:
Internal: 3.83m
External: 4.10m

Depth:
Internal: 3.83m
External: 5.60m

Ridge Height
External: 2.84m

Area:
Internal: 14.68m²
External: 22.96m²

This log cabin is also available with underfloor heating - see stockists for details.

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How to build a Finnlife Log Cabin yourself

Sumptuous, lazy summer evenings may be calling, but don’t rush to build your Finnlife Log Cabin. Spend the time to get to know how it is constructed, and you will enjoy many years of trouble-free pleasure. No specialist abilities are needed. Everyone can erect a Finnlife log cabin, although some tasks may require more than one pair of hands. Build times will vary depending on your experience and the number of people helping. Of course you don’t need to do it without any help!

It is possible to present this document to a professional builder then sit back until he presents you with the keys to your brand new Finn Life Cabin. Having said that, no matter who does the job, the first step is to get to know these instructions. The plan is to be methodical and to foresee the work ahead. Although Finnlife log cabins share many features in common, each model style is inimitable. These overall instructions cover the basics of wooden cabin construction and apply to all Finnlife cabins.

For items that are unique to your Finnlife Log Cabin – such as dimensions, piece numbers, building plans and piece lists – you should refer to the individual Building Plans and Parts List. If you are building cabins Finnlife Helppo, Finnlife Helsinki, Finnlife Joki, Finnlife Kesa, Finnlife Pori, Finnlife Seita and Finnlife Valo be aware that certain instructions maydiffer slightly from those found here.

Concrete option: Remove all organic matter prior to starting work on the foundations. Concrete foundations should always be the precise base size stated in the Parts List and Plans instructions to reduce the amount of water that the base will hold. It is suggested that the concrete base be six inches thick.

Foundations and preparation: You can erect your Finn Life Cabin on foundations of concrete or on compacted gravel. Whichever option you choose, a solid and level base is crucial. Care given to the foundations is well invested. An uneven or unstable base may well detract from the end outcome of the Finn Life Cabin. Doors and windows will not fit properly, walls may stoop and joints may not match up.

Before you begin to erect you should ensure that you have a full set of pieces. Tick off every piece against the piece list in the Building Plans and Parts List as you remove it from the transit packaging. In the unlikely event that there is a missing piece or that a piece has been broken in transit get in touch with the distributor, stating the Finn Life Cabin reference number shown on the packing label of the transit packaging. As you check off every piece lay them out on the ground around the site of the log cabin. Lay every piece near to where it will be used. Laying out helps you see how the Finn Life Cabin is built and it means that pieces are available to hand when you need them. You can use the Building Plans and Parts List as a guide to what goes where. Be wary not to lay pieces too close to the Finn Life Cabin footprint. Give yourself sufficient room to work in.

Put out the four sides of the door frame on a clean and level area so that the doors open outwards. Loosely place them to match the ready frame. The top and bottom jambs are not quite matching. Place the one with the Lock RECESS AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM. Ensure that the door cills go behind the doors. Slot the joints together loosely and ensure THAT YOU CAN STILL OPEN THE DOORS prior to moving on.

Your ready Finn Life Cabin rests on a series of parallel beams known as floor beams. They give a strong base and raise the cabin off the ground for ventilation. Do not block the flow of air underneath the cabin by blocking the open end. To prevent damp rising into your cabin every floor beam should be covered by 2 strips of damp-proof membrane, one above and one below. The polythene transit packaging offers a perfectly acceptable damp-proof course when made into thin strips. Else you can purchase a sheet of commercial damp-proof membrane and cut that into strips. Floor beams are effortless to identify. They are impregnated with a long-lasting preservative that makes them darker. The layout of floor beams depends on your Finn Life Cabin model; please refer to your specific Building Plans and Parts List.

When laying the roof boards, you will need to temporarily stick an eaves fascia board to the ridge beam as a guide batten, and use it to make sure that all roof boards terminate in a flush ridge line. Mark the centre line on the front and rear faces of the ridge beam. Start nailing roof boards on one side of the roof, starting from the front. The leading edge of the first roof board should be set 5mm from the ends of the ridge and roof beams. The topmost end of the roof board must be flush with the temporary ridge-beam guide batten. Nail each roof board to the ridge beam (V-Joint facing downwards) and every roof beam, driving 2 nails per board - per joint in at right angles to the roof slope.

Nail an eaves fascia board temporarily with nails to the ridge beam so that one edge is flush with the marked centre line. Do not hammer in all the way. You will need to take it out later on. When erecting the Finn Life Cabin during the summer periods, we suggest leaving small gaps between the roof boards to allow expansion of the boards during the colder periods. Where building during the winter months we would advise knocking the boards together, to alleviate any gap appearing during the hot and dry periods.

Work through, board-by-board to the rear gable. Make sure that the eaves line
made by the lower edges of the roof boards is as straight as possible. The last roof board may stick out beyond the rear gable. Nail it down lightly and mark on the beneath where it meets the ends of the ridge and roof beams. Remove the final roof board and cut it length ways 5mm inside the marked line. Put it back on the roof and nail down. Remove the temporary guide batten from the ridge beam, then repeat steps for the opposite side of the roof.

Make Sure that the eaves line made by the roof boards is approximately straight. If necessary use a cut to trim it flush. Attach the eaves fascia boards perpendicular to the roof boards, and flush with their upper surface. You need one piece for each side of the cabin. Fix by nailing into the ends of the roof boards with 50mm nails.

Put ridge shingles carefully over the ridge without creasing. Start from the front of the cabin by putting a ridge shingle evenly across the roof ridge so that the tip of the green edge is flush with the leading edge of the roof boards. Fix by driving two clout nails through the black bitumen on either side of the roof ridge. Put the second and subsequent ridge shingles so that the green half completely covers the bitumen of the preceding shingle. In each case, drive clout nails through the black bitumen to fasten. You will have laid the last ridge shingle when there is no black bitumen showing after you have trimmed it flush with the rear gable. Nail it to fasten.

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Finnlife Models

Finnlife Joki Cabin

Finnlife Joki Log Cabin

How to build a Finnlife Log Cabin yourself

Finnlife Models