VOC hut maintenance
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General
Hut maintenance is an important responsibility of the club. This page is intended as a repository of ongoing and needed hut maintenance projects.
- VOC Message board thread discussing proposed hut renovations for summer 2010.
- tips for hut building.
Brian Waddington Hut
Last updated September 2009, by rb The Brian Waddington Hut is in generally good condition.
We did major renovations Summer 2009 .
LED lights, Photovoltaic panel, and Solar Air heater Device
The led lights were removed summer 2009, because they would interfere with the operation of the Solar Air Heater Device. They have limited benefit, and we don't want random people making random changes to the Hut wiring.
The two lead-acid batteries, weighing 63 pounds each, and left over from the unsuccessful composting toilet project, were tested and we determined that they were used up. They were hauled out Fall 2009.
The solar panel was tested and determined to be in excellent shape. It was adjusted to be more nearly vertical, to prevent snow from accumulating on it.
The Solar Air heater Device was hauled in and installed. A fan moves air through the Hut at 79 cubic feet per minute, whenever the sun is shining. A box on the side of the Hut uses sunlight to preheat the air coming into the Hut. No operator controls are available, or needed. It remains to be seen whether this controls the mildew, or even whether it survives the harsh winter up there.
Kersosene Heaters
The heaters have been hauled out, Summer 2009. They were broken or unuseable. All Hut devices (Coleman lamps, Coleman stoves, Coleman catalytic heaters) now burn white gas (naphtha)
Carbon Monoxide Detector
There is a CO detector & smoke alarm at the hut that runs off of a 9V battery, but it is overly sensitive, so the battery has been removed. It might be impossible to find a reliable CO detector that works over the range of temperatures experienced in the Hut, and which does not go off every time somebody lights a stove. Until combustion products are reliably vented outside, we should not waste our efforts on finding an ideal CO detector.
Windows
We now have mosquito screens, so the windows can be opened without fear.
We installed double glazing (Lexan) on the windows. We installed curtains. We might want to apply caulking around the new glazing; we should know after this winter. This should make the Hut surprisingly warmer, as the rest of it is well-insulated.
Possible Roof Leak
The roof cap was taken off and re-installed with lots of foam and similar stuff under it to stop snow blowing under the roof cap. This winter will show us if we have been successful in stopping water coming through the roof.
Outhouse
Outhouse was moved to a new empty hole. Drainage into the lake is still bad. Digging around the Hut is difficult.
Mildew
Hut was washed with Behr Mildew Remover, then painted with at least 3 coats of oil-based (GP Mistint, semi-gloss) paint. Beams were stained with tung oil. It looks very good. The paint will stop water created from cooking, breathing, burning naphtha, drying clothes, from soaking into the walls until the Solar Air Heater Device can deal with it. This winter will show us whether we have the mildew problem under control.
Trail
The lower trail is now quite good, but the slide alder will require frequent trimming. The trail was extended to the hut on the N side of the lake as it is way less rocky and generally nicer for walking, than the S side. Some ditch digging and turnpike construction may be necessary along this section to prevent mud holes from forming in the soft ground. Fortunately the lake shore is mostly sandy, so there are lots of materials that can be used to improve the drainage.
Miscellaneous
- Exterior trim could use a little paint
Permit re-application process appears to have been successful. Our Hut is now legal so we can continue paying taxes and we do not need to remove it.
Harrison Hut
The Harrison Hut has been neglected for a number of years due to access problems. The biggest areas in need of improvement are the roof and exterior end walls.
Lack of winter access to this fine winter destination, unless you are a helicopter, or a snowmobile, is unfortunate.
Trail
It would probably be a good idea to construct a more permanent trail to the hut. Some scouting and routefinding has been completed.
Signs
Fall 2009, we installed signs that say Welcome, No Garbage, and About Coleman Stoves, plus three pages of details such as what is the Varsity Outdoor Club, who was Julian Harrison, some relatively polite words directed at snowmobilers and helicopter skiers, etc.
Roof
West side roof was fixed up September 1, 2008. East side still has a number of loose nails, screws and holes. Asphalt caulking is available at the hut, but more screws are required to fix up the east side of the roof. Ladders at the hut are functional, but in danger of falling apart so an over the roof belay is recommended.
This thread reports that the roof leaks "near the middle of the hut."
Door
New metal door was installed June 2008, but the door frame was badly damaged, probably by the helicopter. Time will tell whether it needs any more fixing.
Sept 2009, door is working ok.
End Walls
The end walls are pretty sun damaged. Simply painting it is very hard because the wood is porous and covered with small pieces of paint from the previous paint job. We have totally covered Brew Hut with corrugated sheet metal (steel), and we covered the W end of Sphinx Hut with steel. To do the same with Harrison Hut we would need a helicopter plus the cost of the metal, which would come to around $3000 (guess). Or we could cover it with the same flat sheet aluminum "farm coil" as is on the roof. This is light enough that some tough people could carry it in. This would get us the desirable 25 year lifetime. If we don't do that, we should at least apply the gallon of paint that is up there. There's 2 rollers, solvent, but no paint brushes.
S end wall is extensively sun-damaged. We might consider covering it with corrugated steel, like Brew and now Sphinx. This would be expensive, require a helicopter to haul in the steel. Corrugated steel could be applied to the roof at the same time. This would be a weeks work for a crew working hard.
Outhouse
Seems that it wouldn't be a bad idea to replace the outhouse. Ideas on the message board abound. Ben might be writing a grant proposal to MEC to cover costs for flying in a new outhouse. If we are to build a sturdy outhouse, the option of hauling it in instead of flying it in, is not realistic. If we want to haul one in or build it from materials stored under the Hut, or from the existing outhouse, we should use a much flimsier design. Note that while the present outhouse is shabby, it mainly suffers from being full. The amount of capacity, and whether it needs to be useable in the winter, will depend on whether the Hut can ever be used as a winter destination. Right now, only helicopters and snowmobiles go there.
The outhouse is in poor condition in general and is also full. Ideally a new outhouse would be constructed. A new structure would be easier if we were doing a helicopter trip, in connection with other work.
Firewood
No point providing firewood if the snowmobilers are the only people who can visit it in the winter.
Insulation
No point insulating extensively as long as the wood heater is available. It uses very little wood, from the forest across the creek.
Summary
Being a landlord inevitably involves some work. The Hut is not in bad condition, is warm, friendly, in a spectacular location. In the five or so years since we couldn't get there, some snowmobilers have been using it and treating it with respect. The very occasional heli-skier drops in. That's why there are several stoves, lamps, and about 2 gallons of white gas up there. We should refrain from being too nasty to those who can get to it in the winter, when we can't.
Brew Hut
For available tools and supplies see Brew_Hut_rebuild/Tools_list
Thing to carry up to the hut
- Guitar, with spare strings
- some VOC Journals (see Brew Hut page for which ones)
- The TRIM maps need replacing, and the new maps should be laminated so they do not fade from light coming in the windows, like the current ones (the ink under the tape joining the maps has not faded).
Regular Maintenance
- We need a trip every year in the Fall to prepare a winter's supply of old hut to use for firewood. Not too much, just the right amount.
- In 2009 we "emptied" the outhouse as this seemed to be way less work than finding another location and moving it. If we want to do this on a regular basis, we should find some way to prevent the walls of the outhouse pit from caving in; perhaps installing a large plastic drum under the outhouse.
Improvements
The weather conditions at Brew tend to be extreme. But at least the Hut doesn't get buried by accumulated snow, like it did in the previous two incarnations.
Chimney is prone to collecting rime and being blocked. This is likely to happen whenever the weather conditions dictate. If there's eight inches of ice feathers on the Hut when you arrive, the chimney is likely to be blocked. This occurred in the week up to Nov 21, 2009, when 3m of snow fell in 7 days. In past years the chimney has been cleared by climbing up onto the roof on a ladder and knocking the ice off, but this time it was not possible to get the ladder out from under the Hut, so the stovepipe was disconnected from the stove to allow the inside of the chimney pipe to be scraped out with skis.
This past summer we did a fair job of piling rocks around the Hut base, but this didn't stop snow from blowing under the Hut at all. We know this because we spent an hour trying to free the ladders which are under the Hut, buried in blown-in snow. Leaving the ladders out is a simple solution, but then the ladders only last a couple of years before they become unsafe. Does anybody have experience with chimney caps that work under these harsh conditions? We would prefer to not have random strangers taking our chimney apart, or climbing on our roof.
The yellow paint on the outside window trim is peeling. If we scrape off the existing paint and then apply a membrane-type paint such as Hypalon, during the summer, this will probably work. Otherwise encasing all wood in aluminum may be necessary. Paint must be applied only during dry conditions.
Downstairs South Wall Windows are still leaking - The E window leaks in both bottom corners. A piece of cedar has been brought up and cut, but the pieces were not yet placed pending a decision as to how to prevent the leak. Good painting or proper caulking might be a solution.
This is a symptom of a mistake we made when we built the Hut. We did not properly weatherproof the wall underneath the sheet metal, assuming the sheet metal would do the whole job. The wood trim was supposed to be protected by paint, but we did not realize that paint does not last very long under these harsh conditions.
If Roland has his way, in summer of 2010 the sheet metal on this end of the Hut will be removed and re-installed with Tyvek and Blueskin, to bring it up to residential standards. At this time, the recycled Plexiglas windows can be replaced with new double glazed tempered glass vinyl frame windows, if the Club has the $600 to buy them and if there's tough people around to haul them up. At this time, also, we can paint any exposed wood with many coats of a membrane-type paint (Hypalon or similar), as regular paint seems to be useless under the harsh conditions up there. Ryan Mackenzie has experience with membrane-type paint.
- The windows need weatherstripping. We could get extreme weatherstripping for $30 per window or wimpy weatherstripping for maybe $5 per window. When applying the weatherstripping, we should re-attach the window hinges with longer screws, as some of them have been damaged by the window swinging in the wind.
- Ground the hut for lightning protection using wire, connectors and grounding plate that are up there. This needs to be well thought out before implementing. This job has to be done right. A consultation with an electrician might be in order. It might be possible to string the grounding wire under the sheet metal, when the sheet metal is removed (see above). We probably don't want it to be outside the sheet metal, rattling in the breeze, and it would be nicer if it didn't run indoors.
- Outhouse paint is peeling a little bit (both inside and out), but not too badly. Interestingly, the worst peeling is on the N side of the S wall. Presumably the sun heats the S wall and then moisture is driven to the N side of the wall.
- Trail: winter (ski) trail is excellent. We really do need some sort of summer trail, whether illegal, partial, or not recommended. Brew is still a good destination in the summer, when it is much more accessible. If there was a summer trail, we could invite the Scouts to use the Hut, and collect money from them @$5/nite. And a summer trail would make the renovation trips easier and more fun. We do not at present have a permit to build a summer trail, and we do not have surplus personnel wanting to build trails.
Notes
- Outhouse was painted with Behr 10 year Solid colour stain (from Home Depot) on September 9, 2007. The name of the colour is Russet. This paint is also used on the woodshed. 1 gallon did 2 coats on the outhouse and 1 on the woodshed.
Burton Hut
The Burton Hut was renovated and insulated by VOC in 2006. It was in good condition February 2008.
- Upstairs window is hard to open/close.
Assessment
- Outhouse: is not our responsibility, and worked for me, this spring.
- Roof: is fairly ok, small leaks do not land on the occupants. Might eventually re-do with corrugated steel.
- Exterior ends: good, since we renovated it.
- Fuel Warmth and mildew: good.
- Trails: not our responsibility; in Park.
- Other: any work requires liaison with Parks. They seem to like us showing interest in the Hut, and are helpful.
Coleman Stove
The coleman stove is troublesome, leaking fuel making it dangerous, and difficult to get running well. It is possible to use it, and on Feb 17 2008 a party of 5 did all our cooking and snow melting using it, but it wasn't ideal. It might be worth carrying in a replacement stove. The stove that is up there, though fairly new, is not fixable. The older (brass valve) Coleman stoves seem to hold up better than the new ones (aluminum valve) , and mostly don't leak gas at their fuel turn off knobs.
Hut Libraries
The club strives to keep libraries of the VOC Journal, and editions of the VOC Songbook in each hut. See the entry under each hut, for which books are at each hut. We need to make a list of which journals are at each hut, and we need to bring up a few to complete the libraries.
