Steps Involved in Renovating a Bunkhouse
By Mark J. Donovan
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In this video Mark Donovan of HomeAdditionPlus.com shows off his recently renovated bunkhouse, originally built in 1947, and shares some of his experiences in the renovation process. The bunkhouse sits on his property on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire.
I started off this project by first replacing the rotted out old deck that sat in front of the bunkhouse. I used 2×6 pressure treated lumber for the deck framing and then cedar decking boards on top. Lastly, I wrapped the sides of the deck, for an apron, with AZEk trim.
| For the bunkhouse renovation, the main task was to replace the front wall of it. The old windows and doors were rotten and effectively non-functional. So, after adding some bracing inside the bunkhouse I removed the front wall and framed in a new wall using 2×4 lumber.
Then, I sheathed the wall with 1/2 CDX plywood, installed new windows, and then cedar shingled the exterior wall. Next, I used a screen door that I purchased from Lowes and cut it down and spliced it to proper height before installing it in the door opening. |
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I also added handles and locking hardware to the door. In addition, I installed plexiglass onto the door in such a fashion that I could easily remove it.
On the inside of the bunkhouse, I had to remove some of the flooring and install a new floor joist. There had been some rot on the outer ends of the decking boards, so I cut them back two feet from the end and added another 2×6 floor joist to the bunkhouse to have a nailing surface to nail the 3/4 inch pressure treated plywood I installed to replace the old decking boards.
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I then installed 1/8 inch thick lauan plywood over the original deck floor boards to had some rigidity and to give the bunkhouse a cleaner look. Next, I installed beadboard on the inside of the newly installed wall to give the wall a finished look, and to hide all the nails associated with the cedar shingles I had installed. I also installed beadboard along the lower half of all the other bunkhouse walls. For painting/staining, I painted the exterior wall the same color as the rest of the bunk house. On the inside, I stained the lauan flooring a light gray, and painted the walls white and the ceiling brown. |
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I also installed some interior trim around the windows and door, and some baseboard along the floor of the bunkhouse. I had to custom mill the material I used for the interior trim to get the right proportions for the bunkhouse’s small size. The bunkhouse is only 11.5′ x 8.5′.
We have electricity in the bunkhouse so we were also able to add a fridge and lighting in it so that we can relax and enjoy the summer evenings in the bunkhouse, now using it more as a screen-house than a bunkhouse.
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