Building the Dream!

Along the path to achieve a better kit, a more period representation of actual armor and clothes, a few friends had a plan to build a viking pit house.  Fortune was in their favor with the availability of land, cedar, and a dozen shovels ready to dig.  On the first of the week they dug, and dug and dug.  Chopping through roots and handing buckets of soil up out of the pit at a breakneck pace. 

"A house!" they cried. "we will dig until it is done."

Preparing the wood, mid week, turned out to be quite the job as well.  The chain saw was only usable part of the time and several logs were split by maul and axe.  That in its self is no small task my friend.  The wood must be watched to make sure it splits evenly along its axis, while the mauls are moved slowly up the length to keep tension on the split.  I'm no logger so I took video to show you what I mean.

Setting to posts was simple.  Those not splitting the longs had dug the post holes in preparation, and long steel nails were driven deep into the wood for stability and longevity as the frame began to take shape.  Once the frame was set in place our minds bent toward roofing.  And up the roof went, that is all I can say.  It was paneled, tared, framed, and covered with the extra dirt from digging the pit.  Having never roofed I just dug and poured extra dirt for the eventual sodding.

Here the construction stopped.  Time had run out and more materials were needed to finish up the walls.  Planks will be nailed to the exterior part of the frame and the remaining dirt from digging the pit will be shored up against the structure.  This will help regulate temperature, cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

To take a better look at the building of this project please take a look at the link below.

Viking Pit House!