The site of an A-frame cabin is enough to catch the attention of just about everyone. For many, it brings back nostalgic feelings and fond memories. For others, it arouses their curiosity and imagination.
What is it about A-frame cabins that make them so special and beloved? From a practical point of view they really aren’t all that, well… practical. While they certainly have an intrigue about them they can’t usually be considered beautiful.
So what is it that attracts us to this design? In this article, we will try to answer this question. We will start out by briefly diving into the history of A-frame cabins and how they became so popular in the United States.
A Brief, Intriguing, History of A-frame Cabins
When was the first A-frame built? It’s hard to say, but it wasn’t in the 1950’a as many Americans would think. True A-frames did become popular in the 1950s in America. However, it was long before this that they were first built.
There are signs that versions of the A-frame canid actually go all the way back thousands of years. There are traditional forms a A-frames that are still used by indigenous tribes in Polynesia. Similar dwellings were used in China and Japan. There are even forms of A-frames that are used today deep in the Amazon by isolated tribes!
Of course, such dwellings share the iconic “A” shaped frame that became popular in America in the 1950s. However, the feeling of them is somewhat different.
American A-frame Cabins
As we mentioned earlier, it was in the 1950’2 that A-frames first became popular by the mainstream public in America.
It was a time when the average American family families were making double their previous wages. Lots of new money was floating around and lots of consumers were anxious to spend it. Vacationing was now possible for many families who had never been out of their hometown.
The atmosphere was ripe for the A-frame cabin! These cabins evoke the very feeling of an American family vacation in the mountains. They also came with many benefits, keep reading to discover some of them!
The Benefits of A-frame Cabins
A-frame cabins are designed in a way that they are very easy and quick to build. Honestly, you don’t need much of a degree in architecture to draw one up. They are built with much ease. Add to that the fact that the materials are reduced by the sleek design. The result is a very economical and yet prestigious family vacation home!
They are also pretty economical to keep up. The steep roof requires very little maintenance. Generally speaking the steeper a roof is, the longer the shingles last. Well, it doesn’t take much to see that A-frame cabin roofs are typically much steeper than the average house.
The roof of an A-frame house typically goes all the way down to the ground. This reduces the outside walls and therefore reduces the need to paint large surfaces.
A-frames are usually built in areas where there is a lot of snow. When lots of snow piles up on the roof of a typical house it needs to be shoveled off. If not it will put the structure at risk. A-frames, however, don’t have this problem. Thanks to the steep “all roof” design they can handle as much snow as can pile up on them without putting the structure to risk.
Speaking of the cold: A-frames are surprisingly easy to keep warm. The angled walls help take away space for the heat to escape. If you sleep in the top room, you will definitely be cozy!
Is an A-frame Cabin for you?
After reading this article you are probably ready to go out and buy or build an A-frame cabin. I know that after writing this article I’m definitely ready to do so!
If you have never actually been in or stayed in an A-frame cabin, however, you should make sure that it is for you. While almost everybody is fascinated by A-frames, not everybody likes them enough to live in one or to invest in a vacation A-frame cabin.
One easy and fun solution is to vacation in one in order to decide. There are plenty of places that rent out A-frames by the week, weekend, or night. Airbnb is a great place to look. The nice thing about Airbnb is that you can get a pretty good idea of what to expect by putting together the pictures and reviews of previous guests.
There are also several A-frame “camps” that can be found throughout the United States. Many of them are leftover from the 1950s and in serious need of renovations. However, there are many that have been nicely remodeled and updated. So, do your homework and you should have no problem finding a nice one to vacation in!
If you want some more inspiration check out the A-frame cabin Video below. It is full of amazing examples of what you can do with an A-frame cabin and it illustrates just how great they can be!
I hope this article has inspired you as much as it has me 😉