A-frame homes are gaining popularity among DIYers because they are easy to build. And with plans, it’s even easier!
A-frame houses, also called A-frames in the United States, conquer the hearts of those who dream of living in the countryside.
Unlike homes built on trailers, A-frame homes sit on the ground and lack the mobility of mobile homes.
Typically, an A-frame house is a triangular dwelling with pitched roofs covering both side walls of the house. The triangular shape is reminiscent of children’s cabins. They are very popular in the DIY sector and quite easy to build on a budget. We found three A-shaped house plans for you to try your luck.
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Construction plans of a frame house A.
The Houseplansfree.net website offers several free A-frame house plans.
The first is an A-shaped house with a terrace, consisting of a living room, plenty of storage, a shower room and a kitchen on the ground floor. On the first floor there is usually space for sleeping under the roof.
The second is an 11 m high A-shaped house without a terrace, which offers a large living space. It has a large area and can accommodate a bedroom on the ground floor.
The third is slightly lower, in the form of an A-frame house 8m high. Built according to the same principle as the previous one, the two available bedrooms are located on the first floor. All of these plans are available for free.
How to build an A-frame house?
In France, the house A specialist and pioneer is Elizabeth Faure, a retiree who built her own house A in the Dordogne for €35,000. Since completing her home, Elizabeth has been giving advice to those who want to start a self-build project.
For her, the construction of an A-frame house must respect certain phases. The first step is to dig the holes for the pillars on which the structure will rest. The next step is to build the logs, followed by the design of a solid, high-quality floor. Then the equilateral triangles are placed and the boards that form the wooden frame are fixed. Then you need to cover the roof and you can condition the house. Find all of Elizabeth Faure’s advice on her YouTube channel @lamaisonenA.
Advantages of A-shaped houses
There are many advantages to building a house A, we share some of them:
- Energetic efficiency– The A-shape allows for better air circulation, which reduces heating and cooling costs.
- Increased roof area: the A-shape offers a larger roof surface, allowing the installation of several photovoltaic solar panels.
- Reduced construction costs: A-frame houses are relatively easy to build and can be built on a budget.
- Sense of space and size: The A-shape offers more headroom and gives a feeling of space and size.
- Resistance to wind and snow loads: thanks to their triangular shape, A-shaped houses are more resistant to wind and snow loads.
- Popularity in self-build: A houses are popular with self-builders because of their relative ease of construction.
Disadvantages of frame house A
- amount of light: The A-shape can allow an excessive amount of light, which may require the installation of quality blackout blinds to reduce the amount of light.
- Need a powerful heater: Although air circulation provides greater heating efficiency, the heating system must be powerful enough to heat a large volume of space.
- assurance: Some insurance companies may consider A-frame homes too risky to insure or may impose additional premiums.
