Sustainable Roofing

The tar-shingle roof on our tiny house is no more environmentally friendly than the tens of thousands installed on conventional homes all the time.  Still tiny homes have an inherent advantage due to their smaller scale.  This became apparent this weekend when a friend pitched in to replace our roof in a matter of hours.  The savings from living in a smaller dwelling--in terms of time, money, and natural resources--is potentially vast as tiny homes become more popular.  There is no comparison with large homes whose owners reluctantly cough up $10,000-20,000 to hire professional roofers.

This was my first experience roofing anything larger than a chicken coop, and it went smoothly.  It helps having several ladders and hammers, and working with an experienced friend.  Unable to locate a pair of sheers, we were forced to leave ragged edges at the front and rear of the dwelling.  We'll return next time to snip the overhanging shingles to create a tidy look.

For those who are keeping track, I took off a few months from tiny house building and blogging.  Summer spare time was filled with family vacations, as well as with helping on my neighbor's project, the construction of an outdoor fireplace.  Now that his fireplace is finished I will hopefully convince him to hang some drywall together.

Build Tiny Workshop

What an utter joy to spend a weekend with a barnyard of tiny house enthusiasts.  And, imagine, we got to build tiny houses too!

Last weekend was the latest Build Tiny Workshop in Berryville, VA.  Participants put together two new tiny houses from the trailer up during the event.  (Believe it or not, one was actually a tiny chapel!)

The Build Tiny Workshop is geared for adults of all ages, regardless of prior construction experience or skill.  In fact, Friday included basic carpentry instruction those who had never wielded a hammer.  By the end of the weekend everyone had an opportunity to screw, glue, haul, hoist, drill, cut and pound to their heart's desire.  The workshop included meals and camping too.  Heck, there was even a campfire with live singing and fresh strawberries!

As a bonus, participants were exposed to multiple styles of construction.  One home was an energy-efficient passive home made of Structural Insulated Plywood (SIP).  The other was assembled from weight-saving Structural Steel C-studs.  In addition to those built during the event, there were two more tiny house examples on site in varying stages of completeness framed in traditional dimensional lumber.

Beware, the workshop attracts a contagious bunch of creative, diverse, and hard-working folks who are extremely fun to hang out with.  My only regret was I had to leave early.  If you have any inkling to someday build a tiny house, then I highly recommend you make friends at the next Build Tiny Workshop.

Marine Folding Table Brackets

Tiny house builders are always looking for ways to save space without foregoing life's essentials.  Certainly high on my essentials list is enough table space to share a meal, play a game of cards, or support laptop computer.  Having a table that is easy to stow away when not in use is preferable.  One option is to mount a tabletop on a wall using a pair of brackets like those pictured here.  In the upright position these brackets lock in place to support a tabletop load up to 300 pounds.  Folded down, the table hangs on the wall, out of the way.

These brackets are sold on eBay in pairs for around $50  Although they can be adapted to tabletops of various widths, the table depth is restricted to around 30 inches.  This permits the table to clear the floor when folded down, and to rest at a functional height above the floor when in use.  I plan to employ them to support a table beneath a window that is just over 30 inches above the floor.  This arrangement will allow for seating on three sides with a wonderful view.

Table brackets are one of many kinds of marine hardware that can be easily adapted to tiny house living.  Other space-saving boat tables include pedestal tables, detached folding tables, and upright folding tables.

Berryville, VA www.Build-Tiny.com Retreat in April

I am honored to be invited to speak the weekend of April 18-20 in Virginia at the Build Tiny Workshop hosted by Robin Hayes, Al Cobb, and Tony Gilchriest.  This team of experienced tiny house builders offers an affordable three-day seminar to help you get started on your project.  The event, which features the construction of two tiny houses on wheels, includes food, camping, and an opportunity to meet other enthusiasts in a relaxing environment.  What better way to spend a weekend learning and doing.  Hope to see you there!

Medicine Cabinet and Spice Rack

What do cinnamon, salt, gauze and toothpaste have in common?  They will all hide nicely inside a medicine cabinet.  The absence of a window in the kitchen of our house caused me to want a mirror above the sink.  The mirror will provide additional reflected light in that area.  One morning I awoke with this epiphany: a medicine cabinet can serve triple duty as a mirror, a first aid kit, and a spice rack.  For small living spaces, it is nice to discover household items that can serve multiple purposes.

So much time was spent last weekend on conversion of our shed to a tiny house that we need to spend next weekend doing other chores.  Plus our wrists and elbows are sore.

Tree Down

With the start of conversion of our shed to a tiny house this weekend, there was so much going on that I almost overlooked this stunning event.  Apparently last week there was a heavy wind storm in the area where our shed is located.  So heavy that it blew over the tree shown here.  Not shown, just fifteen feet away is the shed, to the left of and behind the photographer.

Had it blown the other way, it might have put an end to the tiny house project before it began.  Instead, the fallen tree will become fuel for our tiny wood stove.  Anyone have any guess how many winters one can heat a small shed with a tree that size?

Windows in a Tiny House

Blogging is a great way to clarify your thinking.  It also provides a feedback loop.  One commenter on the Small Cabin Forum wisely advised "having a window or two" in a loft.  It makes sense that a loft window will help ventilate the tiny house during the hot summer season.

It might sound dreamy to have an entire tiny house built of windows, especially if you're fortunate to be situated in a scenic setting.  However, if you have spent any time in a greenhouse, even in the winter, you quickly realize why that would be a very bad idea in almost any setting.  Like many things, windows are a tradeoff.  More windows means more airflow, more sunlight, and a better view.  It also means more passive heating.  Solar builders recommend limiting the window glazing to just one-sixth of the south wall in order to provide the required "thermal mass" to retain heat.

More windows means less wall space too.  This is an important concern for a tiny house.  Along the long wall I would have loved to install a gigantic bay window, but opted instead of a more affordable two- by four-feet slider model.  Smaller window means smaller curtains.  The modest dimensions of the window permit a table below, and maybe a knickknack shelf above.  And I cannot live without the loft, chair, and wood stove on the same wall.

The opposite wall does not have any windows.  It will get a small mirror to make use of reflected light.  The uninterrupted wall with the mirror hides a nearby garage which is not particularly sightly.   In general, homes should have windows on all faces, but for tiny houses I make an exception to this rule.  Most tiny houses are basically one big room and, if you think of it like that, most rooms do not have windows in all four walls.  The reason is space.  Having one or more uninterrupted walls permits greater flexibility for decor.  If security is a concern, I say install a peep hole, camera, or periscope.

Insist on energy efficient double-paned glass if you plan to use the house in the winter.  This weekend we installed the three windows in our tiny house, one in the loft and two at eye level.  Well, at least they are at eye level when seated.

Loft Ladder

Enthusiasts can attest that there are parts of a tiny house that stir emotion.  Many hours--too many to count, in fact--are spent pondering these parts.  Tiny house owners doodle them, pour over images of them on the Internet, and drive their loved ones mad talking about them. Very often, how to access the loft, is one such part.  Before describing our loft ladder, I want to tell you about the alternatives we considered.

Early on I decided to not install stairs to the loft.  Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against stairs in a tiny house, I have seen the gamut, and most are beautiful creations.  There are stairs with alternating treads that require the climber to use a specific left-right foot pattern.  There are extremely narrow staircases, stairs with built-in drawers, and bookcase-shaped stairs.  There are space saving circular staircases, and the rectangular ones that want to be circular but end up just being triangular.  Maybe I am not handy or creative enough, but I was unable to convince myself that a staircase is a good use of very limited space.

Other ideas were a rope ladder which could have been easily tossed up into the loft when not in use.  We decided against that one for safety concerns.  We played with the idea of using an attic ladder which would have folded up nicely and can be had under $100.  Unfortunately, off-the-shelf attic ladders are too big--length, swing, and folded--for our small space.  If you are really handy with a saw, that might be the way to go.  Eventually we decided to use a basic ladder because of its tiny footprint.

The ladder will improve the support of the loft.

The hatch, not shown, will serve as a workspace for loft occupants.

How does one figure the dimensions of a tiny house ladder?  Naturally, the height of the loft dictates the height of the ladder.  After measuring the shoulders of an arbitrary friend, I decided the opening needs to be 22 inches, but I rounded that up and made it two feet square to keep it simple.  We went with a 15-inch tread, just wide enough for two large feet.  Boots will be prohibited in the loft anyhow.

While some folks use either larger or smaller lumber, we decided on the standard 2x4 kind with glue and nails to keep it all together.  The uprights were notched for strength which narrowed the treads by half an inch.  The floorspace permitted a slight angle.  Angling the ladder makes it easier to climb.  For the treads we could have used dowels, but I preferred flat ones.  Flat treads are easier on the feet.

For many months I had wanted a library-style ladder, one with wheels at the bottom and top, to roll along a rail on the front of the loft.  A library ladder would have looked cool and been convenient to move side to side, as required.  Unfortunately I found the prices of library ladder hardware--even the hardware without the ladder--were outrageous.  If you have your heart set on one, prepare to spend hundreds of dollars.  I also investigated barn-door hardware which would have looked cooler, but just wasn't meant for ladders.

Other ladder options were top hooks which would have permitted the ladder to be moved about.  I especially like the simplicity and affordability of the sailboat ladder attachment hardware.  But, once assembled, it became obvious that our ladder could provide some extra support to the loft.  We want our tiny house to be kid friendly, and having a free moving ladder also seemed hazardous.  (Think of teenagers floating down the river on a ladder.)  So, the ladder will be happy bolted to the loft above and floor below, and I am happy to have the loft access part of the tiny house behind me.

Construction Begins

This weekend saw the first full day of construction in our journey to convert this shed to a tiny house.  It went very well, starting after dinnertime and continuing into the wee hours of the night.  The first area of focus was the far wall.  Aesthetically the wall opposite the doorway will be a focal point as you enter.  Structurally, it needs to support the loft and two windows, so it has to be reasonably strong.  This meant adding a second "top plate", the long horizontal board at the top of the wall.  Studs were added where none existed between the wall's top plate and the rafters after framing the opening for the loft window.

Addition of a second top plate before adding studs above.

The old window shown was replaced,

and a second window added above it.

There was much this weekend to be thankful about.  Foremost was having the helping hand of my neighbor who likes this kind of work.  Physically he helped in the endless stream lifting, carrying, marking cutting, and attaching.  He offered a critical second opinion on countless decisions, both big and tiny.  He introduced me to new tools and techniques.  And, the conversation was enjoyable, at least when the power tools weren't blaring in our ears.  Unless you really, really like working alone, I recommend having a good buddy to assist with the important parts of your build.

After the loft window, we replaced an existing window on the same wall which hangs below the loft.  A third window, a larger one, went in the side wall before beginning construction of the loft proper.  Structurally, the loft is done, but we decided to resist installing the loft floor until after the adjacent walls are finished.  Also accomplished this weekend was the conversion of the double shed doors to a single "people door", as well as construction of the loft ladder.  Now the shed has significantly more light and airflow, and a much better view of its surroundings.

The weekend exceeded our expectations, in terms of getting things done.  Our arms are completely worn out, yet it felt good to move things off the drawing board and into the refreshing March air of the West Virginia outdoors with hammer in hand.  After several years of thinking about it, and a few months of planning it, my tiny house dream is finally becoming a reality.

Fresh Water

We are forgoing plumbing our tiny house with water.  As a fresh water source, we will use a two-gallon Big Berkey filter, like the one shown here.  It is not only simpler, but the use of a counter-top water filter will take advantage of our nearby natural water source, a river.  With a reputation for providing the cleanest possible drinking water, Berkey filters are becoming popular features for tiny house dwellers.  At nine inches in diameter, I am not too concerned about taking up precious counter space.  We will save almost that much space by not having a faucet.  However, I am slightly worried that the 22-inch height will make it difficult for our children to refill the container.  And, after all, our tiny house has been designed with children in mind.  If a stool does not resolve the height issue, I may look for a spot on a lower shelf to make our Berkey easier to access.

Construction Misfortune

How fitting today is the start of daylight savings time.  As I write, I wish I could turn back the clock.

Pictured here is a heap of lumber now referred to as the "loft prototype".  And, the chicken, she is, well, probably very sick.

The lumber is called a prototype because so many things went wrong today during its assembly that we finally gave up, took it to the fire ring, and gave these boards a proper disposal.  Many lessons were had for a mere forty bucks.

These were intended to be the two ends of the loft of our tiny house.  The bigger one would have spanned the cabin from side to side, and the smaller one was to be mounted on the far wall.  The job was supposed to take about 30 minutes.

First, we learned that brass screws are not only more expensive, but are also significantly softer than most screws.  When its head becomes stripped half way in, use a pair of vice grips to remove the screw.

Vice grips also work well to remove a screw that, half way in, became bent.  And, don't bother to remove stripped and bent screws because, after all, it is just a prototype.

We learned that eight-foot lumber does not span a ten foot space.  Next time, buy ten-foot boards.  This allows you to avoid arbitrary 45 degree cuts and joinery that reduces the strength of the piece.

Charge your drill battery before starting construction.  This tip saves high-speed trips to the neighbor's house for another drill before your glue dries.

Garden carts are not substitutes for sawhorses.

Use clamps that actually fit the width of your work.

To countersink screws, select drill-bit that is smaller than your screws.

Don't let the guy at Home Depot talk you into three-inch lag bolts when you really need four-inch ones.

We learned a lot about drilling knots too.  Drilling a knot is a good way to break a drill bit.  Screwing into a knot is a good way to split the board. 

I'm probably forgetting something, but the most important lesson learned was: Do not leave the garage door open during construction.  The open garage door allows the chickens to enter the garage.  When chickens enter the garage they may consume rat poison.  Sadly, we do not expect this chicken to survive.

We will try to remember what we learned today.  And we will try to memorialize the chicken in the tiny house.  Somehow.  Rest in peace, little girl.

Edit: The hen lived.  Either she did not eat the poison or she survived it.  She happens to be among several who survived a fox raid and a hawk attack last year.  We have named her Lucky.

Tiny Kitchen Counter Top

Our design calls for a six-foot kitchen counter with a standard 24" width.  To save money, we are laminating 2-inch strips of pine.  For strength, and to discourage warping, we are gluing and screwing each strip to the next.  The surface finish will be hand-rubbed oil and beeswax.  Most recommend against using pine in favor of more durable hardwoods like oak and maple.  However there are accounts of decades old pine cutting boards that last if maintained.  When the counter top is complete, we will cut a hole for a small sink.

Our kitchen counter top will be one giant cutting board.

Pictured here it is 2/3 complete.

Cleaning Out the Shed

This weekend we accomplished our goal of cleaning out the shed.  In many ways this chore was disconnected from the future purpose of the shed, which is to be a tiny house.   Yet, the work was a very important prerequisite.  Moving objects about, throwing away trash, boxing up various items, sweeping the floor.  The monotony gave us a chance to reflect on how well the shed has served its purpose over the past decade as a shed.  And, how the space will be magically transformed.  We discovered five gallons of local walnuts which had been drying out for months.  The half a dozen bottles of gin, which I admit to having horded there.  Some building materials that we can use when construction begins.  The tiny house project will provide an opportunity for my children to learn about tools too.  Lesson number one revolved around a five-pound hammer and a crowbar. Both were essential in taking down old shelves and removing nails.  We called this weekend the destruction phase.

Tiny Lights

The LED light fixtures for our tiny house arrived today.  They are Gold Stars GW21500 steel LED RV reading lights, made in China.  They were sourced from a reputable seller on eBay.  Although it is too early to tell whether these light hold up to the rigors of tiny living, they do have the characteristics that are important to me.  They are fairly cheap too, so they will not break the bank if they have to be replaced over time.

We went with LED bulbs because our goal is to run the tiny house on solar power.  LED bulbs are better suited for low-voltage systems than traditional incandescent bulbs.  Each has a switch so they can be individually controlled to conserve power.

These lights feature replaceable MR16 LED bulbs.  In many of the LED fixtures on the market the bulbs are sealed making them essentially disposibles.  Personally I cannot see going that route.

We prefer to pre-wire the house with permanent fixtures rather than relying on candles, lanterns, or table lamps.  These lights are small will fit out of the way yet be accessible where direct light is required.  Lights will be installed at either end of the sofa and bed, over the table, above the kitchen counter, and so on.

Some tiny houses use light strips.  While this is attractive to some, I prefer the swivel style spotlight fixtures.  They are advertised as RV reading lights.  If you have ever spent time on an RV or boat with swivel lights, you can appreciate their advantages in small spaces.  Each fixture can be directed downward to illuminate a specific task, such as reading a book, preparing a meal, or starting the wood stove.  Turned upward, in unison they create a soft yet broad effect throughout the room.

Each bulb uses just 3.1 watts, provides 190 lumens, adjusts up and down, and rotates 360 degrees.  We intend to install ten (10) throughout the tiny house at specific stations.

Use of an Existing Shed Versus New Construction

One of the first decisions when constructing a tiny house is whether to convert an existing building or to construct your house from scratch.  If time and cost are not of concern, new construction is probably the way to go.  Building from scratch gives you complete creative control, and ensures that your final result meets all of your requirements.  I was lucky to have been given a small utility shed as a starting point.  Using a shed not only saves money, but it shifts the focus to other aspects of the house.  Instead of spending limited time and money on the sub-floor, walls, and roof, I can direct those resources into new features.  What are the main drawbacks from converting an existing shed?  How do you evaluate whether a shed is suitable?

The first consideration should be the overall condition of the shed.  How much renovation are you willing to endure.  In my case, the building is nearly 15 years old, but has been properly maintained.  There are no signs of wood-boring insects or rot.  There is minor evidence of a leaky roof.  This was caught early, so replacing the roofing, less than a day's job for two people, will quickly remedy the defect.

Another major concern is ceiling height.  With a 10-foot peak, the ceiling in my shed is adequate.  The gamble style roof offers a lot of headroom.  Some rooflines are not as accommodating.  If you plan to incorporate a loft, then you need sufficient room to move around in the loft, as well as headroom below it.  How much height you need depends on how tall you are, whether you need to stand in that space, and whether sitting is sufficient.  Lofts in some tiny houses allow the occupant only to crawl.  That is too confining for my taste.  I am shooting for a loft at about six feet above the floor.  This will leave four feet in the loft for sitting upright.  The space beneath the loft will be reserved for sofa sitting, a coat closet, and other storage, so the short ceiling there is acceptable.

Floor construction should be evaluated.  Using an existing shed may not permit you to insulate the floor as easily.  If I were building from scratch, I would probably use floor joists that are larger than the 2x4s that were used in the construction of my shed.  For now I will overlook this shortcoming.  When complete, if the tiny house is unbearably cold in the winter, then I may try to jack it up and insulate from below.  For now, the floor is in good condition and will work.

Consider also the construction of the walls too.  The studs, the vertical boards that frame the walls, should be at least of 2x4 lumber, spaced on 16-inch centers, in my opinion.  Any smaller lumber, or greater spacing, and the walls will be weaker.  Inadequate walls can complicate the installation of windows and doors.  If you build from the ground up, you may even chose to use the larger 2x6 lumber which would permit greater insulation in the walls.  Additional bracing can be added to strengthen walls and roofs.

Finally, for what it's worth, I enjoy the constraint that an existing building offers.  Had I started with nothing, I may have been tempted to increase the overall footprint of the dwelling from 10x12, to 12x16, to 16x20, and so on.  Using an existing shed forces me to keep it small.  It also promotes the idea of re-purposing old materials.  This shed, which could easily have been torn down after a few years of neglect, will now get a facelift.  As a tiny house, this old shed will have a new lease on life and play a tiny role in the growing tiny house movement.

 

Building a tiny house lets you learn basic construction.

The rafters are connected by gussets.  This gusset has a horizontal collar tie.

Floor Planner

Another invaluable tool for designing a tiny house is floor planner.  Floor planner is a web site that lets you design floor plans and view your rooms in either 2D or 3D.  You can draw walls, add door and windows, and change colors.  You can search their database of furniture and furnishings to add to your drawing, and resize items to your dimensions.  Over several months I was able to perfect my design before starting construction--a big time and money saver.  And the first project on floor planner is absolutely free.  Great software!

"Mark On Call" Floor Plan Designer for iPhone

One of the most difficult aspects of building a tiny house is selecting a floor plan.  As in any dwelling, there are simply too many objects competing for limited floorspace.  The complexity is greater in a smaller home.  Fortunately there is an application for the iPhone and iPad called Mark On Call that allows you to quickly create and modify home designs on your mobile device.  I used Mark On Call to create more than a dozen drawings before hammering a single nail, and surely saved many hours had I chosen instead to use pencil and paper.  It is perfect for capturing ideas as they come to you, and for making better use idle time.  For example, I enjoy playing around with tiny house layouts at bedtime.  You can set room dimensions, zoom in and out, and click to add, resize, and rotate furniture.  For $4.99, Mark On Call is possibly the best money spent for the tiny house builder.

Decision to Convert Utility Shed into Tiny House

After lurking on several tiny house blogs, and browsing hundreds of photographs, I have decided to take the first real steps to build a tiny house.  Actually, I am going to convert the utility shed shown above into a fancy weekend retreat for my wife and I, our children, or some other lucky guests.  Many hours this cold winter were spent selecting the essential features and putting together a floor plan.  I am not likely to give up my conventional home yet.  Rather I simply enjoy the puzzle-solving challenge of fitting the basics into one tight package.  My years living aboard a sailboat in my youth may have something to do with this.  So does my desire to build something with my kids.  Who knows, maybe some day they will build a tiny house of their own.  I am convinced that tiny houses will play an important role in a more prosperous and sustainable lifestyle for generations to come.