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.