For all of those seasoned builders who caution us against moving in our homes before they are finished - I must heartily agree! Of course, I have to quickly follow up with an admission that we did not heed that advice, and we have been in the house permanently for the last nine months.. and there is plenty yet to do :) So, why am I now starting a thread about a second project? That is an entirely legitimate question. In one word, the answer is circumstances.
My wife will be giving up her teaching job at the end of the year in order to begin full time work with her brother at the family orchard. The drive to the orchard is just under an hour, and there will be times when she/we will need to spend overnights at the there, so we need a place to stay. This presents us with the perfect opportunity to build a tiny house - a cozy, little spot of our own which will give us a lot of flexibility for those busy times during the growing season.
A tiny house is nothing new here on the site - ours will be 8 x 16 with a loft.. we will have power, but no plumbing. We will install either a porti potti or a composting toilet.. I am leaning towards an envi heater http://www.envi-heat.com/ but may add a a tiny marine stove for ambiance and flexibility.. http://www.marinestove.com/sardineinfo.htm
Construction should begin during the latter part of March. If all goes well, I may have a space at school and a crew of students to help build the house.. we would build it in sections so that we can then load the deck and walls on a trailer to transport to the site. Three years ago, we did a similar project - the kids built a garden shed that we then auctioned off during our parents' weekend.. It is a neat opportunity for the students to gain some hands on experience.
The house will be set on 6 piers. it will have a Victorian influence. I am actually using plans for a shed that I bought from an architect many years ago.. never built the shed, but now the plans will serve as the basis for an expanded shed - or, like the fellow at home depot said yesterday " sounds like an oversized dog house " he was smiling when he said it and actually, was rather interested..
so. question number 1... I will use pressure treated lumber for the beams on top of the piers.. any good reason to use pressure treated lumber for the floor joists? the house should be at least 6 inches above grade..
the house will only be 8 feet wide.. I tend to over-build.. but the plans already call for 2x8 joists.. I think that will be more than adequate.. I will put 2 inch insulation board in the floor. I will probably go with 2x4 walls... it is a small space to begin with, so I think that it will be pretty efficient.
rafters.. 2x8 with six inches of insulation.. leaving a gap for venting.. i will use the plastic vent shutes.. the ceiling will be catherdral.. most of the interior will be faced with 3/4 inch bead board, but I may use some sheetrock to break up the wood ..
question #2 ( although, feel free to comment on any of the thoughts that i have shared :) ) where do i find that cool little gothic window that is shown on the builder's cottage plans? Yes I did buy those from John.. saving them for the house we build in Maine.. my plan is this.. once my wife gets used to an 8 by 16 foot space, the 14 x 24 builder's cottage will seem like a dream :) i will let you know how that works out in a few years!
I can't wait to get started and to begin sharing pics here.. and, we have to get this all finished before sailing season! ( yeah right...) or, at least, before we move in :)
I believe the norm for floor joist is that if they are less than 12" above the ground normally PT material is used. Could be wrong but stands to reason moisture in close proximity of that space. ???
Although it doesn't really matter that much but with the baffles and R19 0r R21(6-1/4") you will be fine. But if you go with something thicker you will be compressing the insulation with the air baffles and loose some R value in the process.
well.. that is some food for thought.. buy PT, or design for a 12" + crawlspace.. best to ask questions before heading off to the lumber company! thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts..
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/tinyhouse_zpsd487e7a3.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/tinyhouse_zpsd487e7a3.jpg.html)
this is what our design looks like... I am a sucker for Victorian touches.. Instead of board and batten, I may opt for vertical tongue and groove with the V groove showing out ( around here, v-groove comes with bead board on the opp. side) In either case, I will sheath with half in ply and then run horizontal furring strips to provide an air space behind the final finish. We are in the discussion phase about the interior layout, although we are a bit limited by the amount of space with which to work!
wondering about just using 2 x 6 studs.. not losing a whole lot of space for the additional insulation.. I can't wait to get started on this project.
Quote from: Redoverfarm on February 15, 2014, 11:41:47 AM
I believe the norm for floor joist is that if they are less than 12" above the ground normally PT material is used. Could be wrong but stands to reason moisture in close proximity of that space. ???
Beams; 12" minimum to grade or should be PT
Floor Joists 18" to grade, or should be PT
And for my money anything less than those measurements makes for a near impossible situation if you or anyone else ever has to do something underneath.
that is helpful Don, and, you are absolutely correct about considering ever getting underneath. While I can't imagine that happening at this point, it inevitably will happen! so, we will shoot for 1.5+ foot clearance.. using PT for the beams ( just to be safe) and KD for the joists.. thanks for taking the time to offer your thoughts..
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/tinyhouselayoutexp_zps20bc47c9.png) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/tinyhouselayoutexp_zps20bc47c9.png.html)
let's see if this works... sketch done in sketchup - still a lot to learn about the program!
On a project this small the difference in price between PT and untreated wouldn't be that great. For me, in humid FL, I always err on the side of caution when it comes to wood near the ground.
Looks like an interesting project. Looking forward to the pics. [cool]
(It's always sailing season in FL) 8)
thanks archimedes - good point - that is one of the true benefits of building small .... ok - PT it will be :) my motivation for working with KD instead of Pt was dealing with the added weight since it is likely that I will be building components and then moving them to the construction site at a later date.. but I am sure that I can deal with that.
yes- the other forum on which I am active is the compac yacht owners association - lots of folks there who remind those of us in the north that sailing in January is a perfectly normal activity!
My wife and I were talking about insulation last night.. wondering about using wool. There is a significant price difference, but again, a relatively small overall outlay.. and we like the idea of using as much natural material as possible.. has anyone here used wool?
The first piece of the new house!
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/portico_zps50453fad.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/portico_zps50453fad.jpg.html)
I have been working on the little portico for the tiny house. This is upside down, of course! I figured that, while I wait to get started on the actual structure, I might as well use this time to work on some of the details. It is going to be so nice to have this stuff finished and ready to go when the house is constructed.. and, knowing myself, I might not have quite the same patience if I were to let these things go till the end!
hmm, and what is that in the background? well, those are the frames for the new dinghy that I am building for the upcoming sailing season - just waiting for a lumber order to be filled..
The great news is that I spoke with the Dean at school and got the green light to build the house with students.. so the first project will be to get the shop ready. My plan is to do the cutting and layout work before the students arrive so that I can give them some instruction and a bunch of hammers (and goggles) and watch as this thing materializes. A couple of years ago, a group of students and I built a shed for the parents' auction. Here are a couple of pics..
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/shedpic1.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/shedpic1.jpg.html)
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/shed2-2.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/shed2-2.jpg.html)
hmm. our tiny house won't be a whole lot bigger! But I think that we will go with the same color. My wife picked that out, and we really like it.
Nice looking shed.
If you don't mind me asking, what subject do you teach?
Might find something of value at this site. They have a lot of old "gingerbread". But if you are like me I try to make my own.
http://www.vintagewoodworks.com/?utm_content=redoverfarm%40hotmail.com&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=&utm_campaign=Storewide%20Sale%21%20Save%20on%20EVERYTHING%20at%20Vintage%21content
thanks Archimedes,
I teach high school math - algebra, geometry, pre-calculus.. I especially enjoy the practicality of geometry for folks like us on this site! The group of students who built the shed were members of the stage crew - one of the activities that I have been involved with at school for a number of years. I have also taken a group of them to Maine for a community service trip the last five years.. we get to work on all kinds of neat projects up there. And next week we will be heading to WV for a week long habitat for humanity trip.. this will be a first for me..
john- thanks for the link to the gingerbread site.. i actually have a printout of one of their screen doors on my desk.. I can't believe what they charge for screen doors! like you.. i think i will make my own :)
Quote from: pocono_couple on February 25, 2014, 01:34:11 PM
thanks Archimedes,
I teach high school math - algebra, geometry, pre-calculus.. I especially enjoy the practicality of geometry for folks like us on this site! The group of students who built the shed were members of the stage crew - one of the activities that I have been involved with at school for a number of years. I have also taken a group of them to Maine for a community service trip the last five years.. we get to work on all kinds of neat projects up there. And next week we will be heading to WV for a week long habitat for humanity trip.. this will be a first for me..
john- thanks for the link to the gingerbread site.. i actually have a printout of one of their screen doors on my desk.. I can't believe what they charge for screen doors! like you.. i think i will make my own :)
What part of WV?
greenbrier county... the habitat group is called almost heaven. are you familiar with the area? if so, any tips on things to see this time of year would be welcome.. also good places to eat :)
Quote from: pocono_couple on February 25, 2014, 03:25:46 PM
greenbrier county... the habitat group is called almost heaven. are you familiar with the area? if so, any tips on things to see this time of year would be welcome.. also good places to eat :)
That is the adjoining county to me. In fact the county line is 5 miles below my house. I am about 40 miles north of Lewisburg. Actually 31 miles from White Sulphur Springs which is along I-64 before you get to Lewisburg. I would imagine you will be traveling that route. The Greenbrier Resort is located there. But if you go don't forget to take your American Express with you. $$$$$. There is a bunker built into the resort which some find interesting as it was designed as a retreat (self sufficent) for the Washington Crowd given a man made disaster. They have tours they offer.
There is the run of the mill food establishments such as Applebys, Bob Evans, Ruby's, and an assortment of fast foods. There is a nice place in the middle of town a little higher upscale than those mentioned called Food & Friends which has really good food.
Sort of "Off Season" unless you like to Ski (Snowshoe Ski Resort). Lewisburg is where the State Fair is held annually but that of course is in August. There is the National Radio Observatory just north of me which is the largest "radio free zone" and has the largest steerable telescope in the world if your are into Astronomy. The offer tours as well.
I'll send you a PM.
What is the next best thing to gathering your tools and jumping into a new project? How about visiting someone else on the forum and being totally inspired by their hospitality as well their craftsmanship! That is exactly what we did this past week. On my way home from WV, I had plenty of time to think about the time we spent at Redoverfarm, and the word "confluence" kept coming to mind.. John has been a contributing member here for quite some time, and I have been somewhat active on the site since beginning our house in the poconos 5 or so years ago, but things really came together in just the past few weeks..
I really just became active on the site again last month as a result of this new tiny house project. And, we just happened to be headed to WV as a result of the request by a student last september that I consider chaperoning a habitat for humanity trip. And, I happened to mention that trip on this thread. Having read that post, John extended an invitation to get together when we were in the area.. And, what turned out to be an erroneous weather report, spurred us to leave a day early, leaving us with an unexpected entire day to fill before beginning our mission. And all of that, coming together, led to a trip to visit John and his family and a chance to see the dogtrot cabin that he built at the top of a wild and beautiful mountain.. ( also got to inspect his current apartment project - very cool - although i still can't imagine what he will do with all of that extra storage space :) )
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/dogtrot1_zps6b1d2bc3.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/dogtrot1_zps6b1d2bc3.jpg.html)
it was a rainy day, but that did not dampen our enthusiasm for the trip.. we were totally impressed with the work at Hightop. And, I look forward to someday visiting again for a musical gathering!
We are home, safe and sound, but this next week will be consumed by a trip in the opposite direction.. VT , here I come! After that, construction on the tiny house begins :)
I love sitting on that porch. Or swinging. ;D
On my way home from VT the other day, I passed a few shed places and took note that most of the sheds are built on 4x4 skids.. not unlike my shed here and the one that we built at school.. ( although i used 4 by 6)
so i did some research about how they actually place the sheds on your property. One site gave very detailed instructions for site preparation along with a video of them placing a shed.. actually one guy with a "mule" did the entire operation, and it was a pretty big shed!
their plan is to lay out a perimeter that is 1 foot longer and 1 foot wider than your building, using 6x6 PT posts. and then filling in the interior with crushed stone.. their sheds then simply rest on the stone.. I gather that they have reasonable success with the sheds remaining level.
so, the obvious question... would this work for my tiny house? the reason that i find this appealing is that, over time, we may actually want to change the location of the house.. and this system would make for very easy movement with relative ease of reclaiming the the materials as well as the lawn where the house will be placed..
Spring Break is over - we are back at school, and spring is here.. well, maybe not quite yet, but it certainly is just around the corner. I talked with one of the guys at Lowes yesterday. He gave me his email address so I sent my materials list to him last night, and he promptly returned my email with a quote.. This makes the whole thing much more real :) I had walked through Lowe's two weeks ago and noted all of the prices, and the quote looks reasonable - just under a 10% discount. I will probably stop in tomorrow and sign the order.. The only issue is that I will want to pick up the items over a 2 week period.. sometimes they don't like that.. hopefully, it won't be an issue.. I know that some folks here are really interested in the actual cost to build.. after I get moving, I will share the expenses.. Overall, I am shooting for something around 6k for the whole project.. but I have been known to be wildly optimistic in the ???
At this point, the quote from lowes is just to get things weather tight.. it does not include interior or exterior finish... I will probably use a local mill for those items..
Quote from: pocono_couple on March 16, 2014, 11:46:00 AM
their plan is to lay out a perimeter that is 1 foot longer and 1 foot wider than your building, using 6x6 PT posts. and then filling in the interior with crushed stone.. their sheds then simply rest on the stone.. I gather that they have reasonable success with the sheds remaining level.
so, the obvious question... would this work for my tiny house?
Looking forward to seeing this project take shape. I have enjoyed browsing through your first project.
Regarding your foundation question, it depends on a number of factors. The two main concerns would be bearing capacity and frost heave. Since you are building such a small structure I think it would be safe to assume it will be fine for bearing capacity. Here are my reasons: A pretty marginal quality soil can support 1500 psf and a poor quality soil should support 1000 psf. I think those values/units are correct. I am not used to speaking American. ;) Your skids will not rest directly on the soil. They will be sitting on a foundation of crushed rock. The interlocking particles will spread or distribute the load from the small house across a wider area (picture a trapezoidal load distribution). The thicker your gravel pad, the wider the load will be distributed. When preparing your gravel pad, it would be best to place it in 6" layers and compact each layer. You should also use a well-graded gravel (broad range of particle sizes) rather than a crushed rock that is all one size (as would be used for landscaping applications). The well-graded gravel will have better particle interlock.
Now for frost heave. This is very site dependent. You need a combo of water, temperature and poor soil to experience frost heave (just like the fire triangle ;D). If you have no water (i.e., your site is very well graded or well drained) you have no frost heave. If your site never freezes, obviously no frost heave (you can also prevent frost penetration by using insulation). I don't know much about the Poconos but when I Googled it there were pictures of ski resorts - so I am guessing it freezes. The last ingredient is the soil. Soil with a high silt content is enemy number one in the battle against frost heave. Gravel and sand are not very frost heave susceptible because they drain well (no water). Low permeability clay generally will not heave because water is "trapped" within the clay and it cannot feed the growth of the frost lenses. Most soils are a mix of the four main soil types (gravel, sand, silt, clay). If there is any amount of silt in the mix, you could experience movement (unless you control one of the other two factors).
Will a bit of seasonal frost heave matter for your house? You indicated that you would be mainly using it during the busy times at the orchard (i.e., it is not a continuously occupied dwelling) so I would say probably not. Also, frost heave wreaks havoc on utilities that are connected to the house. You will have no plumbing, so that is not a concern. I'm not sure how you plan to connect your power. If you use a mast with overhead lines you don't need to worry. Even buried conduit/wire should be able to handle a bit of seasonal movement.
I sure used a lot words to say "yes, I think this should work fine for your small house."
wow, thanks for taking the time to respond ... lot's of good thoughts! I am going to have to read through them a few times :) The shed that I built here at the house is on 4x6 skids which are sitting directly on the ground. I notice that the door sticks a bit in the winter, but really no issues with the shed. On the other hand, one of the concrete piers that i put in for my deck - 42" deep - heaved quite a bit this winter.. this is the first time that i had a problem, and i have not measured just how much it raised, but it is noticeable.. and we heard it creaking in the middle of the night when it dipped below zero! we will see about a solution once all of the frost has disappeared.
we were just down at the orchard today, discussing a suitable site. And, if all goes according to plan, we will begin building on Wednesday of this week :) I was holding off posting until i have some more pics to share.. thanks again for the info! jt
Quote from: pocono_couple on March 22, 2014, 10:17:33 PM
one of the concrete piers that i put in for my deck - 42" deep - heaved quite a bit this winter.. this is the first time that i had a problem, and i have not measured just how much it raised, but it is noticeable.. and we heard it creaking in the middle of the night when it dipped below zero! we will see about a solution once all of the frost has disappeared.
Can you give some further detail on your "concrete piers"? Did you dig a hole, put in a sonotube, fill with concrete, and then backfill the hole?
the piers are sono tubes 10 inch made a pad at the bottom and then put the tube down.. the hole was 42" below grade.. later backfilled with the same material that came out of the hole....
Quote from: pocono_couple on March 23, 2014, 12:26:11 PM
made a pad at the bottom and then put the tube down..
Last question: This pad, is it a gravel pad or did you pour a concrete pad with rebar sticking out that would later be enveloped by the pier?
i did it all at the same time.. put concrete in the hole.. laid some horizontal rebar in that.. then stuck the tube down the hold.. put some vertical rebar which went to the bottom of the hole.. then filled it up..
it seemed to me that , when i lived in NH, sand was brought in for back fill.. i asked the foundation guy here about that.. and he had never heard of it.. always backfilled with material from the site.. so i did the same thing.. don't know if that is an issue, but the fill from the site is loaded with rock.. most difficult digging that i have ever done! it took hours to get to 42 inches.. two summers ago, my son and i put some fence posts in at my x wife's property in NH.. we went down about the same depth.. took 20 min. per hole!! no bar to pry rocks.. just a shove and post hole digger..
It sounds like you did a decent job of constructing your deck foundation. I am surprised that this would result in heaving. Originally I thought you meant that you constructed something like this (with a 42" deep pier):
(http://www.finehomebuilding.com/CMS/uploadedimages/Fine_Homebuilding/Articles/233/021233018-frost-heave_ld.jpg)
That pic is from a Fine Homebuilding article (http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/articles/how-it-works-frost-heave.aspx) that does a good job of discussing frost heave.
Here are their recommendations on controlling frost heave for footings and piers:
Code mandates that support structures either extend below the local frost line or be protected by insulation so that the bearing soil is not subject to freezing and, thus, heaving. Frost heave also can be controlled by backfilling around piers with gravel to promote drainage, using a sleeve to prevent ice from gripping the concrete, or pouring footing bases that resist upward movement.
If I understand you correctly, you used the last measure (poured a footing base that will resist upward movement). That is the same principle that is used with a belled pile. The bell resists upward movement allowing you to not have to drill as deep when installing a cast-in-place drilled shaft. If you recall, I mentioned that the building load load from your skids would expand by a trapezoidal distribution through your gravel pad foundation. The same is true with the upward resistance from your footing base. Here is a pic to illustrate:
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Gvr7QY6e6d4/Uy9D71uQqVI/AAAAAAAAA50/YYm-W0zV_sk/s522-no/sonotube+pier.JPG)
Now the frost has to lift a huge mass of soil to get your deck to heave. So as I said, I am surprised that you are having issues with your deck. My only thought is that 42" wasn't deep enough. Is that a number provided by your local building authority?
Here is another solution for piers from Fine Homebuilding (http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/qa/frost-pier-foundation.aspx). They add insulation and gravel backfill to a decent pier geometry.
For the sake of completeness, I should mention that you can use a plain cylindrical shaft as a foundation but you have to go deep. Driven timber piles or steel pipe piles are an example. If the pile is exposed to cold temperatures, part of the reason you need to go deep is so that the pile can resist frost heave. Frost will grab on to the upper portion of the pile and try to lift it out of the ground. The portion of the pile below the frost line will resist. You need to be deep enough that the force holding the pile in place is greater than the upward frost force.
the big day!
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/pileoflumber_zps99f89157.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/pileoflumber_zps99f89157.jpg.html)
this is the quiet before the storm.. notice the neat, orderly, appearance of our theater shop :) kind of looks like my basement at home.. but I am not entirely responsible for the shop at school.. my boss Floyd is.. and he will probably read this at some point.
I was feeling a little philosophical today... thinking that so many people might walk by a pile of lumber like this and see nothing more than a pile of lumber... but then there are those like us on this site who see a pile of lumber like this but who, in their minds, see this!
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/deckinprocess_zps87b5c6cf.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/deckinprocess_zps87b5c6cf.jpg.html)
For most of the students, this was a first time experience.. we tacked the joists in place from the outside with 16d nails.. and then we slid 2x blocks underneath the deck and installed joist hangers.. that was a bit of overkill, but it gave the kids a chance to practice swinging the hammers.. and it made a lot of noise! At any rate, they were attentive for an hour and a half, and we made good progress.. looks like I have to remind one of them that the glasses are to be worn and not dangled from his neck!
it sure is nice to see this project begin to take shape.. in no time, the walls will be in place, and it will begin to look like home.. maybe!
Looking good. I love it when kids get involved and hopefully I can teach them something. I know with my son when I started the cabin he was by my side for 6 years ( less school) and to this day he has demonstrated skills that other persons couldn't believe he knew anything about. They would say " where did you learn that at" and his reply was " my Dad showed me how". Always puts a smile on your face.
Was going to ask you when you talked at the kids at school helping to frame it out and I forgot. Is there a Vocational program at your school?
no vocational program, john... a long time ago, they had a woodshop.. we tend to be college prep oriented.. but i try to inject what I can! so far, I built two boats with individual students.. built the shed with the stage crew.. and have taken kids to Maine 5 years in a row for community service trips which have included lots of neat construction projects.. and now this project.. I wish we had a space that we could dedicate to small boat building.. i would jump at that opportunity... but space is a premium, and manual arts does not happen to be on the list of priorities..
oops.. also meant to respond to your comment about working with one's son.. I guess that relationship can be trying at times, but rarely encountered that issue.. When my son finished his freshman year in high school, he went to live with his mother in NH.. a long way from PA. Since that time we have worked on projects together when the opportunity arises, and I have found few things to be as satisfying.. it really is a joy.. but.. I also have a daughter, and I taught her how to cross-stitch when she was a little girl.. ( i am a Renaissance kind of guy) and someone asked her "did your mother teach you how to do that?", and she answered " no , my father did" that put a smile on my face :)
Good deal teaching the kids, I hope we learn to do more of that. We are doing the next generation a disservice when we ignore teaching the trades. Everyone will live in a house... I hope.
Backing up a little bit;
Quoteput some vertical rebar which went to the bottom of the hole..
Since this was poured monlithically I doubt what I'm going to say is what happened but it is something I've seen happen a couple of times. A "wet stabbed" rebar or anchor bolt pushes the rock away from it and is encased either in air or with just cream over it. When a footing is poured and a couple of straight rebars are wet stabbed into it, then the tube is set over it and poured, you can push over or pick up the poured tube and the rebar will easily pull out of the footing. If you set a grid of horizontal bars in a cross pattern # in the bottom of the footing hole tied to chairs to keep them up ~3" off the bottom, then an L is bent on the bottom of the vertical rods and they are tied under the grid, then either pour in two batches or slip the tube over the verticals and pour monolithically, the footing and pier are securely tied together. An L of rebar cannot be withdrawn from inside a pour. I learned that... twice d*.
If you do set on a gravel pad it wouldn't be a bad idea to have some mobile home anchors attached to brackets on the skids for wind.
thanks Don, I agree with your thoughts about teaching the trades... my sense is that an apprentice type approach is the most effective manner to do that... the sooner kids actually get a hammer in their hands the better!
thanks for the tips on pouring the piers... that will come in handy in the future.. and i may have to open this particular one up and totally re-do it this summer.
as for the anchors.. i was trying to find out just what they do for mobile homes and, more particularly, for park model trailers that are becoming popular in campgrounds... and, i was also curious about what the folks who are building tiny houses on trailers are doing about freeze/thaw cycles.. so far, none of the blogs that I have read about tiny houses seem to mention the issue.
The usual routine on Fridays after school is to rush home, put on my jeans, and relax with a cup of tea! But, yesterday I stopped by the shop and noticed that there was no rehearsal for the spring production - that meant that I could work in the shop and make as much noise as I could :) So, I quickly changed, tuned the radio to Froggy 101, and started cutting! After a few hours, I had cut the cripples and jack studs and built the window and door headers...
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/headers_zps300e8f80.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/headers_zps300e8f80.jpg.html)
I also finished the deck, and took time to do a quality check on all the work we did on Wednesday..
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/deckreadytogo_zps9a608192.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/deckreadytogo_zps9a608192.jpg.html)
After breakfast, I will head in and spend the morning working on the next phase... picking up additional materials, squaring up the deck, putting down the subfloor, and building some walls! I sure am fortunate to be able to use the shop space.. we are supposed to get 3 inches of rain this weekend..
It was dry this morning so I took advantage of the opportunity to take a longer trip to a small lumber yard that had the 5/4 by 12 by 10' clear pine boards that I need for the scroll boards.. i am anxious to lay them out - and to measure 3 times.. each board cost $44! then i stopped at Lowe's to pick up the rest of my 2x4's and the half inch plywood that i need for sheathing. That chewed up some time, but I now have materials that should keep me going for a few days..
After squaring up the frame, I laid the first sheet of sub floor down and saw that the edge was not landing on the middle of a joist.. in fact it was not landing on a joist at all!! Who measured this thing ? ( and let's not even ask the question who is the math teacher :) ) ok.. so in education these days problem solving is one of the big buzz phrases.. but very few of the problems that we get to tackle in school are real life problems! I have found that construction has presented me with a whole array of problem solving opportunities, and it really can be challenging and fun as long as I don't dwell on the fact that I usually, I am the one who created the problems!
so, what to do.. do i add another joist? that would work, but i would have to add two.. because i would encounter the same issue with the second course of plywood.. and how did this happen in the first place?? that was the first question that needed to be answered.. originally, i was going to run the 2x8's the full 16' and fill in with joists that were 8' less three inches.. that was the plan that was set in my mind.. but then i switched to having double joists at the ends.. the first spanning the entire 8 ' and the second inside at 3 inches less.. i like that because it kind of helps to lock in the ends... ahhh.. there was the problem. when i laid out the joist spacing, i forgot that I had switched my plan. so of course, the 8' sheet of plywood extended beyond the intended position.. so, the spacing was still 16 in on center.. and the solution? don't start at the end! I moved the plywood up - it fell very nicely mid-way on two joists.. then cut the second sheet to fill in the voids at both ends.. offset the second course... filled in the voids at either end, and once again, life is good
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/5c6beb04-6cb3-4b5f-9f93-fbd3b1fba1ca_zps6757574b.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/5c6beb04-6cb3-4b5f-9f93-fbd3b1fba1ca_zps6757574b.jpg.html)
I sent this pic to my wife and told her that we would be ready to move in by the end of the weekend.. of course, I have been accused of being overly optimistic at times! actually, it would be kind of cool if i could get the walls built.. I can't work this afternoon as I have a school duty to attend to, but maybe I will stick around after that.. and tomorrow is wide open at this point.. we will have to see how motivated I am in the morning :)
Thats what always happens to me when I draw up the plans on a brown paperbag and deviate for what I thought was a better idea. Glad you found a solution. Gingerbread. So easy just use your imagination just make sure the right and left side of your brain are working on the same idea to meet in the middle.
sounds like a good plan, John... keep both sides of the brain working together!
well.. got done with duty this afternoon and still had some energy left, so i ducked into the cafeteria for some dinner and conversation and then back to the shop... the plan is to build the house in components.. screw it together.. see how it all looks and then take it all apart and take it down to the orchard.. so the back wall is split into three sections, two of them 4 feet and the middle one with the window in it 8 feet. that should make it all manageable with two people. It does use a few extra studs, but that is the trade off. So, I got two sections of the back wall finished before heading home this evening. It is somewhat realistic to think that I can finish the other walls tomorrow because all of the pieces are cut and ready to go... but we will see how I feel in the morning :)
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/backwall_zps02caa472.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/backwall_zps02caa472.jpg.html)
Well, it was a productive weekend.. did not get quite as far as I had planned, but that is ok.. The cat woke me up around 4 am this morning, and there was no getting back to sleep.. that is the second day in a row.. so I got up and ended up baking choc. chip cookies to share with the crew at the "job site".. but, of course, there was no crew :) just me and the security guy who happened to stop in to check on my progress.. he appreciated the cookies :)
I got all three sections of the back wall framed and sheathed and one end wall framed.. I looked at the pile of remaining 2x4's.. and then decided to call it a day.. too tired to concentrate.. why push it and risk goofing up or smashing a thumb!
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I am pretty pleased with the overall progress. If the kids show up on Wednesday and we are prepared to raise a couple of walls, that will go over pretty well.. good photo opportunity and a wonderful sense of accomplishment - even if they did not build the walls! Time for a nap :)
We had a productive day today!
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/twowalls1_zpsb9bb3e0f.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/twowalls1_zpsb9bb3e0f.jpg.html)
I was looking forward to today since the weekend. There was plenty of student help on hand, and many hands make light work of the walls.. in fact, I did not end up lifting anything! We laid down chalk lines to mark the inside of the walls around the perimeter, and then we got started with the back wall. It is in 3 sections 4 foot - 8 foot - 4 foot. This made it easy to place the window in the middle of that wall. The front wall with be two 8 foot sections, each containing one window.. And, as you can see, the end wall has a window in it, and the near wall will have the door in it.
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/twowalls2_zps6977815d.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/twowalls2_zps6977815d.jpg.html)
So, two walls up and two to go. Once all four walls are in place, it will be fun to walk around inside and get a feel for the space. In fact, I already gave two tours today :) it just takes a bit of imagination to understand what we have planned at the moment. of course, much of that is subject to change!
Looking in through the front door! (https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/completeframe_zpsa1366c78.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/completeframe_zpsa1366c78.jpg.html)
it was another productive morning - aided by the fact that I took in my nailing gun :) I was a bit pressed for time because I had bought tickets for my wife's birthday for La Boheme, and the performance was at 12:55 pm. My first opera - it was a bit of a change after listening to Froggy 101 all morning :)
Things went pretty smoothly - no complications.. my wife was pretty pleased with the outcome.. that is a good thing!
update about the site for the tiny home... my brother in law proposed that we put it in his back yard where there is a pad poured.. i guess that would make things easy .. and would save on the materials for putting in a stone pad.. so we will probably go that route.. run a sub panel from his house to ours.. and share his internet signal :)
this plan would enable us to get a jump on the construction down there.. perhaps moving everything down as early as next weekend.. and that is a pretty nice idea! maybe we can get down there this week to check it out and make a final decision.
I measured 3 times before cutting these!
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/scrollboard_zpsd991739e.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/scrollboard_zpsd991739e.jpg.html)
these are the scroll boards for the tiny house. I laid them out during the week and checked them over again this morning before starting .. I am pretty pleased with how they turned out.. now to see how they fit :) The back of the house will not get this kind of treatment.. just a plain rake board back there..
we took a trip to the orchard this morning to check out the new proposed site for the house.. it is a concrete pad that is 15 x 16 feet.. just about right! there will be a little pad left over for a picnic table! so it is decided.. I guess I won't need to order stone, and I can take a bunch of 6x6 timbers off of the shopping list. If all goes well, we might get the house moved next weekend.. then we can really get moving! I can't wait..
That will look sharp. Seems you have avoided the dreaded foundation issue. Hope things work out with the location being so close to your BIL.
Most times that would all depend on which BIL, some neighbors need to be loved from a greater distance than others ;D
Very nice scrollwork. A few angle iron tabs with lag shields into the slab and lags into the floor frame would tie it down well.
Rafters make good geometry or trig problems that have "real" results. You can figure rafter lengths, bonus for deducting 1/2 ridge thickness, then give seat width and ask for drop, then height to support the ridge above the floor... I've wished math had been taught in shop class, I might have paid attention :)
Very good points, John and Don... here are the pros.. the pad is at the very back of his yard.. next to a whole bunch of apple trees :) he is rarely at home :) the apple blossoms will be heavenly for a week or so in May as we crawl into the loft in the evening.. cons... gotta close the windows during spraying! ( not an organic orchard)
so, all in all, it sounds like a good plan. Access to getting to the pad should be very easy so that is a benefit too.
Last weekend was supposed to be the time for moving the house to its new location, but life got in the way, and we did not do any moving at all. So we set our sights on this weekend, and we were blessed to have wonderful weather and now we are well on our way!
On Thursday after school, I took the 6x6 beams down to the orchard and scoped out the location one last time with a promise to return on Friday morning to get started. I hooked up my trailer on Friday to, once again, find that the lights were not working.. but figured we would be traveling in daylight so I took off anyway.. picked up the first load of plywood and two smaller wall sections at school and then turned towards the orchard.. after unloading, I headed back to school to pick up a second load. I wanted to get as much down there before my brother-in-law showed up with his big trailer to pick up the deck and heavier wall pieces.
We determined that saturday would be the best day for that trip, so my wife and I spliced the 6x6's together and discussed the best placement for the house on the pad.. we stayed over at the orchard with a plan to help deliver some apples the next morning while combining the trip to pick up the deck.. but when we were about to head out out the next morning, we found that the truck needed to pull the trailer would not start! So we all lent a hand with the delivery and then my brother-in-law and I went to school with a recharged battery.. and successfully loaded the deck and walls.. delivered them to the site.. and called it a day.
This morning, my wife and I got an early start, and things went very smoothly.. we squared the deck on the beams and then tied them together with rafter ties.. then I nailed furring strips along the joists so that we could set the foam insulation down between them.
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/TH1_zps7e8c80c3.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/TH1_zps7e8c80c3.jpg.html)
that is my wife with a new can of foam .. we cut the pieces short so that any rain that makes its way below the deck will drain. after the house is dried in, I will fill the voids at each end with spray foam..
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/TH3_zpsc58f1274.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/TH3_zpsc58f1274.jpg.html)
another shot of the insulation job in progress...
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/TH4_zps77f729aa.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/TH4_zps77f729aa.jpg.html)
all of the insulation in place and the first piece of subfloor ready to nail down..
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/TH5_zpsdd5f47a3.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/TH5_zpsdd5f47a3.jpg.html)
well, we really needed my step daughter to do some dancing, but we could not wait!
and, in no time, we got the walls up and in place.. It has been quite a while since we worked 6 hours on a construction project.. think we will be a bit sore tomorrow, but if I have any energy left over at the end of the school day, my plan is to go down and finish the plywood sheathing..
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/TH6_zps10486d31.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/TH6_zps10486d31.jpg.html)
we have a plum orchard directly behind the house ( like 8 feet away) and we will be looking out at the apples on the hill.. it is a pretty nice spot! ok.. other highlights of the weekend.. we helped sort a few apples, got to drive the fork lift and the case-looks- just-like-a-bobcat :) also squeezed in a nice easter dinner with the in-laws.. so, it was a very productive weekend.. now for the grade reports that I have been neglecting.. no big deal.. they are not due till 9 am tomorrow :)
Nice spot! An orchard makes a great neighbor. :D
thanks john! hope i can say the same for the in-laws :) sorry - could not resist that one! actually, I should have taken a pic.. around 2 this afternoon, my wife's folks showed up in the mule.. out for a sunday drive and pretty curious to see just what a tiny house looks like!
Making great progress Jason. Have you figured out a way to anchor the shed yet? Just a thought if the edges are close to surrounding ground you could use a mobil home anchor. Or in a pinch get four of the twist dog chain anchors and then bolt pallet banding straps to the house & anchor. Better get busy as the winds are blowing on the coast. ;)
thanks, John. I have yet to figure out an anchoring system. I guess it will be at the ends where I can get down into the ground...
Yesterday was a beautiful day so I set a goal of trying to finish the sheathing - or at least the full sheet parts. Rain is forecast for today and parts of tomorrow ( saturday) so I wanted to get this done so that I could move on to the rafters on sunday.
As is typical, the first sheet took the longest! I forgot how challenging it can be when working alone :) But, eventually, I got it in place and nailed.. One of the issues was that the top plate on the door end where I started, seemed to be bowed upward.. It took me a while to figure out that the issue was that the sub floor was not totally flat.. :( the glue that I put down did not totally compress.. I have read that one of the problems with nail guns, compared with the old fashioned hammer and nail approach, is that the guns won't draw things together effectively like a hammer will.. guess I need to pay closer attention next time!
Once I got into the rhythm, things began to go pretty smoothly..
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/TH11_zps9aef1886.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/TH11_zps9aef1886.jpg.html)
what a great night for working.. comfortable temps, no bugs, beautiful surroundings..
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I need to add some blocking where the plywood lands at the top and then fill in with a small strip.. then on to the rafters.. I can't wait till the roof is on and it is dried in...
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/th12_zps9343d196.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/th12_zps9343d196.jpg.html)
Our thinking at this point is that we will instal a small wood stove and just keep in heated when we are there.. and we like the idea of adding a sky light in the loft area.. with a pitch of 12 over 9, i am thinking that the likelihood of having leaking issues will be small. But, those words could come back to haunt me! any thoughts on small woodtoves or skylights are welcome! jt
It's looking great, so far. I had a lot of help at that stage; I don't think I could have sheathed entirely by myself. I'm very impressed. Such a great site too!
Just curious, but have you looked into small wood stoves? My original plan included one, but the choices are limited. Other disadvantages are that you'd likely have to get up and feed it at night, and they still take up a lot of living space in a little house. For me, when I added in the cost of insulated stove pipe and fittings, there was just no way my budget would allow it.
Best wishes,
-R
Jason gluing the subfloor can present some problems. I guess a person should carry a putty knife around and smooth it down before laying the sheeting on top. But with all I have laid I generally use screws to install and it seems to draw it down a little better.
Skylights would probably work great. But I would caution that they are better suited for a shingled roof rather than metal. I installed Pella in my family room and hot tub room. You might recalled seeing them. They were curbed and included the flashing. Never had a bit of problem and they have been there since 2004. I checked on some for my sister @ Lowes and they had curbed skylights w/ flashing that were very reasonably priced. If I recall they were under $200.
If you have power you might consider what I just purchased for the apartment. Not only do they heat but also are air conditioners as well. I would imagine you would probably get more use out of the air conditioner than the heat in that small structure especially in the loft area. If you are interested let me know and I can give you the site that I bought from. Free shipping and a multitude of choices. You probably wouldn't need but a small 9,000 BTU which would suit your size. Suppose to be very efficent and quiet.
thanks rich, you are totally correct about the limited availability and the space considerations of a wood stove..
this is one that I love, but there is no question that the expense is considerable.. and there is no way that it would burn through the night!
http://www.marinestove.com/codinfo.htm
we have also considered a gas stove
http://regency-fire.com/Products/Hampton-Wood-Gas/Cast-Iron-Stoves,-Fireplaces---Inserts/H15.aspx
this is probably just as expensive.. when you factor in the expense of installing the wood stove..
what is your heating plan?
Hi john, thanks for the tip on the sky lights.. i may get to check them out today.. it would be helpful to look at the heating cooling unit that you are installing.. i think you are correct that the 9000 btu unit would be just about right..
good tip with the putty knife!
Both those stoves are gorgeous, and were part of our search. Cost and space trumped pretty, in our case. I thought I had posted something on what we did for heat, but I can't find a record of it. We ended up with a direct vent propane heater. In retrospect, we should have bought a higher BTU model, but instead have an 8000 BTU HouseWarmer from Northern Tool, a model not sold anymore. At the time it was on sale for $400. We had the local propane company bring a 100 gallon tank, and hook it up. That worked okay, but took a long time to get the whole cabin warm. This winter we supplemented that with an 18000 BTU Mr. Heater that uses propane canisters. We didn't need it every time, or for longer than a couple of hours.
Rich, i seem to be following the same path that you forged! I spent some time last night looking at direct vent propane heaters.. rinnai gets very good reviews.. it is good to hear your assessment of the size of heater.. we may go for the 11-12k btu model.. in the end, i think that keeping our power to a 30 amp feed from my brother in laws house and using gas for heat and for the stove is the way to go.. although i don't give up on the wood stove idea easily!
so.. here is the next update.. this past weekend was interrupted a bit by stage crew duties at school. it was tough sitting in the booth for the bulk of a beautiful saturday, but gotta pay for the bills somehow! We picked up three loads of materials from Lowe's.. and I finished the sheathing and got the staging in place for the roof.. after all was said and done, and I was driving home last evening, it dawned on me that I really should be putting the loft in next.. that sure would make working on the rafters a lot easier! - too bad i did not think about that before.. so, I might have to work on that next.. and that may mean adjusting some of the brackets that I put up, but it will be worth it..
This is what things look like now...
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/TH20_zps1e015b61.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/TH20_zps1e015b61.jpg.html)
stage crew was not the only distraction this weekend.. my brother in law has figured out that it might be nice to have an extra hand around the orchard :) On Sunday afternoon we tackled a bunch of small jobs around the farm.. and the high light was that I got to drive , not one, but two of the tractors :) ok, so I am 54 and I get a kick out of driving the tractors.. that is ok, isn't it? To tell you the truth, a train line runs by the farm, and when I hear the locomotives coming up the track, I have to resist the urge to run down and wave at the engineer and watch the train go by :)
So, this is one of the tractors.. (https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/TH23_zpsc56b876c.png) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/TH23_zpsc56b876c.png.html)
and here is the other.. it is vintage, but not the oldest in the barn
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/TH22_zps087ebba4.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/TH22_zps087ebba4.jpg.html)
I have a lot to learn about driving tractors! but I did get to turn over my father in law's garden with a shovel implement.. that went well till the PTO became disengaged.. but we managed to deal with that and finish the job..
This week is filled with tech rehearsals for our play, so there wont' be any work on the house till Saturday.. let's hope for nice weather!
Jason here is the site of the Mini-split systems.
http://www.younits.com/ductless-mini-split.html?filter_application=461&filter_heating_capacity=468
And here is one they have listed. There are several brands but I think Mitsubishi would be a better choice. I went ahead and looked at their 9,000 unit. Here it is. I think it only draws 12 amps so it does not require a lot of power to operate.
http://www.younits.com/msz-ge09na-muz-ge09na-mr-slim-wall-heat-pump-21-seer-9-000-btu-3-4-ton.html
You would also have to have the line sets(refrigerant lines and communication wire) They have an install kit that includes all of that which is here. A lot of the retrofit to older construction utilizes a outside conduit or trough to run your wires & pipes from unit to unit but if you are considering this type of system you can run it within the stud walls to keep it hidden.
http://www.younits.com/15ins1438-15-installation-kit-for-ductless-mini-split-systems-1-4-x-3-8.html
I know your primary concern is for heat but I would imagine that you would also benefit from Air Condition if the summers are like they are here for 2-3 months a year. With a small structure it is hard to get large enough windows to ventilate it properly to cool it off. The loft is going to be your biggest obsticle in that respect.
thanks for the info, john.. you are correct about the heat in the summer.. there are always a few nights that can be rough.. we have found that a ceiling fan does the trick here at our home, but i am not sure about how one of those will fit into the tiny house.. i think we need to get the roof on so that we have a good sense of the space that we have.. and then we will make a decision at that point.. I hope that spring has truly arrived in your neck of the woods.. it has been teasing us here in north east pa.. but we are getting close!
No time for driving tractors this weekend! I was determined to remain focused on the construction project, and things turned out pretty well. Of course, I did not accomplish everything on the list, but I made steady progress. The first item on the agenda was the loft.. With the finish ceiling on the joists for the loft, we should have about 82 inches of headroom.. that should be fine for us, and we don't have any real tall friends.. so it should be good all around.
Having the loft floor in place was a real help when it came time to tackle the rafters.. Under the category of things I would have done differently.. I went with a full 16 foot 2 x 12 ridge board.. that was pretty heavy.. it was heavy just loading it on the trailer.. it was really heavy trying to manipulate it by myself at the roof level! But a little planning went a long way, and eventually, I got it in place.. it sure is fun to put rafters in after the first few are in place! Next time..I will piece together the ridge :)
By the end of the afternoon on Saturday, I had almost half of the rafters up.. had to quit early so that I could get to school for a theater production.. got home after midnight and into bed close to 1 am.. so it was not a particularly bright or early morning today! in fact, there was a threat of showers a good part of the day.. we had some sprinkles, but not enough to make me seriously consider putting the tools away..
I started off the morning by cutting the remaining rafters.. and then got them all in place.. spent some time thinking about the best plan for the gable overhangs.. the plan only calls for 8 in. of overhang, so I decided to build then separately and attach them to the house.. Then on to the plywood.. the half sheets are no problem.. the full sheets proved to be a bit difficult to handle because there were gusts of wind... I kind of had to time it right when I was ready to drag a full sheet up!
There are a few gaps, but things fell in place pretty well, for the most part.. the plywood is on except for a very narrow strip that I will need at the top.. leaving some space for venting.. plywood does not always behave when cut in thin strips, so I was thinking about just planing down a few boards to 5/8ths. and using them instead.
So here is where I left things today.. (https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/TH30_zps83aee199.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/TH30_zps83aee199.jpg.html)
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/TH32_zpsf4843e9e.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/TH32_zpsf4843e9e.jpg.html)
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/H31_zpsbe2e7ffc.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/H31_zpsbe2e7ffc.jpg.html)
I checked out sky lights.. we wanted one that is operable.. and by the time I bought the extra flashing kit, etc.. it was approaching $600, so I bypassed that idea.. Because of the particularly steep pitch of the roof, I am wondering if I can't just fit one of the windows that I have in the rest of the house in the gable ends.. that would give us plenty of light and an alternate escape plan in the event that we were in the loft and needed one! I would put one in each end , hoping that if they were both open, we might get a nice breeze up there.. Because they are stock size, the cost just $127 a piece.. and they are reasonably good windows.. so I might go that route.
Hopefully, next weekend I will be able to add the overhangs and put shingles on the roof.. things are looking pretty good!
That JD5400 is a nice machine...I got a serious case of tractor envy using one of those :)
For the top strip on the roof, I usually do what you're suggesting, a solid board rather than a narrow plywood strip. With most dimensional shingles you don't even need to plane down a 1x, the 1/8" difference between 5/8" sheathing and a 3/4" board is unnoticeable up near the ridge where other stuff is going on.
thanks for the tip, Don... I am looking forward to getting the roof finished and the house dried in.. then there will be more time for driving tractors and other farm activities!
Interesting project. Looking good. d*
thanks, archimedes.. it has been a lot of fun so far. This has been a great time for building.. not too hot - no bugs ( although we are anticipating the bloom of the apple blossoms in a week or two, so there should be plenty of bees pretty soon! and, lots of anticipation about how fun it should be to have a tiny place of our own at the orchard..
It was an exhausting but satisfying weekend! I thought that I could devote the entire two days to the house, but then realized that I had a tech rehearsal for our upcoming dance production at school. That took a six hour bite out of the middle of Saturday, so I did not even get to the orchard till about 5 in the afternoon. But, that left 3 hours of day light - so I tackled the overhang on the back side of the house.
Sunday morning everything was damp, but the sun was rising behind the mountain, and the promise of a beautiful day was reassuring. We started with a walk. It just happens to be around full bloom for many of the varieties (https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/TH46_zps289d938e.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/TH46_zps289d938e.jpg.html)
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/TH45_zps48e7f077.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/TH45_zps48e7f077.jpg.html)
I had this crazy fantasy that we might be dried in by now and that we would have the opportunity to camp out in the house during the bloom.. guess that will have to wait till next year!
Got to work around 9 am and did not stop till 4:30... by then, it was all I could do to muster the energy to put my tools away! It is pretty challenging to work on a 12 over 9 pitch roof.. the one bright side is that you don't have to stoop over quite as far! I still had a lot of preliminary work to do before breaking out the shingles.. some trim work and then the lower drip edge.. then the ice and water shield ( no fun doing that by myself), tar paper on the upper parts of the roof.. then drip edge along the rake.. and then the shingles! lots of up and down on the ladder!
But I made it up one side and took a few photos from the ridge...(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/TH41_zps04174abf.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/TH41_zps04174abf.jpg.html)
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/TH42_zpse261ddc3.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/TH42_zpse261ddc3.jpg.html)
I put the straps over the ridge in place.. and I still have to fill in part of that gap - that can wait for next time.. at this point, it dawned on me that I really did not have the inclination to get started with shingles on the second side, but I forged ahead and got it prepped.. ice and water shield along the eaves.. and tar paper and drip edge in place so that the next time I get down I can start shingling right away..
I was hoping to get a lot further than this (https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/TH43_zpsce9e64a2.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/TH43_zpsce9e64a2.jpg.html)
but I am actually quite content with the progress that I made, given the time that I had. Thank goodness for advil :)
Well, another weekend has past, and once again, I did not quite finish everything that I had planned.. but that is par for the course! The real milestone for this weekend is that the roof is finished.. no more carrying bundles of shingles up the ladder :) I won't be missing that for a while ! So now I can focus on other things that will make the project begin to look like a house.. (https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/TH53_zps3bb5ec53.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/TH53_zps3bb5ec53.jpg.html)
I was hoping to get the door and all six windows in, but I spent most of the morning dealing with little issues with the ridge of the roof and then we had a rain shower this afternoon which slowed me down.. (https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/TH52_zps9577ab3c.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/TH52_zps9577ab3c.jpg.html)
So, this is where things stand at this point. (https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/TH51_zpsf42cd8ac.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/TH51_zpsf42cd8ac.jpg.html)
When I stopped in at my inl-laws to make a final cup of tea for the afternoon, I told my father-in-law that I had put in three windows. He asked if they were the kind of windows that open.. and i said "yes, just like a real house"! I am not sure that he has totally caught on to the idea yet :)
One more week of classes, and then final exams next Monday.. after that, I will have significantly more time to devote to the project.. and that is good because on the ninth of June we leave for Maine for a week long community service trip with students, and when we return, my wife will begin work at the orchard. It sure would be nice to have the house in good enough shape to at least camp down there a few nights each week. We need to finalize our decision for the exterior. The plan calls for vertical board and batten, but I am leaning towards a horizontal siding... maybe what they call around here, novelty siding.. Regardless of the actual material, we have the paint scheme set.. the same yellow that my wife picked out for a shed project that we did at school two years ago, with white trim. It should look sharp.
This is looking like a busy week at school, so I doubt that I will have an opportunity to do any work during the week.. I guess that I will just have to rest up and be ready to go next Saturday!
I hope that everyone is enjoying a meaningful Memorial Day Weekend! I had the opportunity to spend Friday - Sunday at the orchard. Friday evening I finished the second gable end - tar paper and two windows... After a short bike ride and eggs for breakfast at my mother-in-law's on Saturday, I tackled the last side of the house.. tar paper and one window.. and then got the door in and the little portico hung.. not sure about the final placement - it is a bit high right now with the thought that we will fit an exterior light beneath it which needs to clear the screen door which will be a necessity. The second option is to place the light to one side or the other and lower the portico.. that will be my wife's decision - but feel free to chime in :)
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/TH61_zps5fb329ab.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/TH61_zps5fb329ab.jpg.html)
So now we are dried in !! and, I framed in the two closet areas.. I also used Friday to do some shopping! I stopped at two local lumberyards.. the first one I have used quite a lot for our Bear Creek house, but they did not have the type of siding that I am looking for.. I have seen it referred to as Novelty Siding.. it is tongue and groove with a bit of a scallop at the top instead of a V groove. The second guy is much closer to the tiny house, and I have bought a few things from him.. and I have been very satisfied.. he is a young guy, and he works hard - I respect his work ethic. And, he has the cutters to make the boards I want :) So I ordered both the siding and regular V groove for the interior. The bill comes to just under 2k. I asked him if he wanted a down payment, and he said, no and that I can pick up the interior wood next week! wow.. nice to work with folks like that :)
So, I am planning the electrical layout.. getting ready to pick up the insulation.. and really getting excited to finish off the inside.. I told my wife to wait till I got things cleaned up before coming out to check our the recent progress.. she was thrilled.. when she saw the loft, she suggested that we make a spot for the porti potti up there.. the loft is 9 feet long.. and there should be plenty of space , so that is a great idea.. no negotiating a ladder in the middle of the night :)
She is 5' 2" , and she is thrilled that she has standing headroom in the loft.. the benefits of being short!
Today I turned my attention to other things - lent a hand round the orchard.. did some garden work, cleaned and organized my brother-in-law's garage where I am storing my tools and materials, did some chores for my father-in-law.. and mowed grass.. first time on the x mart mower.. the job was to mow between trees.. without hitting any of them !! things went relatively well.. I scared up a bunch of baby bunnies.. ended up hitting one guy wire.. bummer. that is going to need to be replaced... :(
We did finalize some planning for the house.. we will run a sub panel from my brother in law's house.. maybe 30 or 50 amp. depends on how expensive the wire will be for a run of about 120 feet. And we will install a vented gas heater along with a small ( 20 inch) gas stove .. time to order those and to run the gas pipes.. Looking forward to lots of time to work this coming week.. final exams tomorrow ( yes, on the holiday ) but then free most of the rest of the week!!
Well, I was so focused on working the last day and a half, I forgot to take any pictures! But, an update is in order just the same.. We spent our first night in the tiny house!! sleeping bags and mats sufficed, and it was kind of special to wake up in our loft :)
My goal this weekend was to get the electrical work finished, and I am almost there. I still have to drive two ground rods into the ground and hook them up.. because we are running a sub panel, we need a separate ground, and the ground bar in the panel needs to be separate from the neutral bar.. I have two of the circuits hooked up to the breakers and three more to go.. the wiring is all run
1 circuit for the "living room" 20 amp
1 circuit for the loft 20 amp
1 circuit for the sink side of the "kitchen" including the small refrigerator 20 amp
1 circuit for the stove side of the "kitchen" includes the power needs of a gas stove 20 amp
1 circuit for the lights.. 15 amp
it looks like everything should work.. but time will tell. of course, I have no power to the box yet.. we need to dig a trench and run wires 120 feet. I am going to need some heavy duty wires for that run!
I also took time to make sure that I have nailing surfaces for all of the interior wood paneling.. added some extra depth to the rafters so that they will take the full 7 inches of insulation that I plan on putting in the roof. installed the pro vent panels for venting purposes.. I went to Lowes to see if they had the old time metal sofit vents.. and they did not.. i guess it is a specialty order thing these days.. at least in our area where everyone uses vinyl.
And, perhaps the biggest moment of the weekend.. my father in law stopped by for an inspection.. he was pretty impressed .. so, even at 54 yo, it is still kind of nice to make a good impression on one's father in law :)
a couple of loose ends to manage and then it is time for insulation.. and then i can begin installing the interior paneling, then things will really start to get exciting!
time for an update!
Electric service is a 30 amp sub-panel run from my brother-in-law's house. That required a trench that was about 120 feet. Fortunately for me, the digging was relatively easy. I took the advice of the folks at the electrical supply house ( much cheaper than Lowe's, by the way - and more reliable advice as well) and installed the conduit and then used the vacuum method of drawing a string through the length of the conduit. I tied a plastic bag to the string and got on the other end with the vacuum.. after the 4th failed attempt, I started to worry just a bit.. I sure did not want to dig that conduit up again! ( probably should not have covered it till I was set, but I wanted to get the sod back in place as quickly as possible, hoping to leave the yard looking relatively undisturbed) .. But the string made it the entire way the 5th time. and we pulled the cable. The folks at the supply house and I agreed that we really only needed one hot wire since we were only drawing 30 amps and had no 220 type devices in the tiny house.. I had everything connected up and was excited to test out the circuits in the house... pretty disappointed to find the the odd numbered circuits did not work -- instant panic, thinking that surely I messed something up behind the now finished walls.. It took a little testing to get to the bottom of the problem.. of course.. with only one hot wire, only half of the breaker positions were going to be activated :) so a little re-configuring in the panel and we had power everywhere...
So here are a few pics of the interior.. I just primed some of the siding and will begin installing it later today.. I have to keep focused.. school is just around the corner, and I really want this project to be finished by then!
this is a pic, looking in the front door.. Sunny, our cat, was not terribly excited about the tiny house at first, but he seems to be settling in.. (https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/th77_zpsa9576ed9.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/th77_zpsa9576ed9.jpg.html)
it took Sunny a few days to master the ladder ( he does not have front claws) but he likes the loft now! (https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/th72_zpsc6e1e1f5.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/t%3Cbr%20/%3Eh72_zpsc6e1e1f5.jpg.html)
the folks from the gas company came yesterday and installed the tank and connected lines to our stove and to the heater.. we still need to convert the stove to propane use.. they seemed to be running out of time yesterday afternoon. (https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/th74_zps8df4a161.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/th74_zps8df4a161.jpg.html)
the other side of the "kitchen" (https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/th78_zps73a1fa21.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/th78_zps73a1fa21.jpg.html)
we decided against installing a sink, opting for using basins instead so that we retained full use of the counter space..
for those with keen eyes, you will note that the plums and peaches are in at the orchard... peach short cake is on the menu for tonight :) (https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/th76_zpse323bcc7.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/th76_zpse323bcc7.jpg.html)
so , that is a quick tour of our tiny house so far.. we are enjoying the space, and my wife is spending a whole lot of time working here at the orchard and at the farmer's market 3 days a week.. it certainly is convenient to be close by.. now it is time to get back to work!
Looks like a comfy little space. Glad things are coming together for you. The little set backs I like to think of a "job security". ;)
good to hear from you, john... thanks! I hope that your summer is going well... after I posted about folks with keen eyes.. i took another look myself.. that is a tomato and a nectarine! well.. they are in too :)
The folks from the gas company hooked up our stove and heater, but I still need to convert the stove to LP, so we have not used it yet. A former student stopped by this week to lend a hand.. it was nice to have company, and we made good progress.. the front and one side are now ready for paint. I used oil primer on the ext. boards - I was advised that this would keep the knots from bleeding through - but I am not so sure :( I still need to prime some of the trim, and then I will be ready to apply the finish colors. white for the trim and a light yellow for the siding.. I can't wait! (https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/th81_zps573eb1ca.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/th81_zps573eb1ca.jpg.html)
scattered showers were forecast for today and tomorrow... maybe some neighboring towns got some rain, but we didn't.. maybe a little later.. the farming relatives sure would enjoy a good steady rain - it has been kind of dry, but the peaches are in and they taste wonderful! (https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/th84-peaches_zpse81a9ad3.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/th84-peaches_zpse81a9ad3.jpg.html)
if you are looking for a destination for a road trip and would enjoy some peaches.. stop by, and I will give you a tour of the tiny house! :)
The clock is ticking down.. only a week and a half left before I have to return to prepare for the opening of school... so, I am pretty motivated! I got a lot of painting done yesterday.. this morning I will fill some nail holes, do the final caulking... and prepare for a second coat.. then I will put the first coat of white on the trim.. I am hoping that the primer is going to keep the knots from bleeding through, but that is asking a lot!
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/th88_zps6e5a5214.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/th88_zps6e5a5214.jpg.html)
also have to trim the corner boards, but I will wait till the siding is complete all around...
(https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/firstcookies_zpse86892da.jpg) (https://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/firstcookies_zpse86892da.jpg.html)
the tiny house is really becoming a home now.. baked my first batch of cookies in the new stove! Oatmeal/craison/ white chip cookies.. for those who might be curious :)
We built the house thinking that we might stay at the orchard 2 nights a week.. but the reality is that we have been there practically all summer.. and it looks like it might be a close to permanent thing the next few months which happen to be the busiest of the year for folks who grow apples, peaches, pears, and plums... this past weekend was rather busy with the Peach Festival run by the local church.. if anyone happens to be near north east PA - put the weekend of October 18-19 on your calendar.. that is the weekend of the apple festival which happens to be the major event of the year in sleep Wapwallopen..
Looks great, nice project.
thanks, i see that you are a fan of the real wood interior too! looks like a great place to relax..