All Roughed In

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Dan Louche

I’ve completed the electrical and plumbing ‘rough in’ as well as another hour of video.

Next is the insulation. I’ve decided to do the insulation myself on this house due to the expense of the closed cell spray foam. The insulation companies often have a minimum charge to make it worth it for them to bring out and set up the foam truck. So even though this house is really small the cost of having it sprayed is the same as a much larger house. One quote I got was for $1200 while I expect I can do it myself (using the preformed sheets) for closer to $400.

After the insulation I will start on the interior siding, which will start to make it look more like a house on the inside.

On to the Interior

Posted on October 17, 2012 by Dan Louche

I finally finished the roof last week as well as three more videos!

So I celebrated with a beer (or two, or…). I have a way of finding reasons to celebrate the smallest of achievements

I personally like the look of the metal roof, but I know it’s not for everyone. The problem is that there aren’t many alternatives that are as strong (for the high winds that are experienced while moving a house) and as lightweight as metal. The last time I was at my roofing supplier they had a brochure for a shake style metal roof that I thought looked pretty great. It has all the great qualities of a metal roof while also having a more natural appearance. I think I might use it on a house real soon. Below is a random image I found online so that you know what I’m talking about.

As I’ve said before, I still have a few miscellaneous items to finish on the exterior, but I think I am going to come back to those later and do some work on the interior now.

I picked up the remainder of the supplies I need to finish the interior. I do most of my shopping at Home Depot because I have found them to be cheaper overall than Lowes (which is actually closer to me). Lately though I have seen that Lowes is offering 5% off when you get one of their “membership rewards” card (like the cards at grocery stores). So when I was at Home Depot I asked the (really helpful) guy at the pro desk if they had something equivalent and low and behold they match the discount when asked. Pretty sweet! It’s like free money (that unfortunately you have to ask for). But now you know

So Close

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Dan Louche

The roof is almost done with just the ridge cap remaining. I was hoping to get that done today since I won’t work on the house again until next week but it didn’t happen.

Once the ridge cap is done I can stop covering the house with a tarp which is pretty exciting. I will still have a few odds and ends to do on the exterior (storage doors, wood under the overhang, etc.), but that will be the last of the truly labor intensive work. I’m not saying the interior doesn’t take effort and time, it’s just in a whole different category than framing, siding, and roofing.

Another Tinier Living Update

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Dan Louche

As promised here is a quick video update…

In the video I accidentally say that the house is 16′ long, it’s really 12′

Exterior siding is going up

Posted on August 19, 2012 by Dan Louche

I was finally able to work on the house last week. I put in a full weeks work and will do the same this coming week, weather permitting. The siding is going up and I am starting to see what it’s going to look like. I hope to have all of the exterior siding done as well as the roof by the end of the week, but I’m thinking that might be just a bit much, especially since we have rain predicted. I have a tendency to set lofty goals which often leads to disappointment, but when I aim low it’s easy not to overshoot.

Here is my homemade tool (wood platform on an extendable paint pole) for installing siding by myself. It’s not very sophisticated but works like a charm. When you’re by yourself you sometimes have to get creative

As I have said before I’ve been recording this entire build so I’m going a lot slower than I would like. But I think I’ve got between 4 to 6 weeks left. Then I’ll put out an updated version of the plans and list the house for sale.

I’ll have an update at the end of the week with a lot more pictures and maybe even a video.

We have a door!

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Dan Louche

I got a few minutes over the weekend to sneak out and install the front door. It’s surprising how easy it is (primarily because doors are sold pre-hung with the frame already assembled). It just seems like it should be more difficult.

Like a lot of things in life, building a tiny house is just a really large collection of ‘not that challenging’ tasks. It’s just when you stand back and look at them all at the same time does it seem impossible. But if you spend a few hours here and a few hours there knocking off those tasks before you know it you’ve built a house!

The windows are installed!

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Dan Louche

I still have a little bit of the flexible flashing to install around a few of the windows, but for the most part they are done.

Next is the door, the siding, and then the roof.

Tinier Living Update

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Dan Louche

I’ve been meaning to post updated pictures for some time now, but every time I think, “well, let me wait until the next step and then it will look even better” [repeat]. But I’ve had enough people ask me for an update that I have finally given in

I’m taking tomorrow off to work on the metal roof. Since this also involves doing a little bit of the siding (you can’t put the drip edge up until the fascia board is installed) I’m not sure I will get it all done, but I’m hoping.

I also picked up my front door and all the windows today so those will be next. Then it’s just the siding and this thing will look like a house. I’ll definitely have another update then.

It’s a baby!

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Dan Louche

A couple of months ago I started construction on my latest design: Tinier Living. It’s a shorter version of my Tiny Living design. It so small and cute

I’m building this house in my back yard for convenience since I am recording a ton of video for the ‘build along’ I’m hosting and this allows me to work on it whenever I have a little bit of time. Unfortunately, shooting all that video also means my pace has been considerably slower than my previous houses.

I’ve also set up a page on my website if your interested in the plans. I expect there will be a few minor changes to them between now and when I’m done with the house but as with all my plans I will send out free updates if they do change.

I’ll post some more pictures once all the sheathing is up. It will be a lot easier to visualize then.