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Sunday, November 13, 2011

Once to figure it out. Do it right the second time.

Dig it: When it comes to projects, generally, I just dig in fearlessly and start figuring it out. I've learned a lot, sometimes the hard way, by doing it this way. Most people say "do it right the first time". Well, I say "do it once to figure it out, and then do it right the second time". But building with repurposed materials makes this theory harder to manage. If I make a mistake and run out of something, I can't just run up to HD and grab more plywood for instance. 

Uncharacteristically, I've been stuck in my head lately, second guessing my design and wondering if building this thing out of metal studs is going to work. :(

Less time dreaming: There is a tiny house blog out there somewhere and one of the post was a question about what would you do different on your second tiny house, or regrets on your first. One guy responded that he would spend less time "dreaming" and more time "doing".  He's right! And with beautiful, though slightly windy weather, its time to get back out there, make mistakes, and figure this thing out!


One wall at a time. Here's the first wall (front facing bedroom). You can see that the 4' x 4' windows are really big, maybe even too big. Another disadvantage of building with reporpuposed materials is that you don't have the luxury of being picking. On the other hand, it will be bright and light inside the tiny casita.


Here's the second wall (back facing bedroom). 



Here I'm working out the pitched roof. I thought of making one side of the trailer 4" or 5" taller and just laying the roof on top but, I want the ceilings on the inside to be flat, not angled to match the roof. I'm feeling pretty good about this design. It will be very strong and have slight pitch. All the water will run to one side of the casita so that we can collect rain water. 



Three walls and one roof/ceiling section done today. Might have done more but I ran out of track. I'll run up to Resource in Boulder today and see if they have more. 

Monday, November 7, 2011

Weather Proof!

Snow! Snow! Snow! Crappy weather and chores slowed me down a bit lately. I did get the plywood sheathing painted with two coats of weather proofing stain; regular price $179 , purchased for $20 (oops paint) at HD. Because mold and mildew is a problem in tropical climates like Sayulita, we need to take extra precautions to assure this thing is water tight. 




All the panels we double coated on all sides. Not fun and time consuming but will make a difference in longevity and comfort of the house. 



Also, I found a few insperational images while waiting out the snow inside. 
Love this tiny kitchen with a top that folds down when not in use. 


This kitchen design is a perfect example of just how simple things should be. Too many gadgets = too many things to keep clean. Most of the cooking will be done outside on the BBQ anyway. 



Great example of using 1x1's as siding and security.