Gosh, there sure are a lot of windows! Note to everyone out there, windows take a LOT of lumber to frame in, make sure you have very detailed plans on location, height and how your king and jack studs sit in the wall before you order your lumber. And please don't forget your cripple studs, they are the structural members that will catch your sheathing ends. Mistakes aren't that financially costly at this stage if you catch it but they do eat up a ton of time if you have to cu

So, browsing through Mom's 1976 version of Modern Carpentry and I ran across this... What a great little memo! It looks like her handwriting to my dad. I wonder what stage of the house build they were in and what the circumstances were. I kinda picture her sitting at the kitchen table, pouring over measurements and plans and my dad talking on the phone as he walks by to get a snack. Maybe she flags him down on his way back to the living room and jots this note so she can get

Pressure test is done on the water lines and it passed with no leaks. I'm so glad because I got to fasten the rest of the decking down to the steel beams today. Did I mention the screws are a PITA but well worth the time. It's adding structural rigidity to the entire home and walking around on the deck feels solid as heck. I'm stoked! I got the lumber pack for the studs and roof delivered today. It's such a tidy, pretty bundle that smells so nice. I dug into it and framed the

So, before the mascot, a word about screws. Self-drilling screws rock and it's the only way to go when penetrating steel. However, I purchased 1-7/16" screws to fasten the 3/4" subfloor to our steel frame. Unfortunately, the way these are designed, the threads start about 1/2" from the self-drilling tip of the screw so the gripshion never happens. Damn. The next size up is 2-1/4" and you can bet your bippy that sucker grabs but I found it was quite time-consuming to screw it

All the PEX is in and the insulation is done. We managed to insulate to R-30 with the HUGE floor cavity Trailer Made Trailers gave us. This makes me super happy because I know our homeowner will be warm and toasty this winter. The PEX was a breeze. Bought a crimp ring tool and 100' of white 1/2" PEX and was able to plumb fresh water lines to the washer box, two sinks, icemaker, shower, toilet and utility space. Used PEX because of the ease of install and it is so freeze-thaw

Well, working under the 3" steel beams to keep the 1/4" per foot slope was a challenge but it's done! The P-trap for the shower had to hang lower than the galvanized sheeting under the trailer so I boxed it in and insulated it. Looks super clean and is accessible for service if need be. Instead of trying to stuff insulation under the ABS pipe and lose R value, we foamed, which cradles the pipe, keeps the slope consistent, and protects the pipe around the pan penetrations. (pl

So I was up really late last night trying to design the kitchen. I've decided to place the kitchen in the front of the trailer but with an inside width of 7'3" and countertops that have to be 2' deep I'm struggling with placing appliances. I really want to keep an open feel. My solution was to draw out the area, true to size, on the carpet of our existing house with yellow chalk (same for the bathroom design). That way I can walk through the placements and see where the desig

I practiced down the street from our house before towing the trailer to the site. Nailed the backing between the tight gates on the first try! I'm so proud. : p Picked up a bunch of ABS fittings and some really cool pipe protection for the penetrations through the galvanized pan. (thanks ReStore!) Just need insulation, a bit more ABS pipe and some 3/4" sheathing and I'll have the trailer decked. Sourcing a large amount of the specialized screws that will penetrate the 1/4" st

Found the almost perfect lot to build the tiny home! It's fenced, with a live-on landlord who's really nice. I have about a 30' x 60' area to call my own. Now I just need a lockable job box so I don't have to tote my tools every morning. ; ) There is power right next to the trailer and water not too far away. My only concern is shade. Colorado Springs is under a heat wave like the rest of the country right now and today was supposed to be 96 degrees. Too hot! I believe my sol

Trailer is here! Thanks to Damon at Trailer Made for the incredibly engineered 24' all steel tube trailer. After seeing work from other trailer manufacturers Trailer Made was a no-brainer. They just make a far superior product. It is a thing of beauty and I'm so excited to build our first tiny home on this work of art. The two 7,000 axles are definitely sturdy enough to build the gorgeous home we have envisioned. I'm taking it to the scales to get a dry weight today. Also tod