Tiny House

A very simple post and pier foundation. Eventually there will be extra supports between the piers to prevent sagging.

There will be five beams, at 40 inch spacing, creating a 36 inch gap between posts for windows. Each beam is made from two 2x6 boards with a 2x4 sandwiched in between.

The 3.5 inch gap at the end of the beam is the slot where the tongue from the post will fit.

The end plates were a temporary hack to keep the end beams from wiggling. I've removed them and replaced them with angle brackets hidden under the beam.

All five floor beams in place.

Detail of angle bracket holding down a beam, instead of toenailing.

Hardware cloth to keep out critters from under floor.

The first delivery of wood: 1x4, 1x6, 2x4, 2x6 tongue and groove decking

1.5 inch rigid foil-backed foam for insulation.

Eight metal roof panels.

Another view of the floor beams.

The 2x6 tongue and groove flooring is nailed down using 6d box nails through the tongue. This way there are no exposed fasteners. The punch is used to drive the nail the final 1/4 inch. The rachet strap pulls in the board against the previous one during nailing.

2x4s are used between the posts instead of T&G floor boards. The tenon (middle 2x4) of the post will fit into the slot., and the two outer 2x4s of the post will cover the nails. Eventually the 2x4s and the floor boards will be sanded and finished, so the contrasting color won't be so obvious.

The completed floor.

Test layout for first post/rafter unit, which is called a bent in timber framer jargon. The 15 pieces will be used as templates for the remaining 4 units. The walls will be 6 feet high, the collar tie will be 8 feet above the floor, and the peak will be 10 feet above the floor.

The first bent is up. Raising it alone was very difficult, due to the weight and size. I attached 8 foot boards to the sides to act as props, and also used a 12 foot board to push up on the collar tie. The process is shown in the following photos.

To raise a bent, I attached a leg to each side, then lifted the unit a couple of feet onto a stick.

Then I raised the bent up a couple more feet. Now the legs were starting to help lift the unit.

Eventually, the legs were almost vertical and would no longer support the bent if I pushed it up any farther.

Now I used a 12 foot board with cleats screwed to it to push up on the collar tie. The bottom of the board was secured with a ratchet strap. Eventually I was able to push the bent up without the ratchet strap.

After the bent is vertical, the tongue of the post (the middle 2x4) drops into the slot in the floor beam. Then I brace the bent and nail through the floor beam into the tongue.

The fourth bent had to be pushed up against the third one to make room for assembling the last bent. Then I walked it slowly into its final position, as seen in the next three pictures.

To keep the bent from going too far either way as I moved it, I tied two taut line hitches to its collar tie.

Here the bent has almost reached its slots..

The frame is done.

The partially built north wall. An end wall like this is not a load-bearing structure, so it can be just strong enough to frame a window and provide a nailing surface for the sheathing. Here the opening is for a 36x54 window.

The framed opening on a side wall for a 36x54 window. There is no need for a super-strong header because the posts on either side of the window are the load-bearing structure.

End walls are done. The far (north) wall has an opening for a 36x54 window; the near (south) wall has an opening for a 30x80 door. The ratchet strap kept the wall unit from flopping over while I lifted it into place.

I covered the entire structure with tarps in preparation for the snow and rain this coming weekend. The wall tarps were easy; the roof tarp was very difficult because it was about six inches too short.

Finally, the rainy season is over and I can resume work. Here is the sheathing exterior. The sheathing is 1x6 tongue and groove pine nailed to the outside of the posts.

Sheathing interior closeup.

Sheathing exterior nearly done.

Sheathing interior. I ran out of wood about 1/3 of the way through the east roof. To install the roof sheathing and house wrap without having to climb on the roof, I worked from the peak downward, using a step ladder inside the house. The lower part of the roof sheathing can be installed from a ladder set against the outside wall. Here you can see the east roof partially done this way. Before filling in the lower part of the roof I'll tack a sheet of house wrap to the upper part of the roof.

House wrap is tacked to the sheathing using a hammer stapler.

To support the lowest pieces of insulation while attaching them to the walls, I screwed little scraps of wood to the underside of the floor beams.

Insulation on the west wall. The 1.5 inch rigid foam is fastened to the walls with 1x4 or 1x6 strapping (rough lumber). I used screws instead of nails. Later, the vertical shiplap siding boards will be attached to the strapping.

I ran out of sheathing boards, so drove to the lumber store and loaded 18 eight-foot boards into my little VW hatchback. No pickup truck needed.

Door is mostly installed. Here you can see jigs I used to hold it in place during installation. Eventually the gaps will be filled in with spray foam.

Window on the north gable end. There is flashing membrane under the bottom flange, and eventually more membrane will cover the side flanges and then the top flange.

The insulation is complete. To work on the roof, I'll be using this long extension ladder set at a 45 degree angle directly on the roof, with the bottom of the ladder anchored on the ground.

I designed jigs to hold the roof panels in place for installation. These are temporarily attached to wall strapping.

Three windows with trim, and finished (polyurethane) floor on north end.

Roof panels on the west side, with the ladder I used to install the panels.

The north end trim and drip edge, and the west roof with the ridge cap.

The interior is usable now. I added a bed, a bedside table, shelves, a camp chair, and a tiny built-in laptop desk (not shown).

The shiplap siding finally arrived. It is pre-primed, saving some work. I painted the boards before installing them.

I used a scrap board held against the bottom of the wall to hold the siding in place while screwing it to the strapping.

To get internet, I ran a 250 foot coax cable (the orange one) from the main house to the tiny house, with a coax-to-ethernet adapter at each end.

The siding and entry stairs are done.

The final step was cutting and hemming curtains. I used the laptop desk in the tiny house as the sewing station.

The curtains block the rather strong mid-day sun, but let in some light.

Scribbled notes about overall layout and rafters.

More scribbled notes about rafters and their joint with posts.

Hand-scribbled notes for the two end walls.

Notes about cutting foam insulation for roof.

Notes about metal roofing and strapping for roof foam.

8x14 tiny guest house based on FirstDay Cottage design. This is a modified post and beam design, using normal dimensional lumber sandwiched together to make beams, posts, and rafters. All solid wood; no drywall, OSB, or plywood. No plumbing or electrical, thereby avoiding the permit process.