Author: fredlackey

Such a great surprise! The town’s Building Inspector stopped by, to do a final inspection on the workshop, and gave the tiny house a look over. While he did have a few pointers, he did not find anything that was out of code for RESIDENTIAL structures… which is above and beyond for anything related to RVs or accessory dwellings. So, while it wasn’t an “official” review, it was definitely a positive nod in our direction. ❤

Sheathing is 99% done.  The windows for the loft and family room have been framed and cut.  Both doors have been framed and cut.  We ended the weekend halfway through the bathroom window.  We still have not decided on the exact layout for the kitchen windows so they are still pending.  As soon as they are framed and cut, we will be ordering the windows, ordering the doors, and flashing the sheathing.

At this point, we have agreed that this shop is not adequate for this type of project.  We are constantly squeeeeeezing past ladders on the sides.  We’re also knocking light fixtures and clocks off the walls along the way.  It’s also incredibly hot in there.  Although we have two large fans moving air, the building _is_ all metal.  If we do this again, we are going to be buying, building, or leasing a larger metal building so we are able to erect proper scaffolding and set up a proper shop environment around the perimeter.

At this point we have the roof sheathed, hurricane straps installed, and four of our windows framed. Progress seems to be slowing a bit in the warmer months. The weather in the shop at 14′ is completely different than being outside. Could be the AC from the office pumping hot air into the shop floor or the metal roof but, wow!

It’s really coming together! This weekend we finished the walls and started sheathing. There’s a completely different vibe standing on the trailer now. Once enclosed, you can really start to visualize the space.

The green stuff you see is a special product called “Zip System.” Rather than simply using standard OSB or plywood, this stuff has a waterproof coating on one side. Each of the seams will be covered by rubber. This creates an air and water barrier around the whole structure. It costs a bit more but it appears to be well worth it.

One of Fred’s friends, Dan Korb, pointed out the fasteners we were using to anchor the foundation to the trailer. Initially, we were using 5/8″ zinc-plated bolts with jam nuts. However, after finding a vendor who could supply them in a decent time frame, they were all replaced with their Grade 8 equivalents and a gob of red thread-locker.

This increased each bolt from a load strength of 33,000 pounds to 120,000 pounds. The tensile strength of each one increased from 60,000 pounds to 150,000 pounds. So, yeah, we’re set.

Headers were fun (not). The headers above the doors were more “normal” than the sides, since the lumber can be cut and tossed around by one person. However, the sides were… wow. All headers were built by fusing a 1/2″ sheet of ply between two “two bys”… either 2×4, 2×6, or 2×12.

Not sure, but I think this is weekend #2 of framing the walls. We were able to get up the majority of the left side as well as install the headers for the two entrances. The rear entrance is much taller than the front since the floor will be raised almost 15″ in the rear half.

Next up are the mid-sections. See those wide boards on the floor? Those are to span the wheel wells and are incredibly awkward (a 1/2″ thick piece of ply glued between two 2×12’s)!

Framing started today with 115 kiln-dried Douglas Fir 2x4x12’s. Bought almost every decent board they had.

The first section of the right all (the front) was torture. Also got to play with a shiny new Dewalt framing nailer. Love that thing!

Bolted down the sole plates today. This foundation isn’t going anywhere… ever. Every 16″ is a 5/8″ x 7″ zinc-plated hex bolt. These bolts run through the sill plate, through the subfloor, the foundation, and through the 4″ angle iron lip on either side of the trailer.

When it comes time to build the walls, each sill plate will be unbolted and become part of the wall. Each 9’6″ stud will land in between the bolts. And, finally, the walls will be lifted up 28.25″ onto the subfloor and bolted back into position one last time.