Big Sticks Into Smaller Sticks

I've been framing my home in recent days.  Cutting big sticks into smaller sticks and attaching them is fairly straightforward and satisfying.  It's fun to see my Google Sketchup design pop into a tangible, 3-D shelter.  The wind is already being cut by my walls and the rain is diverted by my temporary roof leaving the area below dry and protected.  Shelter is a lovely thing!

Nate is examining my unconventional framing plan.  Studs are placed 24" on center and I avoided king and trimmer studs as much as possible to continue trimming weight.  I used Simpson Header Hangers to support window openings.  Nate's pa pointed out that I ended up sacrificing some lateral stability by not using full length studs around some of the window openings.  I'll get by, but if I did it again I probably wouldn't frame in this manner.  It took too long, and the measurements didn't even come out very accurate in the end, and I probably didn't save all that much weight.  This unknown question of weight is a bit of pain.  Perhaps it is worth it to get the 10,000 pound trailer or to build much smaller.  I'll let you know when I weigh this thing on a truck scale at some point.  My concern over weight could be all for not, though cutting weight also means shaving materials and cost.  

I also made the mistake of not starting with full length plates that spanned the wheel wells.  Full plates would have made measurements more consistent, accurate, and fast.  Cutting the unnecessary parts out later would have been a breeze.  

Even for the two of us (as meaty as we are) the walls were awkward and heavy to raise.  I assembled each frame on the leveled trailer deck with screws, sheeted it and tipped it up.  You can see the temporary bracing we employed to keep from being squished while we made adjustments.  A huge thank you to Nate for assisting me with the wall raising, leveling and plumbing everything.  How lucky I am to have such awesome friends!  

 The other three walls made the deck too crowded to tip up the final wall safely.  We each took a shot of whiskey (not) and heaved the frame onto the trailer and commenced sheeting it upright.

 In all its glory...maybe I'll just use these tarps as my permanent siding.  I need to keep the kiln dried lumber reasonably dry.  Getting it wet can mean pesky warping and cracking.  Plywood can de-laminate if it gets soaked and then cooked by the sun.  Also keeping water off the insulated floor is critical as it would be tough at this point to drive out moisture from the sealed space below the deck. 

Rafters intimidated me initially--with the angles, overhangs, and bird's mouth cuts--but they actually went pretty smoothly.  Perhaps I got lucky?  I used Google Sketchup to model them and transferred dimensions from screen to board using a carpenter's square.  My roof pitch is an odd 7.25:12, meaning 7.25" of rise for 12" of run.  This provides me with three feet of headroom off the mattress in the loft .  My success was probably mostly due to Nate, who helped demystify the process.  He was also instrumental in helping me square, plumb, and level the walls, which helps the whole structure come together tightly (well...mostly tight).  Looking forward to nice weather this weekend to unwrap everything to sheet the roof and nail off all the plywood.

My house is bloody tall!  If I did it again, I might go with a little longer trailer with a lowered storage/sleeping loft.  Also, Nate's pa showed off his truck bed camper to me recently and we discussed how campers, as well as boats, are engineered to be both strong and light.  I wish I knew more about the construction methods of these types of shelters.  Using traditional framing on a trailer seems a little excessive sometimes.  Framing with 2x3's instead of 2x4's may be a good compromise.  Lots of considerations for a mere mortal.  Building simple and cheaply is important for an amateur builder with little supervision such as myself.  I like the idea that I can keep modifying the structure as I learn more and improve my skills, all without too much monetary investment.  As it is, I think I've gotten a little carried away in the size and cost of the house, however, forward momentum is also good.   

Insulating the floor...

...was a bit of a disaster.

If there exists an option that is simple and elegant (and there usually does), then it's probably the right decision.  I took a different route when I decided to insulate the floor of my home.  The work has been messy, slow, expensive, and frustrating.  I spent a few days cutting layers of rigid foam into puzzle pieces and placing them in between floor joists.  Picture kernels of foam flying everywhere.  I now have 6" of foam insulation in the floor...overkill!  On the bright side, Nate pointed out that after using all that foam, my trailer is now amphibious and capable of handling arctic temperatures.  Stay tuned for my float trip to the coast via the Columbia River.

I have ideas on how the whole process could have been more clever and smooth and will update this posting when I get a chance.  I've been busy framing walls lately!

If I could do the floor again, I would insulate from underneath the trailer once the structure was waterproofed.  That would allow me to frame in the rain with less concern about my materials getting wet and trapping moisture beneath the floor.  As far as I'm concerned, this house will live its life in the Pacific Northwest, so I probably could get by just fine with less foam in the floor.  It's a small space and it will heat up and cool down relatively quickly.  If the floor gets cold in the middle of the winter, a rug placed in strategic areas would probably be just fine.  Another advantage of insulating after the structure is built is that I could more effectively seal the metal underbelly against the trailer frame with caulking and spray foam.  I would also have easy access to drill holes through the floor for plumbing and utilities.  Oh well.  Keep it simple and modifiable if you're an amateur.

Change of Plan

I've been making some exciting changes to the design of La Cabanita Chiquita lately.  I've been walking around my house with a tape measure like a crazy, taking measurements of windows, stools, tables, counter tops, doors; and my bodily dimensions while sitting, standing, taking an imaginary shower, etc.  I also had a very helpful session last evening with my roommate Amelia who gave me some valuable design insight.  I've decided to go with a symmetrical gable roof (who knew?!).  I've re-arranged my windows.  I've even made some changes to the floor plan.    

Friends:  I'm taking feedback before I start cutting boards.  Bring it!  Ask me questions if something looks bizarre.  

Green transparent parts are the loft (7'3" long x 4'6" wide) and a ceiling above the shower.  Sleeping happens perpendicular to the length of the trailer.  There is a shorter 6'2" tall ceiling below the loft.   Notice the overhanging counter and space between the couch and kitchen cabinets; I'm borrowing a favorite feature from my friends' airstream and placing a mini bar with a bar stool in that space.  Thanks to Jacob for taking a short, urgent call and providing the dimensions for the mini-bar (I was experiencing a moment of divine design inspiration and couldn't wait a moment longer). 

 The door will swing in to the left, leaving the pocket to the right as a mudroom (2'x2.5' interior dimensions).  The bath across from it has the same dimensions.

The skylight sits above the loft.

Small window on right is bath, to the left is kitchen window and left of that (long skinny window) is positioned for someone sitting at the mini-bar to enjoy the natural light and view to the outside.

What say you?

Redesigning the Loft & Roof Line

I've been busy trying to firm up my design and draw up a framing plan on Google Sketchup.  I'm trying to frame as minimally as possible without sacrificing structural stability so that I can lighten the load on the trailer and avoid purchasing and using unnecessary materials.

Green building organizations, both governmental and private, are trying to change old framing methods that tend to use excessive materials.  Using more materials than necessary can increase the cost of construction projects significantly, as well as place a burden on natural resources and waste facilities.

A few of the tenants of advanced framing include laying out your design in 24" increments to make efficient use of lumber and 4x8 sheet goods; using engineered metal connectors (like header hangers and sheet rock clips) to replace trimmer studs and backing boards; and framing studs on a 24" on-center layout when 16" OC layout is not required.

In the process of re-working my design, I decided my loft was cramped and impractical.  Originally, I designed my loft so that I could sleep perpendicular to the length of the trailer (because the short ceiling that a loft creates beneath it would be reduced using a perpendicular orientation).  I thought that a gabled roof would mean that if I sat up in bed I would always bonk my head on the ceiling; therefore a shed-style roof was my best option.  But after doing a study of how someone of my particular dimensions lays down in bed, I realized that a gabled roof would actually work quite well.  To be sure, I built a couple quick mock-ups to actually FEEL what the space would be like and observe the aesthetic of gabled roof options.  This was a very valuable exercise and I'll post my new design shortly.

Big thanks to my architect-friend Captain Steven for his feedback on my framing plan.  Also thanks to my friend Amy for testing out my mock-ups and lending her brain to help me process the decision.

House Party!

The deck went on today, but only temporarily.  I decided not to fill the floor with insulation quite yet because I don't want it to get wet.  I caulked the metal underbelly, so if water did get into the insulation at this point it may have a hard time getting out, which would be a very bad thing.  I wonder if I should install some vents in that area in case moisture ever gets trapped in there...

The flat deck will be a handy surface to frame my walls on.  Once I get all the walls framed, I'll wait for a day or two of good weather to take off the floor, stuff it with insulation, re-place the underlayment, and then raise the walls to support a temporary roof (tarp) to ensure the floor stays dry.

I took advantage of the deck to layout my tentative floor plan with tape.  Then I invited my roommates to my first house warming in hopes of getting some feedback on the final design before I begin framing the walls.  It was a bring-your-own-chair event, so we all marched out to the trailer and had a seat on the "couch."  I sat on the "composting toilet" in the bathroom.  There was a brief dance party in the "living room."  

Next up, I need to finalize my floor plan and framing detail on Google Sketchup.  I also need to finish acquiring my windows so that I know how large to frame the openings.  Then I'll head over to Sustainable Northwest Wood for more 2x4s and get to framing!

I Hurt

The last couple days have been devoted to the installation of a sheet metal underbelly on my trailer.  Think:  hours on your back in a one and a half foot tall space holding a crunch while applying enough upward force to drill through thick metal crossmembers, hot shards of metal spinning off the drill bit and landing on exposed skin.  My body hurts and so does my pride!    

See, a lot of folks go the route of framing their floor, tacking metal roll flashing to one side and then flipping the whole assembly onto the trailer so that the flashing is facing the ground.  But Nate pointed out that I would only have 3.5" of insulation in my floor using this method and that I would be surrendering the opportunity to insulate the space created by the steel crossmembers of the trailer frame (for a total of 6.5" of insulation in the floor).  I agreed that would be ideal and set to work trying to figure out how to put the metal flashing layer on the very bottom of the trailer.  This would not only provide a moisture, insect, and vermin barrier, but it would also provide a convenient backing onto which I could place my insulation.

Nate pledged his assistance with the undertaking and I wanted to make the most of his expertise to wipe out this nebulous phase of the project with haste.  I visited a sheet metal dealer and purchased 3 of the biggest sheets they sold:  4'x10', hopelessly flimsy (26 gauge), galvanized sheets!  (In retrospect I may have gone with the thicker 22 gauge sheets.)  I also researched fasteners and queued up drill bits and drivers.

We went to work on it Sunday morning.  Nate and I laid out our first sheet and made the necessary cuts and bends.  Then we wrangled the massive drooping sheet under the trailer and set to work fastening it.  That's when things started going awry.  Nate is built like a brick house and was putting impressive force into the small screws I had purchased for the task.  Yet the screws weren't cutting through the metal.  We realized we would have to pre-drill all the holes!  Several broken screws and bits later, we only had a couple mangled screws holding the sheet on.  I was using a #8x3/4", 18 thread count, galvanized #2 tec screw, and if you don't know what means, it is too puny a fastener for cutting through 3/16"+ c-channel steel.  I returned to Portland Fastener and asked for something beefier, leaving with a #10-#3 tec screw (meaning the next size thicker in diameter and a more aggressive head for cutting through heavy steel.  I also purchased several bits made for drilling through hardened metal (cobalt bits).  This re-tooling proved to be the winning combo to make real progress on attaching the sheet metal, but it was still a slow, laborious process, and I think I still didn't have a robust enough fastener for what I was asking of it.  The new screw still couldn't bore through the metal on its own and therefore required a large pilot hole.

Lesson Learned:  These days you can buy a tiny-house-ready trailer from some manufacturers.  Among other customizations, they can weld on a sheet metal underbelly.  If I did it again, I would probably spring for this feature.  I appreciated my method because I learned a lot about fasteners, drill bits, and manipulating sheet metal, but the effort and time expenditure were bordering on the ridiculous.  The slim advantage of my system is that I could remove the fasteners and drop the pan to do maintenance.

A big shout out to my friend Nate for his patience, teaching, and willingness to help me through this challenging phase of home building.  Without his help, I'm convinced I would still be scratching my head about the whole affair or be stuck with only 3.5" of insulation in the floor (which is probably acceptable if you spring for rigid foam insulation).  

"This has 'BAD IDEA' written all over it."

Introducing the Honda Civic:  The ‘Do-Everything-Machine.’  I’ve been hauling some awkward and heavy loads on the roof rack of my Honda Civic over the last couple days.  Today I showed up at the sheet metal dealer with a reinforced, 4x8 sheet of plywood strapped to the rack in hopes of picking up three 4x10 sheets of 26 gauge, galvanized flashing, which I have plans to use for an underbelly on the trailer.  I asked them if they thought I was crazy for thinking I could make it home safely with that set up…there was a long pause.  Several workers came out to gawk and shake their heads while I was tying down the flimsy, humongous sheets.  One fellow outright said, “This has ‘BAD IDEA’ written all over it.”  All the nay-saying shook my confidence, but in the end I drove off chuckling about the whole experience.  They’re use to seeing big contractor trucks show up to receive their material, not some young feller with a sedan rigged with a Yakima rack.  I can't wait to see their faces when they see me hauling my tiny house down the road with my Honda Civic ;-)

I more than maxed out my roof rack carrying four, 4x8 sheets of ¾ inch underlay (plywood flooring) back from Sustainable Northwest Wood.  The material originated from southern Oregon forests and is Forest Stewardship Council certified.  It is also formaldehyde free, a toxic compound found in some plywood glue that negatively impacts indoor air quality as it off-gasses.

I picked up a load of FSC 2x4 studs from the same folks yesterday.  All the boards were stamped ‘Idaho Forest.’  When I inquired why they couldn’t source that material from Oregon hills, they said that OR state logging regulations are rigid and favor the clear cutting practices of big timber companies.  I’ll have to look into that because that’s a serious bummer.  While I was at the lumberyard, I inquired about the "restoration juniper" lumber that they source from eastern Oregon.  Removing juniper is a strategy for rehabilitating the parched sage and grassland ecosystems.  The wood itself is very rot resistant and seems to be used in place of cedar for many applications.  Perhaps I’ll use some on my home!  

In other news I think I’m narrowing down the fasteners I need for securing my foundation to the trailer frame.  Hope to obtain them from Portland Fasteners tomorrow.  On nicer days I’ve been painting the underside of the trailer with Rustoleum because Eagle Trailer Manufacturing did such a poor paint job.  It’s a pain in the butt, and I don’t recommend that company for the reasons I cited in a previous blog post. 

Spring is coming on full bore.  It’s nice to be working outside among sunshine, birdsong, and lengthening days.