Getting my tiny home/ cabin Thursday!

[Rugster]

It isn't a van but the ideas and reasons for it are pretty much exactly the same. I fully intend to use things I have learned here to build it and hope it's ok to put a built thread here. 

I have looked for tiny home forums but haven't found many and those I do find are either pretty much dead or wrapped up in making it too pretty to be practical.

So, some introductory info:

My Wife and I are separating and I decided to go small. But having my two kids 50% of the time made me realize that an RV or Van, while being my first choice, wouldn't work. So, I decided to look into the tiny home route.

I bought a 12 x 24 storage shed, it has a metal roof and two nice sized lofts, 9 by 12 on either end. The model does have a small porch, which is actually making it hard for me to decide how to design the interior.

I'm excited but a little anxious about the pending move and everything. 

Pictures soon (and any and all advice on setting up a hot shower/ water storage system welcome!) .

 

[Gary68]

as a former foundation guy i bet you can guess what i'm going to ask about,
what are your plans there?
what type of ground are you on?

 

[Rugster]

The cabin is on runners and they recommend placing it on the ground. I did not think that was a good idea but apparently that is how they are placed in the area. My brother and Parents have storage sheds and they are on runners on the ground.

 

[Gary68]

i'm in nw oregon so on the ground would not work here,i would get some cinder blocks with 4x6 beams or what ever and build my floor then put the shed on it,we have a lot of ground water here so would need to be at least 3 inches of the ground for ventilation

 

[masterplumber]

I second putting it up on something. Wood and the ground don't play well together, even if the wood is pressure treated. I assume the floor and runners are already built by the manufacture. If that is the case I would buy precast concrete piers and put them under the runners, at each end and then probably spaced no more than 4 -6' apart. If I recall you live in the south, but if I'm mistaken, and you live where it freezes you really need to pour the piers using sonitube for forms and go roughly 30'' below grade to 6'' above grade. Otherwise freeze thaw cycles will literally move your house, and not evenly. I love small homes, and have built and remodeled many in the past. The biggest key, is to try and keep them open feeling. I would put the kitchen in the front, and the bathroom at the rear, with an open living area in the middle. Use the lofts for bedrooms. The only wall will be the bathroom. Just my random ideas, I hope that helps.

 

[Gary68]

I second putting it up on something. Wood and the ground don't play well together, even if the wood is pressure treated. I assume the floor and runners are already built by the manufacture. If that is the case I would buy precast concrete piers and put them under the runners, at each end and then probably spaced no more than 4 -6' apart. If I recall you live in the south, but if I'm mistaken, and you live where it freezes you really need to pour the piers using sonitube for forms and go roughly 30'' below grade to 6'' above grade. Otherwise freeze thaw cycles will literally move your house, and not evenly. I love small homes, and have built and remodeled many in the past. The biggest key, is to try and keep them open feeling. I would put the kitchen in the front, and the bathroom at the rear, with an open living area in the middle. Use the lofts for bedrooms. The only wall will be the bathroom. Just my random ideas, I hope that helps.

if you go to a concrete supply store you should find paper/cardboard pier pad forms of varied size and thickness,best would be a proper footing with anchor bolts but you need ventilation or all types of nasty can happen

 

[akrvbob]

The big question is what are the codes in your county? In many places 12x24 has to built to code and any place used for habitation must be.

One really cheap and easy way to put down a foundation is on railroad ties. If you are in an area where the ground freezes very deep you'll have to re-level it periodically but that isn't that difficult.
Bob

 

[Rugster]

Thanks for the advice, it is appreciated. I'm in North Florida, in a rural county. The ground doesn't freeze, so I'm good there. The codes aren't too overbearing, there is no inspection or anything like that.

There are two electric plugs by where the shed is doing so we are going to plug into those for whatever we need, much like plugging in an RV.

I do like the idea of railroad ties, I'll check into that.

 

[RVTravel]

Can't wait to see pictures of the shed!

 

[akrvbob]

In Florida the RR Ties should work well. If the house goes off-level it will take along time.
Bob

 

[gcal]

Thanks for the advice, it is appreciated. I'm in North Florida, in a rural county. The ground doesn't freeze, so I'm good there. The codes aren't too overbearing, there is no inspection or anything like that.

There are two electric plugs by where the shed is doing so we are going to plug into those for whatever we need, much like plugging in an RV.

I do like the idea of railroad ties, I'll check into that.

Son lives in central florida. We had a 10x12 shed built in his backyard to house woodworking tools and a scooter that DH could not bear to sell. The pros that built the shed recommended that son prepare concrete pads. Sandy soil, lots of ground moisture, all manner of molds and fungi. Even rr ties have a rough time standing up to it for long. You certainly want to get several decades out of an S&B dwelling, no matter how small.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I second putting it up on something. Wood and the ground don't play well together, even if the wood is pressure treated. I assume the floor and runners are already built by the manufacture. If that is the case I would buy precast concrete piers and put them under the runners, at each end and then probably spaced no more than 4 -6' apart. If I recall you live in the south, but if I'm mistaken, and you live where it freezes you really need to pour the piers using sonitube for forms and go roughly 30'' below grade to 6'' above grade. Otherwise freeze thaw cycles will literally move your house, and not evenly. I love small homes, and have built and remodeled many in the past. The biggest key, is to try and keep them open feeling. I would put the kitchen in the front, and the bathroom at the rear, with an open living area in the middle. Use the lofts for bedrooms. The only wall will be the bathroom. Just my random ideas, I hope that helps.

Usually makes more sense to keep the plumbing all together, IE bathroom and kitchen next to each other so plumbing can share the same wall.

 

[Rugster]

<a href="http://s343.photobucket.com/user/scottfla/media/cabin_zpstwzlhkvd.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o459/scottfla/cabin_zpstwzlhkvd.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo cabin_zpstwzlhkvd.jpg"/></a>


It's in, stable and looks great to me. My Dad, whose career was in construction said that the way it was placed was ok, so I'm good.

Trying to figure out what is going where and figured out where and how to do the shower set up so that was great.

It's funny, my Parent's are concerned with putting in plumbing and wiring and I vaguely described how people here have a shower and kitchen in their vans and explained that's what I'm planning on doing and they sort of get it. But they keep going back to what they know, which is hooking everything up.

I'm excited and think everything I want will go together pretty well (I hope).

 

[RVTravel]

Wow, that is nice looking. Congrats. Where can I get one?..lol

 

[Gary68]

that thing is sweet,put it on a trailer,call it a tiny house and sell it to a hipster for 50k

 

[my_vantasy]

Beautiful!! I hope you and your children will be very happy here.

 

[highdesertranger]

that is very cool looking. got any interior pics. highdesertranger

 

[RVTravel]

Looks like a Weather King Side Lofted Barn Cabin.

 

[rvpopeye]

"Less is best!"

 

[Txjaybird]

I think your new home looks great      When is the house warming party?

                                                                       Texas Jaybird