Floor Framing Finished!

I did come up with a reasonable (but somewhat goofy-looking) way to work around the metal bracing.  I took lots of pictures, including the failure of my first attempt.

I worked all day ~ about 7 hours ~ and although I didn’t have enough insulation on hand to put on the sub-floor, I did get a lot of fiddly things done.  Once again I have to say, it’s amazing how quickly a simple plan can turn difficult.  Making sure the bolt holes stayed lined up properly while hanging the joists..wow…I had to re-align them again and again and again….and It took a couple hours just creating a workable solution for the area around the metal braces.  I also took a break from building and washed the tin roofing panels I’m planning on painting and using on the exterior.  Hot day, cold water, very nice!

To finish the insulation, I now have to start dismantling the original Oliver’s Nest.  I’m at peace with that.  I’m just worried that it will be a complicated and time-consuming process.  Plus, I’ll have to be on a ladder, and I have a trust issue with ladders these days!  Speaking of which, my ankle is healing well, and doesn’t hurt all the time (so thankful!).  My shoulder is also much better, and I have most of my range of motion and strength back.  So good to not feel like an invalid!  But…getting on that ladder again….and working with power tools overhead…honestly, I’m scared and not ashamed to admit it.

Ok, time for pictures!  Hope your day has been full of happiness 🙂

A little rough, but I thought this would work.

Trying to get it into place but….

It didn’t work.

Second try was sturdier, and fit, kinda. Well enough, anyway.

Double-up 2×6 scrap wood fit well in the odd space on top of the little wood piece shown in the previous picture.

Filled in the gaps around the metal braces on both sides, and finished hanging the joists. 🙂

Even without the cab-over portion, it’s a roomy space.

This is R-23 Roxul insulation, and will help with both insulating and as a sound barrier.

Framing And Using Reclaimed Insulation

I’ve been collecting building materials for literally years.  Some of it I’ve used already in various projects, some have sat there, collecting dust and waiting.  One of my favorite finds was 2 full sheets of 2″ polyisocyanurate for only $8 each.  That’s incredibly cheap for quality insulation, at approx 13 R-value.  And now it has finally found a use. 🙂

First though, some pictures showing the steps I’ve taken so far.

Metal frame is the equivalent to a home’s foundation.

Reclaimed metal roofing panels set onto the truck frame.

Had to cut the rim joists around the metal bracing. Wood is set on special barrier to protect it from metal condensation.

Used a 4×6 for the rim joist as I needed the thickness to match up with the bolt holes in the truck frame.  Once I get them installed it will all become clear.

Didn’t have quite enough polyisocyanurate to cover the whole bed, so used 1/4″ layers of some rigid insulation to fill the gap.

So it looks like the blue insulation isn’t laying level in the last picture.  That is due to the metal panels having ridges which are pushing the pieces of insulation up.  Once the joists are in, the insulation will be perfectly fine.  This type of insulation is rigid, and doesn’t easily get squashed (which loses R-Value).

I’m a real fan of insulating well. This bottom layer of insulation isn’t the only one for the floor.  I’m using 2×6 joists set at 24″ On Center, as I already have a supply of Roxul that sized for that opening.  Roxul, like polyisocyanurate, handles moisture well and isn’t susceptible to bugs.  So these bats will go between the joists, creating another level of insulation.

In the last picture is one joist that I place there just to admire it 🙂  Nothing is bolted, nailed or screwed down yet, as I need to return the bolts I bought and get longer ones…sigh.  I always end up returning something I’ve sized wrong…at least this is an easy fix.

For the mess of metal bracing behind the cab, I believe I’ve figured out a solution.  I got hot and tired so didn’t do it yesterday, but will today as soon as I get back from the hardware store with the proper bolts.  I will take pictures, although it might look wonky.  You asked for the pictures, and you shall have them!

I’ll also show the bolts installed to show the strength of the framing.  This will be a good, strong little space.

These are the holes that are placed every two feet along the edges of the truck bed.

Thanks for reading my little blog about my little house Oliver’s Nest.  I appreciate it very much!

Peace to you all.

In case of fire, exit building before tweeting about it.

Taking a cue from Macy over at minimotives, I’ve decided to write about safety in a Tiny Home. People ask me about it when they find out about my build, and I’ve seen lots of questions in various blog’s comments. Although my Oliver’s Nest isn’t livable yet, I feel entitled to address this issue, as I live in a (even Tinier) truck camper while building her.

So. first off, privacy. It’s related to safety, if you think about it. Who feels safe with no place to get away from everything? To hide? To really relax? I can only do what most people do, close curtains and lock the door. Here in this camper though, those normal things doesn’t really cut it. The walls are thin, so sound carries both inwards and outwards too clearly. The windows are single pane, and some of them won’t seal close. When the wind gets to really gusting, the whole place jerks sideways with a booming sound, and if there’s an electrical storm nearby, I get to feeling a bit tense with those sound effects!

Oliver’s Nest, on the other hand, will have 6 inches of insulation in the walls and floors, and over 7 inches in the roof. I’m positive that sound will be damped by the thick sheep wool insulation. The whole structure is heavy, and sits solidly on blocks. The double-paned windows aren’t installed yet, but no doubt will be more effective than the campers are. During strong winds she doesn’t even creak. Wind and storms be damned in there!

House fires. That’s a scary one. Although I haven’t read of any fires in a Tiny Home, even those with wood stoves, odds are someone will have to contend with one at some point. I’m doing my best to ensure it isn’t me. In such a small home, even a small fire could render it unlivable. It’s taken a lot of thought on where exactly to locate the wood stove so that I can make the minimum recommended clearances on both it and the chimney. The insulation behind the stove and chimney will be Roxul (rock wool) which is completely non-flammable. I’ll have the required heat shield with an inch of air space to the wall. I’ve discovered pretty chimney guards to help prevent contact burns. I’ve thought about the weight (and my home is already quite heavy), and have decided to place it over the axles. Interior gravity-fed water storage tanks will be located nearby (overhead, in the loft) for additional insurance against disaster. Lastly, I have a plan in mind for a metal roof to be added after Oliver’s Nest is moved to her permanent location, to cover the EPDM.

And what about scary events like forest fires, or random disasters like the girl who lost her newly-built Tiny Home to a barn fire? Once again, such small homes can be quickly ruined. How to best prevent these things from happening? I’ve already spoken to one of the forest rangers local to my property to find out what they suggest for protection. It was a surprisingly reassuring conversation, given the history of severe forest fires in the area. He gave me great advice and I’m a bit less worried, as I know now how to best protect my home. I can only hope everyone is also careful, no matter the size of their home.

Moisture, as I’ve said about a million times, is a real problem here in the Pacific Northwest. It’s imperative that any home in this area be built to withstand water intrusion from every angle. This comes under Safety, as mold, mildew, rot and their attendant pests are not safe or healthy to have in your living space. If the rot gets bad enough, you can end up with not much of a home at all.

On to the question of having my home towed away or broken into. Honestly? I think it’s a valid concern. There are uncool people in the world who think nothing of taking what they want, and messing with what’s left. The good folk over at Solar Burrito Blog had stuff stolen from their building site while they were away, and that can happen to anyone, especially those with an attractive target like a Tiny Home in a more rural setting. I’m not worried too much while living here, as there are three large dogs, lots of neighbors, and my home doesn’t show from the road. There’s also the old tires on the trailer….replacing them will be an unavoidable expense, but for now helps keep my home safe. I will be removing the wheels once on my own place, which only solves part of the problem. Keeping a safe home in a very rural place isn’t just a worry for Tiny Housers. I have to hope that strong fences, big dogs, a low-profile, and knowing how to use a gun (with appropriate scary signs) will keep me safe from all sorts of predators.

One last safety feature I feel strongly about: having two methods of emergency egress. Some people make do with windows for an emergency exit. Some apparently don’t allow for emergencies at all, from looking at their tiny little windows. I have two doors (not yet installed) on opposite ends of my home. I made the trade-off of useful interior wall space for safety. It has made planning out the interior much harder ~ I admit to working out plans with only the one door, which allowed for more counter space in the kitchen, or a fully enclosed bathroom, or a much larger closet ~ but kept coming back to wanting quick access to the outdoors. So, one end of Oliver’s Nest will have a full wall of windows due to the french doors that I’ll be able to open out wide onto a large, covered patio area. The other end will have a dutch door with a window in the top half. This door will open inwards (in the event of deep snow), let in more light, and give me quick access to the “mud room” area of my little home. I feel good about my design.

I’m really curious about how other people feel about these subjects. Please feel free to comment on your own thoughts and solutions!

As for roof progress?  Not nearly as much as I thought there would be.  I was so wrong about being nearly ready to install the drip edge.  So terribly, terribly wrong….  I’ll update soon. 🙂

I. Am. Exhausted.

Putting a roof on is so much work!

The sun glinting off the newly-fastened trusses is rewarding

First, all the decisions to make: roof style (gable, gambrel, arched, flat?), whether or not to put in dormers (light and precious, precious space added, depending on what roof style), how much insulation, what type of insulation? What material for the outer skin? Metal? Asphalt shingles? Wood shakes? EPDM? hot or cold (vented) roof? I will use a wood stove, so chimney through the roof or through the wall?  Good thing I like to do research.  There are so many choices, so much information to evaluate!

Insulation going in as each truss is attached.

Then comes the reality of putting that puppy together.  I find that this is the stage where flaws in my design really show up, necessitating on-the-fly changes and re-evaluations of my patience and ability.  I’m sure that with generous helpings of both, I could have fixed the initial roof trusses, but after staring at the darn things for a year, decided I lacked both.  Off with the cool gambrel trusses, and on with the “flat” roof.  Boring, yes, but also doable and gives a huge bang of space for the buck.   Even so, this is a lot of work.  Hard, sweaty, muscle-groaning work.  I never knew that sweat actually DOES sting your eyes until I started this project.  Maybe it’s partly due to my state of physical fitness (almost nonexistent), but more likely it just comes with the job.  I am handling heavy, awkward pieces of wood, really high in the air, alone, and without experience.  Yeah, I sweat!

Sweaty, frizzy, and dirty. I’m quite a sight after a day up there in the sun

There are days when I’m tempted to just build a most basic box, and not worry about boring stuff like thermal bridging and moisture problems; or simply follow a plan developed by someone other than me… I can see the allure. Well, actually seeing as it’s me talking here, the truth is I like a challenge, and to try to do things as “right” and “perfect” as possible. In my own special way. In my own, special, really hard-to-do way.

The saggy middle portion of the roof makes the insulation look too skimpy there. After I go below and screw the lower sheathing to the trusses, the insulation looks much more impressive, but I forgot to take a photo

So. What stage is Oliver’s Nest at?  Well, the insulation “sandwich” layer is on, the trusses have been wrangled into place and tethered down by many screws and metal tie-downs, the Roxul insulation is tucked in and securely covered by the AtticFoil radiant barrier, and the sheathing has been cut to size and numbered so I will know which piece goes where without (hopefully) any mistakes. I would have liked to use full-size plywood pieces, but they are just too heavy and unwieldy for me. I don’t think even having my boy over to help would get them up. I don’t think it’s the strongest roof design, but it will work for now.

My 22 foot piece of AtticFoil, rolled up as neatly as I could, ready to be carried up to the roof top and placed over the Roxul

I lay the foil lengthwise along one half of the roof, stapling each side to ensure air can flow from side to side (Cold Roof style).  The foil will also make sure the insulation stays put, and might even add to the total insulative value

I want to  remember how much I messed up my knee doing this and yet continued on;  how sore my shoulders and back are.  Years from now I want to appreciate the work I’m putting into this little home. I often downplay accomplishments, and I’d rather not do that with Oliver’s Nest.  It is an important part of a giant leap-of -faith that I can make a happy life for myself, and hopefully leave a lovely space for my son some day.

Finally, something the closely resembles a roof! My water bottle rolled right off the edge to bounce on the gravel below, so I know there’s a little slope ~ yay!

Edge Clips are helpful to beef up strength, and to guarantee perfect spacing

 

After having to balance on loose trusses for days, being able to walk across the roof deck is wonderful!  I’m thinking it’ll take another day to finish the decking, and after that a day to get the drip edges on.  It’s supposed to be drizzly for almost a week starting tomorrow, so my knee will get that rest the doctor ordered.  Booo-ring!

Up On The Rooo-ooofff…

The roof is going up!   A little later than planned, but weather and finances, health and mood all have to come together in a perfect storm.   It’s OK though, because I spent the time re-thinking (for approximately the thousandth time) how I wanted the roof to come together.   And of course I changed my mind…again!   Actually, I didn’t so much change my mind, as recall a method of insulating my flat roof that I’d run across more than a year ago.   So glad I came found it again!  This is the illustration from the website Building Science Information:

Breaking the thermal bridge

Basically, you build a thermal break into the roof with an extra layer of exterior grade plywood over a layer of rigid foam insulation.   You can’t use OSB, which can’t handle moisture or breathe ~ it has to be plywood.   One of the local lumber yards sells what they call “utility” grade 3/8” sheets for only $10, which I feel is fine for this purpose.   The more (thicker) insulation you use, the better ~ I used 1 1/2 inch expanded foam.   I really wanted to use extruded foam, but it’s out of my financial reach.   This extra layer goes up before the trusses, and creates a thermal break, making the insulation laid between the trusses more effective.   It adds to the total R-Value, as well.

An important step is to keep interior moisture from getting into the foam, so having a vapor barrier between the rigid insulation and the interior air is vital.   On the other hand, it’s also vital to allow any moisture that does get into the foam or wood an easy path back to the outdoors.   Good ventilation combined with keeping rain out is key here.   I’ve purchased perforated foil radiant barrier to ensure air flow, and will keep wind and wind-blown rain out of the roof with a good-sized overhang and deep fascia.  The point of the foil is to keep insulation fluff in place, while still allowing it to breathe with the perforations.  I’m using this stuff:

48 inches wide so easy-peasy to install

 

There are products made specifically to create air channels, too, called Attic Vents or something similar.  Some I’ve seen are made out of cardboard ~ easy to DIY.

 

Here’s a simplified list of the roof layers:

Ceiling treatment ~ in my case, I’ll use painted barn boards.

Vapor barrier of visqueen/thick plastic sheeting

3/8 inch CDX plywood

1 1/2 inch rigid foam board (R-Value 7.5)

3/8” CDX plywood

2×8 trusses filled with 5 1/2″ Roxul (23 R-Value)

Almost as good as sheep wool, and more familiar to any inspectors who nose around once I’m on my property.

Perforated radiant barrier

23/32” CDX plywood sheathing, with the gaps filled with a flexible sealant

.60” thick EPDM from Gentite fully adhered to the sheathing

10 by 25 feet ~ no seams!

 

I am pretty sure I have linked to this site before, but it’s so full of good information that I’m going to do it again.  You can get lost in there, digging ever deeper in technical building goodness.  Anyone thinking of constructing a building should check out the Documents section, even if it’s not a DIY.

UPDATE: I started writing out this blog entry on June 2^nd, and didn’t get around to finishing up that day.  Now, a couple days later, I am embarrassed to say that I’ve managed to injure myself (again).  I’d like to pretend it hasn’t happened, but this is a record of my experience building my own home.  And part of that experience is the occasional (I HOPE it is only occasional) booboo.  Soooo, this time I jacked up my right knee pretty well.  It’s actually kind of amusing, as I first hurt this knee way back a couple years ago when I was first starting out on the build, by tearing the meniscus.  A few shots of cortisone, several weeks in a brace, and many painful months later I could walk without a limp.  But the dratted thing locks up multiple times daily, and on Saturday morning it locked up while my hands were full of plywood, causing me to force it straight instead of babying it out ~ ow!  Then, a few minutes later, I dropped that same sheet of plywood (on edge) onto that knee.  Swearing ensued.  THEN, and I’m still not clear how I managed to do this, I hyper-extended the SAME KNEE with my full weight plus (you got it) a sheet of plywood TWICE, and felt something finally give in the back. OMG OUCH!!!

Yeah. Don’t work alone with heavy stuff if you can help it, and always make safety your highest priority.  Trying to get the roof on in dry weather, meaning fast, caused me to do several clumsy things, and now I’m in a sort of removable cast to keep the knee immobile, and supposed to stay off the leg entirely.  Probably won’t happen, as I still need to get the roof on before it rains again.  We’ll see.

Here’s some pictures of what I gotten done so far:

1/4 inch sheets of plywood are hard to manage when you’re short and out of shape

I painted these sheets top, bottom and sides because I wasn’t sure if they are CDX.

 

Rigid insulation

Starting to frame in the rigid insulation “sandwich” layer.

 

Covering the foam with thin CDX plywood.

This is still pre-knee destruction.  Look at the cool camo paint, heh.

 

This is some of the pile I schlepped back and forth on the roof.

My son came over early Saturday morning to hoist a bunch of heavy/bulky stuff up to the roof for me.  I really wanted to do this whole house by myself, but I simply could not get these heavy things up there.  Of course, this meant I had to repeatedly move a big pile of (heavy!/bulky!) stuff around, trying to keep it out of the way.   Great workout.  At this point I’ve already done some of the knee damage, but the hurt hasn’t truly hit yet.

 

Thermal break put in, and more room to work in!  Trusses laid out, before cutting them into the right shape.

My 2×8 trusses measure out to literally 7 inches, not 7 1/2 like I expected.  This meant I could only use 5 1/2 inch insulation batts instead of the 7 1/2 inch I originally planned on because  I want a good inch and a half of air between the Roxul and the sheathing.  I purchased the planks from two different lumberyards, so I guess it’s just lumber math?  Heh, or instead insert men measuring joke here.  So now I’m only getting an R-Value of 23 between the trusses, instead of 30.

 

Waste, but not too bad.

The middle of the trusses are left at the full 7 inches, and are cut down to 6 inches at the ends.  Not quite as much of an angle as I wanted, but there’s that whole “7” instead of “8” inches thing again.

 

All washed up and ready to be cut to size.

Part of my huge pile of wood pulled out to use for the flying rafters and barge boards.  I had to scrub a couple years worth of dirt off of them, due to losing the pile in canary grass.  That stuff grows to over 6 feet here!  Not my fault for piling it in the pasture, nope!

 

DIY bird blocks to ensure great air flow and hopefully no bugs.

Bird blocks are those wood pieces with holes covered by mesh you find up under the eaves.  From the research I did, the holes don’t offer enough air flow in most cases, so I made these.  The mesh I used is 1/8th inch to deter insects stapled to 2x4s.  These will be obscured by the deep fascia boards I plan, which in theory should keep rain and direct wind out of the roof interior.

That’s all for now!