Jonathan

Christmas Video Update

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:45:26 GMT

Merry Christmas and happy holidays, everyone.
I'm probably going to be visiting with friends for the next week or so instead of working on the house, so here's a new video tour to hold you over.

See you next year!

Bathroom Floor and Counter Trim

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 06:34:58 GMT

So I've been doing a little bit of detail work here and there. It makes it feel like progress isn't happening as fast, but it really closes a lot of the visual gaps.

So, with the counter tops in place, I was able to trim them to size and add some backsplash pieces for the sides. Would... would those be sidesplashes?

On the sink side, the "sidesplash" was cut from the excess countertop's backsplash as a whole, so it already had a curved top. However, for the stove side I didn't have enough backsplash, so I cut a strip out of the countertop surface and slapped a piece of 3/4" quarter round on top. I threw some wood filler into the hole to hide the screw so that I can eventually sand it down, stain it, and effectively hide it. Since that work still has to be done, these sidesplash pieces aren't tacked to the walls or anything, hence the obvious visible seams. They're just sitting in place to look pretty. You can also see in these pictures that I was able to trim out the windows. While we're in the kitchen...

I added a back and a shelf to my quick little cabinet. I also gave it some magnetic latches to make sure it stays shut. It's a lot sturdier now, and because of that shelf I can store a lot more in it, such as Oreos. Also, above the Oreos are these awesome jalapeño cheddar bread rolls that I got from the bakery at VGs. They're so good, I just felt the need to share.

Anyway, since I trimmed out the windows in the kitchen, I decided to also trim out the one in the bathroom. While I was in there, I also put up some "details," such as a toothbrush holder, a toilet paper holder, and a towel rod.

They were all on clearance at Menards, so I got them all for, like... $4 each. They're oak, though, and the rest of my tiny house is in pine, but the stain on the toilet is golden enough that they kind of match. Either way, they were cheap and effective, so I put them up. I also worked on the bathroom floor.

I decided to use stick-on linoleum tiles for this. At only 88¢ each, it made for a quick and easy floor. It breaks up the wood, but it's a little chilly. I might get a small rug or something, depending upon how it all works out. I still need to trim out the edges with base molding as well as put in a threshold under the door, but at least it's not half MDF, half T&G anymore.

Well, that's it for now!

Bathroom Remodelling and Door

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 08:14:08 GMT

I sat and thought about it for a few days, but that tile in the bathroom just didn't feel right. It's a pity, too, because those panels were actually kind of expensive. It's a sunk cost, though, and I'm not going to keep something I don't like just because I spent a lot of money that I can't get back. So, the tile is gone!

Before I get into that, though, I should probably put up pictures of the quick door I made. I've been mulling an idea over in my head for a while now, and I finally went up to get the parts to make it. Just to recap, the door was a bit of a stumbling point because I wanted the whole house to benefit from any light coming through the bathroom window. A solid door that stayed closed all the time would block that light, as well as make the rest of the house seem smaller. A door that was open all of the time would likely get in the way, though, unless it was a pocket door. However, I didn't leave myself enough width in my walls for a pocket door. So, here was my solution:

Basically, I took a piece of acrylic and slid it into a 2x4 frame, threw some hinges on it, added a film for privacy, and called it a door. I might have to put another film on the other side, since it's still a little too transparent for my taste, but overall I like it. I'm thinking of trimming out the window with quarter-round, sanding it all down, and staining it. Oh, and I need to add a handle. Unfortunately, I used 2x4 lumber, and most regular indoor door handles won't fit well on that. I'll have to look around a bit... either that or improvise.

So, yeah, as you can see in the second picture, I still had the tile up at that point. It's kinda funny... the house isn't even really done and I'm already remodeling the bathroom! I tore all of the tile board out (and the hard board backer, too) and put up wood tongue and groove instead.

I like this a lot better. It feels a lot warmer and more inviting to me than the tile did. It actually kinda reminds me of a sauna, which is great since this is likely to be the coldest room in the house, given that it's the furthest away from the heater. Once it's trimmed out, I think I'll be very satisfied with this space.

Also, while I was tearing walls down, I decided to move the light switch. It was right next to the window, which made sense at the time we were wiring things. At the time, I kept forgetting about the walls opposite the window since, well, I hadn't built them yet. It was hard for me to visualize them in place, much less visualize utilizing them. The walls are there now, though, and since people instinctively reach to the wall next to the door for a light switch, I moved the switch there.

I have one more picture to share, but this one is more for my own entertainment value than anything. Basically, I lit a candle, turned the flash off on my camera, and took a picture. It's not a very good picture, but it kinda gives an idea of the environment this place has at night.

So, that's it for now. I'm hoping I'll have time for another update before Christmas, but no guarantees.

Kitchen Walls and R.I.P. Mr. Screw Gun

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:46:51 GMT

Well, I've made some progress again, but it has come at a terrible price. :(

First, the good news. I called on Gord the other day to help me pick up the counter top from Menard's. The original plan was to use 3/4" MDF and laminate it, but Menard's had these puppies on sale for as little as $17. $17! Heck, I'd spend twice that just buying the laminate! So, score there. Since these counter tops came with a backsplash, I figured I wouldn't need to use the tile board from the bathroom as a splash, so I went ahead with putting up the walls, too.

Here you can see the counter tops and the primed walls. I had to cut the counter tops to fit, so I've got some excess left over. I'm going to use that excess to create a backsplash for the sides to finish it off. This part turned out to be much easier (so far) than I had anticipated, so I'm quite pleased with that. In fact, the counter tops and the walls all went together in one day. I even got them trimmed out with tape and primed for paint! Of course, I already had some paint left over from the living room, and I really liked how that turned out, so...

...I went ahead and painted them the next morning! Well, okay, the next afternoon, but still... it went rather quickly, and I'm pleased with it. Also, my sister informed me that the painting technique I had employed is known in theatre circles as "scumbling." Kinda neat, eh? I was going to call it "the blind double-brush wall attack technique," but somehow the word "scumble" is just as satisfying.

I'm sure you can see the little cabinet in the second picture. I'm going to call that my simple 10-minute cabinets, simply because I built it in about 10 minutes. I just took a 1x12 board, cut a few pieces out of it with the circular saw, and slapped it together with screws. Here are some other pics:

As you can see, it's nothing fancy, but it does get my stuff up off the floor. I'm not sure if I'm going to keep it, but if I do I'll go back and put some shelves in it and a divider in the center for the doors to close against. Maybe I'll ask my dad to route a fancy pattern into the doors, too... who knows. Right now, though, it does the job it's supposed to do.

So, yeah... I feel that's a decent amount of progress. It's also highly visible progress, which is even more gratifying. This would be a good day if it wasn't for the bad news.

My screw gun has died...

He'd been sick for a while now. I noticed he was having trouble, so I bought the impact screw gun last July to take some of the load off of him. However, I think the last trip to Brazil just about finished him off. Even fully charged batteries weren't invigorating him like they used to anymore, and he'd start up slowly at best.

Eventually, he just gave out altogether.

I let him rest for a few hours, and he'd slowly start to whir if given a new battery, but not enough to actually accomplish anything. It was rough, but I decided it was time to pull the plug.

This was the first real power tool that I ever bought myself. I got him in September 2003 when I started my job moving the museum exhibit, and I've had him ever since. He was a 14.4 volt Hitachi, but he was still able to keep up with other guys' 18-volt Dewalts. In spite of my tendency to misplace tools (and I must admit I've misplaced him a number of times) he was always the quickest to be found. Since the industry standard was always yellow, my "Little Green Screw Gun" was always noticed and easy to see. For years he always got the job done, even if it required more torque than the manufacturer said he could produce. The impact drivers of recent years, though, proved to be too much for him to handle. He'd try - Lord knows he'd try - until smoke poured out his back end, and that was enough for me.

Now, though, it seems like it's been enough for him, too. I've packed him up in his original carrying case which I've had stored all this time. He'll go out the same way he came in, packed for rugged protection with his best side on display.

Rest in Peace, Good Buddy. You'll be missed.

Window Trim and Bathroom Tile

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 06:27:42 GMT

I should really label this entry "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." I'm pretty sure I'm not pleased with how some of this has turned out.

Well, it's officially cold out now. The other day the temperature was in the low teens (or maybe even lower!) which served as a good winter "test." Yeah, the tiny house got cold, but it was nothing the little fireplace couldn't handle... well, the fireplace and an extra layer of socks. When I got up one morning (afternoon,) tiny icicles had formed on my metal roof. They were so cute I had to take a picture.

I suspect that, before this winter is over, I will be sick of icicles on my roof. Either way, with the cold weather coming, I decided it was time to take another look at my windows. I don't feel I have the ambition to put the second pane in all of them, but I did decided to put some plastic over the main window to help keep the cold out and keep the warm in. I also put up some trim around the living room windows!

I think it turned out rather nice. The big yellow spot on the first window's upper-left pane is a glob of foam insulation that splooged out of one of the seams and landed up there. I haven't gotten around to scraping it off yet. To me it kinda looks like a tree frog, so I think of it as a pet.

Aside from the window trim, I also did some work on the bathroom. This... well... Okay, let me explain my mentality here. See, my original concern about the Fencl design was that there was too much wood in places. I'm no Feng Shui expert, but it just felt like some of those big expanses of wood needed to be broken up some. That's why I chose to go with paneling in the living room. I painted the panel with earthy tones to introduce another element into the house. I planned to do the same in the bathroom.

Since bathrooms tend to have a lot of moisture in them, I couldn't really use the same panel that I did in the living room, since I suspect that the paint would rub off. I did, however, find another panel that I thought would look perfect in a bathroom! It was designed to look like tile (which, hey, who doesn't like tile in bathrooms?) and could be wiped clean with a wet rag. So, I bought it. I figured it would make the bathroom look sleek, clean, and modern.

...Instead, it looks like a gas station restroom. *sigh*

I'm not happy with it. Really, I'm not happy. All that harsh, hard white makes the room look cold. Instead of looking clean, it looks positively sterile. It could be just because I haven't decked the room out with much, but...

I dunno, I think I'm going to have to tear it down and go with wood instead. A light-colored wood will still bounce light, but will bring some warmth back into the room.

Oh, and here's another shot to round out the "fail."

I bought a swing-arm mirror to use for over the sink. When you need it, it swings out in front of the window, and when you don't, it swings off to the side. I tried to take a shot of my reflection, but the lighting from the flash just washed it all out. Far from aesthetically pleasing. *sigh*

So, yeah, this day's work seems essentially to be a wash. I might feel different about the tile in the morning, but I doubt it. I think wood might be the way to go in here.

Plumbing part 2

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 06:40:49 GMT

I hate plumbing.
I really, REALLY hate plumbing.

Long time readers may remember that I've already chimed in on this topic, but seeing as how that was almost 6 years ago, it would be reasonable to assume that things have since changed.

They have not.

My tiny house now smells like a mixture of pulpy sawdust and sopping towels, and I am not pleased. I have, however, gotten closer to being finished with this nonsense!

So many things have gone wrong with the plumbing that I don't even know where to begin. Basically, if something could leak, it did. Furthermore, if I fixed it and tried running water through it again, something ELSE would leak. Mind you, the "something else" could have been working just fine before. Sometimes I think it's trying to spite me. So, here's what I've ended up with:

Of the three copper lines you can see attached to the back wall in the first pic, the top one is hot water, the middle one is cold water, and the bottom one is for water coming into the house. All three have shut-off valves, and you can see the bottom one ends early and continues as a braided stainless steel hose which will connect up to the water tank. The flexible line beneath all of them is a gas line going to the hot water heater. The big loop with the gray block around it is for the spray attachment for the sink.

Here we see the water heater and the pump. The hose coming into the pump on the left will hook up to the water tank once it's in place. On the other side of the pump the line splits in 3. I couldn't find a cross, though, so I had to use two tees. The line closest to the camera goes to the water heater (which, if you follow it through, hooks up to the hot water line.) The middle connection goes straight to the cold water line, and the last connection runs through a shut-off valve to a drain through the floor. In case something goes wrong with the plumbing, I can open this valve to drain the whole system.

For the record, I learned of the necessity of this feature the hard way. *sigh*

Here we can see the makeshift fittings I attached to the water tank. The ones that came with it... well, they didn't seem too stable to me. They were held in place by a rubber flange that was only 1/8th of an inch bigger than the hole. If too much force or pressure was put on the fitting, the whole fitting would pull right through the wall of the tank. Fortunately, I recognized this as a hazard BEFORE filling the tank with water. Instead, I cut a hole in the top (which I still need to seal) so I could access both sides of the holes and used big 'ol pvc suckers with homemade rubber washers. There's no way these puppies are pulling through!

And here we see under the sink with the tank in place and hooked up. I'm going to wait until tomorrow before pumping water into it again, though. The last few times I tried I ended up with leaks, and it took a lot of effort to drain everything. Since I hadn't installed the drain yet (you live and you learn) I had to drain everything through a 5-gallon bucket. Of course, the bucket stood taller than any of the components, so I had to kinda lay it on its side so the water would drain into it. As such, I could only effectively drain a couple quarts at a time. It sucked.

I've since gone back through everything and coated all the threads with a silicone caulk. Before I was using Teflon tape, which was SUPPOSED to be sufficient, but apparently wasn't. Now I'm feeling much more confident about it, although I'm still probably going to be paranoid of leaks for a while.

Since the hot water heater uses gas and has a pilot light, it needs to be vented. This particular model mounts through the wall, so I cut a big 'ol hole and shoved it through. The first pic shows what the side of the house looks like now, and the second one shows the water heater's access door opened. I still need to hook the gas up - it was dark by the time I got home from picking up the access door, so I couldn't really see well to make the connections. Besides, I didn't have any water to run through it to heat, anyway.

Tomorrow, though, I should be able to finish things up and test this system out. Unless I spring some new leaks, the interior plumbing should be good to go! After that I'll have to mount the grey water tank and hook up all the drains, fix all the leaks that are sure to come from THAT, and then the plumbing will be done!

This last picture is really just for flavor. Every night when I finish working I make sure to clean up the house and put my tools away. It's been making quite a mess lately, what with all the parts and the water and what-not. This shot just shows all the stuff on the counter at the end of the day. It may not seem messy to some of you, but to me it had to be cleaned up!

So, there you go. Hopefully the next time I post I'll have running water in my tiny house! Keep your fingers crossed...

Plumbing

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:00:32 GMT

Wow, I didn't realize it had been over a week since I last posted. I'm sure it felt like longer than that for some of you, though.

So I've finally been able to get around to starting on the plumbing. I had to order some tanks, order some fittings, pick up this, get that... and all the while, I didn't really have a clear picture in my head of what I was going to do. I'll admit, for a few days there I was hesitating. Some of these things, such as the water tank or the shower walls, are expensive, and I don't want to cut holes in anything only to later realize that the plan would be better suited with those holes cut elsewhere! It wasn't until I started cutting holes, though, that the plan started coming together, so I'm hoping it'll all work out.

So, first, let's go back to where we left off last.

Here's the rough kitchen counter, slightly revised. As I said before, I wasn't happy with the length, so I cut it down some. I'm more satisfied with it as it is now. Also, while I was at it, I raised the cabinets up off the ground a few inches to allow for some foot room. Actually, I was allowing for foot room before, but then the entire cabinets were pushed back. Now just the bottom 3 inches are, which effectively means I have a little more depth to my cabinets (except at the bottom.) Also in this picture you can see the kitchen faucet, the hot water heater, and the water tank.

Here's a better shot of the water heater and the tank. Neither one of them is hooked up yet, but in this picture you can see the line for the hot water stretching its way over with the shut-off valve already attached. While we're under the counter...

...we can take a look at the bottom of the sink. All that funky jazz coming down from the top is for the kitchen faucet. It's got one of those fancy detachable heads that stretches out. I figured it might come in handy, given the limited size of the place. It also came with a free soap dispenser! Either way, two of those lines coming down are going to hook up to those t-joints off to the right. I think I'm going to skip putting individual shut-off valves on the kitchen sink and shower. Both of them connect so close to the tank as it is, I'll just have a general shut-off valve for the whole system right there. The place is pretty small and tight; I doubt I'll be giving up my by making that decision.

While we're looking at plumbing, here's what's going on behind the shower wall. The shower is actually all hooked up. Theoretically, if I start pumping water through that line, the shower will work. Of course, the sinks aren't ready, so if I start pumping water through the line now, water will pour out the connections for the sinks, so that's probably not a wise idea. Speaking of unwise ideas - electricians, feel free to cry about the switch being right next to the water hookup for the shower. At least it's only 12 volts going through there...

Here's what the inside of the shower now looks like. I still have to fasten the shower walls to the studs, but the handle is in place and the shower head is poking through. I'm considering attaching plex to the ceiling above the shower to keep steam in. Doing that will help protect the walls and will keep the shower warm without needing the hot water running all the time.

And here's the bathroom faucet. The sink's still just balancing there - I need to cut part of the wall down and put a stud in behind it for it to fasten to. The faucet is on, though, so if I cut off the caps to the water lines and connected a flexible line up, the sink would be ready!

So, the plumbing is coming along. Of course, none of the drain work is really done, so if I DO get the water flowing, it'll all just pool on the floor. Step at a time, step at a time! Tomorrow I'm either going to work on those drains or finish hooking the tank up, I'm not sure which. Once both tasks are done, though, I can start running water through the system and find out where ALL my leaks are! Joy.

Storage Loft Ceiling

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:32:41 GMT

My water tanks didn't come in today. I guess maybe the shipping schedule got disrupted a bit due to the holiday coming up, or something. I'm a little disappointed, but I'm sure they'll come in tomorrow. At least, I hope they will. Even if they don't, though, it's not like I'm going to run out of things to do. For instance, today I worked on the ceiling of the storage loft.

I was really dreading this job because of the way all the angles work out. Fitting angles isn't fun. Also, some of the ... uh... rafters? Studs? I don't know what I'd call them in this case, but we'll go with studs. Either way, in order to make the exterior of the roof line up right, some of the studs were placed at more of an angle, meaning the interior doesn't line up flush. I knew that I'd have to deal with it eventually, but that doesn't make dealing with it any more fun. I figured I could always built it out on the inside, but today while trying that I noticed that it screws up how things line up on the sides if I do that, so I just went with what I had, and got what I got.

Overall, not too bad. It's definitely going to require a lot of trim to straighten out some of those lines, though. Also, due to the differing lengths and angles and what-not, I've got a few gaps here and there around the edges, but it's nothing that can't be fixed with a decent piece of trim. The important part is that it's done, so I don't have to do it later.

Also, Dad stopped by today with a carbon monoxide sensor. I put it up directly across from the stovepipe for the heater in the hopes that it'll help balance the look of the room.

The sucker's big! Rest assured, if there's a fire, or smoke, or carbon monoxide in my tiny house, I'll DEFINITELY hear that puppy go off. It's loud! It'll do the job.

Well, that's it for today. Like I said, hopefully my water tanks will come tomorrow and I can start on the plumbing. I'll post more when I've got more!

Kitchen Counter and Loft Wall

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:40:47 GMT

It's been another few days, so I should probably update y'all on what's been going on. I finally got off my butt and ordered the parts I needed to do the plumbing last Thursday. The parts should get in near the end of the day on Monday, so hopefully I'll be able to start the plumbing on Tuesday. Of course, that means I had to get certain prep work done!

The plan is to have the water tank and the water heater go underneath the kitchen counter. I was able to get the dimensions of the parts so that I could do a little planning ahead and get that counter ready. I should have enough room to store the water systems on the bottom and still have a satisfactory amount of cupboard space left. Here's a shot of the work all framed out:

That picture shows the left-hand side of the house. Right under the window is the kitchen sink, and between the vertical 2x4s are going to be cabinets. There will also be cabinets above the counter top, but I haven't decided how deep or how high they're going to be yet. You can probably also see in that picture that the counter top extends past the cabinets. This basically extends the kitchen working space, but also gives me a little breakfast bar. I even have a stool for it!

My parents picked this up for me as a housewarming gift. Mom heard people raving over how comfortable it was to sit on, so she waited until she could get it on sale and picked it up for me. Thanks, Mom! My original plan was to accommodate two stools, but they turned out to be wider than I thought. Also, I feel the counter top is extending a little TOO much into the living room. It feels... intrusive. The space feels smaller than I'd like it to now, so I may end up cutting a few more inches off of that overhang. Basically, I'm going to leave it just large enough to cover that stool. Even that still seems big to me, but I'm going to try it. I'd really like to have that counter space.

And before anyone suggests it, I do not want to have the counter hinged. I'm trying very hard to make this feel more like a home and not like an RV. Hinged counters go in temporary spaces. I want my space to feel more permanent, like everything belongs.

Since I had the height for my counter top figured out, I also went ahead and built the counter for the range. Once that was up, I was able to measure down and build a support for the fridge, too. This counter was actually built before the sink counter, but it was easier for me to post the pictures the other way. The fridge is plugged in and working now (and draining my battery faster than I'd like) but the range still needs to be connected.

I really like the looks of that little nook, so I brought Mr. Ficus out to enjoy it with me. I've had Mr. Ficus for years and years (I've had most of my houseplants for over 5 years, actually) and he's been a real trooper lately. Thanks to the Burcars for getting him for me! Also in that picture you can see some wooden bowls, cups, and plates. I commissioned those from a friend a few years ago (there are actually 4 sets) but haven't really had a setting in which it felt right to use them until now. They're really beautiful (although the most gorgeous one isn't shown) and each set is made of a different wood, with the leaf of its tree burnt into the surface. This friend (hi, Seri!) now writes a column for Fine Woodworking magazine online, and sells her bowls online at http://www.northernspalting.com/

(There, I have officially sold out. I now have ads on my livejournal, and am shamelessly plugging products. Seri, I expect a check for ludicrous amounts of money to be in the mail shortly.)

Aside from that, I decided to do some more work up in the loft area. I'm kinda getting sick of sleeping on that tiny twin-sized bed. Also, I keep getting little styrofoam "snow" every now and then from the insulation, so I finished off the back wall to contain the styrofoam and bring me one step closer to being done up there.

In addition to the back wall being done, you can also see some quarter-round trim work is in place and the gap at the very top is now covered. I took another shot of the seam to show how that all worked:

It actually went up easier than I thought. I thought I was going to have to cut some little blocks to cram up in that peak to create a flat surface for the board to mount to, but it turns out I was able to just toe-nail the sucker in without having it split on me. It's up there pretty solidly, so I'm pleased.

Well, that's it for today. Tomorrow (hopefully) my water tanks should get here, and then I should begin working on the plumbing. That's gonna take some effort, for sure, but hey... it'll be one more hurdle out of the way!

Closet

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:02:52 GMT

You know, after all the complaining I did about there not being enough sunlight, it felt to me that I got a lot of stuff done today. When I finished today's project, it was still light out! I even threw a trip to The Home Depot in there, and still got done with everything early. Maybe I was just motivated today, who knows. Either way, more pics after the cut.

So, knowing that I have limited time in which to get the plumbing done, I decided to go ahead and start work on the closet. Will I regret it later? Possibly, but at least now I have a place to store my tools! Let's watch the progress unfold...

I decided the best use of space would involve building the closet into the structure directly. Yeah, I could buy something that would fit in there, but getting it to the exact dimensions would be tricky. Also, there's a beam that runs across the top, so I'd either have to modify what I bought or make it shorter, thus leaving unutilized space. I could have custom built a free-standing structure, but I didn't anticipate moving it, and building it in place seemed easier. So, here you can see the stud work.

In this shot, you can see I put some hardboard on the outside of the studs. This is only on the "fridge" side, and only because I wanted that enclosure there for the fridge and range to have the "tile" look on all sides. The tile panel needs a hardboard backer, hence the decision.

I didn't want to leave hardboard as the interior of the closet. I really don't want to be able to see the hardboard anywhere when I'm done - it's just not attractive to me. I wanted a wood interior instead, and I figured the easiest way to do that would be to apply some planks directly to the back wall. I used the same boards that I used for the wainscotting in the living room, only this time I ran them horizontally. Of course, there were no vertical studs for me to nail to, so I ran some of the lathing I used for the cedar siding up the wall to give me a nailing surface.

After that I continued up the sides, added a dowel post, and called it a closet!

And here it is in use! Now I have a place to hang jackets when people come to visit! I also have a place where I can keep my tools instead of having them sit in a pile out in the open. I still need to go back and add a door to this beast, as well as some organizers or shelves for the bottom. Right now, though, it's functional, and that makes me happy.

Bathroom Walls

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:30:59 GMT

Usually fall is one of my favorite times of year (the others being spring, summer, and winter) but it sucks for trying to get stuff done outside. Seriously, it gets dark at, what, 5:00 anymore? By the time I get up, get ready, buy supplies, and actually get motivated, I've got jack squat for sunlight left! Oh, well... at least it gives me an excuse to quit early, eh? I suppose I COULD always wake up earlier, too, but...

Either way, today I worked on the interior walls!

Since I finished putting the hardboard up all around the inside of the place, I was able to finally slide the shower into position. I could have always measured it out and relied upon math to make some determinations, but I always feel more comfortable putting the actual component in place to indicate my markings. Tape measures can flex, but when you put the actual shower in there, you know where it's going to end. So, I slapped that puppy in place and drilled the hole for the drain. After that, I was free to start working on the bathroom walls!

This one shows about where I stopped yesterday with most of the stud work done. The walls are pretty thin - only a couple of inches. Most of that lumber you see is 2x2. The 2x4s that are in there are, obviously, turned on their sides. I scabbed a few more 2x4s in there horizontally at about 3 feet up before I was done. This is in case I need to fasten a counter to the walls, or something. I shouldn't have to, though, since there will be cabinets beneath... it's just a precaution.

And these two pics show the walls with the hardboard up. The hardboard on the left will need to come down, though, since I need to run plumbing up through that wall. It's just tacked in place for now. The one on the right should be good to stay, though. You can see in the pictures that there are areas cut out of the walls - these will all be hidden by cabinets, so they won't be visible. However, they'll still be accessible from inside the cabinets, which is a good thing. Remember, my gas connections are down there! They're also very, very close to the walls, which is another reason why I cut away some. If I ever need to work on them (such as connecting the range up, or something) I'll want to have room to get some tools in there.

I also had to swap out the utility boxes I had purchased, since they were a little too deep. I originally bought shallow ones, but I guess they weren't shallow enough - the cover extended a little too far out for my liking. So, I bought some smaller ones that said they were the same depth, but were actually a little shallower. So, hey, score on that one.

At this point there are a couple of ways I can proceed. I can work on the bathroom plumbing and get that ready, or I can work on kitchen cabinets and countertops. I know the wise move would be to get the plumbing done, but I'm kinda leaning toward the cabinets... it's just that much more visual, you know? Yeah, having plumbing done is functional, but seeing the cabinets go up will really make it look more like a kitchen. I dunno... we'll see what I come up with tomorrow.

More wall work

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:22:38 GMT

Now that the ceiling is mostly done, I think it's time to finish the walls.

The last few days I've been working on the walls in the kitchen and bathroom areas. There are a lot of unfinished projects in this house, but I think these walls have a bit of a priority, since I can't place the shower without them in place, and if I can't place the shower, I can't be certain where the interior bathroom wall is going to go, and until that wall is built, I can't lock the shower in place, and that needs to be done before I can work on the plumbing. Since the snow's going to start falling soon (oh, quit whining, all of you) I'd kinda like to get the plumbing done quickly.

So, the hardboard is going up!

This is really the same picture, just one was taken with the flash off to emphasize the bathroom light. These shots, though, show that the hardboard is 2/3 of the way finished. Oh, I also scabbed in a piece of MDF to finish the floor there. It's going to be covered with linoleum, so this "sub-floor" doesn't need to look all that pretty. Either way, once the hardboard is finished, I can start on the interior wall!

Ooh, you know, I'm going to have to start thinking about how I want that bathroom door to look...

Aside from this, though, the only other progress has been on the heater. Today Dad came over to rake leaves and I put him to work finishing off the top of the stovepipe instead. It's all connected now, so once I get my carbon monoxide sensor installed, I should be able to heat the place with just the little fireplace!

Ceiling Work

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:25:07 GMT

For the last few days I've been working on the ceiling. It's really starting to look like a home now!

So, my original plan was to do the same thing to the ceiling as I did with the living room walls - fasten a piece of hardboard to the studs, glue a white panel to the hardboard, then prime and paint the panel to suit my needs. However, I got to thinking about how often ceilings really get painted, and if they're ever really painted anything other than white. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it just seemed like a lot of work. Also, I found a nice wood ceiling option at Lowe's of which I really liked the looks. It wasn't the best solution for my house, but it did open me back up to the idea of a wood ceiling. So, I ended up buying some more tongue-and-groove siding and went to work!

The images basically just show a progression of the work. Right now, the ceiling is mostly done. There's a very small gap at the peak that I need to cover by slapping a piece of trim or something up there. Also, I think I'm going to do the ceiling in the storage area in the same planking... possibly the small wall in the loft, too, I'm not sure. I also need to trim a few of the edges out. I was hoping to find a good crown molding to cover the gap between the top of the wall and the start of the ceiling, but neither Home Depot or Lowe's had anything that looked good (well, Lowe's did, but only in oak, and I'm using pine) so I ended up using just a regular plank for now. You can't really see that in the pictures, though.

The very last picture shows a strip of wood covering the seam where the planks from the loft meet up with the planks from the living room area. Right now it's just there to look pretty, but eventually I'm going to make two little triangle-shaped dressers that are going to sit up at the end of the loft. Those strips of wood will mark the end of where those dressers go, so there's a plan to how this will all work.

So, I'm not sure what my plans are for tomorrow. I can either buy more planking and finish off the storage loft area (which is going to take some effort, given all the utility boxes and stuff up there because of the battery) or I can put the rest of the paneling up in the back side of the house to get it ready for the kitchen and bathroom. I should probably do the bathroom next, since that's going to require plumbing, and it'd probably be wise to run the plumbing before the snow falls. I've heard it's supposed to be nice tomorrow, so we'll see!

Painted Walls

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 07:05:39 GMT

So, I'm feeling a little better about my walls now. Why, do you ask? Because I've painted them!

Yeah, I must admit, I had some doubts when I first put that "thrifty white" panel up. Having a giant whiteboard for a wall wasn't exactly the look I was going for. Before I went much further, I had to ease my conscience and convince myself that I was doing the right thing. So last night I bought a good primer and gave the panel a couple of coats so that it'd be ready for the paint job today.

And here's what the walls look like now! I was kinda going for an "old parchment" or "earthen plaster" look. I've always been a bit of a fan of that look - it helps bring the earth element into the home and also gives the walls the illusion of texture. I read up on how to achieve it on the Internets, bought some paints, and tried my hand at it. I couldn't quite get the technique to work as it was described, so I just ended up taking 2 different paints and two different paint brushes and just going all out with my brush strokes. The first picture shows the room in general, and the second shows a bit of a close-up, although neither looks quite the same as it does in person. Overall, I'm pleased. I would have liked to have had a greater contrast, but I'm content with what I have.

After the walls were done, I spent the rest of the day working on putting legs on the piece of plywood I was using as a desk extension so that it could stand on its own. Now I no longer need the little table that was underneath to support it! That little table worked, but the legs were a little too close together for my liking. Unfortunately, I don't have any pics because as soon as it was done I put the tablecloth back on it (it's make from scraps, so it's not pretty on its own) so it looks the same as it did in all the other pictures.

I did remember to get a few other pictures from something my dad and I worked on the other day, though. Some of you may have noticed a new box suddenly appear beneath the breaker panel. This box, for lack of a better term, shall be referred to as the "switch box."

The purpose of the switch box is to help route power. See, right now I have two power systems in my tiny house: one for AC, and one for DC. Things like the outlets and the ceiling fan run off of AC, whereas stuff like the lights and the fridge run off of DC. That's great if I'm always plugged in for the AC and my battery is always charged for the DC, but that's not always going to be the case. I've already mounted an AC outlet next to my battery so that I can plug in a trickle-charger up there... that way, if I need DC but only have AC, I can essentially convert AC to DC. What do I do, though, if I need AC but only have DC? That's where the switch box comes into play.

The main service wire from the breaker panel goes down into the switch box. From that box there are going to be two paths for getting power - a service wire going out the front of the house so that an extension cord can be plugged in (as I'm doing now) or a service wire going up to the battery box, where it will connect to an inverter. If I'm near an AC power source, I can open the switch box and connect the line from the breaker panel to the line going to the extension cord. If I'm NOT near an AC power source, I can still use AC power by switching the line over to the line going to the inverter. Of course, using that inverter will probably suck the power out of that battery pretty quickly, so I won't use it often, but it's still an option I want available.

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to finish all the wiring inside the switch box. In fact...

...I was just incredibly lazy and ran the service wire from the front of the house directly through the box and up into the breaker panel. The cable you see on the left runs up to the battery - eventually I'm going to have to put plugs on both ends of that cable. The cable on the right will need to be cut in the middle, with a plug put on either end. If I have AC available, I'll connect the two that are connected now. If I don't have AC but need it, I'll connect the right side to the left side. I'm not sure if I'm going to have a heavy duty switch or if I'm just going to use a small jumper cable or what... I still haven't decided. However, I couldn't put the wall up without the switch box in place, so... there ya go.

New Toys and Walls

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:10:13 GMT

I got some new toys for my tiny house today.

I managed to drop a lot of money this week buying appliances and materials for the tiny house. I'm hoping they'll all work together to match the picture I have in my head. Until I finally see it finished, I think I'll always have doubts as to whether I'm using the right materials or not, but the only thing I can do I plow ahead. It's my house - I can always change things later if I need to.

First of all, let's see some new toys!

The above pictures show the new bathroom sink, the mini fridge, the mini fridge opened, and the cooking range. None of these appliances have been installed, mind you... I just had them delivered yesterday and today. The sink is less than 14 inches from front to back, which makes it a good fit for a tiny house. The fridge is small, too. I have it sitting on top of something in these shots to help me get a feel for its proper height. There will be storage beneath the fridge, and the range will go directly above it. I'll still have to bend a bit to reach inside the fridge, but it shouldn't be bothersome.

This next one isn't a new toy so much as it is an extension of an old one:

I'll admit it, I'm addicted to Lord of the Rings Online. In order to play it for any length of time without having carpal tunnel issues, though, I need to use my Z-board, and with the desk the way it was, the Z-board simply wasn't going to fit. I had to take a piece of plywood, cut a longer desktop, and place it on top of the table I was using. Now I have all sorts of space!

So, that's it for toys. In addition to that, Dad came over today to help me work on the walls. The original designs for the Fencl showed real wood siding. It looks gorgeous, but while pondering it, I began to wonder if it was going to be too much wood. I also wanted a surface I could change to fit my mood, such as one that could be painted. I wasn't sure if drywall would stand up to being moved, so I decided to go with a panel instead. I didn't want screw holes showing, so I've ended up fastening a layer of hardboard to the studs, then using an adhesive on the actual panel to hold it in place.

This first picture shows one of the walls with the hardboard up while the second shows the finished panel surface. I'm a little worried about this right now... I do NOT like the look of that bright, glossy panel! Of course, the only reason I BOUGHT it was because I had planned to paint it. Hopefully, after getting a primer and a flat paint on there, it will be slightly less... obnoxious? Cheap? I'm not sure. I also am still undecided on what color I want to use. I'll probably end up with some non-committal beige flavor, but one that'll still be light enough to brighten up the room.

I'm happy that I have a wall up, but until I see it painted with all the trim in place, I dunno... I'm hoping it turns out the way I want it.

My Mentality (no pics)

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:32:20 GMT

Caution! Long, rambling post ahead explaining who I am and why I'm doing what I'm doing.

So, I am back from Brazil. It was great to see the crew again, and the job was quick and painless - the flight decidedly less so, although I will say that the landing of the 777 at Miami was so soft and smooth that I hardly would have believed we were on the ground had I not been looking out the window. It was handled by a real pro - props to the pilot. However, piloting skills alone aren't enough to make up for having me sit immobile in the center of a 5 consecutive seat row in "hampster" class for 9 hours. Twice. In the same week. *sigh*

But enough whining from me. Now that I'm back, I can resume construction on my tiny house! Tomorrow Gord and I should be picking up some luan and some panels for the interior walls. I also ordered a bathroom sink, a fridge, and a range today, all of which should be delivered later this week. I haven't done any construction yet, so there's really nothing to post picture-wise. However, given that I was linked from <shout out!> The Tiny House Design Blog </shout out!>, I felt I should post a little something to let people know that my little blog is still active!

I figured I should probably try to explain myself a bit here. Michael Janzen from Tiny House Design dug up an earlier statement of mine - one which is still accurate, but which I made so long ago (at least it feels that way!) that I didn't even remember typing it!

“Lately, my interests have turned “green.” I’m trying to get away from the current consumptive lifestyle and go toward a no-impact one, and eventually a positive-impact one. Nature doesn’t need humans any more than I need my bike... but I can get around a lot faster on my bike, and nature can recover a lot faster with help from people. Problem is, most peeps aren’t helping.”

(Hmm... given that these are my own words, do I really need to use the quotation marks? Oh, well.)

That hasn't changed, but that can also be used for a lot of different people with a lot of different mentalities. So, here's a little bit more about me.

*I grew up in a suburb of Flint, MI, and now live in the city. I believe in Flint's potential and the people who work toward it.
*Michigan, I think, will always be "home."
*I grew up as a "smart kid" and graduated pretty high in my class. I was supposed to go into engineering. When I got to college, I realized I didn't like engineering.
*As a result, I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
*I'm 29 years and 17 months old. Please, keep your math to yourself.

As for why I chose to build this tiny house, well... one of the main reasons was to prove that I could. There are certain skills and abilities that I think every provider should have, and being able to build a home is one of them. I originally wanted to build a cob house, but I didn't have land upon which to build. I also wasn't sure where I wanted to "settle," and I wasn't about to start building a house only to have to move and lose my efforts. The mobile tiny house seemed an effective solution.

Part of proving to myself that I can build this involve taking certain responsibilities upon myself. It also involves allowing myself to make mistakes. My single greatest fear in this project is to be so overcome with indecision over whether I'm doing something right that I fail to do it at all. I KNOW that there are plenty of things that I've done wrong so far. Some of them I've fixed relatively quickly. Others of them will take more time. Some, I'm sure, will rear their ugly heads years down the line and will need to be corrected at considerable expense. There may even come a time where a mistake I've already made will bring the entire house down.

I have come to terms and am fine with that. If one of my choices leads to that, then at least that choice was still my own. I will learn, and I will move on. It may be that, in a few months, I'll regret some of the things I've done. Fortunately, I've built the entire thing myself. I will have proven it to myself by that point, so I'll know I can undo whatever bothers me.

I believe that building codes should be in place to allow me to build what I want in the fashion I want and in a safe manner. They should not be used to dictate the materials used, nor to prohibit me from innovating altogether. No "by the book" building inspector will approve the changes I've made, nor will I be able to get insurance because of that. I am okay with this, because I reject limitations. If I get fined or ticketed, so be it. I'll frame the ticket as a trophy of independence.

The further along I get in building my tiny house, the closer I come to realizing that it'll one day be done. This is a worrying concept, because it readily brings to mind the question "what next?" Step one was to build the tiny house. Step two is to buy something powerful enough to haul it, and step three is to find a place to park it. Ultimately, I'd like to buy some acreage, park my tiny house, and build a cob or strawbale structure for use as a workshop.

What I would love is to have tiny houses for my friends all around me, with a communal workshop or gathering space made of cob in the middle.
I don't know if this can be realized.
I DO know, though, that I CAN build it.

It at least gives me a goal, as well as a place to start.

At this point, I've already gone through about a third of my savings. I still have income from the museum job, and that should keep me going for a few years, but eventually, if I keep going at the rate I'm going, I will run out of money. I'm hoping that, before that happens, I will have found a way to either dramatically cut my expenses, to live without money, or, ideally, to make a living in a manner that incorporates (or at the very least accepts) this new lifestyle.

Building this tiny house has surely been an adventure, but I don't think I'd want to build them for a living. I have deep respect for those who do, because it takes a lot of energy and effort. However, I hope I can inspire my friends or others to build them for themselves, or at the very least to eliminate the excesses in their lives, and realize that we CAN be happy, and indeed be happier, with much less.

For my friends and family who've been with me from the start, thank you for your support. Even I thought I was crazy when I started, but you've all treated it like a "cool" crazy, which makes me feel empowered.

For those to whom I've reconnected along the way, thank you for your energy. Every face from the past that smiles upon me now provides me with more motivation than I would have ever imagined.

For those strangers who've discovered me through links and blogs, thank you for your enthusiasm. Knowing that others can believe not only in me, but also in this project and projects like it, gives me much needed hope to pursue my dreams.

And for those who will find me in the future, thank you for your fascination. Knowing that my journey can bring joy to others will make any mishap tolerable, and the end results worthwhile.

Mostly, though, thanks to Dad and Gord, who've both shed sweat and blood along with me in this venture. Okay, that sounds kinda gross now that I think about it, but the point is that I couldn't have done it alone, and you've both provided more help than I ever had the right to ask. That being said, work resumes tomorrow at noon - make sure to bring your own tools.

Fire in my Tiny House!

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:30:31 GMT

Today there was fire in my tiny house!

Yes, there was a fire in my tiny house today. I spent darn near 4 days working up to it, too. Before I get into that, though, I need to clarify a little something. When I posted the picture of my "couch" (which is really a bench) a few people seemed to think it looked uncomfortable. Granted, it's not a couch, and shouldn't be expected to be one. However, with a little help from a desk chair, it can be used for naps:

Now, you might think that I have an interest in proving this point, so my opinion shouldn't count. However, I am not the only one who agrees with this.

Thanks to my friend Brie for her awesome modeling job.

So, with that out of the way, I guess I had best get into what I've been doing this week. Basically, I've been running steel pipe for a gas line. Dad came over to help almost every day this week. I'm very grateful for this, since the project itself took a lot longer and was more involved than I had anticipated. Apparently half-inch steel pipe isn't the most flexible of materials, so if you have a series of holes that you need to run a 12-foot stretch of pipe through, they had better line up.

Unfortunately, given the tight quarters underneath the trailer, most of our work can't really be photographed. The best I can really do is show you the shut-off valves from where the gas comes up through the floor. There's one by the fridge for a gas stove top (and for the fridge itself, if I get a gas one,) one under the sink for a hot water heater, and one under the heater itself.

The sections of pipe going down from the shut-off valves were actually the hardest part of the project. The holes had to be drilled from above (I didn't have enough room to get my drill pointed up from underneath with a long enough bit on it to go through the whole floor) and had to be straight enough to match up with the pipe underneath. Furthermore, the elbows on the pipe had to be lined up perfectly. Each one of those took us quite a while to line up. Fortunately, once we ran the gas through the line, we were able to test it all and found out we had no leaks in those joints! There were a couple of leaks in other places, but we were able to apply some goop to the threads to seal it all up.

Of course, once the gas line was done, it was time to hook up the fireplace!

I've discovered fire!

I've discovered fire on the "high" setting! (It looks pretty much the same)

I've discovered fire with the flash off!

I've discovered fire in the dark!

Ha ha. Okay, enough of that. Unfortunately, I'm not able to run the heater full-time yet. The extension for the exhaust pipe would have been delivered today, but UPS stopped by when Dad and I were picking up supplies from Menards. Since the package requires a signature, they weren't able to leave it. I'll be able to pick it up tomorrow morning, but since I leave for Brazil the next day, I doubt I'll take the time to install it (or take pics.) Still, though... just seeing the heater in action makes the place feel that much more like a home! So much so that I had to put out a welcome mat!

It's a good thing, too, because Dad and I were tracking a lot of mud into the place!

Well, there you guys go - 10 pics. Hopefully that'll be enough to hold y'all over until I get back from Brazil!

Finished Wainscoting

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:00:23 GMT

After today's work, the tiny house is really starting to feel like an actual, usable space! Once I finished the wainscoting I felt the need to bring in a rug and some curtains. There's still a lot of work to be done, but it's really starting to look nice!

This part here continues from the edge of the last pic that I posted the other day. Between the insulation and the wainscoting there's a poly vapor barrier and a few furring strips. The furring strips give me a common nailing surface and help add depth so that the top part of the wall (which will be a panel glued to luan) won't overhang it. You can also see in this picture a couple of 2x4s turned sideways in the wall so that the 4-inch side is showing, not the 2-inch side. When doing the wainscoting in the bay, I noticed that the boards and the furring strips just didn't have enough support over some of the larger spans, so I scabs some of those 2x4s in there to help give it some strength.

And here you can see the wainscoting finished! I have to go back and put some trim up, obviously, but this'll give you a good idea of how it'll look. I'm actually quite pleased with how this turned out, especially around the outlets. I'm getting a lot of experience installing tongue and groove on this project, too. It's actually starting to look like a room! So much so that some of the room "necessities" were just crying out to be added. I know this was probably a bad idea, since sawdust is still going to be flying, but I just couldn't resist decorating a little.

So here's an image after adding some drapes and a valance to the bay windows and a rug to the floor. The window dressings I've had for a while, but the rug I had to buy new - hence the price tag that's still on it in the corner. :P You can't tell in the picture, but the space looks and feels really warm and cozy at night when lit by the slightly-yellow LEDs (which throw a light that reminds me of traditional incandescent bulbs.) I'm almost half-tempted to bring my computer out there next!

Well, that's it for pictures this time around. I actually reached the limit of what I was allowed to post to Flickr, so I've started using Photobucket. If the pictures are resizing differently, that'd be why. I wanted to keep all the images together so I uploaded the 175 old ones (so many already!) to Photobucket, too, but then remembered that I'm going to have to go back and re-enter all the tags. Such a pain! Oh, well... this at least gives me the opportunity to change things, such as how I labeled everything as my "summer project." Not really summer anymore, is it!

Another thing I want to change is the title "Fencl." "Fencl" is the name of the model that I bought the plans for, but I've made a few changes here and there, so I don't really feel like I can really call it that. Actually, I'm not even sure I WANT to call it that. I think my tiny house needs a name. Anyone have any ideas? Does anyone have any clever names that they use when looking at it? Or do you all think of it as "Jonathan's Tiny House?" I'm going to have to see if I can come up with something. Suggestions are welcome!

Also, if you haven't checked it out already, please make sure to comment on October 17th's post. I want to see how many people I have following my progress, and I want a headcount all in once place. Anonymity is fine, just post that you're an anonymous follower. There's a video on that day's update, if you need any extra incentive to check it out. Thanks!

Video Progress

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 04:34:34 GMT

So yeah, I know all y'all aren't pleased when I only have one pic, so this time I came prepared! Sure, I may only have one pic, but I'm pairing that with a video!

So yeah, that's what my tiny house looked like as of the morning of Friday, October 16th. By the evening of Friday, October 16th, it looked much messier. I decided to do some work in the bay, which meant moving a bunch of stuff around. I also brought my chop saw inside and set it up on my computer table, so everything's now out of place. On the plus side, I was able to get this done:

The wainscoting is 32" high, which is perfect for the bay. All I have to do is put some window trim on the top and some base on the bottom and it'll be done. The rest of the house will require a panel to cover the top part. Still, though, it's a start!

So, that's the only picture I've got today. I hope it's enough to satisfy y'all. That makes me wonder, though... how many of y'all are out there? It seems with every post I hear about someone else who has been watching that I had no idea about.

I want to know how many people are following my progress. If you're here, please comment below with your name or where you're from or something. If you wish to remain anonymous, that's fine - just post your name as "anonymous visitor" or something like that. I have IP address logging turned on by default - I promise I won't use it to try to track anyone down. Please, just take a second to help me get a good count here. Who knows - if I find out I have a decent sized crowd, it might encourage me to upload pictures more often!

Some Furniture

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:33:40 GMT

It's been another few days, so I guess I need to post something before all y'all lose interest.

For the last few days I've been working on the second layer of insulation. This layer is only one inch thick, so it was a little easier to cut, but I also had to work around stuff like the utility boxes, plumbing, and any bulky electrical wires. It's done now (yay!) but it looks pretty much the same as the old layer, so I didn't really see any point in taking pictures of it.

Now, though, I'm almost ready for walls! All I have to do now is hang some poly to serve as a vapor barrier and I'll be able to put paneling up! I have to buy the stuff first, of course, but I'm pretty sure I know the look I plan on using. Getting that done will be a big milestone.

Well, you guys probably want some pictures to see, so I'll post one of the newest piece of furniture I bought:

This is a bench that I got from Value City. It was part of a dining set, actually, designed to go with those really tall tables that are now in style. Why they include tall benches to sit at those tables I have no clue, but it turned out convenient for me. I went all over the county trying to find a padded bench that could be used as a couch, and no place really had anything I felt I liked or could use until I found this one.

It was originally about 8 inches taller, an awkward height for a couch, so I cut the legs down a bit. Now I want to put some arm rests on it to make it look more like a loveseat. Because it could only be 24" deep without protruding too much into the room (for reference, almost all couches, futons, and loveseats are at least 36" deep) the back feels a little too "upright." Having armrests to lean against will help alleviate that sensation, I think. What I think I really wanted most was to have something that I could nap on downstairs, and I was able to take a nice nap on it earlier today. I had to pull my computer chair over to support my feet, but it still worked so I'm happy.

Since I know y'all won't be happy with just one picture (actually y'all probably won't be happy with only 2, either, but that's all you're getting) I took this next one to show my little sound setup. I like to listen to music when I'm relaxing in there at night, but I didn't want to have to turn on my computer or buy a radio. Instead, I took my MP3 player (which can conveniently charge off of DC) and plugged it into some old portable speakers that my parents bought for me for a CD player way back in the mid-90s. They put out some pretty decent sound given their size and the fact that they're unpowered, and I'm really glad I've kept them around so long.

You can see my MP3 player hanging off to the left and the two little speakers sitting on little "shelves" mounted on the underside of the storage loft. This is all right in the bay area, right above my computer desk. You can hear the music from anywhere in the house, really, but it's set up to direct sound toward the computer chair. You can see that the speakers overhang the shelves a bit, but they're kinda wedged onto those shelves (the height of the speakers makes it a tight fit) so they're not going anywhere.

Well, that's all I've got for right now. I know it's not much, but I'm hoping to have more soon. I've still got quite a bit that I want to get done before going back to Brazil.

Half-Finished Steps

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 05:04:57 GMT

So, the last few days I've been finishing some parts that've been half-done for a while.

It rained all day on Friday, so I had to spend all of my time indoors. That was fine, since there were a few things I could do. First of all, I did some more work on my wiring, such as putting some boxes and switches for the other kitchen light. I didn't get a picture of it, though, since it looks pretty much like the first one. I also was able to finish the flooring of the storage loft!

Now if I need to move the batteries, I don't have to mess with sliding some 2x4s across so the battery's weight doesn't crash through the top! Also, it just kinda finishes the look of things up there, so I'm quite pleased to have that finished. After I got that done it was still light out, so I looked around for anything else indoors I could do. I decided to try to get a feel for how the heater would look if it was in place.

And it'll look something like this. I still need to scab a piece of 2x4 in behind it for the last screw to fasten to... oh, and get the insulation and wall up behind it... but that's where it's going to mount. I need to run the gas line to it and run the exhaust out up through the roof, too. Actually, the exhaust pipe that came with it isn't long enough, so I need to order an extension. I'm going to cut the hole for the pipe and mount the top part first, then see how much more I need before I order. It comes in 10-inch and 26-inch chunks, so I kinda want to know which to get. If I can avoid cutting one by getting the smaller one, I will.

Saturday didn't rain at all (finally!) so I figured it would be a good day to work on the last part of the roof. Dad came over to help since there was no way I was going to be able to do it all on my own. Unfortunately, I only got one picture. Because it's parked so close to the garage, it's hard to get back far enough to get a good shot. Here's my best try, though.

Yeah, doesn't really show you much, does it? It's a pity, because there were some screwed-up goofy angles that we had to deal with. Some of my edges look a little ratty, so I'm going to need some trim to finish it up, but at least it's now a little more waterproof than it was with just the tar paper!

Well, that's it for today, just those three pics. I don't know what the weather's supposed to do tomorrow, so no guarantees of anything. I'm leaving for Brazil again in 2 weeks, and there's a lot that I want to get done before that happens, so hopefully the progress will be coming on quickly!

Wiring, Day 3

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:53:29 GMT

Work on the electrical systems continues.

So yeah, I spent another day working on wiring. Gord came over to help, but after a quick run to Radio Shack and Lowe's it became apparent that he was sick, so he was down for the count today. I was able to get some work done, though, so I've at least got something to show!

These pictures show the porch light (look through the window!) and one of the kitchen lights. The bright white task lights I picked up at Menards work great, but I'm going to need to craft some sort of cover for the porch light just to give it a little greater weather protection. The kitchen lights (there's another light which'll be above the fridge, directly opposite the one pictured which will be over the sink) have their own problem right now. See, the wall in which I want to mount the switches hasn't been built yet! I can put up the bathroom wall until the shower has been placed. For now, the switches are just going to hang by their wires. I actually have them hard-wired right now - I need to pick up 2 switches early tomorrow.

Aside from mounting lights, I also worked on the DC power hookups.

Okay, honestly, this all looks a lot more confusing than it really is. Basically, I have 6 lines of DC power in the house - one for everything in the bay and the porch light, one for the bathroom and the outlet in the loft, one for the loft light, one for the fridge and the light above it, one for a water pump and the light above the sink, and one for the heater (which has a DC fan to move air.) Each of those lines comes back to the top blue box in the first of those two pictures. Also, each line has 2 wires - one "hot" that the power runs out through and one black that the power comes back through to complete the circuit. All of the black lines gang together on a little post that's sitting on the bottom on the styrofoam, and a 4-gauge wire jumps it back to the negative battery terminal. Each of the hot lines runs up to the fuse block.

This close-up shows each hot line connecting to its own 10-amp fuse. That way, if there's a short in any one of the lines, I won't lose power to all of my house at once. The other end of each of the fuses gangs together at the positive battery terminal. Having the fuses in there will help protect the battery in case of a short. Given the number of fuses I replaced yesterday from the cigarette lighter wells shorting out, I'm quite glad to have that extra protection. It does look messy, though... maybe a switch plate over that box will help neaten things up...

Yeah, it's still a mess. I'll have to build something pretty to enclose it all. Right now, though, it's functional, which is all that matters!

More Wiring and Lights

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 06:34:00 GMT

We did some more wiring today, including running the power for some lights. Have I done a "let there be light" joke yet?

So yeah, we continued working on the electrical stuff today. I spent most of my time up in the loft while Gord spent most of his time finishing up stuff on the main level. The exception to that was the start of the day, where I basically sat on the floor finishing up the DC receptacles while Gord was up on a ladder wiring the ceiling fan. I didn't get a picture of that, but I did get a shot of one of the finished DC plates.

The picture's kinda small, but there it is on the left! We got solid plates made of metal then drilled holes through them to mount the lighter wells. The wells we bought happened to come with little rubber covers so that they can be closed when not in use. I had to make some modifications to them to get them working properly (they kept blowing fuses when something was plugged in because the inside of the well would sometimes short itself out) but now they're all set!

The other big thing we did today was work on the lighting.

Here you can see the bathroom light up and in place. I actually took the light that was up in the loft and brought it down here. It put out too much light for the loft, and I figured a bright white light would be better suited for the bathroom, anyway. The light switch is on the wall next to the window, and there's an AC electrical outlet in the corner.

The loft area has a 3-way switch so that the light can be controlled from up above and down below. The box that's just sitting on the loft in the picture will eventually be mounted on a little cabinet or dresser that will go up in that corner. It's functional as it is right now, though! The other switch is above the loft window. Right now there are two LED lights mounted at angles on the studs with a wire going between them. I eventually want to have them mounted to the back wall, but I can't do that until I have a wall to mount them to, so they'll stay as they are for now. That jumper between them is, of course, temporary, as is the positioning.

What I didn't get a picture of in the loft were the 2 outlets up there. Beneath the window there's an AC outlet and another DC outlet like the one in the first picture above. Now I can plug my cell phone in and have it charge right next to me. That way, when people send me texts first thing in the morning (this means you, Amber!) I won't have to get out of bed to respond!

But yeah, most of the wiring is done. Tomorrow we're going to hit up Radio Shack to get a proper hookup and some fuses to go between the DC lines and the battery. Right now they're all connected via jumper cables, which puts the battery at risk if something shorts. After that all I should have to do is figure out what I want for kitchen lights, make a port for the solar panel hookup, and set up the breaker panel to swap between the service line or an inverter, and the wiring will be done!

I Created Electricity!

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 06:03:16 GMT

Today we started wiring! This progress was pretty exciting for me.

So yeah, today Gord came over shortly after noon so that we could get started on wiring this beast. He's an electrician by trade, so I figured it would be safe to assume he knew what he was doing. He had me mark out where the outlets were going ahead of time so that we'd be able to knock this sucker out quick-like. First, though, I had some unfinished business from yesterday!

First things first - I finished off the last of the siding. I only had 2 rows to go, but they were the top rows and the ground slopes away from the driveway on this side of the yard (and into a tree and some shrubs) so it was actually pretty slow-going. I set up a scaffolding to help, but leveling the legs required a bunch of stacked 2x4s, which felt pretty unsafe. I was careful and got it done, though! You can see Gord in the doorway - while I was outside, he was already starting to run some cables.

The first thing he did (I think - I'm not entirely sure since I was working outside) was mount the breaker box. This box is strictly for AC power. Now, the house is designed to run off of DC, but since just about any device anyone owns is AC, I'm wiring it for AC, too. The idea is to have it set up so that, if external power is available, I can plug in through an extension cord. If there's no place to plug in, though, I can run off of the batteries through an inverter. That black cable you can see in the picture runs to the back of the house. Actually...

...it runs THROUGH the back of the house and out the end. This is a temporary fixture, of course - eventually I'll have a covered box mounted on the side of the house to protect it from the elements. Right now, though, I don't have to worry about running extension cords through gaps in my roof. All the AC power for the house is coming in through this connection to my sister's garage. My temporary space heater and ceiling fan rely upon this, as well as anything else I want to plug in.

Gord pretty much focused his efforts on the AC power today. This shot shows some more cables running through the walls. That black service cable is visible here again - it had to run the whole length of the house, which required a lot of holes. Also, there are a couple of other lines here, too. Actually, the bottom one is for DC, but I'm running an AC cable. It'll be for the water pump, which should be DC. If, in the future, I need to switch it over to AC or something, though, at least the line to it will be of a thick enough gauge to handle it.

Gord even ended up putting a box way up here in the corner of the storage loft! This is back by the battery area. The idea is, if I AM plugged into AC power, I'll be able to plug a battery charger into this outlet and charge my batteries. That'll be useful on days where the solar panels are unreliable. Since the lights are all DC, the batteries will always be utilized, even when I'm plugged in. Instead of running an entirely separate AC lighting system, I figured this would be an easier solution. While we're on the topic of DC power...

This shot shows some of the DC wiring. Once I finished with the siding, I decided to work on the bay area's DC wiring to stay out of Gord's way. DC power is only 12 volts, so it can actually be run through speaker wire, which is what I'm using here. There's a 3-function light switch under the bottom-right corner of the right-hand window. That switch now controls the 2 lights in the bay and has a third wire which will eventually control a porch light.

Also in this shot you can see some weird tube-shaped things hanging out of one of the blue boxes. Those are actually automobile cigarette lighter wells! There are two on each side. I figured that the house was wired for DC, and most electronic devices (cell phones, MP3 players, laptops) have chargers that can plug into a cigarette lighter, so why not include them in the house? I mean, if I don't have to run my inverter to charge a cell phone, why not save the power? So yeah, the plan is to get solid switch plate covers and drill holes to mount those wells in.

Unfortunately, though, that'll have to wait until tomorrow. We worked well past sunset today, but eventually we had to call it quits and wait until Lowe's opened up again to buy more parts. Tomorrow, though, we should be able to finish up the wiring. I'm pretty excited about it, and can't wait to have it done!

More Siding

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 05:34:44 GMT

Only one picture this time.

Yeah, there was still one side of the tiny house that still didn't have siding on it, so I worked on finishing that up today. It's almost done - there are only 2 more rows to go. I could have finished them today, but I ran out of hardware. I ran up to Menards to buy another 5 pound box of square-headed screws, so I should be able to knock the last few rows out tomorrow (provided the weather agrees.)

Also, you can probably see the new door handle in this picture. The old knob was round, but this one's the lever type. I wanted to use a piece of 1x6 cedar for the stop so that it would match the rest of the trim, but that caused the door knob to be a little too close to the edge - I would scratch my knuckles if I held onto the knob while closing the door. The lever-type door handle allows me to keep the look I want without all the blood! I was able to re-key it to match the deadbolt, too.

So, yeah, that's it for today. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have more!