Friday, September 28, 2012

My current thoughts on the ideal tiny house for me

No work is scheduled on my Sonoma Shanty this weekend due to my college reunion! Instead I've been thinking about my ideal tiny house.

I've been looking at various tiny house web sites for the past 6 months and forming ideas for my future tiny house. I am also drawing on what I have learned from building my Sonoma Shanty shed. This is my current thinking. I'm sure it will change over time, so I will update my thoughts from time to time.

Layout:
Size: 8' x 20' with door on long side of house. This is the smallest that I think would work for my family on vacations. I could probably survive in a 8' x 14' but I need to think of others too, especially if I don't want to vacation alone!
Have detached small deck on side, with it's own small roof. Using floor space on the trailer for a deck, seems like a waste of potential interior space to me.
Bathroom and shower will be along the width of back 8' wall.
Full size pull-out sleeping mattress on opposite (front) 8' wall on main floor that sleeps 2; turns into couch in daytime. Entry door next to couch, it it's sleeping configuration
Sleeping loft with additional large mattress over bathroom, kitchen area
Small storage loft over couch
Small floor to ceiling closet(s) against bathroom wall
Compost bucket toilet
Fiberglass stall shower using hand pump sprayer for water; install piping and shower head in accessible wall for future use. Heat water for shower on stove.
Kitchen sink and shower drains on same side
Detachable gray water holding tank under trailer

Kitchen:
Ice box with heavy insulation. Put ice blocks at bottom. Top of ice box flush with kitchen counters. Ice should last for up to 3 days. Install drain line at bottom of ice chest.
2 burner propane stove
Dickinson propane boat heater (later - won't need in summer or early fall)
Install gas piping for both stove and heater during build

Exterior:
Roofing: metal or Ondura corrugated fiber roofing
Exterior siding: wood clapboards, board and batten, or vinyl
Interior walls: hardboard nailed to studs, with painted white panels glued over it; ceiling: same hardboard underneath with wood grain paneling over. Other option would be beadboard on walls. This should reduce labor, building time and weight.
Rigid Styrofoam insulation (3") in floor, walls and ceiling
Windows oriented so they can be covered with plywood shutters and padlocked when house is unattended. Large windows on side wall opposite from door and on front wall over couch.
Small opening windows at peak in both ends and in bathroom.
Gutters to collect rain water

Power:
12 volt electrical system wired in walls with solar panels and batteries.
12 volt LED ceiling lights controlled with wall switches
12 volt water pump for kitchen sink; fresh water tank under sink or in loft
12 volt ceiling fan in living room
12 volt bathroom exhaust fan.
Only 2 AC outlets in kitchen and living area to run infrequently off generator.

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