Smarter than the Timber

Here is a little picture of our timber effort. In one day we made three trips to the farms and two trips to the mill. We loaded, and unloaded, seven logs. The process was one of more thought than brawn. The logs were too heavy to lift by hand  hough we were able to roll them around the yard and create leverage points. We maneuvered the logs around stumps and up onto other logs in an effort to raise one end over the truck's tailgate. Obviously, it worked. We then pealed the logs of their bark so they would slide on their smooth rounded inner surface when wetted. The process took a while but ultimately we were able to take large logs to the mill.  A special thanks goes out to Donnelly's grandparents, with out that truck we could not have done it.

kitchen

Now that the insulation is installed downstairs we have turned our attention toward the kitchen countertops. We plan to install concrete counters as we have in our current home. They are an excellent addition and allow us to increase thermal mass in the house as well as increase class. We will plan to place the drop in cast iron double sink, a craigslist find at $25, directly below the window on the South wall. The “new” still in the box and wrapper Ikea gas cooktop, a Restore find at $50, will sit below the East wall window. We have covered the walls below the counter in plywood, reclaimed from shipping pallets. The counters will stand two inches higher than “standard” counters considering that we are taller than the average person. At six foot six inches tall my back starts to hurt bending over traditional counters so the height adjustment is a nice comfort addition to the kitchen. 

up stairs moving forward

Upstairs the wood floor is down and the house feels almost as if it is done. Where a week ago we stood on the deck of the second floor looking through the future walls into the woods or down into the field, now we feel sealed in. We have windows and doors, we have walls covered in Tyvek. A bed now adorns our second floor. A writing desk keeps the bed company. Slowly as the house takes shape we find ourselves bringing little things into the space to make it more than just a house. It is shaping up to be a fine little home. 

Window view

The installation of windows into the house has definitely cut down on my productivity. I find myself standing at the windows staring out. I simply stare off into the meadow below imagining the day that we live here or watching animals flutter or scamper about. I feel a little like the old men of Ireland that stand in fields gazing into the distance. On a Study trip to Ireland my companions and I actually discussed whether these old men were paid by the government to keep up the old Irish image of surreal countryside. We determined that they were actually just enjoying standing in the middle of fields gazing. I now understand as I loose track of time staring out at the field below the house thinking

Mid October

My apologies for the delay in updating the progress on the tiny timber house. We have been focused more on the progress of the house than the blog. The next few days should have a steady stream of posts. 

It is mid October and the air is starting to have a certain crisp feel. The house is wrapped in Tyvke though not clad in any other layers. This means, the crisp feel outside has also made itself at house inside the tiny timber house. In an effort to escort the unwelcome guest back outside, where it is quite enjoyable, we have begun insulating. 

A little quick math in my head determined that we would need approximately eight rolls of R-13 fiberglass insulation to insulate the first floor. Considering I forgot to accommodate for windows, we  were able to finish with the use of seven. We started insulating the second floor with the eight roll. Even with the house not fully buttoned up, we lack the installation of one door, the insulation makes a noticeable difference in both sound dampening as well as warmth. 

With the insulation going up I have also begun spraying Great Stuff Windows and Doors, a spray in foam, into all of the gaps that would not receive rolls of insulation. The foam is especially helpful in reducing air infiltration thus reducing drafty feelings at windows and doors. Foam is also nice in the respect that it fits into gaps and then expands to fill them, something that fiber does not do. 

The roof is currently insulated with double bubble insulation. It consists of a double layer of thin bubble foam and a radiate barrier on one side. The radiant barrier is an aluminum reflective foil that reflects 96+% of radiant energy back into the atmosphere around the house instead of allowing it to soak in and warm the house. Think of this like one of those sun shades for a car windshield. It not only creates a shadow of cooler air behind the shade but it also does not soak in the rays, warm up, and then pass the warmth on to the dash of the car. Same concept with the radiant barrier on the house. The barrier is rated to R-11which essentially means it will do very little to help us keep heat out in the Summer or Heat in in the Winter. Most of the energy in a house transfers through the roof, in terms of hot and cold. Essentially, where R-11 may be fine for walls or a floor it is sub-optimal for the roof. We will be insulating the roof with an addition of R-30 fiberglass to supplement the double bubble. The addition will bring our roof R-value to R-41 a much more acceptable and insular roof value. 

Upstairs South wall 

The West wall downstairs

update October week one

So, we have been busy at work. Actually busy at work. We have not had the time to put toward the tiny timber house that we would have liked. The start of October has seen a slowing in the construction of the house. Though thanks to a friend for letting us borrow a floor stapler the wood flooring is almost done.

Yesterday we framed the shower walls. We help to do a concrete shower with a little help from of friends at Set in Stone. We are also almost ready to template out countertops. We plan to do the countertops in concrete as well, also with some help from Set in Stone. The bathroom wall, our only interior wall, is framed.

We bought a bathroom sink this week. This brings our secured amenity total to: bathroom sink, shower head, kitchen sink, propane cooktop, and propane hot water heater. We chose cast iron sinks for both of our sinks and the hot water heater is an outdoor model that we are retrofitting to supply the house. More on that concept to follow, when we install.

This week is Fall break at the school I work at. Meaning, we will have additional time to work on the house. Yesterday we framed a door on the second floor and that takes us one step closer to being fully dried in. By the end of this upcoming week we will be. We are then ready for our radiant barrier insulation. Check out the stuff we use at our friends blog: tiny revolution.

Yesterday was a big day. We framed a door, built piers for the front porch. Laid timbers level on the piers and nailed in deck joists. We also took care of framing the entire bathroom/ shower.

This is the update for now. I will try to get some photos soon.

tinyrevolution.us/http://tinyrevolution.us/2012/10/05/special-radiant-barrier-and-insulation-offer-from-ecofoil/

The West Wall

 Here is a photograph looking South at the recent excavation adjacent to the house. This is the uphill, Western, side of the house. We used our old garden tiller to break up  the hard soil and make it easier to shovel up the hill. I have done several projects with this excavation method. It is labor intensive though it does save money on equipment rentals. The other upside to this method is that the soil is not compacted by a large machine nor is it difficult to maneuver the small garden tiller into positions where a large excavator  would not fit.

Here I have dug out some of the up hill area West of the house. The plan here is to create a concrete path to the back of the house ( North side). The path will be covered and the soil will be retained. The retaining wall will create a nice border for planting shade tolerant plants. The plant root structure will help mitigate water coming down the hill ( assisted by gravel in fill and a french drain) Placing concrete on the ground around the house will help with reducing pest problems inside the house as there will not be vegetation and soil directly proximal to the house to provide harborage.

Here is another shot looking at the excavation. On another note: the roof covering over the concrete path will be approximately four feet. This covering will allow us to forgo guttering the upper roof as the lower roof will catch all of the rain off of the upper one. The best long term reward here is in regard to accessibility. The upper roof is difficult to access relative to the lower roof. Being tucked into the woods means there will be a decent amount of leaf and needle litter that will deposit into gutters. Gutter cleaning will be imperative. The lower guttering will allow easier and safer access to the gutters. The pollen dropped off the pine trees make the upper roof slippery to work on in addition to their elevation. Ultimately, I would rather avoid the upper roof and so the lower roof and guttering create a little work for today and less for tomorrow.

The house is wrapped! We are almost completely dried in. I have a door to frame up and then we are golden.