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And Then There Were Walls… and a Floor

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Things have been a little bit quiet here on Howling Dog Construction website over the last few weeks, as Matt has been focused on building the Tiny House and getting as much done as possible in between the blizzards, storms, and freezing rain that have frequented Nova Scotia this winter.

Despite the unpredictable weather, the Tiny House is really taking shape! Once the spray foam was finished, the subfloor screwed to the frame of the trailer. Once the floor was laid, it was time to stand the walls. But first, they had to be dug out from two feet of snow!

Standing the walls was an exciting moment, as it really gave a sense to the shape and size of the Tiny House. And it was a bit of a relief that everything fit together so well, given that each wall had been pre-built.

Then came the sheeting of the walls, which enclosed the Tiny House and brought further stability to the frame of the house.

Next up: putting in the ridge beam and framing the roof, with pictures coming soon.

Laying the subfloor.
Digging out the walls!
First wall to stand.
Getting the sheeting up.
Upper loft window from inside..

And the Building Has Begun!

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It’s been a busy week here at Howling Dog Construction, with construction starting on the Tiny Home.

Despite the cold temperatures and heavy snowfall, we were able to successfully spray foam insulate the trailer frame, which will become the floor for the Tiny Home. In order to meet the conditions required for spray foam installation, a temporary structure had to be built around the trailer to keep the weather out, and the heat in (there was a lot of ice on the trailer to melt!).

Matt also got started on the walls, starting construction outside with the long walls, and then moving into the garage due to weather to complete the end and dormer walls. Here are some pictures from this week’s progress:

Up next this week: laying the plywood for the floor and attaching it to the trailer, followed by the standing of the walls! It will be an exciting week of transformations and development, all in our driveway.

Stay tuned for regular updates and pictures as the construction progresses. And if you are interested in learning more about the process of downsizing to a Tiny Home (or the adventures in ‘right-sizing’ as they describe it), please visit the blog kept by the soon-to-be Tiny Home owners.

Tiny Home Building

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While I enjoy all sorts of renovation and construction challenges, over the last six months, I have been working on an exciting new project to design and build a Tiny Home for a great couple who are on a quest to downsize, simplify, and live in a more environmentally-sensitive way. This has been a great learning experience, that has stretched my learning and design skills to a new level, and challenged the way I look at houses, housing solutions, and space usage.

We are now moving into the construction phase, which I hope to start by the middle of January, pending the completion of a custom-made trailer that is currently being manufactured by Kerr Trailers in Quebec. Given the size of this Tiny Home (175 square feet, 25 feet long by 7 1/2 feet wide), I’m going to be building it in my driveway here in Coxheath. For more information, check out my Tiny House Project page, where I lay out more details and share some photos.

Stay tuned for pictures and videos as the project continues.

Welcome to Howling Dog Construction!

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Welcome to Howling Dog Construction, located in Coxheath, Nova Scotia, just outside of Sydney, on beautiful Cape Breton Island.

I recently moved here from Ontario, and am just getting my business up and running. I’m looking forward to working in the area on home renovations or small jobs, and am happy to discuss your ideas and projects with you. I will look after your jobs from start to finish, including organizing and supervising sub-trades where needed.

Please contact me for more information, to learn about the services I offer, or to discuss your design and renovation needs.

Matthew Willox
Owner/Carpenter, Howling Dog Construction