And then there was siding

Posted on June 23, 2016 by matthewwillox

Getting ready to shingle

Outside is all done, now I just need the new door

A look at the shingles. With the local Bald Eagle watching over

Spray foam before cleanup

Spray foam after clean up

Wow! What a great colour. The siding is almost complete and it looks great.

The combination of the grey roof, white trim and blue siding gives it a real ‘Nova Scotia Sea side’ look.

While I was working on the outside there were things going on inside too. Once the electrical was all roughed-in the Guys From Eco home insulation got in there and sprayed the walls and ceiling with 2lb, closed cell, foam insulation. This gives me an R value of around 21, plenty to keep the Tiny House cozy and warm in the middle of winter.

On the first Tiny house I did all the plumbing myself, but this time I have enlisted the help of Marc from EZ Flow plumbing in order to keep things moving along. They got the drains and vents in today and will be back tomorrow to finish the rough-in for the water lines.

It is always a bit nerve wracking for me to see people like the electricians and plumbers drilling all sorts of holes in the Tiny House I have just built, so I tend to keep a very close eye on them! I have been pleased so far with the level of care and thought that they are putting into their work, that means I can relax a bit and carry on with my jobs.

There are a few extra features in this model that were not in the last one, like a washer/dryer for example. The clients were keen to have this option and with the extra 1 1/2 feet in the bathroom there is room to put a nice 24″ condensating washer/dryer. No venting is required which makes the install quite easy.

Next up was the cedar shingles on the dormer walls. Once they were completed the outside was pretty much done…now begins all the woodwork inside.

Tiny 2 Well on the way.

Posted on April 13, 2016 by matthewwillox

My latest Tiny house project is off to a great start. The experience I gained from building the first one has proven to be invaluable, with everything coming together a bit quicker, a lot smoother and with way less time spent staring off in deep thought!

The design for this house is very similar to the last one with a few minor changes. For a start it is three feet longer, so 28′ in total. This means a slightly bigger living room and bathroom.

The layout of the door and windows has moved around a bit in order to take full advantage of the anticipated view that it will have at its new home. So the door switched sides and in its place is a very large viewing window.

Of course moving anything in a tiny house means moving everything! So there will still have to be some new crafty construction details that will make this version unique.

Next week is a busy one, with the windows, siding and roof all arriving within three days. Stay tuned to see the new colour scheme.

The trailer had to come through a blizzard but it made it

4″ of solid insulation to keep the feet warm

An extra layer of 1/2″ for a thermal break

Floor all done

First wall up

Tiny (loft) walls for a tiny house

Great day to raise the ridge beam

First roof joists are in place

Looking good

Great view of the roof framing

It’s Taking shape now

Nice looking roof line

Watertight at last with the roof membrane on

All ready for windows

More Media for Tiny

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Ashlee Cunsolo

It seems like everyone is interested in Tiny, and where she ended up and what it’s like to live small. Recently, Tiny has been featured in a CTV National News story, and a BuzzFeed Canada story!

The CTV story weaves together clips from two separate interviews conducted by CTV Atlantic about Tiny.

The BuzzFeed Canada article covers living in Tiny, with a particular focus on the doggie elevator for the lovely Corgie, Shanti.

Matt has been fielding phone calls and emails from all across the country about building and living in Tiny Homes, and it is so exciting to see such interest. The Tiny Home movement is here to stay!

Tiny in the Media!

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Ashlee Cunsolo

Well, it’s been two weeks since Nicky Duenkel and Judy Pratt moved into Tiny, and they are settling in splendidly. There continues to be much interest in Tiny, and yesterday and today, Tiny was featured on two television segments for CTV Atlantic and CBC TV. It’s exciting to see Tiny in action, and so well loved and used.

Tiny is every bit the dream home that Nicky and Judy imagined, and as is said in the CTV Atlantic interview, they are “living small and loving it!”

Click here for the CTV interview.

Click here for the CBC interview.

Moving Day: Tiny Home on the Highway!

Posted on November 16, 2015 by matthewwillox

Well, we all know that all good things come to an end… but they also get hitched up to a tow truck and move down the highway to their new home! And that’s what happened with Tiny!

The official moving day went swimmingly. The winds were low, which is always a bonus when trying to move a home down the highway. Tiny was hitched up to a tow truck, hired for his experience in towing mobile homes.

The first challenge was getting Tiny out of the driveway, past some trees and under some power lines. But, it ended up clearing everything with no problem. Just a short drive up the road, and onto the highway, and Tiny was flying.

On the highway, we had to make a detour up and over a bridge, because the tow truck driver knew it was one of the lowest bridges in Nova Scotia, and it was likely Tiny would not have fit! Thank goodness for hiring a professional, or the results of that bridge meeting could have been disastrous!

Tiny did wonderfully on the highway. She rode smoothly, with little movement. She even got weighed along the journey. Matt was nervous about how everything would add up, given the trailer was only rated for 18,000 lbs — but, she came in at 14,300, which was a relief to all.

The last hurdle was getting Tiny up a fairly steep driveway and into her new home, but with some skilled manoeuvring, she made it and got settled right away. And as an added bonus, when we opened the doors, everything was still in tact and nothing had bounced around. Whew!

It was sad to have Tiny leave the driveway and the family, but so lovely to see her in her new home.

Getting Tiny ready to go on her maiden voyage

Here we go! Cleared the power lines and tree no problem.

On the road at last!

Looking good on the road

No issues with a professional towing company pulling Tiny

Looks really close but there was lots of room

On the scales. When we subtract the truck weight it came in at 14300 lbs.

Coming up the driveway

In place for the winter

Favourite Feature #5: The Doggie Elevator!

Posted on November 15, 2015 by matthewwillox

This may be the only Tiny Home out there right now with a doggie elevator! That’s right — a doggie elevator!

This particular feature arose out of the need to transport the clients’ Corgie from the bottom floor to the top floor, because the stairs are too steep and too hard on his back. With need, comes innovation, and so Matt innovated the idea to have a doggie elevator that moves up and down via a winch system.

As with everything in Tiny, this was completely custom made. One of the main challenges was actually finding the space where this dog-evator could drop down in between the stairs, the cupboard, and counter — all the measurements had to be precise!

The end result is a one-of-a-kind Tiny Home feature, that has the Corgie and his owners happy at the outcome! And as you can see, it has the smallest Howling Dog Construction crew member excited to try it out!

Testing the winch for the elevator

All the pieces waiting to be put together.

The Elevator joints had to be strong so everything was Rabbited

All the pieces dry fit together to makes sure they all fit nicely.

Making good use of the elevator.

Getting the winch ready to mount

Elevator box hanging in place, it fits in the space perfectly.

The winch in place

Favourite Feature #4: Crafty Cupboards

Posted on November 1, 2015 by matthewwillox

Cupboards are essential for any home; but in a Tiny Home, they are even more essential. Matt and the clients wanted to find ways to maximize every available space in the kitchen, creating a kitchen area that is not only spacious, but stores a surprising amount of items.

All the cupboards were handmade and custom built to space, out of plywood with a maple face, and finished with varathane to give a smooth, durable, and natural finish. Some of the interesting features of these cupboards are drawers at the bottom of each cupboard where the toe kick normally is, avoiding 4 inches of wasted space. The drawers feature full extension sliders, to easily access all parts of the storage space. The drawers were also specifically designed to accommodate all their kitchen appliances and pots and pans, ensuring that every item had its place.

The bank of drawers next to the desk function as office supply storage, with the top drawer containing an inner charging station to avoid unnecessary clutter from electronics.

Finally, to allow two people to easily work together in the kitchen, a custom fold-up countertop was designed, maximizing the working and chopping space in the kitchen.

Kitchen cabinets

In production

Looking more like a kitchen

Fling cabinet and charging drawer

Kitchen is looking good with all the faces on

When more counter space is required this leaf just swings up and locked in place.

when more people space is needed in the kitchen the leaf drops down.

lots of storage, including in the toe kick.

Spice rack

Toe kick drawer, can be opened with your toes!

The Circuit panel hidden at the back of the pantry.

File drawer with hard wood rails to hold file folders.

This is the charging drawer. The end of the charge cords sit in the slots and the unsightly mess of wires hangs out of sight behind the drawer.

Working on installing the cupboard doors.

Faces drying in the sun

Favourite Feature #3: The Stairs

Posted on October 15, 2015 by Ashlee Cunsolo

Next up on Matt’s Favourite Features of Tiny: the stairs!

The stairs are a central part of the overall design of Tiny and, like everything else, have to incorporate maximum storage, functionality, and aesthetics. These stairs took a lot of planning and consideration, and were one of the first things designed in the planning process because of their importance, their centrality in the home, and the space they take up.

The treads are made from maple, and the base is made from high-grade plywood. The handrails and trim pieces are reclaimed and repurposed wood, salvaged from various places and sources. The stairs have been finished with oil, followed by two coats of varathane for a smooth and durable finish.

Since the stairs go up to the sleeping loft, which, due to the height, requires you to be on your hands and knees to enter, the last tread before the loft is extra deep. This allows for a comfortable transition from the stairs to the sleeping area.

One of the hidden storage compartments under the stairs. No space left unused!

These bottom three stairs are not only storage, but are designed to be removable to get the fridge into the kitchen.

Cubby under the stairs — much needed storage space.

Side profile of the stairs, showing additional side storage.

From above, looking down.

This is how the stairs fit within the overall entrance design.

Looking up from below.

There’s an LED light on the wall on the left, to illuminate the stairs at night time.

Finally finished building the stair doors, now they need oiling.

Favourite Feature #2: The Ladder

Posted on October 14, 2015 by matthewwillox

Our next featured design from Tiny is the Ash ladder leading up to the second loft above the bathroom.

The final ladder design emerged after testing out several different prototypes. In the original plan, the ladder was incorporated into the shelving unit itself. But, as the building progressed, and different designs were tested, it was decided that this was too complicated, and the desire to have a simplified design led to the current version.

As you can see from the pictures, the ladder is designed to slide behind the shelving unit, in a space between the bathroom wall and the shelf. The ladder has wheels on the bottom that are only engaged when it is in the upright position to facilitate sliding back and forth. At the top is a simple hook and eye system, allowing the ladder to be slid out; when pulled into position, the hooks automatically engage, holding the ladder securely in place.

The ladder itself is made out of Ash, from Windhorse Farms‘ sustainable woodlot on the mainland of Nova Scotia. We love how it turned out!

Ladder to second loft, made of Ash

Ladder and bathroom door can be used independantly

Door and Ladder stowed away behind the shelves

Can still access the bathroom when ladder is out

Wheels are off the floor until the ladder upright and is ready to roll behind the shelf

Simple but Secure hook system.

Handle on the side allows it to be pulled out when stowed flush to shelf

Favourite Feature #1: Integrated Couch, Desk & Table

Posted on October 13, 2015 by matthewwillox

As promised, here is the first installment of Matthew’s favourite features of Tiny. First up, the integrated couch, desk, and table set that was designed specifically for the needs of the owners and for the space.

This unit is a big part of the central house design, and is not only a main decorative feature, but is also a critical piece of the living space. This unit incorporates multiple storage spaces, a shelving unit, a permanent desk and foldaway table, and a comfy couch.

The whole design was a challenge, given the space requirements and the multiple uses and functions the unit had to perform. A lot of thought and prototypes went into this design, and we are so pleased with the results.

The shelf unit functions not only as a needed storage unit, but also as a way to hide the sliding ladder leading up to one of the lofts, and cover the sliding door to the bathroom.

It was important to maximize the storage capacity of the couch unit, by building in storage units under the sitting space. These units also add a great accent of colour and can also function as extra seats when guests are over.

One of the hardest parts was the design of the desk and table unit. The challenge: the desk needed to be a permanent fixture, but the table needed to be able to be stowed when not in use, freeing up the couch space. This design enables the table to be pulled out, while the desk is in use. Matt went through multiple designs and prototypes of the leaf system, finally settling on the one you see in the pictures, both for strength, durability, and ease of motion and use.

The custom-made upholstery adds the final finishing touch to this unit, and creates a very comfy couch and extra bed. It also adds a bright pop of colour to the unit, creating a warm and welcoming space. Overall, this has become one of the most eye-catching and innovative parts of Tiny!