It’s every homeowner’s nightmare to discover a small patch of mold, and then learn that their floor, subfloor, and insulation have all become a soft, rotten waste. But that’s exactly what happened to my guest today, Chris Murphy. Chris and his wife Bri had to move out of their tiny house unexpectedly when it was discovered that there was a terrible moisture issue in both the floor and walls. In this interview, Chris tells his story so we can all learn from the critical mistakes that were made in Chris and Bri’s tiny home.
Full Show Notes and Images: https://www.thetinyhouse.net/151
In This Episode:
- From tiny house dweller to houseguest in 3 days
- How Chris's subfloor was built and how it should have been built
- Ask which spray foam your builder is using
- The builder's response
- How do you even fix a mold-ridden subfloor?
- Vapor barriers and insulation to get rid of extra water
- Why you should engage with others in the tiny house movement
- Where do you park in a town where tiny houses are illegal?
This Week's Sponsor: Tiny House Decisions
Tiny House Decisions is the guide that I wish I had when I was building my tiny house. And it comes in three different packages to help you on your unique tiny house journey. If you're struggling to figure out the systems for your tiny house, how you're going to heat it, how you're going to plumb it, what you're going to build it out, then tiny house decisions will take you through the process systematically and help you come up with a design that works for you. Right now I'm offering 20% off any package of Tiny House Decisions for podcast listeners. Head over to https://www.thetinyhouse.net/thd and use the coupon code tiny at checkout!
Lindsay Wood is an evangelist for tiny living, and these days she’s as busy as ever. As the pandemic has put economic pressure on a large swath of the country, tiny houses are being increasingly seen as a solution to housing affordability and inequality. But there are some big legal hurdles to get over before we get there, and in this interview, Lindsay helps us explore them.
Full Show Notes and Images: https://www.thetinyhouse.net/lindsay-wood-2
In This Episode:
- Could tiny homes be included in the eviction moratorium?
- Lindsay's affordable housing investment plan
- New legislation in CA that's great for ADU owners
- Why the ordinances in CA can help legalize tiny homes elsewhere
- The reasons that many cities have not allowed tiny houses
- Additional expenses that are necessary to ready a site for tiny house parking
- Alternatives to trailers
- The difference between 'traditional affordable housing' and 'tiny house affordable housing'
- What is THIA doing to help with the housing crisis?
This Week's Sponsor:
Let’s face it, most Tiny House dwellers want their homes to be small, but not uncomfortable. That means reliable, unlimited, hot water. Precision Temp’s propane-fired hot water heaters reliably provide unlimited hot water, and they’re specifically designed with tiny homes in mind. In fact, the NSP 550 model was installed in my own tiny home, and the reason I chose it was because it did not require a large hole in the side of my home like other RV hot water heaters. Instead, it mounts discreetly through the floor of the tiny house and works quietly and reliably. With their patented VariFlame technology, these are the only gas-fired tankless water heaters approved by RVIA and are ANS certified. Features such as cold weather and wind protection, precise electronic temperature control, and onboard diagnostics are standard. With higher efficiency and 55,000 BTUs of power, these units produce far more hot water than traditional water heaters. And since they don't come on unless you want hot water (or to protect against freezing), you may find that you use as little as half the propane or natural gas as before. So go ahead and take that long, hot shower! Precisiontemp is offering listeners of the Tiny House Lifestyle Podcast $100 off plus free shipping using the coupon code THLP. Head over to PrecisionTemp.com and use the coupon code THLP for $100 off any order plus free shipping. That website again is PrecisionTemp.com, coupon code THLP. Thank you so much to PrecisionTemp for sponsoring our show!
Contracts, Evictions, Housing Law. These topics might make your eyes glaze over, but they are becoming big issues for the tiny house movement. My guest today is Jody Gabel, a trial attorney with 25 years of experience in mobile home park law, RV tenancies, landlord/tenant and housing law, and local government issues. On the show, we’ll explore the challenges and solutions facing tiny house dwellers, landlords, and communities. I learned a lot and I know you will too!
Full show notes and links at thetinyhouse.net/149
In This Episode:
- Read your contract, read the lease, understand the expectations, and get it in writing
- What to look out for in a contract and what to be cautious of
- What does "replevin" mean and how might it apply to you?
- Do you want to rent to tiny house dwellers? Here's what you need in your contract
- Sometimes exceptions are reasonable and appropriate
- How to protect yourself and your build
- The obvious and not-so-obvious effects of COVID on the tiny house movement
- Should your builder have you sign an NDA?
- What should you do if you have an issue with your builder or landlord?
- The importance of knowing your rights as a resident and where to find the info
Let’s face it, most Tiny House dwellers want their homes to be small, but not uncomfortable. That means reliable, unlimited, hot water. Precision Temp’s propane-fired hot water heaters reliably provide unlimited hot water, and they’re specifically designed with tiny homes in mind. In fact, the NSP 550 model was installed in my own tiny home, and the reason I chose it was because it did not require a large hole in the side of my home like other RV hot water heaters. Instead, it mounts discreetly through the floor of the tiny house and works quietly and reliably. With their patented VariFlame technology, these are the only gas-fired tankless water heaters approved by RVIA and are ANS certified. Features such as cold weather and wind protection, precise electronic temperature control, and onboard diagnostics are standard. With higher efficiency and 55,000 BTUs of power, these units produce far more hot water than traditional water heaters. And since they don't come on unless you want hot water (or to protect against freezing), you may find that you use as little as half the propane or natural gas as before. So go ahead and take that long, hot shower! Precisiontemp is offering listeners of the Tiny House Lifestyle Podcast $100 off plus free shipping using the coupon code THLP. Head over to PrecisionTemp.com and use the coupon code THLP for $100 off any order plus free shipping. That website again is PrecisionTemp.com, coupon code THLP. Thank you so much to PrecisionTemp for sponsoring our show!
If it has wheels, chances are someone has made a moveable tiny house out of it. On today’s show, the “it” I’m referring to is a 1985 Railroad Camp Car. My guest is Hannah Doss, who converted said railroad car into a gorgeous moveable tiny house in just 3 months and for less than 9000 dollars.
Full Show Notes and Images: https://www.thetinyhouse.net/hannah-doss
- What is a railroad camp car and how can you find one for yourself?
- The budget breakdown: creative ways to accumulate materials and what costs the most
- Did you know about the 10-year rule in some RV parks?
- How Hannah and her friend, Toobz, came up with the mural
- What inspired Hannah's children's book?
- It's not all rainbows and butterflies, but it's definitely worth the work
- Monthly expenses in the RV park and impromptu tiny house tours
- Creative bed configuration and repurposed store displays
Is this the year that you're finally going to embark on your dream of living tiny? If you're serious about building or buying a tiny house, then I'd like to personally invite you to my online community where you can connect with other tiny housers, get your questions specific questions answered, and get support on your journey. If you need some encouragement or just need to know how someone else solved a problem, you’ll get those answers in Tiny House Engage. I’m also very active in the community, answering questions and keeping an eye on things, so if you want to interact with me, this is a great way to do it.
I love looking at tiny house plans. Just seeing how other designers solve the space-related challenges of a tiny house is inspiring. That’s why I was super excited when I discovered PinUpHouses, the international design studio run by my guest Joshua Woodsman. PinupHouses sells digital plans for over 150 small and tiny houses, cottages, and sheds, and they’ve been doing for many years. Today, I’ll ask Joshua what got him into tiny houses in the first place and what he’s learned from designing so many of them.
Full Show Notes and Images: https//www.thetinyhouse.net/joshua-woodsman
In This Episode
- Housing trends in Germany and how they affect the Czech Republic
- Simplify everything: Joshua's dream for a streamlined building process
- Joshua's fully off-grid container house
- What philosophy and the architecture of slums have in common
- The purpose of the Magenta and France houses
- What's coming up for Pinup Houses next?
Sponsor:
Take 20% off Tiny House Decisions using the coupon code tiny
Tiny House Decisions is the guide that I wish I had when I was building my tiny house. And it comes in three different packages to help you on your unique tiny house journey. If you're struggling to figure out the systems for your tiny house, how you're going to heat it, how you're going to plumb it, what you're going to build it out, then tiny house decisions will take you through the process systematically and help you come up with a design that works for you. Right now I'm offering 20% off any package of Tiny House Decisions for podcast listeners. Head over to https://www.thetinyhouse.net/thd and use the coupon code tiny at checkout!
Rocket Mass Heaters are a very popular DIY in the cob, natural building, and permaculture world, but is only starting to get traction in the tiny house movement. Today, Chris McClellan AKA Uncle Mud is here to explain how Rocket Mass Heaters Work, how to build one of your own, and most importantly, his design for a tiny rocket heater, called the Cottage Rocket.
Full Show Notes and Images: https://www.thetinyhouse.net/uncle-mud
In This Episode
- "The first non-suicidal woodstove" is safer and more efficient
- Tips for those who want to DIY their own rocket mass heater
- Don't skimp on these materials, especially in a tiny house
- How the EPA tests woodstoves explains why rocket heaters aren't quite legal
- Enough heat for 8 hours without being overheated: the Cottage Rocket does it
- Makeup air and minimizing the chance of smoke in your house
- Saving money, using scraps, and lowering the environmental footprint
- Where to find cheaper materials to insulate your tiny house
Sponsor:
Take 20% off Tiny House Decisions using the coupon code tiny
Tiny House Decisions is the guide that I wish I had when I was building my tiny house. And it comes in three different packages to help you on your unique tiny house journey. If you're struggling to figure out the systems for your tiny house, how you're going to heat it, how you're going to plumb it, what you're going to build it out, then tiny house decisions will take you through the process systematically and help you come up with a design that works for you. Right now I'm offering 20% off any package of Tiny House Decisions for podcast listeners. Head over to https://www.thetinyhouse.net/thd and use the coupon code tiny at checkout!
Daniel Ott is one of the first tiny home builders in Ontario, working to change the housing market by designing and building legal tiny homes (which is no small feat under the Ontario Building Code, one of the strictest codes in North America). Using his unique UpSizeDown Method, Daniel and his team at True North Tiny Homes not only design your tiny dream home, but they also help you get prepared to thrive in it.
The post Innovative Designs for Cold Weather Tiny Living in Canada with Daniel Ott- #145 appeared first on The Tiny House.
Did you know that cob is one of the oldest building materials around? According to my guest, Dave Olsen, most cob houses are tiny houses because they take so long to build! Cob is a mixture of clay, sand, straw, and water that hardens into a thick, load-bearing, structure. Think curved, earthen walls and whimsical building shapes. Dave Olsen has been building with cob for over 20 years and has developed his own technique, called “Fast Cob”. Dave tells us about the benefits of Cob building, how to do fast cob, and more.
The post Introduction to Cob: The Ancient, Natural, Tiny House Building Method with Dave Olsen – #144 appeared first on The Tiny House.
If you’ve been following the tiny house movement for any amount of time, there’s a good chance you’ve come across a story about someone getting ripped off by a tiny house builder. Heck, I’ve interviewed several people on this show whose builders have gone bankrupt or not delivered on what they promised. This week, I’m interviewing Frank Olito, the resident tiny house expert at Business Insider. Frank has also noticed this trend in the industry and has focused his reporting on it. In this episode, you'll learn about what happens when you work with a bad builder, what recourse you can take, and how to avoid bad builders in the first place.
The post How to Avoid Getting Scammed by Your Tiny House Builder with Frank Olito – #143 appeared first on The Tiny House.
Meet Melissa and Jon Block, the sister-brother team behind San Diego’s first ever tiny house village called Tiny House Block. In this interview, Melissa and Jon will share the journey that they took to go from a couple of backyard tiny homes, to a dedicated piece of land with 25 tiny houses. Surprisingly, the majority of their homes are rented long-term, and they’ve had to figure out how to manage a community, including difficult tenants, disputes between neighbors, and more. I hope you stick around!
The post The Ups and Downs of Managing a Tiny House Community with Jon and Melissa Block – #142 appeared first on The Tiny House.
Deek is Back! After kindly agreeing to be a guest on the second ever episode of the Tiny House Lifestyle Podcast, Derek Deek Diedricksen is here to talk DIY Treehouse Building. We’re not talking about 50,000 tiny homes in the trees. No, we’re talking about DIY, backyard treehouse building anyone with some tools and some trees, and a dream. Deek has built many, many treehouses, and he’s got tips, tricks, and hacks to share to make the process quicker and cheaper. Deek always has a lot of projects ongoing, so he’ll fill us in on what’s happening in the world of Relax Shacks.
The post DIY Treehouse Building with Derek ‘Deek’ Diedricksen – #141 appeared first on The Tiny House.
If you’ve been listening for a while, you know I love to feature new and innovative ways to build tiny homes. Well, today, I’m featuring something that could be considered a very “old” way- Timber Framing! Clara and Edwin Bobrycki not only designed and built their timber frame tiny house- but they also cut down all the trees and milled the lumber for the entire frame. It’s no easy task, but Edwin and Clara will break it down for us so we can learn what it takes to build a timber framed tiny home.
The post How to Build a Timber Framed Tiny House with Edwin and Clara Bobrycki – #140 appeared first on The Tiny House.
When it comes to designing tiny homes, Vina Lustado is the real deal. Her iconic Sol Haus and Sol Pod homes are beautiful, light-filled examples of high tiny design, and Vina has lived tiny for many years and in several locations. As a California resident, Vina has seen the destructive and traumatic effects of wildfires and has answered the call in the best way she knows how: By designing a pre-fab tiny home that can be permitted as an ADU in California and has several fire-resistant design elements.
The post Designing a Fire-Resistant Tiny Home ADU with Vina Lustado – #139 appeared first on The Tiny House.
Living off-grid is especially challenging when you're on a 50-ft sailboat in the middle of the ocean. My guest today is Rick Moore, whose sailboat, the Sophisticated Lady, is fully set up to live off-grid for months at a time, with solar and wind power, a water desalination unit, and even a garden on board. Rick walks us through his systems and helps figure out how we can apply them to tiny house living. Stick around!
The post Living Off-Grid for Months at Sea: Hydroponics, Solar, Wind, and Gardening on a Sailboat with Rick Moore – #138 appeared first on The Tiny House.
Darin Dinsmore is the urban planner and landscape architect behind the amazing Tiny Camp Sedona, a small pod of tiny houses available for nightly rentals outside of Sedona, Arizona. Darren is just getting started applying his skills as a developer to tiny house communities. He’ll let us in on the projects he’s working on now, how he approaches developing tiny house communities, and what he’s excited about for the future of tiny homes.
The post Pro Tips to Develop a Tiny House Community with Darin Dinsmore – #137 appeared first on The Tiny House.
If you’re hoping to move around a lot, a moveable tiny home isn’t always the best option. While vans and school bus conversions take the spotlight, my guest Tom Roszko set his sights on a medium-duty ambulance. In this conversation, we’ll learn why used ambulances actually make a fantastic starting point for a conversion, how to find them, and other tips for a DIY, super mobile tiny home. Plus, Tom shares details about his solar, water, and off-grid living in his home.
The post The Ultimate Go-Anywhere Tiny House Ambulance Conversion with Tom Roszko – #136 appeared first on The Tiny House.
There’s something enduring and timeless about the A-frame. It seems to fit into any landscape and instantly says “cozy”. Today, I’m interviewing Michael Romanowicz, founder of Den Outdoors, which designs beautiful, easy to build A-frames and sells plans. In this conversation, we’ll explore the popularity of A-frames, the advantages and disadvantages of the design, and learn about what’s in store at Den.
The post Exploring the Timeless A-Frame Design with Den Outdoors Founder Michael Romanowicz – #135 appeared first on The Tiny House.
Moving a tiny house is no easy task. As the movement grows, so do the tiny homes, making each move more complicated. Today I’m speaking with Taylor Tefft, a professional tiny house mover. She’s here to discuss the ins and outs of moving a tiny home. We cover pricing, insurance, how long it takes, and even moving tiny homes that aren’t on wheels.
The post How to Work with a Professional Tiny House Mover: Pricing, Timing, and Logistics with Taylor Tefft – #134 appeared first on The Tiny House.
Baylie Carlson made a splash in the tiny house movement with her tiny house home birth story. She has lived in both a moveable tiny house, a luxury skoolie, and has lots of insight to share when it comes to raising kids in small dwellings. Baylie is also involved in a really interesting YouTube competition called Outlast Homestead, where the winner gets the title to the land.
The post From Moveable Tiny House to Luxury Skoolie: Tiny Lifestyle with Baylie Carlson – #133 appeared first on The Tiny House.
Permaculture is one of those words I hear batted around a lot in conjunction with the tiny house movement, but have never taken the time to learn what it is. Kenton Zerbin is the perfect guest to help explain it. In this conversation, we’ll learn that Permaculture isn’t some technique or life hack- Rather, it’s an entire way of thinking: A design philosophy that pairs beautifully with tiny homes. Kenton is a teacher by trade, and he’ll also share how he designed his tiny home to survive off-grid in cold, Canadian winters.
The post Permaculture For Tiny Homes with Kenton Zerbin – #132 appeared first on The Tiny House.
Dan Fitzpatrick is the Director of Government Relations and president of the Tiny Home Industry Association and has made a name for himself as the go-to guy for tiny home legalization. This info-packed conversation does not disappoint! We talk about the importance of calling our homes “Moveable Tiny Homes” instead of “Tiny Homes on Wheels”, The current status of Appendix Q, and how to do tiny house advocacy the right way.
The post How to Legalize Tiny Houses: Advocacy 101 with Dan Fitzpatrick – #131 appeared first on The Tiny House.
Lloyd Kahn’s first interview on the Tiny House Lifestyle Podcast is the most downloaded episode to date, so I knew I had to have him back on to talk about his wonderful new book, The Half-Acre Homestead. We talk about the benefits and limitations of homesteading in the present and future. While Lloyd is a bit dubious about the viability of living in a tiny house long-term, I think that the lifestyle he showcases in The Half Acre Homestead is readily compatible with tiny house living.
The post Lloyd Kahn’s Half-Acre Homestead: Building, Gardening and Getting Started – #130 appeared first on The Tiny House.
Dylan Magaster started his YouTube channel at the age of 21 with only $1,000 in the bank. He backpacked for 6 months, converted a van, and lived in it for close to 2 years. Then he decided to move to the Mediterranean and buy a sailboat with only 7 days of sailing experience with 2 strangers that he met through the internet. He has now sailed over 6,000 nautical miles and visited 27 countries. In this interview, we’ll talk about van life vs. boat life, and how to do it all on the cheap.
The post From Van Life to Sailboat Living with Only $1000 – #129 appeared first on The Tiny House.
Figuring out the right insulation for your tiny house can be one of the most confusing things about designing and building your own home. And if you’re working with a professional builder, there’s no guarantee they know what they’re doing either. That’s why I’m excited to introduce you to Brad Cook. Brad is an energy efficiency professional who offers a wealth of knowledge about insulation and ventilation when it comes to tiny houses. In this conversation, we’ll nerd out about insulation and common myths about heating a tiny house.
The post Build Your House Tight and Ventilate Right with Brad Cook – #128 appeared first on The Tiny House.
It’s been a while since we’ve talked about steel framing so I thought it would be timely to invite Jay Leopold on the show. Jay is the chief engineer and designer at ThinHaus, which exclusively builds steel framed tiny homes. In this conversation we’ll battle it out over Steel Framing vs. SIPs, talk about the building envelope requirements for a steel framed home, and take a deep dive on certifications.
The post Steel Framed vs. SIPs: Tiny House Building Envelope Choices with Jay Leopold – #127 appeared first on The Tiny House.
