Workshop Kick-Off @ Tum-A-Lum Lumber

Hey everyone, sorry it's been a while since my last post. I've been busy working on starting my own business, enerstructa llc, which offers EPS home verifications, energy consulting and carpentry & home repair workshops. I am partnering with a local business, Tum-A-Lum Lumber in Hood River, OR, to offer monthly workshops which will be held on the last Saturday of each month from 9-11am. Today was their Founders Day event so I was there tabling to kick-off the workshop series. Participants were able to learn more about upcoming workshops as well as build and take home a hanging planter box. It was so much fun teaching people to build, especially the kids as they caught on so quickly! Check out the photos below. I'm excited for the first official workshop in 2 weeks, on July 29th, where parents can bring their kids to build bird houses. Space is limited and sign-ups will be managed by Tum-A-Lum. Once the event is created, I will post a link here to register!

Support Women Building Workshops!

Hello! I am starting my own business with a focus on empowering women through building workshops. Through the workshops, women will learn how to use tools and choose materials to successfully build a variety of DIY projects as well as hone home repair skills. To get these workshops going, I started a gofundme campaign which you can check out, share and donate here. The money from this fundraiser will go toward workshop development, space rental, tool and material acquisition. If enough funds are raised, I will also be able to offer a scholarship program to ensure equitable access for all. I greatly appreciate all of your support!

*Follow along on Facebook and Instagram @SheStructs!

Tiny House (& Van) Conference

Last weekend I was invited to attend the Tiny House Conference in Portland, OR! This year they had a special Track C for people who had attended a conference or for those who already live in a tiny house. Of about 30 people who signed up for this track, I was one of about a third who already live in one so it was fun to hear what other people had done and their learning lessons as well as the questions and comments from the soon to be tiny housers. We also discussed advocacy and what's in motion at the state and national levels that will potentially shape the future. Finally, of course, we toured the tiny homes people had brought from all over the country.

Just a few of the tiny homes in the parking lot.

I have to say though that since I have built and lived in mine, I could live with even less. I originally started with a 20' design, then 18' and finally 16' because in addition to the design challenge, I knew that smaller would be easier to tow around and to find places to park. Some time after building my home, I sketched out a 12' plan and learned how to maximize space even more. After moving mine twice I realized some limitations of taking it on the road and finding a place to live. In some ways I want to be more mobile but still have a solid home base (which will hopefully be the strawbale house on owned property).

I have been looking at Sprinter van conversions with my boyfriend lately and we have been thinking about buying one and building out the inside to travel and live out of for periods of time. Van living is an attractive idea to me because it enables a similar level of the hand-made customization of tiny homes but eliminates the need for a towing vehicle, is more compact and stealthy to live out of. It has a solid shell that you could paint to give it some character and can be easily set up to live off grid. Wheels are turning...

Wintering in a Tiny Home

Wow, what a crazy winter we have had this year! When I first talked to the people who are hosting my tiny home and me, they told me snow was more of a novelty than the norm. So I wasn't expecting multiple snowstorms, feet of snow on the ground for months, and days when I couldn't get to work because I had to wait for the rural roads where I live to be plowed. They say this has been a record winter, worse than any in 20 years, so maybe I should consider myself lucky to have had this experience. Don't get me wrong, snow can be beautiful when it's falling and waking up to a blue sky and snow topped ponderosa pines is downright magical. It's the cold, the shoveling and the treacherous road conditions dealt with on a daily basis that remind me why I moved away from a snowier climate. Can you tell I'm ready for spring?

I am happy to say my tiny house has held up to the snow and below zero temps. Well mostly. My cantilevered door awning did manage to build up enough snow to split and rip apart the siding and furring strips I had lag screwed it to so I'm going to have to do some repairs to get it reinstalled. Luckily I had added a 2x4 across the horizontal supports so the polycarbonate didn't break.

I did invest in a heated water hose this winter and it was the best decision I could have made. For around $100, I have had running water all winter long. We didn't end up installing a frost free hydrant but the utility shed structure and a little bit of insulation around the water hose connections were enough to keep the line from freezing. I had guessed that I would be dealing with colder weather for a longer period of time than I had in Portland, and boy was I right! I highly recommend buying and using one if you live in a climate with below freezing winter temps.

Also, I bought an oil filled radiant heater to use as the primary heat source for my home. I usually had it set on the low or eco modes at 65 degrees (the lowest temp possible), and that was more than adequate to keep the house warm even in sub zero conditions.

Garage: Cargo Trailer Build Out

Since there is more space at my new place, I decided to buy a cargo trailer that I could build out as a garage for tools and gear storage. It would also make moving again easier since I could store in it most of the things I had set up outside and under my house at the last place. You can read this post for a little more info about picking out the trailer and the move. Mainly, I chose a prefabricated cargo trailer due to time constraints and cost to build something myself. This 5'x8' cargo trailer was $2,236 new. I priced out just a trailer frame in this size at $1,500 so I think it's a pretty good deal to go with the fully built option.

When looking for a trailer, I wasn't certain that I needed the extra height of this one for my things but I sure have appreciated the ability to stand up inside! Also, I really like having a side door to access things a little easier. The double back doors can be a little difficult to get closed because I really have to press the lever toward the trailer and then push it down into the groove so that one of the pieces with a hole for a lock can swivel around and down. I think this is just part of the design to get a tight seal. Adding lubricant also has helped.

In designing my tool storage area, I decided to put it on the long side of the trailer opposite the side door. I wanted to build a shelving system for my toolbox and storage totes with tools, fasteners and materials. Since I had extra 2x4s and 1/2" plywood floating around from another project, I decided to use them for the shelves. With these materials and screws (always good to keep extra fasteners around!), I created a frame with 2 shelves. The 2 largest totes fit underneath on the floor, the 3 smaller totes fit on the shelf in the middle and the toolbox sits on the top shelf. I also installed some hooks and racks for other tools, extension cords and hoses.

On the other long side wall with the door, I installed the metal cabinet that I had used for my outdoor kitchen. I placed it up as high as I could so the RV camp stove could fit under and still provide a small storage space above. In the future, it might be neat to put the camp stove on industrial drawer slides to be able to slide it out the back and use it to cook!

Solar Awning Rebuild

Before I moved my home this summer, I disconnected my solar panels and disassembled the wooden support structure in order to transport them unattached to my home. Once settled into my new site, the plan was to build a new support structure with aluminum so that the awning could fold down and be structurally safe while attached during transport.

The design for the new frame is similar to the old one, trading 2x2 cedar supports for 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" and 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" aluminum C channel. I drilled holes in the bottom of each section of channel to align with the holes in the solar panel frames. In more typical residential solar installs, special rails and hardware clamp the panels in place but I was looking for a lower profile design since I had just under 2" depth to play with. I placed the narrower channels in the middle and wider ones on the outside since they would also accommodate the vertical support posts.

With all of the holes drilled, I went to work attaching them with bolts, nuts, washers and lock washers to the piece of 2" unistrut tube that was already attached to my house via welded on hinges, a piece of angle iron and all-thread. Of course I had to measure to make sure their placement would line up with the spacing of the holes in the solar panel frames. I also didn't tighten things down completely since it's a good idea to wait until everything is in place just in case a little extra wiggle room is necessary.

With the help of a friend and with the channels in vertical position, we lifted the lower solar panel in place, balancing it in one hand while securing it with the bolt hardware with the other. Not an easy task! Eventually we got the four corners attached so we could install the upper panel. For this one, we decided to hinge out the awning, supporting it with a ladder and some blocks so that we could use gravity to our benefit. It was a little bit of a challenge to get in place but much easier to install the bolt hardware. We installed the remaining hardware, then tightened everything down feeling good about that progress.

With daylight fading, I postponed installing the vertical posts until another time, so we lowered the awning to a vertical position until then.

Once ready to install the posts, I evaluated the angle I wished to set the panels at knowing that the ideal angle for Oregon is somewhere around 35 degrees. I had 45 degree angles cut in the 2"x2" aluminum tube posts so with the help of my reciprocating saw and angle grinder, I modified the angle to make it closer to 35 degrees. In hindsight, I should have just had them cut it to that measurement. Anyway...

A friend suggested two bolts per attachment to the rail for better stability so I drilled two holes in line on the angled end of the tube and then one for the bottom bolt attachment. I decided to use an L bracket screwed to a 12"x12"x3" concrete block as the base for each post.

With all of the holes drilled in each section of aluminum tube, I lined up each post with the mounting spot on the rail and made marks for holes. Then I drilled the holes and installed the bolts, washers and nuts to make the rail and base connections.

All that was left then was to make the wiring connections. Part of me wishes I had left the wire running through the wall of my house because it was difficult to feed it back through. Of course cold weather and hands didn't help either! Eventually I succeeded, capped the ends and waited until dark to make the panel lead and charge controller connections. For those of you who don't know, solar panels collect sunlight and make energy even when they aren't plugged in so you have to be careful with the ends which is why I waited until dark.

I am excited to have my solar system back together again! More photos on flickr too :)

Winterizing: Utility Shed Build

One of the reasons I chose my new site was that it was pretty much ready for me to hook up and live. What I didn't realize was that I would need to build a structure to help protect my power, water and septic connections from cold, snowy periods during the winter time. Luckily I was able to scavenge used building materials from site, along with some extra 2x4s I had lying around, the shed roof I had installed over the tongue of my trailer at my last site along with the concrete pier blocks and extra fasteners left from my house build. I did buy a used door from the ReBuilding Center, new backer rod and caulk which put the total material cost at around $30.

Since I already had a pre-assembled roof component, I used that as a reference for setting my foundation. I dug out the four corners so the pier blocks could sit on native soil and be backfilled to ensure a solid foundation. Then, I installed the two vertical 4x4 posts (my old solar awning support posts) on the pier blocks at the taller end of the shed. Next, I built the shorter end wall with 2x4s and the black ABS-like sheet material (from a previous skate ramp on site) and installed it spanning the other two pier blocks. Luckily the roof was light enough to pick up and set atop these vertical supports without too much struggle. Once in place, I double checked plumb and level and then secured with screws.

I moved on to frame the side walls in place and attached the panels. The panels were a little tricky to work with since they weren't perfectly square or the same size and I didn't have a good way or the patience to make them uniform so aesthetically they are a little funky but they function.

The next step was to build the frame for the door with a smaller rough opening since the door I bought didn't have a jamb and I didn't feel like buying or building one for this custom size. The door I bought was actually taller but had a cutout for a pet door so I cut off that lower section. That made it just about the perfect height for my structure, though the handle is a little low (more funkiness). I learned that the square strength from panel doors comes from the side stiles and the top and bottom rails and was advised to add a piece of sheet good to span the lower two rails and panel.

With the frame built, I screwed it in place and then went to work hanging the door. It's a little more difficult to hang a door without a jamb, especially by yourself, but I have learned to use other materials as support. Some shimming required.

With the door in place, I used backer rod and caulk to seal up the seams, then backfilled in around the perimeter. Inside, I plugged in a work light, installed a hose hook to hang my second water hose (for rinsing things off and cleaning my toilet), added a lock box with an extra key to my house (been thankful to have had this more than once), hung my mailbox and owl lantern.

On the outside, I added my solar lantern to help navigate at night!

Additional steps I may be taking are installing a frost free hydrant on the water line, adding insulation to exposed fittings and switching over to a heated water hose during colder conditions. The other option is draining the water from the lines and turning it off during freezing temperatures but I'm not sure that I want to go that route since it will likely be a longer period of time than the week or so of frozen hose I had experienced in Portland. I also thought about skirting my house but getting a tight seal is near impossible to do and I don't want to create a home for critters. Plus, I spend most of my time at home in my loft so am not standing on the cold floor. Stay tuned for winter weather living updates!

New Toilet!

Before moving to my new space, I knew that I would not have access to a flush toilet, that a humanure system might be tricky to set up and then move in a year, and that I would have access to the septic system. The landowners suggested I look into the RV setup. I did and learned that it is somewhat spatially complex with toilet, blackwater and greywater holding tanks, etc. It would have been much easier to design the house with those things in mind, especially in my case since I decided to have a wet bath and thus no floor or wall penetrations other than the shower drain and ventilation fan. This setup also prevented me from installing the fancier (and expensive) composting and incinerating toilets. So then what?

While doing a craigslist search for something completely unrelated to toilets, I came across an ad for a portable toilet. While I wasn't excited to buy a used toilet from someone I didn't know, I was curious to learn more about this toilet setup. After reading more about portable toilets, I wondered why I hadn't heard about them before from other tiny housers. Maybe they didn't know about them either.

There are a few different brands and styles of portable toilets. The one I chose is the Thetford Porta Potti Curve due to several factors.
1. It has a taller, sleeker, curved shape design unlike the shorter, basic, squarer shaped ones.
2. It has the largest waste compartment I found, holding 5.5 gallons. That means cleaning it less often.
3. It has indicators that relate to the fill levels of both the waste and the freshwater tanks.
4. It has a battery powered flush vs. a bellows flush.
5. It has well designed handles that make carrying it easy as both individual parts or as a single unit.
6. It has a pour out spout to make emptying easier
7. It has an integrated toilet paper holder compartment. How cool is that!
8. It is odorless due to the holding tank sealed slide valve.
9. It is durable. While carrying it to empty, I slipped going down my metal stairs in the rain and dropped it on a compacted gravel surface. I worried that it had cracked but it just got scuffed up a little bit thankfully.
10. It is cost effective. I bought mine off of amazon for around $125.

Now that I have been using it for a couple of months, I thought it would be appropriate to do a review. So far, so good! Since I am away at work during the day, I empty it about once every 2 weeks. I don't notice any smells in my house except for after I clean it when I smell some of the chemicals I add that help brake down the future waste. I bought the Thetford eco-smart free and clear deodorant which is supposed to be safe for septic systems. (The other option is using deodorants with more chemicals and emptying them at RV dump stations or in sewer connected toilets.)

The Cleaning Process

Almost time to empty!

Emptying into septic cleanout

Cleaning out waste tank

Adding water to the freshwater tank (deodorant also, not pictured)

Waste tank (left) and Freshwater tank (right)

Good to go again!

New Tinys in the Yard

This past weekend, I helped move two new tiny homes into the yard where I had been living for the past two years. Both homes were being built at Green Anchors (my build site as well) but the builders were ready to relocate into their future living spots. They hired a towing company and early Saturday morning (7:30am!) the first house arrived.

Since this house was going to be located at the front of the yard next to the fence, the plan was to drive in forward and then back the house into the prepared spot. Driving in want fairly well though we needed to add some blocks under the tires due to the steep driveway (but hey, at least it is graveled now!) The driver also avoided trampling most of the garden which meant a little less space to work in. Luckily he had a towing receiver that could adjust the tongue left to right, up, down, forward and backward.

We also ended up using the borrowed power mover to help steer it into place. We operated it on top of scraps of plywood to keep the wheels from spinning in the soft ground. It was really great to have seven people be a part of this move process especially as we had to keep shifting the plywood scraps in front of the power mover's path and keep an eye out to avoid any collisions.

With the first house in place, the truck driver was off to grab the second one and we spent the time doing a little site work to re-level out the ground. We also took a break to eat bagels with various spreads including nutella!

Before we knew it, the truck driver was back with the second house in tow. This one he backed into the yard and it was fun to see the two homes side by side for a minute!

We had to complete the move with the power mover due to yard obstacles but that went smoothly due to the plywood. I still think we need a version with spikes for soft ground though!

By early afternoon, the yard had transformed to a little tiny house community (or future community since they are all still under construction). It will be neat to see the progression of that space over time.

Portland to Mosier: Tiny House Move #2

 A couple of weeks before the move, I purchased a new 5'x8' cargo trailer which would serve as a space to transport all of my outdoor items to the new space and then as an organized tool and gear garage once I settled in. I decided to purchase a trailer that I could stand up in with both a back door and side door for better functionality. I purchased it from Trailer City in Portland and worked with a guy named Larry who had a good sense of humor and was helpful in selecting the trailer. He even threw in a 2" ball hitch since I only had the 2 5/8" hitch for my house trailer. Back at the yard, I learned that backing up a shorter trailer is actually more difficult than a longer one because you have to constantly turn the steering wheel to get it to go where you want. I also learned that, when empty, I could physically move it myself.

Once I had it set in place, I started loading all of the things I had been storing under my trailer (tools, materials, tarps etc.) as well as my solar panels, ladder, tongue roof shelter and RV stove set-up. I also packed up many things in my house including fused glass and ceramic things I had made, everything on the open kitchen shelves, toilet, books and more. I didn't design with all the features included in more portable dwellings because I don't intend to move often. I used a couple of ratchet straps and cardboard to tie the fridge and cabinet together and to keep the cabinet drawers from opening. I crossed my fingers that my little point of use water heater would be ok to stay connected and full of water during the move (and it was thankfully) since I wasn't sure how to drain it without getting water everywhere.

During the week before I moved my house, I went to the Hood River DMV and asked for a trip permit. I was surprised at the ease of that process. All I did was tell them I needed a trip permit for the weekend I planned to move and give them the certificate of origin for my trailer, then they filled out the paperwork, collected my $30 and I had permit in hand!

I got up early that Saturday morning and with the help of a friend, lowered the house off of the block stands. We started at the tongue end first, lowering the tongue jack and then jacking up the house a little with a car jack to get the weight off of the block stand. Once free, we removed the wood shims and concrete blocks, released the car jack support, then moved on to the other side and repeated the process. The weight of the house was a little too much for the tongue jack so we propped it up on a large block of wood. Then we went to the back of the house, jacked it up to remove the shims and blocks until finally the weight of the house was on the wheels again.

We used a borrowed power mover to rotate the house a little bit away from the adjacent building but it was a challenge since the wheels were still in the huge ruts from the wet move in (we back-filled some before we lowered the house). Luckily we were able to move it enough to back my truck up to the tongue and get it hitched up. I was a little nervous about my truck's ability to pull my house out of the ruts and out of the yard but all went well, no problem at all. I took the house around the block for a test drive, then we checked the brakes and signals and filled the tires with air to 50 psi (they were at 40 psi). Finally, we were ready to hit the road!

After a few blocks we merged onto the freeway and drove out to Troutdale where we made a pit stop at the TA scales to weigh the house and truck together so that on the way back we could reweigh just the truck and calculate the weight of the house. They gave us free coffee for our first weigh and then we were really off!

I had moved the cargo trailer out to the new site during the previous weekend so I had a feel for what it would be like to tow something behind my truck on the same route. However, my house was much heavier and I kept my speed to 45-50mph to avoid fishtailing. The drive went smoothly even up the steeper sections of the road outside of Mosier. All paved except for a little bit of gravel at the end and a narrow windy driveway that the wheels neared the edge a little too close for my comfort at one point.

Once on the main part of the property, we had to back it into place so I got to work on my trailering skills which were very limited so that ended up being the most stressful and frustrating part of this move. Eventually I got it into the place I wanted. Then we jacked it up on blocks again but this time I bought the 8"x8"x16" blocks so we could set two side by side in one direction and then rotate the second layer 90 degrees so it creates a square block stand. We did some basic leveling with plywood and wood shims of various thicknesses but I forgot to bring my 4' level along so would probably need to do a better leveling job at a later time. We plugged in my power cord to ensure that I could have light and then called it a day with pizza, cider and a dip in the river as a reward!

Oh, and we learned that my house with most of my things in it surprisingly weighs around 9,000 lbs!