My view for the last days and days…
Good question. The last several weeks have been such a blur, I barely know myself anymore. I’ve been scrambling to get everything ready at work to be able to take 5 weeks off for my first build stint, and every moment not at work has been spent on wrapping up my designs, ordering windows, and all the myriad other things that need to get done.
Yesterday I had to have some last minute surgery so today I’m laid up and following the Yestermorrow Tiny House Fair via the Yestermorrow blog, and the Smalltopia and RowdyKittens Facebook pages – it’s kind of like the tiny house olympics! Can’t wait to see the videos of the presentations – what a great resource for everyone. Check out this awesome Mushroom Tiny House blog using mushrooms for insulation and structural stability!
Tomorrow I pack and Monday I drive 12 hours to Oregon to start prepping and building to be ready for the PAD work party on July 6th! It’s all a little surreal.
And my view in the other direction – my entire living room is covered in building books. These are the ones I use the most: Go House Go, Building Construction Illustrated, and the Ultimate Guide to House Framing, plus the Tiny House Design & Construction Guide eBook. See the Resources page for links to all of these.
Current systems thinking
After I wrote my post on my decision to go without plumbing, I was asked what I’m doing for my other systems (here you go, Paula!). Don’t hold me to these since they may well change, but this is where I am at the moment:
In general, I’m trying to see how simple I can go without feeling deprived. It’s been a good exercise to look at how I live now and how much change I could be comfortable with. I also have tried to design my systems so that I can easily live both on and off the grid. It’s a little challenging having to plan for future parking situations when you have no idea where you will be! So, the more options and the more self-sufficiency, the better. Would love to hear what others are considering along these lines.
Electrical – I still have a lot to learn about setting up a solar system. Due to the expense, I may hold off on installing one until I know where I will end up and whether I will have access to grid power or not. In terms of wiring my house, fortunately if you use 10/2 gauge wire you can keep options open for either system. I’m planning on building a tool shed on the tongue to house the batteries and other electrical equipment. I’m not going to have high electrical demands so will just need to have enough juice to power a few lights and charge my laptop and cell phone, and perhaps a couple other things. I’m also curious to look into wind power to see if that is feasible where I might end up. Continue reading →
Naj Haus 