Tiny Home
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| Tiny home in the style of Salvador Dali |
For those of you who might have noticed my absent during the first half of the week, I have an excuse. I was helping someone build a tiny home. Well actually we just formed up and poured the foundation for one. Although we are calling it a tiny home, it is more like a small cabin and will be around sixteen feet by 24 feet.
It is being built on an old farm site that has long ago been razed and cleaned up but there is still water and electrical hookups nearby. It is on a small hill with rolling hills in about every direction you look.
We spent on evening staking out the perimeter and then a couple days forming up for the concrete, digging a footing, reinforcing everything and finally a morning pouring the concrete itself. It would have been fairly pleasant work had not the wind been blowing 40+ miles an hour THE ENTIRE TIME!
Have you read about old settlers on the plains who were driven insane by the wind? I can now understand why. At one point, we had to put 10 feet wide by 28 feet long pieces of plastic down to act as a moisture barrier underneath the concrete. In 40 mile per hour winds, it was like trying to hold a sheet of plywood down in a hurricane. But eventually we got it all down and held in place.
Now it will sit for a month to cure why the owner attends other things. Later this summer, I may help out on actually building the structure. That is the fun part for me though it will be much hotter, and hopefully a bit calmer.
Sounds like a very fun project. Those winds though! I've been thinking our 10 MPH winds are too much! I seem to recall reading an account of early plains settlers who complained that the wind never stopped blowing. Maybe that's why I prefer trees and mountains!
ReplyDeleteMy house is surrounded by trees so I rarely notice the wind but this tiny home doesn't have any nearby trees in the direction of the prevailing winds.
DeleteThat sounds amazing Ed. Hopefully the owner will give you permission to post pictures.
ReplyDeleteOne reads of the tearing winds in the literature of the time. I can imagine it would drive me crazy.
I'll see what I can do when it gets to that point.
DeleteCool idea. this is much bigger than the house I was born in.
ReplyDeleteI expect it wasn't all that uncommon to be born in a smaller house in those days. House sizing has really increased dramatically.
DeleteWhere are you getting the pictures? AI?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bing.com/images/create?
DeleteI've always been fascinated by the concept of those tiny homes, especially the ones that have solar panels. Wind is another one of those things for which I have a lot of respect.
ReplyDeleteThis one is at the site of an old farm so will have access to the electrical grid. But I think if one was planning on living in one long enough full time, solar panels would be a great option.
DeleteLove the pictures in the style of; I could spend (waste?) a lot of time over there. Is it windy where you live or was this far away? It wasn't like that when I visited your town. It was HOT. :)
ReplyDeleteIt isn't too far away. It was windy everywhere but my house is surrounded by trees so it is a little less noticeable except for the violently swaying tree tops.
DeleteWe are having a blustery day here in Honolulu today. I can imagine how you struggled with the plastic sheet!
ReplyDeleteIt was like wrestling an angry anaconda to dress it up in doll's clothes.
DeleteWe were trying to put housewrap on in the wind. Totally understand your frustration.
ReplyDeleteI think that would be even worse since it is harder to spread yourself out to hold it against the wall!
DeleteYou are a pretty swell guy, Ed. Bummer about the winds. Look forward to seeing the finished product.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mr. Shife! I have never been called swell in my life but I'll take it.
DeleteI can't imagine being driven insane by wind. I love wind. But then, I've never lived on the plains!
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of it but after eight hours of having to brace myself standing up in it, it gets old.
DeleteGreat job. Tiny homes have really caught on and it's incredible how folks maximize the space.
ReplyDeleteI certainly see a lot of them around these days.
DeleteI'll be interesting to see what this ends up as when finished. I normally like wind, but not when it's too high. 15-20 seems to be a nice range. I can remember times in Utah when I hated it after days of high winds.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure of the speed, but several times I had to take a step in order to not fall over with a strong gust. That is just too much wind for my liking.
DeleteWhoever this someone is, he or she is SUPER lucky to have you helping them. I wish you lived next door. We're now planning to do a renovation on our house for my mom.
ReplyDelete