I have been a Union Carpenter for 43 years . My advice to anyone wanting to build something like this , is to not be afraid , don't take shortcuts because it is easier or faster . Doing is the best way of learning . If you want a stone fireplace , or a loft , or a nicer roof , or a storm shelter , solar panels , then just read up on it and try it . You will learn so much and have fun . Just be brave and build what you want the first time . If you don't know how , you be an expert by the time you are done !
You'll never be happy in life always following someone else's tracks. Your preference should be different than others - unless being a simple minded sheeple is satisfying for you.
I have built 15 houses and never felt the final house was perfect and wished it was different. I have an off grid cabin in Northern MN and it's all about trade offs. I built a 10'x10' first and it was cozy but then built a 20'x32' with full blown lofts and a side warm winter cabin of 16'x18' for winter camping with two levels. Best thing I did was 4 foot over hangs. My siding and windows never get wet. I love my design, no regrets but it did take too long. It took over ten years to get the job done and over 200 trips, working weekends and vacations off the grid, hard work. You can always add on or build a larger cabin on the site. It's a work in progress. I am now 66 years old and the ruggedness is losing it's appeal. The bed on the main floor is so much better. I also thought all my friends would love to go off grid and visit. Ha ha. Older people want to be pampered. We have one couple who visits. Who loves off the grid? Kids under thirty years of age. The city is so much easier and luxurious and that is what people love, laziness and convenience, not labor. I also thought the property would appreciate. That did not really happen all that much. The land did appreciate but not the cabin and improvements. Counting my labor and time, plus gas money a real money loser but I love it. All my friends are nature lovers. I love my place but it's not for everyone. Off the grid is difficult and people are lazy. Know what you love, know what you want, known what the price is, and pay the price. Good luck.
100% agree with your comment. I'm discovering all of this too. It is interesting watching people visit us. The lifestyle is not for everyone for sure. My goal is to live there in the cabin or a home on the property. It won't be easy but the benefits outweigh the 'costs' of city life for me.
Show me a quality carpenter that doesn't wish they did it different! Classic perfectionists, it's just right, enjoy it. Doing custom work always takes longer than planned, Murphy's law!... =)
For your over hang, just hang you some gutters. Collect the water for plants, animals, etc. Easy fix! Also, for under your house, hang some skirting. It can easily be removed for leveling and it helps insulate your cabin. Enjoyed your video, this is my first time watching. ✌❤
Really good video. I love it when a person is articulate, speaks well and clearly like you do and doesn't stammer and 'ugh' and 'umm' and just yack without getting to the point. You did great and your tiny house is still wonderful.
Make a second cabin and use the first one as a pantry. Maybe even use it as a pantry and kitchen. Second cabin as a living space. In the past before electricity, they used to make the kitchens separated from the rest of the house because of the wood burning heat.
Smithers Worth I plan on building a pyramid shaped limecrete mausoleum on one of my Alaska properties and a limecrete sarcophagus in the middle of it is where my corpse will rot....
If you need a roommate im willing to split rent. But food bill will have to be seperate. It was a constant arguement with the last guy I rented a coffen with. Always screaming at me "skeletons dont eat dumb ass im not payong half" smh! learned my lesson its seperate from the beginning from now on!!! Oh also my theropist comes once a week for a few hours,hope that wouldn't be an issies
I really enjoyed this video. You are an excellent presenter, and articulate. I'm fantasizing about chucking it all away and finding a cabin somewhere, your tips were excellent for the future. Thank you.
Been building my 20’ x 32’ camp for 15 years now, still at it. Many changes and additions as we go along. Added a full second floor as the first “change”, just before ordering materials. No regrets there! Added a roof covered porch to 3 sides, 1 side at a time, each year, just love the wrap around porch! Added on to the kitchen (not done), added on a bathroom (not done), added an attached 15’ deep x 20’ shed that I increased to 27’ deep x 20’. Upgraded and changed windows and doors over the years. I enjoy working on the camp, and would not hesitate to change something, or add something that I think is worth the effort. Will it ever be “done”? I sincerely hope not!
What I would recommend for the shower house: obviously a solar evacuated tube array for hot water. This will produce cold water even when it's cold out so long as the sun is shining. A propane tankless water heater can be plumbed as a backup. I'd also recommend putting your holding tanks (a small point of use electric water heater makes a fine insulated hot water holding tank you can further insulate) in the attic so you have water pressure even when there's not electricity or sunlight to run pumps. Warmboard is a luxury option but you can divert some of your free hot water to the floor to have a nice warm shower without your feet freezing on a cold day. Along with the warmboard I'd recommend using pex tubing for your plumbing as it's highly resistant to freezing. Pex uponor is expensive to get started with but it makes the best connections. Along with the freezing make sure there's a cut off valve at the tanks and an air bleed valve and a system spicket at a point lower than your shower head. This way you can drain the entire system after your holding tanks before harsh winter weather or if your away for an extended time. No water in your pipes means no frozen pipes and costly invasive repairs. That's about all I can think of. My shower house will be for summer use only so I'm going to only implement about half of those things on my build. Great channel, hope I gave you some ideas to think about.
Always great to see what everyone is doing with their cabins. I built 14’x32’ with 1’ roof overhang and 12’x6’ covered open porch. the main space divided into 14’x24’ open room and 14’x8’ front windowed porch.The bathroom is built in corner of main room. To prevent frost shifting, I poured a concrete pad and built the cabin on concrete blocks. Now I have decided to build a separate 14’x12’ bedroom on back. In the bathroom, I put a Natures Head composting toilet, 32x32inch fibreglass shower and a small laundry sink and counter space. The cabin has been wired to use a gas generator.Also, propane lights,cook stove ,fridge and a vented wall heater are installed. The cabin has been well insulated, so the propane heater works excellent. But in case something happen to it, I needed a backup, so I finally. Installed a small Jotuel wood stove which also works great. I live in NB, so in order to get insurance, these were done by professionals. So far, I have some small solar and battery led lights as well. the solar system is the next thing to do. My lot has full stream frontage and I am on a gravel road maintained by DOT. I just retired last July and am living here now full time.Wish I done it earlier!!
No matter how big you build a cabin, it is not big enough. That is the problem I have with my log cabin. As I built it I should have done this and that with the size, but in the end less is more.
It's all about the clutter, trinkets , stuff that in the way . And the little place becomes a safer place. I mean most people are on their cell phones , so all you need is 3ft. X 3ft x6ft. Same size as a coffin.
I'm glad you made this video. I watch quite a lot of these 'small cabin' videos. I am always amazed at how short-sighted the builders are. They make these TINY porches like they're building for a troupe of midgets and they INSIST on making the overall construction tiny as hell. That's fine if you're some hermit living alone in the woods but most people (normal humans) are more engaged socially. I love the idea of a getaway cabin but to make it THAT small and with NO porch to hang out on with friends, the whole thing seems like a waste of time and money. People ALWAYS regret going 'cheap'. Spend the money, do it right, don't make a damn DOLL HOUSE.
Wow. FYI, my metal roof lasted 37 years...just replaced it with a new metal roof which should outlive me. Plus the snow slides right off. My cabin is a little larger..25x35 2-story passive solar saltbox (I didn't build it since I wanted it built correctly)...bathrooms both floors...if you get sick or hurt you'll be glad to be able to hang out on one floor. I heat with a wood stove...cut my own firewood. Don't have to depend on anyone. Attach your shower house to your cabin and use your propane to heat your water. Anticipate for the worse and plan accordingly. Even the young, strong and healthy, can be side-tracked with an injury or illness. And just a thought, what if you can't get propane? Love your cabin it's really nice...you have some great ideas. God bless!
With 2 people living in the same space, bigger is absolutely better. Sometimes you need your own space. Our off grid place (full time home) in the mountains started out 32x28, with a 10x32 covered porch and 8x20 green room on the south side. 2 years ago I added a 12x18 "studio" for my wife. It's made life better. .....just as a suggestion, you could still add a wood stove by building OUT a relatively small space on the side of your cabin. Decide on the stove you want, measure it's width, add 42 inches to that number (you'll need about 21" clearance on each side), and you have the length of the "box" you need. Do the same for the depth dimension of the stove, and overall dimensions for the little addition is complete. Line the inside with fireproof material. If you have access to rock, you could build it a bit smaller, although it's heavier work. Good luck with the project. It's a cute little cabin.
The only reasonable off grid design is one that encorporates thermal mass as a storage system for heat energy. The earth ship design is perfect for this, although, as a builder, there is now way I'd build one with tire foundation. Use an engineered, concrete foundation and forget the hastles. Sunlight penitrates the glass front of the building, heating the floor and earth below it, and the remaining 3 sides of the building are earth bermed for insulation and thermal mass heat transfer. This design requires no heat in the winter, and no cooling in the summer, so no/low energy bills. Throw solar on the roof, and there's your electricity. Rainwater is diverted from the roof to a cistern, pumped through a filtration system, and delivered to the faucets. One can also recycle the water for toilet use and optional greenhouse plants. Lots of info online, too. Building one for my retirement years...
I saw a guy who lived in Nebraska I think, made a big greenhouse like that. He dug into the ground (well, probably had a backhoe do it), a certain amount of feet under ground maintains a steady temperature of 50 degrees or something like that. He had PVC tubes running underground to bring heat into the greenhouse even in the winter when there is snow on the ground. He had citrus trees, all kinds of fruit trees, ground crops, was putting in a koi pond I think. Said he sold stuff at farmers market locally. And helped other people do the same thing. He had very mature trees and I think started it when he retired. Wish I could remember the channel name.
I have been researching into rainwater collection and use, then into reuse. I found that I cannot store even just bathroom sink and shower water in access of 60 gal and that it has to be used within 24 hrs or dumped into the septic. I also found that for the garden it is not safe to put such higher quantities of even the best of safer soap products that you can research, on your plants. Salt from soaps is a soil/plant killer. So buy salt and Borax/Born free soap (be careful of even 7 th generation soaps have this). I am struggling with getting all off grid, dang, my ideas are not all working out to be really off grid as I hoped to be. I can collect enough water with some reserve water but can't store the reuse. I still have to drill a well, and put in a septic. The state of Washington requires on flushing toilet per home. That requires Septic. I still will put in a compost toilet that separates 1 and number 2. It is a way to conserve water. Oh ya the Washington State Department of Ecology is in control of the whole Sequim area. They are mandating only 150 Gal a day water use in your home from a new well. You have to pay a one time fee for it and more for water use on the yard/garden. Anyway, reuse of gray water into your washer or toilet is a good reuse and then down the drain. Kitchen has to many oils and such to use as gray water. Even from a new build stand point the cost to filter everything to usable water is way to expensive. Yep I looked into that. Dear Wild Yam, thanks for the tips, great video, direct and to the point. So why did you put the shower/washroom so far away? Also isn't it easy enough to just add onto the one side or make an L shaped home add on. A rap around screened-in porch would be so used. Making sure it is deep enough to be able to walk by people sitting and any other activity. If it gets hot enough there, you may even want to sleep outside. We are planing to hang Kammock Roo double hammock. Also, to hang inside for our grand-kids, and for our use for fun or camping.
WHO would want to live next to a house made of old tires or an "Earth Ship"? Personally, I would like my property to increase in value. Thats why they have zoning ordinences agaisnt these things. You are welcome to build it out in the Nevada desert somewhere.
Thank you so much!! I appreciate your willingness to share what you would do differently and why. It will undoubtedly save me time and money down the line... Thanks again. Blessings ❤️
Oh I like that idea of modules. That would be good for larger families too. A centralized large kitchen eating living area, and individual sleeping and toilet areas in each family members cabin, and maybe less frequently used things like Shower and Laundry in a separate unit. Seems like lots of plumbing unless they are composting toilets, which it seems they would need to be. Where is the water coming from and how is that being heated?
Don't feel bad about things you would have done differently as this is common through out the building industry, all prices all types. I would suggest you enlarge the deck in front and wrap it around one side as well. Then do screen in the current front porch/summer kitchen and the balance of the new front deck/side can be left without roof. As for the short Eve's yes would be nice if longer but if you add gutters with tops (no cleaning) that will increase the even by 4" and help in so many ways with water control. Love out buildings they look great. Would it be a good time for the shower house to also have an outside shower head as well? But the the way fired up my new heater like yours this morning and LOVE it. One more thing there are so many options for a wood burner so don't give up that dream either inside or out. Love your sharing this journey with us and wish you both many years of memory making. God Bless
I love the wrap around deck idea. Gutters are a no go around here unless they are seasonal and removable. Too much ice damage. Our roofer said not to put them on, they'll get ripped off. So happy the propane heater is working for you. I can't wait to fire up mine again. Still too warm here! Not complaining though :)
Thanks for the view point. Sad you feel cramped. Perhaps if only it had been 12 ft wide, that might have made a difference. Rooms in many full sized houses are 11 - 12 ft wide (and 13 may have felt luxurious). Mobile home are generally less than 18 ft wide OD. Something to keep in mind. Perhaps after enough years you can build a new larger house on the property and keep this one as a "guest house".
I'm truly happy. We do spend lots of time outside so as long as we don't have a ton of rainy days in a row, cabin fever won't settle in. It will likely be a guest house in 10 years you're right.
You guys have built a beautiful off grid Cabin. It's a learning experience. We will always think of ways to improve our projects. Enjoy your hard work. 😊
I lived very happily in a 482 square foot cottage. Not *everyone* needs a lot of space to be happy. But people need to think and look ahead when building. Not just what you want right now, or this year, but what about in five years? Ten years? As you or your partner get older, what other comforts or amenities might you need? The cabin that a healthy 25 year old can handle is usually not what a 60 year old can handle, with ladders to climb and crawl spaces to worm into. It's so important to sketch out the floor plan ahead of time, think about everything before you start building, and always leave yourself some extra square footage. Better to build a little extra and not need it, than limit yourself and feel cramped.
Watched your vid a year ago and so glad I did. I tripled the size of cabin and expanded the deck plans. Also did. Larger eaves. Thanks for your thoughtful self-evaluation!
I agree about what you said about the cladding. Your system looks like your going to have problems with water ingress. The water cant run off the structure so easily, and it already looks like it is beginning to rot your cladding. The easiest way to fix this I would say is to simply use the existing battons as a base to fix some shiplap cladding. You are also right about the overhangs, wind and rain often combines to force water into the spaces under the eves, creates havoc and leads to your structural timbers rotting, the shiplap would add not just another layer of protection but also the space between it and your original cladding would have air circulating around it to dry out the water that does get in. Nice build, though I hope you put lots of diagonals into the walls because its quite high relative to width, so the wind could punish it over time :)
I like what you have done. It may not be perfect nor is it for everyone, but I think you've done it with a sense of style and a tremendously positive attitude, which I love BTW.
Ideas keep cropping up as I read the comments. The need for AC can be minimized with careful planning. Take care when it comes to positioning the cabin vis-a-vis northern exposure, southern exposure, # of windows, shade trees, overhangs or awnings on door and windows, dog trot configeration to create wind tunnel effect, etc. Need not partition the house. Intead build a shed 4 to 5 feet away from the house and have a covered deck or porch between the 2 structures. This "hallway" becomes a "breezeway" naturally and becomes a good location for patio chairs and rockers or a dining table/desk. No need for expensive double pane glass if you can't afford them; instead have interior as well as exterior storm windows, but they can be a pane in the butt. Can also use clear bubble-wrap on windows to insulate windows them. Use nsulating blinds and drapes. A "whole house" fan is a must if you have the power for it; you bring the cool air in at night and expel the hot air thru venting. Fans in each room to cause air to waft over the person - a different concept from the whole house fan. A dehumidifier if you've got the power for it which can generate 40 to 60 pints of water per day taken right out of the air. When air is dry, it feels less hot and less cold. Cooking, generating hot water and bathing should be done outside as much as possible to stop producing heat inside the home. Outdoor showers and swimming pool for quickie rinsing off sweat and cooling the body several times per day. Buy a kiddie pool at Walmart or better yet buy a water trough for livestock at Tractor Supply. Your dogs will love it, too. And finally, hammocks for the mid-day siestas during the hottest part of the day. All the while keep well hydrated and read up on electrolyte replacement. Remember, folks didn't start air conditioning their homes on a mass scale till the 1960s. You will find yourself adapting.
The best upgrade I did was removing the woodheater and fitting a diesel planar heater on the outside (covered). It saves a tonne of space, it is much easier to carry diesel fuel in, and the consumption is amazingly low, as well as having no toxic fumes or carbon monoxide inside. It also keeps constant temperature all night, unlike wood that goes out and must be re lit in the morning.
I built an 8 by 12 foot shed in my backyard it was a kit meaning that all the lumber was precut it just needed to be assembled stud walls nailed together and raised it was pretty easy but after a about a year I needed more room and did the I wish I had built it bigger thing, I didn't have a computer at the time so I went to home depot where I bought the first shed kit from and looked at the catalog and found out they made a four foot addition kit so I ordered it took apart the roof and the gable end and built the addition on it it would have been easier to do it in the first place but it worked out so my Dominican neighbor whose house the shed is near came out and said to me in broken English, Oh you make your house bigger, she thought it was a house then a couple of years later when I did get a computer I looked up the Dominican Republic and discovered why she said that the houses in some parts of the country are smaller than my shed and they have dirt streets, I'll never forget that.
Shower House: Ventilation. Wind break/snow break for keeping access to door (assuming its an issue). Skirt around building if you raise building to stop wind from blowing under building. Just a few ideas.
She mentions cement pad, I used that with 6x6 posts. 24X36 ft A-Frame, since 2006 it has never moved. However we do have pretty packed shale/clay mix soil. That stuff is like concrete. Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia. 4000 Ft elevation. Use re-bar and get about 6" down with your forms.
Having footers that extend below the frost line is a good idea and not that hard to do. You can still take the cabin out, you'd just have to leave the footers. I would want to reinforce and attach some brackets (about 4-6 inches into footer with a couple bolts through the bottom portion of the bracket to keep it from pulling out and use the top portion to attach to the cabin). There's probably someone who has a better way to do it.
Nice overview, thanks! ______________________ I had my 12' x 24' cabin built by a local Amish builder, with a 6' front porch that gives a lot more sitting space than the 4'. Just picked up one of the Harbor Freight 100 watt solar kits to charge the 12 volt batteries.
Really appreciate your honesty and feedback, we're also living off grid (on a friend's land) and we also make videos of our experience. We plan to build our own cabin and your notes are valuable to keep in mind, so thanks!
How much stuff do you need, as much as you have space to hold. Small is efficient, I would want a larger deck as well though. My biggest concern with your cabin would be a fire starting in the middle of the night while up in the loft. With all the wood on the interior you will be overwhelmed with smoke immediately. Have you ever considered building a deck off the loft to give you an easy out with the added benefit of having a nice elevate position to overlook your land?
But of a truth , my little place when I go to bed it's 75- 80 when I go to bed , the fire is to coals, so no such worry , and when I wake up , it's running about 64 to 66 degrees, so pretty functional.
yes, and that steel roof material with 2" lengths of conduit, long screws, will let you park it pretty darn close to a wall. leave the tin 4" above the floor, once the tin gets hot a convection cycle starts, keeping the wall itself cool.
@Gary Brown wow what a solar system. I just have 3,000 watts of panels and 8 large six volt batteries. I can still heat 4 gals of water in 20 mins and do a wash while the fridge is running. Great sun up at 5,000 feet in So. Cal.
I have done major (stripping interior down to the outside siding and roof) renovation to my small 12’ x 40' 80 year old house, so I am impressed and appreciative of the thought, planning, materials and design of your cabin. Good work!
Eh... heated with propane for the first two years in our house. Yes, it’s very efficient.... for appliances. Cooking, hot water, etc... depending on your climate I wouldn’t write off a wood stove just yet. I’m currently installing one as our main heat source. Heating with propane is going to put a huge dent in your wallet. It wouldn’t surprise me if you end up paying more for fuel than you would have a wood stove. Specially given your high ceilings and large windows. There are some close/zero clearance options for wood burners on the market. You’d be paying a premium, but you’re looking at a decent return on investment. For the shower, just make sure it’s well ventilated and lined with tile and a drain or the structure will grow mold and rot.
A rocket mass heater that heats your hot water would be ideal. You're killing 3 birds with one stone. Heat, hot water, cooking. And very efficient. That's what i'd put in if i was building a new cabin.
I am off grid also with an old hickory shed i finished inside . I used spray foam the orange can for every gap walls studs before i walled it with lumber. field mice will not chew through it they dont like it. also stain your outside every piece to prevent rott . keep going love it !!
Because your house sits on blocks, some counties would call it a "temporary structure". Big difference in building codes and taxes ! If you are NOT building on a slab with a proper footing, then getting your building off the ground (at least 12") so that light and air can go underneath are very important. It will help prevent animals from nesting underneath. When you have to replace your battery, buy TWO 6V golf cart batteries. The store a lot more power and should last a lot longer.
Forgot to mention that when you wipe up linseed oil drape the rag over something metal wide open as the rags will burst into flames , spontaneous combustion. Its allright on the wood though as its being sprayed or painted on. Thin with mineral spirits.
Nice T-shirt, Jen. I agree, bigger would have been better and a woodstove would be great. Propane is convenient to have as well. It will be nice to watch the cabin evolve a bit more. Thank you for the video
If you dig footings (below the frostline) and fill with compacted gravel, you wouldn't have any problems. You don't technically have a foundation at all right now unfortunately. Your siding looks like board and batten, but honestly isn't at all. Its supposed to shed water, not let it in a trap it. I'm surprised your bare wood has lasted 5 years.. you should have painted or stained it if you want it to be more than a temporary structure. Good thing you chose the rockwool insulation.. it doesn't absorb moisture, which I'm sure you have more of than mice. I do have a suggestion for the shower house! ... Build the foundation BEFORE you build the structure.. its not rocket science.
Hey congrats on 6k subs !!! Everything has positives and negatives, gotta make the most of it ! I like the cabin land around has plenty of great ressources !
I don’t have any specific suggestions, just commenting that hindsight is always 2020!! Life is about figuring out how to constantly grow and improve yourself. You guys have gotten off to a beautiful start. Keep going.
Your cabin is lovely. Thank you for the advice. It means everything because you actually lived it, unlike so many youtubers who spew bs,having had no experience but acting like experts,misguiding us.i wil definitely check out more of your videos. Thank you again
I'm 3 yrs into my tiny home tree house. I'm not too upset about the size. Just need to build a storage shed. Less is more and we do spend a lot of time outside in summer..winter it snows big-time! Off grid living is not for everyone true and it will be harder when we are older (40s now) like all my stairs lol! Truefully ived lived in something much smaller and much larger..
Amen Maura. I am so happy in my tiny house. Ditched my nonessential stuff and now I have so much less to worry about. I am nearly 60 and this living arrangement still works great for me.
For what you have-it is really nice & very functional. I have a 28’ by 8’ RV trailer. And while we have all the conveniences, it’s long & narrow -and feels very Confining!!
you dont need a cement truck to pour a cement pad .. you can pour it by hand you do realize that right? go get a mason's cement mixer they are small and can be towed by a truck or car .. throw your concrete and sand and water in mix it dump it repeat .. aint hard ..
U do a great job explaining everything about the cabin. Really appreciated all the info too. Had a friend who caught rainwater overhead of his shower bldg for his shower. Water ran into a heater much like a water heater standing on the side of bldg. When he wanted hot water for shower he would build fire under the so called water heater and it heated up the water for several showers for the family. Thought he did an awesome job on it. Guess maybe its a bit much for off grid but nothing beats a hot shower or bath for relaxation in my opinion lol. Can't handle cold showers.
I always thought this would be a guest house and you would build a bigger place for yourselves. Love the cabin and the ideas you guys put into it. Nice shirt .
You could build another 10 x 20 addition against the back wall of your cabin to double living space and porch. You could probably add a wood stove then. Tiny house living is not fun like they tell you. It's cramped and miserable at best.
@@TheWildYam absolutely. We built a 20 x 40 home and still need to add an addition for essentials. Like storage, and we downsized to just essentials here. People need some space lol.
went 12x16 plus a loft for around 350sqfeet and immediately wished id done 12x24. the eventual future cabin after a bunkie will be sumwhere around 16x32 or 16x36. 20x40 plans fell through a while ago and im thinking smaller these days but you never know what the future holds
me alone... have lived in a 16ft and a 14ft travel trailer, both was 3 years each. not as bad as some might think, if it's well laid out or you modify it to be that.
Great video...it is a learning experience. You think during design, you cover everything...well...it's a beautiful cabin...just modify as needed...thanks again for your time
Hats off to you for going through the process and having a place like this, the real good thing is the experience and learning curve of knowing what you can improve on . I watch lots of programming with building off the grid It has an appeal, it is very entertaining to see peoples vision become real thanks for the video.
I think small forces you to be neater if you are not.lol i love order so it's no problem for me.I think wider would be great.I'm older now so no ladder for me.I love your cabin I'm looking to retire so I'm looking at the country life( I'm tired of living close to people).Will be looking at land soon and what to place or build on it.Great post.
As a newly 50 year old who's fallen down stairs and has a non-union fracture after 5 years, your definitely correct about that ladder. It gives me shivers to think of trying to climb up there! If you're thinking about country life to retire, also consider how close the nearest hospital or medical care is. It can be a matter of life and death. Sorry to be a "Debbie Downer" but it's something I've dealt with for family members and friends who've lived "out in the country".
love a steel roof. Just spend 16k on a roof for my garage and house and what a piece of mind. It is also great if you live in a pine forest. The pine needles blow off easier then on shingles.
Yeah, the issue would be that that bottom batten is going to cause rot longterm, every time it rains water sits on it and probably seeps behind it. If it's too difficult to redo the design completely, maybe doing something like cutting a 45 degree bevel on the top edge and then caulking that joint would help to help to keep water moving past it? Probably best to just remove it though, otherwise you're risking rot spreading up the wall and even under the house. Cool place, enjoyed the video and the long term living there advice.
Super cute cabin. I used to have one and loved it. Ended up buying an RV to change things up. The problem with RV's is the massive depreciation. Your little cabin is really nice!
you made all the mistakes i made, wish id done 10 foot walls stead of 8 for humidity and i wish id put plastic 6 mill under my flooring instead of in the ground under the cabin. you could skirt but use some vents you can close to stop your leveling issues. if you skirt thoe you might want to put some 6mill on the ground and throw gravel or crushed granite on top of it best you can from the sides to stop moisture issues. im doing a quick n cheap 1inch hardboard insulation skirt job this fall to replace the old 6mill job from 3 years ago. im def going higher off the ground 3 or 4 cinder blocks with my next bunkie, moistures a real problem here. your not missing much with the wood stove its a painn in the arse. im puttin in the empire propane heater this fall and the napoleon air vent kit for my stove because in 200 sq feet a wood stove needs an air vent kit or you'll have no oxygen doh
definitely NEED a ground vapor barrier (plastic), insulation in the floor joists and a breathable barrier to the bottom itself (like Tyvek maybe?). a place that small doesn't need a wood stove much bigger than a large mailbox, if they were 3-4x thicker one could even work!
yep you need plastic on the ground i have 4 inches of silver board insulation between the floor joists. i was thinking about what to add to the bottom of the joists im not sure if tyvek would breath enuff 6mill youd probly run into moisture trapping issues. you could probly put stained plywood sheets screwed to the bottom of the joists. im interested to hear if anyones tried tyvek. im about to put a second layer of 6mill on the ground under there (theres no gravel under there yet just by the cinderbloks) so its clean again and i can roll around under there once more. my stoves a big old napoleon rated for 1000 or 1500sqfeet def overkill but i love the big box for big wood pieces. if what were 3-4X thicker?? sorry i dint follow your last line
I appreciate videos like this. You brought helpful information that can be considered for anyone looking to build or have built a home in the future. Thank you.
I don't want to take down too many more trees for now. It is nice to have another building to especially if there was a fire, I'd have another to run to and have a safe shelter. Thanks for commenting.
I love your cabin. But I was thinking, I you are going to build another room on, why not make it big enough for that wood stove. To me there is nothing like wood heat.
Shower house: A raised cistern with a sand filter connected to a propane on demand system. Support it like the cabin. Make it a wet room with a grey water tank that pumps back into the cistern. Vents high on the end walls. T-111 panels as an exterior siding. Plant chrysanthemums around your buildings, they are a natural pesticide. Look into passive solar heating technology. Good luck.
I think one of the things about an off grid cabin that I love is the minimalist aspect. We live in such a consumerist culture and retreating to a cozy cabin that has the absolute minimal essentials is a very rejuvenating experience. As an older man, your hubbie may one day wish the loo was closer and that the ladder to your bed wasn't so steep, but then again... ahem... I guess any tree will do... ahem (blush). Can I ask your plan for water in the bathhouse?
I do have to continue to embrace tiny /minimalist living. It can be a struggle. The plan for the water is removable gutters and a rain barrel collection system.
If you wrapped a porch around the sides, you could extend the roof to cover the porch .....that would shield the siding on the main structure. If the storms tend to blow through in a specific direction perhaps only 1 side of the house would need the extra overhang. Re: bath-house.....you could enclose about 6 feet of the front porch and install a shower into that area ..... probably room for a sink as well. If you bought a "Separatte" toilet (Swedish design I think, but available in the States) .....or added a composting toilet with an exhaust fan (they have solar powered fans) you wouldn't have any black water. The porch is too small to use for much except for the coverage above the door. Buy a screened in gazebo for sitting outside....they are cheap and they have the bug netting.....way better than a tiny porch.
Wood stoves are maintenance. Propane is cleaner. Having both would be nice just in case you had to. But propane is much less work. Just hauling it and switching it. We also have an outdoor closet. That has made my life a bit easier. Outdoor shower and outhouses. Outdoor shack for the solar wind battery bank. It’s on a trailer so it’s a mobile power bank. We are using roof for water collection. Which has a real bonus of great water add in and we don’t have to haul water but half the year. We use battery fans mostly ryobi for the charging battery bank with the solar. I use the spot lights for the cabin which provide great spotlighting. Two are pointed half in and half out for outdoor extra light. The batteries fit the fans which also have an alternate power cord inlet. I use the fans for both above my heater inside the cabin and in my shower house for that heater in there. Talk about exponentially spreading the heat and warming the area! OMG. We are 10x warmer and warm faster with the fan. Our drains water our garden. Our soaps aren’t that much to impact them at all since we use mostly biodegradables. We have birds and two crows that feast on the drain materials that we segregate. We are not yet at the point for the home biogas but almost there. Maybe as the garden gets stronger. We are considering and probably should have dug a cellar. At least a small one for freezing water and storing for spring and while during winter for our less tolerant plants. The 12v is cool but I’m so glad we went to 24v. We use a lot of little things that really help over time.
Exciting times. Prior to building the cabin did you look into other options? I'm asking because I saw one guy that paid to install a mobile home and then he wrapped it in wood and it looked just like a cabin. His total cost was under $10k. Just curious because I already have my land and haven't decided what to do. Build or tow in a structure???
It all depends on the township and building inspectors. In our township you cannot have a trailer as a dwelling on private land. You can have a trailer parked on property only if you have a home on it. Thus, we decided on the cabin build. Thanks for the great question.
So, are you saying that there are no "mobile homes" in your township or are you referring to "trailer" as in "tractor-trailer" or just what are you saying?
Thanks for posting this! As someone looking to build an off-grid cabin in the near future, it's good to get feedback from someone who's lived with theirs for a few years.
Or start digging underneath , bingo ! Nice radiant heat on your floors, done it , ya ! just start digging , putting in one pillar at a time , getter done !
I have been a Union Carpenter for 43 years . My advice to anyone wanting to build something like this , is to not be afraid , don't take shortcuts because it is easier or faster . Doing is the best way of learning . If you want a stone fireplace , or a loft , or a nicer roof , or a storm shelter , solar panels , then just read up on it and try it . You will learn so much and have fun . Just be brave and build what you want the first time . If you don't know how , you be an expert by the time you are done !
Hell yea brother!
Thank you!
Great advice! The problem about mistakes is that they could be unfixable due to finances, and the whole cabin would have to be trashed.😞
Thank you for the advice... The thing im struggling with is the planning of how the floor plan will be
And moral point is: Don´t learn from your mistakes, learn from others mistakes to avoid yours, it will save you time....
Perfection
You'll never be happy in life always following someone else's tracks. Your preference should be different than others - unless being a simple minded sheeple is satisfying for you.
@Sean Steele don't have to say now 1 seen you already have.... minds need to expand
I like that statement, let others make the mistakes, and a little more effort in the beginning, pays off in the end . And hard work is a good thing.
Hard to tell, people are not willing to share their mistakes 💁♂️
I have built 15 houses and never felt the final house was perfect and wished it was different. I have an off grid cabin in Northern MN and it's all about trade offs. I built a 10'x10' first and it was cozy but then built a 20'x32' with full blown lofts and a side warm winter cabin of 16'x18' for winter camping with two levels. Best thing I did was 4 foot over hangs. My siding and windows never get wet. I love my design, no regrets but it did take too long. It took over ten years to get the job done and over 200 trips, working weekends and vacations off the grid, hard work. You can always add on or build a larger cabin on the site. It's a work in progress. I am now 66 years old and the ruggedness is losing it's appeal. The bed on the main floor is so much better. I also thought all my friends would love to go off grid and visit. Ha ha. Older people want to be pampered. We have one couple who visits. Who loves off the grid? Kids under thirty years of age. The city is so much easier and luxurious and that is what people love, laziness and convenience, not labor. I also thought the property would appreciate. That did not really happen all that much. The land did appreciate but not the cabin and improvements. Counting my labor and time, plus gas money a real money loser but I love it. All my friends are nature lovers. I love my place but it's not for everyone. Off the grid is difficult and people are lazy. Know what you love, know what you want, known what the price is, and pay the price. Good luck.
100% agree with your comment. I'm discovering all of this too. It is interesting watching people visit us. The lifestyle is not for everyone for sure. My goal is to live there in the cabin or a home on the property. It won't be easy but the benefits outweigh the 'costs' of city life for me.
Wild yam Your an inspiration. Thank you for the good wishes.Same to you and yours,good man.👍
Thank for comments
I think the cities are toxic
Nice! Best of luck.
Show me a quality carpenter that doesn't wish they did it different! Classic perfectionists, it's just right, enjoy it. Doing custom work always takes longer than planned, Murphy's law!... =)
For your over hang, just hang you some gutters. Collect the water for plants, animals, etc. Easy fix! Also, for under your house, hang some skirting. It can easily be removed for leveling and it helps insulate your cabin. Enjoyed your video, this is my first time watching. ✌❤
Really good video. I love it when a person is articulate, speaks well and clearly like you do and doesn't stammer and 'ugh' and 'umm' and just yack without getting to the point. You did great and your tiny house is still wonderful.
Make a second cabin and use the first one as a pantry.
Maybe even use it as a pantry and kitchen.
Second cabin as a living space.
In the past before electricity,
they used to make the kitchens separated from the rest of the house because of the wood burning heat.
They used to say "What sh!* in the house "thats crazy.
When I get older I'm upgrading to a smaller cabin often called a coffin, lol. Love your video.
Lol. Aren't we all. Have a great day!
Smithers Worth
I plan on building a pyramid shaped limecrete mausoleum on one of my Alaska properties and a limecrete sarcophagus in the middle of it is where my corpse will rot....
If you need a roommate im willing to split rent. But food bill will have to be seperate. It was a constant arguement with the last guy I rented a coffen with. Always screaming at me "skeletons dont eat dumb ass im not payong half" smh! learned my lesson its seperate from the beginning from now on!!! Oh also my theropist comes once a week for a few hours,hope that wouldn't be an issies
Claustrophobia would set in, I used to live in my car and I hated it
@@Rick_Sanchez_C137_ Noice!
You can never build a house too big. Always make them as big as humanly possible.
GermanShepherd1983 🤣
Congratulations on having a dream and building your dream.. 95% of people never get to the second part.
Nothing is ever perfect.
I really enjoyed this video. You are an excellent presenter, and articulate. I'm fantasizing about chucking it all away and finding a cabin somewhere, your tips were excellent for the future. Thank you.
Glad you like the channel!
Been building my 20’ x 32’ camp for 15 years now, still at it. Many changes and additions as we go along. Added a full second floor as the first “change”, just before ordering materials. No regrets there!
Added a roof covered porch to 3 sides, 1 side at a time, each year, just love the wrap around porch!
Added on to the kitchen (not done), added on a bathroom (not done), added an attached 15’ deep x 20’ shed that I increased to 27’ deep x 20’.
Upgraded and changed windows and doors over the years.
I enjoy working on the camp, and would not hesitate to change something, or add something that I think is worth the effort.
Will it ever be “done”? I sincerely hope not!
It is always a work in progress. Your camp sounds really nice Larry. I'm definitely liking the wrap around porch idea.
shower houses are loaded with moisture, so ventilation is mandatory. Homedepot had a solar powered fan exhaust unit.
Do you have a link to that exhaust unit? That sounds like what we need. Thanks in advance!
There is also a small solar thingee pump for septic tanks.
@@cmike321 Awesome! Thanks!
I would probably move the shower house closer to the cabin
open a window . lots of quick ventilation summer or winter , especially if you have a hot tub .
What I would recommend for the shower house: obviously a solar evacuated tube array for hot water. This will produce cold water even when it's cold out so long as the sun is shining. A propane tankless water heater can be plumbed as a backup. I'd also recommend putting your holding tanks (a small point of use electric water heater makes a fine insulated hot water holding tank you can further insulate) in the attic so you have water pressure even when there's not electricity or sunlight to run pumps. Warmboard is a luxury option but you can divert some of your free hot water to the floor to have a nice warm shower without your feet freezing on a cold day. Along with the warmboard I'd recommend using pex tubing for your plumbing as it's highly resistant to freezing. Pex uponor is expensive to get started with but it makes the best connections.
Along with the freezing make sure there's a cut off valve at the tanks and an air bleed valve and a system spicket at a point lower than your shower head. This way you can drain the entire system after your holding tanks before harsh winter weather or if your away for an extended time.
No water in your pipes means no frozen pipes and costly invasive repairs. That's about all I can think of.
My shower house will be for summer use only so I'm going to only implement about half of those things on my build. Great channel, hope I gave you some ideas to think about.
Always great to see what everyone is doing with their cabins. I built 14’x32’ with 1’ roof overhang and 12’x6’ covered open porch. the main space divided into 14’x24’ open room and 14’x8’ front windowed porch.The bathroom is built in corner of main room. To prevent frost shifting, I poured a concrete pad and built the cabin on concrete blocks. Now I have decided to build a separate 14’x12’ bedroom on back. In the bathroom, I put a Natures Head composting toilet, 32x32inch fibreglass shower and a small laundry sink and counter space. The cabin has been wired to use a gas generator.Also, propane lights,cook stove ,fridge and a vented wall heater are installed. The cabin has been well insulated, so the propane heater works excellent. But in case something happen to it, I needed a backup, so I finally. Installed a small Jotuel wood stove which also works great. I live in NB, so in order to get insurance, these were done by professionals. So far, I have some small solar and battery led lights as well. the solar system is the next thing to do. My lot has full stream frontage and I am on a gravel road maintained by DOT. I just retired last July and am living here now full time.Wish I done it earlier!!
No matter how big you build a cabin, it is not big enough. That is the problem I have with my log cabin. As I built it I should have done this and that with the size, but in the end less is more.
I have to learn to embrace tiny living . It is an amazing adjustment to wrap one's head around. Thanks for commenting!
It's all about the clutter, trinkets , stuff that in the way . And the little place becomes a safer place. I mean most people are on their cell phones , so all you need is 3ft. X 3ft x6ft. Same size as a coffin.
We had steel screw piles put in below the frost line, not cheap but only requires a small backhoe to install them.
I'm glad you made this video. I watch quite a lot of these 'small cabin' videos. I am always amazed at how short-sighted the builders are. They make these TINY porches like they're building for a troupe of midgets and they INSIST on making the overall construction tiny as hell. That's fine if you're some hermit living alone in the woods but most people (normal humans) are more engaged socially. I love the idea of a getaway cabin but to make it THAT small and with NO porch to hang out on with friends, the whole thing seems like a waste of time and money.
People ALWAYS regret going 'cheap'. Spend the money, do it right, don't make a damn DOLL HOUSE.
We all learn from mistakes. Thanks for sharing yours.
No problem Tom
Wow. FYI, my metal roof lasted 37 years...just replaced it with a new metal roof which should outlive me. Plus the snow slides right off. My cabin is a little larger..25x35 2-story passive solar saltbox (I didn't build it since I wanted it built correctly)...bathrooms both floors...if you get sick or hurt you'll be glad to be able to hang out on one floor. I heat with a wood stove...cut my own firewood. Don't have to depend on anyone. Attach your shower house to your cabin and use your propane to heat your water. Anticipate for the worse and plan accordingly. Even the young, strong and healthy, can be side-tracked with an injury or illness. And just a thought, what if you can't get propane? Love your cabin it's really nice...you have some great ideas. God bless!
Thanks for the comments :)
Yep ! Never a day of boredom , always lookin up ! 😊
With 2 people living in the same space, bigger is absolutely better. Sometimes you need your own space. Our off grid place (full time home) in the mountains started out 32x28, with a 10x32 covered porch and 8x20 green room on the south side. 2 years ago I added a 12x18 "studio" for my wife. It's made life better. .....just as a suggestion, you could still add a wood stove by building OUT a relatively small space on the side of your cabin. Decide on the stove you want, measure it's width, add 42 inches to that number (you'll need about 21" clearance on each side), and you have the length of the "box" you need. Do the same for the depth dimension of the stove, and overall dimensions for the little addition is complete. Line the inside with fireproof material. If you have access to rock, you could build it a bit smaller, although it's heavier work. Good luck with the project. It's a cute little cabin.
The only reasonable off grid design is one that encorporates thermal mass as a storage system for heat energy. The earth ship design is perfect for this, although, as a builder, there is now way I'd build one with tire foundation. Use an engineered, concrete foundation and forget the hastles. Sunlight penitrates the glass front of the building, heating the floor and earth below it, and the remaining 3 sides of the building are earth bermed for insulation and thermal mass heat transfer. This design requires no heat in the winter, and no cooling in the summer, so no/low energy bills. Throw solar on the roof, and there's your electricity. Rainwater is diverted from the roof to a cistern, pumped through a filtration system, and delivered to the faucets. One can also recycle the water for toilet use and optional greenhouse plants. Lots of info online, too. Building one for my retirement years...
Best of luck in your build. I will use your rainwater idea for the shower house. Great tips!
I saw a guy who lived in Nebraska I think, made a big greenhouse like that. He dug into the ground (well, probably had a backhoe do it), a certain amount of feet under ground maintains a steady temperature of 50 degrees or something like that. He had PVC tubes running underground to bring heat into the greenhouse even in the winter when there is snow on the ground. He had citrus trees, all kinds of fruit trees, ground crops, was putting in a koi pond I think. Said he sold stuff at farmers market locally. And helped other people do the same thing. He had very mature trees and I think started it when he retired. Wish I could remember the channel name.
Sure a backhoe is only $60 per hour. And in the woods with roots in every bite?
I have been researching into rainwater collection and use, then into reuse. I found that I cannot store even just bathroom sink and shower water in access of 60 gal and that it has to be used within 24 hrs or dumped into the septic. I also found that for the garden it is not safe to put such higher quantities of even the best of safer soap products that you can research, on your plants. Salt from soaps is a soil/plant killer. So buy salt and Borax/Born free soap (be careful of even 7 th generation soaps have this). I am struggling with getting all off grid, dang, my ideas are not all working out to be really off grid as I hoped to be. I can collect enough water with some reserve water but can't store the reuse. I still have to drill a well, and put in a septic. The state of Washington requires on flushing toilet per home. That requires Septic. I still will put in a compost toilet that separates 1 and number 2. It is a way to conserve water. Oh ya the Washington State Department of Ecology is in control of the whole Sequim area. They are mandating only 150 Gal a day water use in your home from a new well. You have to pay a one time fee for it and more for water use on the yard/garden. Anyway, reuse of gray water into your washer or toilet is a good reuse and then down the drain. Kitchen has to many oils and such to use as gray water. Even from a new build stand point the cost to filter everything to usable water is way to expensive. Yep I looked into that.
Dear Wild Yam, thanks for the tips, great video, direct and to the point. So why did you put the shower/washroom so far away? Also isn't it easy enough to just add onto the one side or make an L shaped home add on. A rap around screened-in porch would be so used. Making sure it is deep enough to be able to walk by people sitting and any other activity. If it gets hot enough there, you may even want to sleep outside. We are planing to hang Kammock Roo double hammock. Also, to hang inside for our grand-kids, and for our use for fun or camping.
WHO would want to live next to a house made of old tires or an "Earth Ship"? Personally, I would like my property to increase in value. Thats why they have zoning ordinences agaisnt these things. You are welcome to build it out in the Nevada desert somewhere.
Thank you so much!! I appreciate your willingness to share what you would do differently and why. It will undoubtedly save me time and money down the line...
Thanks again. Blessings ❤️
You're welcome!
For when you get older, you could always add a separate bedroom/loo cabin that is accessible across a shared deck.
For sure. Thanks for commenting
You'll see in this week's video why we put it away from the cabin.
Oh I like that idea of modules. That would be good for larger families too. A centralized large kitchen eating living area, and individual sleeping and toilet areas in each family members cabin, and maybe less frequently used things like Shower and Laundry in a separate unit. Seems like lots of plumbing unless they are composting toilets, which it seems they would need to be. Where is the water coming from and how is that being heated?
.
IF I were them I would construct another identical cottage and connect them with a covered outdoor living space.
Don't feel bad about things you would have done differently as this is common through out the building industry, all prices all types.
I would suggest you enlarge the deck in front and wrap it around one side as well. Then do screen in the current front porch/summer kitchen and the balance of the new front deck/side can be left without roof.
As for the short Eve's yes would be nice if longer but if you add gutters with tops (no cleaning) that will increase the even by 4" and help in so many ways with water control.
Love out buildings they look great. Would it be a good time for the shower house to also have an outside shower head as well?
But the the way fired up my new heater like yours this morning and LOVE it.
One more thing there are so many options for a wood burner so don't give up that dream either inside or out.
Love your sharing this journey with us and wish you both many years of memory making.
God Bless
I love the wrap around deck idea. Gutters are a no go around here unless they are seasonal and removable. Too much ice damage. Our roofer said not to put them on, they'll get ripped off. So happy the propane heater is working for you. I can't wait to fire up mine again. Still too warm here! Not complaining though :)
Nice!
What about a marine, boat Woodstock?
Found your cabin today.i have no negative comments.only that I’ve enjoyed seeing it.its so cosy.thank you so much for sharing.uk 🇬🇧
Thanks for the view point.
Sad you feel cramped. Perhaps if only it had been 12 ft wide, that might have made a difference. Rooms in many full sized houses are 11 - 12 ft wide (and 13 may have felt luxurious). Mobile home are generally less than 18 ft wide OD. Something to keep in mind. Perhaps after enough years you can build a new larger house on the property and keep this one as a "guest house".
I'm truly happy. We do spend lots of time outside so as long as we don't have a ton of rainy days in a row, cabin fever won't settle in. It will likely be a guest house in 10 years you're right.
You guys have built a beautiful off grid Cabin. It's a learning experience. We will always think of ways to improve our projects. Enjoy your hard work. 😊
I lived very happily in a 482 square foot cottage. Not *everyone* needs a lot of space to be happy. But people need to think and look ahead when building. Not just what you want right now, or this year, but what about in five years? Ten years? As you or your partner get older, what other comforts or amenities might you need? The cabin that a healthy 25 year old can handle is usually not what a 60 year old can handle, with ladders to climb and crawl spaces to worm into. It's so important to sketch out the floor plan ahead of time, think about everything before you start building, and always leave yourself some extra square footage. Better to build a little extra and not need it, than limit yourself and feel cramped.
It's fine. The loft can be used as storage and the cabin one level for when we age. The couch is also a bed.
Watched your vid a year ago and so glad I did. I tripled the size of cabin and expanded the deck plans. Also did. Larger eaves. Thanks for your thoughtful self-evaluation!
I agree about what you said about the cladding. Your system looks like your going to have problems with water ingress. The water cant run off the structure so easily, and it already looks like it is beginning to rot your cladding. The easiest way to fix this I would say is to simply use the existing battons as a base to fix some shiplap cladding. You are also right about the overhangs, wind and rain often combines to force water into the spaces under the eves, creates havoc and leads to your structural timbers rotting, the shiplap would add not just another layer of protection but also the space between it and your original cladding would have air circulating around it to dry out the water that does get in. Nice build, though I hope you put lots of diagonals into the walls because its quite high relative to width, so the wind could punish it over time :)
I like what you have done. It may not be perfect nor is it for everyone, but I think you've done it with a sense of style and a tremendously positive attitude, which I love BTW.
Thank you!
Please cover the siding with clear polyurethane for protection from the elements.
It will also seal the joints/seams in the wood.
Ideas keep cropping up as I read the comments. The need for AC can be minimized with careful planning. Take care when it comes to positioning the cabin vis-a-vis northern exposure, southern exposure, # of windows, shade trees, overhangs or awnings on door and windows, dog trot configeration to create wind tunnel effect, etc. Need not partition the house. Intead build a shed 4 to 5 feet away from the house and have a covered deck or porch between the 2 structures. This "hallway" becomes a "breezeway" naturally and becomes a good location for patio chairs and rockers or a dining table/desk. No need for expensive double pane glass if you can't afford them; instead have interior as well as exterior storm windows, but they can be a pane in the butt. Can also use clear bubble-wrap on windows to insulate windows them. Use nsulating blinds and drapes. A "whole house" fan is a must if you have the power for it; you bring the cool air in at night and expel the hot air thru venting. Fans in each room to cause air to waft over the person - a different concept from the whole house fan. A dehumidifier if you've got the power for it which can generate 40 to 60 pints of water per day taken right out of the air. When air is dry, it feels less hot and less cold. Cooking, generating hot water and bathing should be done outside as much as possible to stop producing heat inside the home. Outdoor showers and swimming pool for quickie rinsing off sweat and cooling the body several times per day. Buy a kiddie pool at Walmart or better yet buy a water trough for livestock at Tractor Supply. Your dogs will love it, too. And finally, hammocks for the mid-day siestas during the hottest part of the day. All the while keep well hydrated and read up on electrolyte replacement. Remember, folks didn't start air conditioning their homes on a mass scale till the 1960s. You will find yourself adapting.
Thank you for sharing your cabin and insights with everyone! You have a nice place there for sure!
You're very welcome
The best upgrade I did was removing the woodheater and fitting a diesel planar heater on the outside (covered). It saves a tonne of space, it is much easier to carry diesel fuel in, and the consumption is amazingly low, as well as having no toxic fumes or carbon monoxide inside. It also keeps constant temperature all night, unlike wood that goes out and must be re lit in the morning.
Never heard of a diesel heater. Interesting.
I built an 8 by 12 foot shed in my backyard it was a kit meaning that all the lumber was precut it just needed to be assembled stud walls nailed together and raised it was pretty easy but after a about a year I needed more room and did the I wish I had built it bigger thing, I didn't have a computer at the time so I went to home depot where I bought the first shed kit from and looked at the catalog and found out they made a four foot addition kit so I ordered it took apart the roof and the gable end and built the addition on it it would have been easier to do it in the first place but it worked out so my Dominican neighbor whose house the shed is near came out and said to me in broken English, Oh you make your house bigger, she thought it was a house then a couple of years later when I did get a computer I looked up the Dominican Republic and discovered why she said that the houses in some parts of the country are smaller than my shed and they have dirt streets, I'll never forget that.
Wow! yes, I find here in North America it is always about building bigger and bigger. This cabin has taught me to appreciate minimalist living.
@@TheWildYam I should have went bigger,too!!!!!
I really like this story. It keeps things in perspective.
Shower House: Ventilation. Wind break/snow break for keeping access to door (assuming its an issue). Skirt around building if you raise building to stop wind from blowing under building. Just a few ideas.
agreed! Thanks!
She mentions cement pad, I used that with 6x6 posts. 24X36 ft A-Frame, since 2006 it has never moved. However we do have pretty packed shale/clay mix soil. That stuff is like concrete. Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia. 4000 Ft elevation. Use re-bar and get about 6" down with your forms.
Nice!
Having footers that extend below the frost line is a good idea and not that hard to do. You can still take the cabin out, you'd just have to leave the footers. I would want to reinforce and attach some brackets (about 4-6 inches into footer with a couple bolts through the bottom portion of the bracket to keep it from pulling out and use the top portion to attach to the cabin). There's probably someone who has a better way to do it.
Nice overview, thanks!
______________________
I had my 12' x 24' cabin built by a local Amish builder, with a 6' front porch that gives a lot more sitting space than the 4'. Just picked up one of the Harbor Freight 100 watt solar kits to charge the 12 volt batteries.
Nice!!!
Really appreciate your honesty and feedback, we're also living off grid (on a friend's land) and we also make videos of our experience. We plan to build our own cabin and your notes are valuable to keep in mind, so thanks!
Wonderful! It is an exciting journey to live less dependant on city resources. Glad this video helped you.
How much stuff do you need, as much as you have space to hold. Small is efficient, I would want a larger deck as well though. My biggest concern with your cabin would be a fire starting in the middle of the night while up in the loft. With all the wood on the interior you will be overwhelmed with smoke immediately. Have you ever considered building a deck off the loft to give you an easy out with the added benefit of having a nice elevate position to overlook your land?
We have a fire ladder at the top level. I have thought of a porch off the loft. Great minds think alike!
But of a truth , my little place when I go to bed it's 75- 80 when I go to bed , the fire is to coals, so no such worry , and when I wake up , it's running about 64 to 66 degrees, so pretty functional.
You have a beautiful little house. I think it's cute. Everyone thinks of ways they could have done things differently after the fact.
19 year vereran at log cabin country life. Nix the propane. Just get a smaller wood stove
yes, and that steel roof material with 2" lengths of conduit, long screws, will let you park it pretty darn close to a wall. leave the tin 4" above the floor, once the tin gets hot a convection cycle starts, keeping the wall itself cool.
Nope. Did a video on why I did that. Check it out. ua-cam.com/video/Zqb8KtvRFeM/v-deo.html
@@modelnutty6503 I just had this discussion with my wife. You're 100% correct. Exactly what I'd do.
@Gary Brown get a small saw like the 250 Stihl. Never give up the fight while you're "Stihl" on your hind legs!!!
@Gary Brown wow what a solar system. I just have 3,000 watts of panels and 8 large six volt batteries. I can still heat 4 gals of water in 20 mins and do a wash while the fridge is running. Great sun up at 5,000 feet in So. Cal.
I have done major (stripping interior down to the outside siding and roof) renovation to my small 12’ x 40' 80 year old house, so I am impressed and appreciative of the thought, planning, materials and design of your cabin. Good work!
It's a really nice get away cabin! Thank you for sharing!
You're welcome Paul!
Don't weary, we always start with some good plan [budget] at first, but we adjust as time goes on. Did the same thing. Have a good week.
Indeed! Thanks Victor
Eh... heated with propane for the first two years in our house. Yes, it’s very efficient.... for appliances. Cooking, hot water, etc... depending on your climate I wouldn’t write off a wood stove just yet. I’m currently installing one as our main heat source. Heating with propane is going to put a huge dent in your wallet. It wouldn’t surprise me if you end up paying more for fuel than you would have a wood stove. Specially given your high ceilings and large windows. There are some close/zero clearance options for wood burners on the market. You’d be paying a premium, but you’re looking at a decent return on investment.
For the shower, just make sure it’s well ventilated and lined with tile and a drain or the structure will grow mold and rot.
We did lots of research. I'll stick with propane for now and see how it goes. We will ventilate the shower house really well. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing your input. It’s good to take food for thought from someone who has some experience.
A rocket mass heater that heats your hot water would be ideal. You're killing 3 birds with one stone. Heat, hot water, cooking. And very efficient. That's what i'd put in if i was building a new cabin.
I am off grid also with an old hickory shed i finished inside . I used spray foam the orange can for every gap walls studs before i walled it with lumber. field mice will not chew through it they dont like it. also stain your outside every piece to prevent rott . keep going love it !!
Go big or ‘stay’ home! Love the honest perspective!
Because your house sits on blocks, some counties would call it a "temporary structure". Big difference in building codes and taxes !
If you are NOT building on a slab with a proper footing, then getting your building off the ground (at least 12") so that light and air can go underneath are very important. It will help prevent animals from nesting underneath.
When you have to replace your battery, buy TWO 6V golf cart batteries. The store a lot more power and should last a lot longer.
Forgot to mention that when you wipe up linseed oil drape the rag over something metal wide open as the rags will burst into flames , spontaneous combustion.
Its allright on the wood though as its being sprayed or painted on.
Thin with mineral spirits.
Thanks for the tips!
@Ethan Yost Then you clearly know nothing about science.
@Ethan Yost Really? You just showed the level of your interlect by replying with an insult.
@Ethan Yost Fat boy? Lol. Another comment on a subject you know nothing about. And interesting that you spent 3hrs with this eating away at you...
Really a great video.... Appreciate everything you guys did and are doing....
Thank you!
Nice T-shirt, Jen. I agree, bigger would have been better and a woodstove would be great. Propane is convenient to have as well. It will be nice to watch the cabin evolve a bit more. Thank you for the video
Thanks! I'll certainly keep you up to date. Thanks for hanging around for the evolution of our cabin!
Very helpful information for someone that hasn't done it yet. Thank you
If you dig footings (below the frostline) and fill with compacted gravel, you wouldn't have any problems. You don't technically have a foundation at all right now unfortunately. Your siding looks like board and batten, but honestly isn't at all. Its supposed to shed water, not let it in a trap it. I'm surprised your bare wood has lasted 5 years.. you should have painted or stained it if you want it to be more than a temporary structure. Good thing you chose the rockwool insulation.. it doesn't absorb moisture, which I'm sure you have more of than mice. I do have a suggestion for the shower house! ... Build the foundation BEFORE you build the structure.. its not rocket science.
Thompson's does the job. We did what we did.
David Kendall cats cats cats. For the mice. But they absolutely adore insulation unfortunately.
How adorable your cabin is! Thx for sharing what a great video. This will help when we build ours.
Hey congrats on 6k subs !!! Everything has positives and negatives, gotta make the most of it ! I like the cabin land around has plenty of great ressources !
Thanks!! It does have a lot of resources. This week's video I'll go into details as to how we acquired it.
I don’t have any specific suggestions, just commenting that hindsight is always 2020!! Life is about figuring out how to constantly grow and improve yourself. You guys have gotten off to a beautiful start. Keep going.
The dreaded R word... Regulations! Makes me love my NWT even more. That said, I’d happily live in your cabin. Thanks for the insights.
I know eh. Ontario is full of rules and regs. Sometimes we build and beg for forgiveness from the township later LOL!!
Which Northwest Territories?
Thanks for sharing this with us and being smaller it is easier to heat when the snow and zero temperatures come.
put gutters on that or your sides are gone in 5 more years
We can't do permanent ones due to severe ice and snow in the Winter.
Even if you put those spikes along the bottom of the roof to break up ice and snow. You see them on homes with tin roofs
Gutter leaf guards?
Your cabin is lovely. Thank you for the advice. It means everything because you actually lived it, unlike so many youtubers who spew bs,having had no experience but acting like experts,misguiding us.i wil definitely check out more of your videos. Thank you again
I think many of the tiny house people get all excited about the romance of it all but after time regret not having more space
I just have to get used to smaller is better. Our culture is always about excess. I need to continue to embrace minimalism.
I'm 3 yrs into my tiny home tree house. I'm not too upset about the size. Just need to build a storage shed. Less is more and we do spend a lot of time outside in summer..winter it snows big-time! Off grid living is not for everyone true and it will be harder when we are older (40s now) like all my stairs lol! Truefully ived lived in something much smaller and much larger..
Sounds lovely!!
Amen Maura. I am so happy in my tiny house. Ditched my nonessential stuff and now I have so much less to worry about. I am nearly 60 and this living arrangement still works great for me.
@@maurawittler2708 What's a tree house home like during high winds?
Just came across your video...
Loved it. Beautiful scenery great cabin.
Nice presentation also.
👏🙏🇺🇸
Thanks!
For what you have-it is really nice & very functional.
I have a 28’ by 8’ RV trailer. And while we have all the conveniences,
it’s long & narrow -and feels very Confining!!
We spend most of our time outdoors, so it is not an issue. A 28 footer is a nice trailer.
5 years off grid solo on a sailboat, now 8 1/2 years off grid in -64F solo. Yes we learn... Beautiful cabin!
you dont need a cement truck to pour a cement pad .. you can pour it by hand you do realize that right?
go get a mason's cement mixer they are small and can be towed by a truck or car .. throw your concrete and sand and water in mix it dump it repeat .. aint hard ..
What about the cracks?
U do a great job explaining everything about the cabin. Really appreciated all the info too. Had a friend who caught rainwater overhead of his shower bldg for his shower. Water ran into a heater much like a water heater standing on the side of bldg. When he wanted hot water for shower he would build fire under the so called water heater and it heated up the water for several showers for the family. Thought he did an awesome job on it. Guess maybe its a bit much for off grid but nothing beats a hot shower or bath for relaxation in my opinion lol. Can't handle cold showers.
I always thought this would be a guest house and you would build a bigger place for yourselves. Love the cabin and the ideas you guys put into it. Nice shirt .
Yes! You do have to have a place to stay when you come to visit someday.
True North Living w
TheWildYam I will take bbq duty 😃
@@truenorthliving9557 Yeah! Bring the caribou kabobs.
Beautiful place - congratulations and great work!
You could build another 10 x 20 addition against the back wall of your cabin to double living space and porch. You could probably add a wood stove then. Tiny house living is not fun like they tell you. It's cramped and miserable at best.
It is definitely an adjustment!
@@TheWildYam absolutely. We built a 20 x 40 home and still need to add an addition for essentials. Like storage, and we downsized to just essentials here. People need some space lol.
went 12x16 plus a loft for around 350sqfeet and immediately wished id done 12x24. the eventual future cabin after a bunkie will be sumwhere around 16x32 or 16x36. 20x40 plans fell through a while ago and im thinking smaller these days but you never know what the future holds
@@garyenwards1608 ... Well any additional space will be enjoyed and utilized I'm sure.
me alone... have lived in a 16ft and a 14ft travel trailer, both was 3 years each.
not as bad as some might think, if it's well laid out or you modify it to be that.
you're welcome.
I've built a few barns and houses over the last 45 years.
Enjoy!
Great video...it is a learning experience. You think during design, you cover everything...well...it's a beautiful cabin...just modify as needed...thanks again for your time
Thank you!!
Hats off to you for going through the process and having a place like this, the real good thing is the experience and learning curve of knowing what you can improve on . I watch lots of programming with building off the grid
It has an appeal, it is very entertaining to see peoples vision become real thanks for the video.
I think small forces you to be neater if you are not.lol i love order so it's no problem for me.I think wider would be great.I'm older now so no ladder for me.I love your cabin I'm looking to retire so I'm looking at the country life( I'm tired of living close to people).Will be looking at land soon and what to place or build on it.Great post.
Totally does. This week's upcoming video will be all about how to find land for off grid living and how to go about making an offer etc!
@@TheWildYam ok great
As a newly 50 year old who's fallen down stairs and has a non-union fracture after 5 years, your definitely correct about that ladder. It gives me shivers to think of trying to climb up there! If you're thinking about country life to retire, also consider how close the nearest hospital or medical care is. It can be a matter of life and death. Sorry to be a "Debbie Downer" but it's something I've dealt with for family members and friends who've lived "out in the country".
It's stunning inside, especially with the tall ceiling, which is an excellent idea. You have great taste!
Glad you like it too!
love a steel roof. Just spend 16k on a roof for my garage and house and what a piece of mind. It is also great if you live in a pine forest. The pine needles blow off easier then on shingles.
My house is 107 years old with its original steel roof. Just needs repainting about every 20 years.
Cool!! What do you use to repaint?
I agree with the pine needles. I always get up on the shed roof and sweep off the piles of needles!
Love seeing your work and appreciate the things you would do differently. Thank you so much.
i like the cabin overall , you did a good job.
Thanks!
@@TheWildYam thank you for sharing,
you get what is given,
good stuff is you
All the best 1truth
Great video. It's hard sometimes to admit the things you did were wrong but that's how you get better. Looking forward to more videos on your channel
Lose the horizontal batten at the foot: the boards should run down past the bottom of the bearers or joists.
Interesting! Thanks!
Yeah, the issue would be that that bottom batten is going to cause rot longterm, every time it rains water sits on it and probably seeps behind it. If it's too difficult to redo the design completely, maybe doing something like cutting a 45
degree bevel on the top edge and then caulking that joint would help to help to keep water moving past it? Probably best to just remove it though, otherwise you're risking rot spreading up the wall and even under the house. Cool place, enjoyed the video and the long term living there advice.
Super cute cabin. I used to have one and loved it. Ended up buying an RV to change things up. The problem with RV's is the massive depreciation. Your little cabin is really nice!
Thank you!
you made all the mistakes i made, wish id done 10 foot walls stead of 8 for humidity and i wish id put plastic 6 mill under my flooring instead of in the ground under the cabin. you could skirt but use some vents you can close to stop your leveling issues. if you skirt thoe you might want to put some 6mill on the ground and throw gravel or crushed granite on top of it best you can from the sides to stop moisture issues. im doing a quick n cheap 1inch hardboard insulation skirt job this fall to replace the old 6mill job from 3 years ago. im def going higher off the ground 3 or 4 cinder blocks with my next bunkie, moistures a real problem here. your not missing much with the wood stove its a painn in the arse. im puttin in the empire propane heater this fall and the napoleon air vent kit for my stove because in 200 sq feet a wood stove needs an air vent kit or you'll have no oxygen doh
definitely NEED a ground vapor barrier (plastic), insulation in the floor joists and a breathable barrier to the bottom itself (like Tyvek maybe?). a place that small doesn't need a wood stove much bigger than a large mailbox, if they were 3-4x thicker one could even work!
yep you need plastic on the ground i have 4 inches of silver board insulation between the floor joists. i was thinking about what to add to the bottom of the joists im not sure if tyvek would breath enuff 6mill youd probly run into moisture trapping issues. you could probly put stained plywood sheets screwed to the bottom of the joists. im interested to hear if anyones tried tyvek. im about to put a second layer of 6mill on the ground under there (theres no gravel under there yet just by the cinderbloks) so its clean again and i can roll around under there once more. my stoves a big old napoleon rated for 1000 or 1500sqfeet def overkill but i love the big box for big wood pieces. if what were 3-4X thicker?? sorry i dint follow your last line
I appreciate videos like this. You brought helpful information that can be considered for anyone looking to build or have built a home in the future. Thank you.
Glad to share what I have learned.
i don't understand instead of adding a second or third small out building , why not add on to your existing house.? for shower room etc...
I don't want to take down too many more trees for now. It is nice to have another building to especially if there was a fire, I'd have another to run to and have a safe shelter. Thanks for commenting.
Spouse and I did it because where we are, the building is not taxed as a residence if it has no permanent cooking facility or bathroom.
Of all the small cabins people built themselves, years later, this one is still my favorite!
I love your cabin. But I was thinking, I you are going to build another room on, why not make it big enough for that wood stove. To me there is nothing like wood heat.
Wood heat is awesome.
Great tea billy, plant something in it. Thank you for all the tips and tricks. We are starting our project this spring and your tips are meaningful
I see these tiny homes and wonder why don't you just build a 800 to 1,000 feet house? You have the land.
Not out of the question yet.
yvobalcer: right, it's like all or nothing with many of these tiny homers. One extreme or the other. They seem to be "blind" to the center.
Shower house:
A raised cistern with a sand filter connected to a propane on demand system.
Support it like the cabin.
Make it a wet room with a grey water tank that pumps back into the cistern.
Vents high on the end walls.
T-111 panels as an exterior siding.
Plant chrysanthemums around your buildings, they are a natural pesticide.
Look into passive solar heating technology.
Good luck.
I think one of the things about an off grid cabin that I love is the minimalist aspect. We live in such a consumerist culture and retreating to a cozy cabin that has the absolute minimal essentials is a very rejuvenating experience. As an older man, your hubbie may one day wish the loo was closer and that the ladder to your bed wasn't so steep, but then again... ahem... I guess any tree will do... ahem (blush). Can I ask your plan for water in the bathhouse?
I do have to continue to embrace tiny /minimalist living. It can be a struggle. The plan for the water is removable gutters and a rain barrel collection system.
Wouldn't work at all for those of us with overactive bladder (blush) : O
If you wrapped a porch around the sides, you could extend the roof to cover the porch .....that would shield the siding on the main structure. If the storms tend to blow through in a specific direction perhaps only 1 side of the house would need the extra overhang.
Re: bath-house.....you could enclose about 6 feet of the front porch and install a shower into that area ..... probably room for a sink as well. If you bought a "Separatte" toilet (Swedish design I think, but available in the States) .....or added a composting toilet with an exhaust fan (they have solar powered fans) you wouldn't have any black water. The porch is too small to use for much except for the coverage above the door. Buy a screened in gazebo for sitting outside....they are cheap and they have the bug netting.....way better than a tiny porch.
Great ideas!
What were you planning for heating the shower house?
fire up the generator and plug in the 4kw baseboard mate
Not sure yet. Have the old kerosene heater to repurpose. LOL! More room in the shower house for a wood stove though.
Wood stoves are maintenance. Propane is cleaner. Having both would be nice just in case you had to. But propane is much less work. Just hauling it and switching it. We also have an outdoor closet. That has made my life a bit easier. Outdoor shower and outhouses. Outdoor shack for the solar wind battery bank. It’s on a trailer so it’s a mobile power bank. We are using roof for water collection. Which has a real bonus of great water add in and we don’t have to haul water but half the year.
We use battery fans mostly ryobi for the charging battery bank with the solar. I use the spot lights for the cabin which provide great spotlighting. Two are pointed half in and half out for outdoor extra light. The batteries fit the fans which also have an alternate power cord inlet. I use the fans for both above my heater inside the cabin and in my shower house for that heater in there. Talk about exponentially spreading the heat and warming the area! OMG. We are 10x warmer and warm faster with the fan.
Our drains water our garden. Our soaps aren’t that much to impact them at all since we use mostly biodegradables. We have birds and two crows that feast on the drain materials that we segregate. We are not yet at the point for the home biogas but almost there. Maybe as the garden gets stronger.
We are considering and probably should have dug a cellar. At least a small one for freezing water and storing for spring and while during winter for our less tolerant plants.
The 12v is cool but I’m so glad we went to 24v. We use a lot of little things that really help over time.
Thanks for your informative post!
Exciting times. Prior to building the cabin did you look into other options? I'm asking because I saw one guy that paid to install a mobile home and then he wrapped it in wood and it looked just like a cabin. His total cost was under $10k. Just curious because I already have my land and haven't decided what to do. Build or tow in a structure???
It all depends on the township and building inspectors. In our
township you cannot have a trailer as a dwelling on private land. You can have a trailer parked on property only if you have a home on it. Thus, we decided on the cabin build. Thanks for the great question.
"you can have a trailer parked on property only if you have a home on it. " .... un.......... believable.
So, are you saying that there are no "mobile homes" in your township or are you referring to "trailer" as in "tractor-trailer" or just what are you saying?
No mobile homes allowed unless there is a home on the property.
TheWildYam That order- no mobile, sounds like communist counry style.
Thanks for posting this! As someone looking to build an off-grid cabin in the near future, it's good to get feedback from someone who's lived with theirs for a few years.
You're welcome!
You can do a wrap around porch. ;)
That would be cool!
Or start digging underneath , bingo ! Nice radiant heat on your floors, done it , ya ! just start digging , putting in one pillar at a time , getter done !
Thank you for sharing this learning curve, it most definitely helps those of us whom yet to have build our very own. Well done overall, looks amazing!