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Questions about tiny house building!

 
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So my partner and I are wanting to build a tiny home but have little to no knowledge about what sort of materials we would need to construct a sturdy structure.

Our general plan is to purchase some land in Colorado. Preferably surrounded by mountains and rivers. So it's going to get pretty cold in the winter, not to mention a lot of high winds as well.

I'm playing with the idea of using the steel frame of a large shed to build it. But I'm not sure how exactly I could make this idea work in the most cost effective and least labor-intensive way.

Could I use the steel frame and then "clad" the rest of it with reclaimed wood? How does the metal effect the insulation process? Etc.

I'm also not sure what sort of foundation I should use for a structure like this.

I really want to use as much recycled materials as possible. But I also want to make sure that our home is sturdy, durable, and will last a long time. Good quality but as cheap as I can make it.

I'm open to any new thougts and ideas or experience you'd like to share. This is just the bud of a plan and I'm new to this!
 
gardener
Posts: 411
Location: Monticello Florida zone 8a
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Here's a link to the wofati. Well insulated. I haven't made one, but I imagine that the dome shape would help with the wind. And then you could plant a  windbreaker.  
https://richsoil.com/wofati.jsp
Good luck!
 
pollinator
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Location: Bendigo , Australia
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There are many questions to be covered and some facts known.
FACTS FIRST
- Nothing will be labour easy
- Steel has great strength and little insulating properties.
- Steel is often good value because its weight to strength factor is high and its generally easier to handle than timber logs. without special equipment
- Earth covered houses work best on a south facing slope that drops lower than the proposed floor level of the house.
- Floor needs to be drained to a lower point away from the house
- Bobcats to move earth do it very efficiently at a reasonable price c.w. by hand
- Allow maybe 3 years part time to finish any house

QUESTIONS
Will you be near a population base to get recycled materials from?
Do you have any skills?
Will you get a ute as we call them in Australia [ pickup in NA]?
What size are you proposing?
What heating do you have in mind?
Build your driveway first so nobody gets bogged and you waste heaps of time
What energy source do you have in mind?
Is length of time to complete an issue?

 
Wow! It's so clean! Did you do this tiny ad?
the permaculture bootcamp in winter (plus half-assed holidays)
https://permies.com/t/149839/permaculture-projects/permaculture-bootcamp-winter-assed-holidays
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