Saturday, February 28, 2015

What would I do differently - #2



Now I've lived here for just over three months. And I have a few more things I've thought of for this list. (If you are interested in the first list, check it out here.) Now again, none of this means that I am unhappy with my house or do not like living here, but there are a few things I'd do differently. And while everyone has different needs for their home, I'd be happy for someone else to be able to think about these things before they build theirs.

1. - I'd use composite windows. I think they are less expensive and more durable than wood. But mainly they would be water resistant. And controlling moisture in a space this small where I cook so much is an ongoing battle. Some of my window frames are tending to stay damp all the time and beginning to show some signs of mold. So that's a pretty big one that I would change. And may have to change at some point depending on how the wood that I have holds up.

2. - I'd have skipped the post on the corner of the porch. I should have mentioned this in the first post since it actually came off in the first few hours after the house arrived and had remained gone. I just forgot about it earlier. With a smallish door, the corner post prevents you from moving any large objects in and out. You can't angle anything to get around a corner as you come in the door. It's cute and homey, but highly impractical in my experience. Like I said, it's not there and I have no plans to put it back.

3. I would have lowered the bookshelves along the base of the ceiling. The shelves are wide enough for most books, but due to how close they are to the angle of the roof, most books can't sit on them because it pushes anything sitting there out too far. I'd have made them level with the base of the beams supporting the loft rather than the top. Then pretty much every book I own (and lots of other things) would be able to sit comfortably on the shelves. I will probably move them lower sometime I'm free and have a friend to help me.

4. I might have installed a few more lights, one in the reading nook corner, one right over my mirror in the bathroom, and one in the corner by my sink and fridge. It can be just a little dim in each of those areas. I've solved this pretty easily with a few battery powered LED lights. But, I'd take the time to run wiring to more permanent lights there if I was doing it again. 

Just a few more things you might want to consider as you plan your own house layout and design.!


13 comments:

  1. Thanks. I wondered about the post and now I know. We'll skip it when we get to that point.

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  2. I love the practicality of your posts! Thank you. I continuously hear about moisture being an issue in tiny homes. Point noted! :)

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    1. Just an FYI: wood stoves dry out the air, and propane heaters put out water vapor ~ a problem in Tiny Homes especially. Hope this adds to your thought process! :)
      Parker

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  3. I am really enjoying your posts. Keep it up, very informative and insightful.

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  4. Thanks for the update! I keep checking for them, please keep it up :)

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  5. I've been loving your blog too! I am a former RV tech and have been captivated by the tiny home movement.
    From your list, I don't know what pump you have, but I used to have a Shurflo 12VDC mounted on a battery box. It would run 4-5 hours a day in my winterizing season, and I would only have to charge the small lawn mower tractor battery once a week.
    I would agree that your Suburban furnace is a heavier consumer.
    As for the radiant floor heat, if electric, it would be a very heavy consumer, and if solar heated hot water, you would still require a pump to circulate it. I do love radiant floor heat, and wish I had it here at my desk!
    I do admire and envy you for taking the plunge!
    Best of luck!

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  6. I've lived in my tiny house for 3 years - single pane windows, cold climate. A wood stove helps, but so does just wiping moisture from the pane a few times a day. No big deal with so few windows.

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    1. Yeah, it's not hard, but I do have 15 windows, so it's a bit time consuming. ;)

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  7. So excited to have found your blog! Thanks for all of this great info!!

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  8. Ariel, that's a lot of windows! Has the problem resolved with the installation of your wood stove?

    I have 11 windows, 3 doors with glass, and two skylights, and yet, I wish I'd put in a few more wall lights, too. Good thing I have lots of outlets, so I can use lamps, but I got some LED battery lamps, too. I live alone, so mine are motion-activated, so I don't have to look for them in the dark.

    I've lived with wood windows, single and double paned, steel, aluminum, vinyl-coated aluminum, vinyl, and now, composite windows. I must say, the composite are my favorite. I'm glad my builder recommended them, because I wasn't thrilled with all of the others above. I'd never heard of them before.

    Thanks for the remark about the bookshelves. I haven't put mine up yet, and that's a good hint to have.

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    1. Yes, the wood stove had totally solved all condensation issues!

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  9. hi ariel just discovered your blog and i think your great very practical but above all courageous to continue to follow your dream and deal with the hardships of life out in the country side wishing you the very best of health jose goodwin

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  10. hi ariel just discovered your blog and i think your great very practical but above all courageous to continue to follow your dream and deal with the hardships of life out in the country side wishing you the very best of health jose goodwin

    ReplyDelete