To start the process, the trailer is jacked and leveled. Starting off level is very important! Then, half of the deck boards are removed. Removing the deck boards lightens the overall weight of the trailer, but still gives sufficient support to the subfloor framing.

Next, a layer of aluminum flashing is installed to protect the subfloor and insulation, as well as providing a barrier against critters.

The floor is framed with 2x4s on 16″ centers. The floor extends about 6″ past each side of the trailer to get the maximum living space possible. The floor framing is attached to the trailer by about 50 3-1/2″ lag screws screwed up through the bottom of the deck boards. Additional strapping will be provided later.

Finally, insulation board is cut and installed between the joists. I used 1″ thick Owens Corning Foamular 150 XPS Insulation since it is extremely resistant to moisture and has a higher R-value than other products. It’s insulation value is R-5 per inch, and I used three layers for a total R value of 15. It cuts very easily with a utility knife, and I was able to get an “almost” perfect fit. In addition, it is GreenGuard certified, so it has a low VOC content. I’ll still use some expanding foam in a few places to make the floor completely airtight.

First thing in the morning, I’ll install the plywood subfloor and begin building the walls and roof. Of course, that’s going to mean some additional planning as well since I don’t think I’m going with the original floor plan. So much for changing on the fly…

• The more your materials will cost.
• The more your utilities will be.
• The more dusting that you will have to do!
• The more STUFF you’ll end up filling it with.

Start out by asking yourself the question, “Why do I want a house?”

• To provide shelter?
• To have space to entertain guests or show hospitality?
• To show how rich I am?

Think about what you need, and why you need it?

• Do you really need a 20′ x 20′ walk-in closet? (If so, is it possible that you have too many clothes?)
• Does your bathroom really need to be the size of a Japanese bath house?
• What is your bedroom for? Sleeping or cozy retreat?
• What about your kitchen? Do you actually cook? If so, is your kitchen the focal point of your house?
• When you entertain, is it inside or outside? Maybe a nice deck would be better than a huge living room.

These are some of the questions to ask BEFORE building! Don’t overbuild…don’t under build. Think through the process. Sometimes, less is actually better.

A GREAT place to look for ideas on how to build efficiently is the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company. Jay Shafer and his crew are loaded with ideas on how to make the most out of a small space! Browse the website, or even buy one of his books! (I have them both, by the way, and yes, I get a small referral fee if you buy something). While you may not want to live in less than 100 square feet, your eyes will be opened up to the possibilities! Also, check out Sheldon Designs for some great, efficient ideas and plans!

Archeological Dig by Peter Griffin

But when you’re dealing with construction, it has to do primarily with your Site Preparation, and for simplicity’s sake, I’ll include anything that has to do with digging or dirtwork.

Now, you’d think since the Earth is made out of dirt, this would be one of the least expensive parts of building, but don’t be fooled!  While dirt might be cheap, getting the dirt, and especially the right kind of dirt hauled to your location is another story.

What are some ways that you can save money in your Site Preparation?

1. Choose a site that already has a good soil composition. In the long run, it  is well worth the money to have a soil test performed to determine the soil type.  You can then decide what your best foundation options will be.
2. Choose a site that will not require a tremendous amount of dirt work. It’s not uncommon for houses to require several hundred yards of fill, and at $10/yard, that can add up to several thousand dollars BEFORE the bulldozer/machine time.  Machine time can be $50-$100/hour.  You don’t want your House On A Dime to end up costing you $10,000 or more just for Site Preparation.
3. Dig your own utility trenches (plumbing, electrical, etc.). This can literally save you thousands of dollars, depending on the location of your utilities.  Your contractor will charge you for labor, equipment and profit to dig utility trenches.  You can rent a trencher, and use some sweat equity to save hundreds to thousands of dollars.
4. BEFORE you dig, have all existing utilities marked! You don’t want to have to pay to repair a water line, sewer line or phone line, and you DEFINITELY don’t want to cut a buried electric line!  It might cost you your LIFE.  In Texas, call 1-800-DIG-TESS (not 1-800-DIG-TEST) to have all utilities marked.  If you live elsewhere, check with your local utility provider.
5. Take pictures of all of your trenches before covering them up. This will save you a tremendous amount of time, money AND frustration should you ever need to perform maintenance.  Make sure that you include a landmark of some type in the picture so that you can locate the trench later.
   

   Notice that I included the Crepe Myrtle tree in the picture to aid in locating the sewer line later.

Stayed tuned for an interview with Mitchell Bernhard, President of Apex Geoscience, Inc., on the importance of proper site analysis, and how to save money in the process!

There has been a lot of fear regarding asbestos because of the real health hazards that it can present. Asbestos, like lead, is often a concern to those working on older houses. Asbestos can be found in many materials from floor tiles to shingles to fiber cement siding. It was used extensively in buildings and homes from the 1930s until the 1970s, when its use was banned.

Asbestos cement siding is one of the most common materials that you might run in to in an older home.

The primary surface texture for asbestos siding shingles was an imitation of wood such as this raked cedar style.

Typical Asbestos Cement Siding

By definition, it is considered non-friable asbestos, and as such, does not generally present any health concerns. The National Park Service deals quite a bit with the preservation of older homes, and they have an excellent article entitled, Keeping a Lid on It: Asbestos-Cement Building Materials, which I’ve excerpted here:

Some asbestos fibers, when inhaled, constitute a health hazard leading to asbestosis, a form of lung cancer. These health risks prompted the establishment of strict environmental regulations on working with asbestos. Health risks were shown to be greatest during mining and production processes, but minimal during installation and use of asbestos-cement products. According to the EPA, a material containing asbestos is deemed potentially hazardous only in a friable state, which means when it can be crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to a powder by hand pressure. Asbestos-cement is not considered friable, and therefore not hazardous, because the cement binds the asbestos fibers and prevents their release into the air under normal use conditions. However, asbestos-cement products are classified as friable when severe deterioration disturbs the asbestos or mechanical means are used for chipping, grinding, sawing, or sanding, therefore allowing particles to become airborne.

Disposal of friable asbestos material may be subject to various regulations, depending on your jurisdiction. However, disposal of non-friable asbestos by the owner of a single family home can usually be done at any landfill willing to accept asbestos containing material, and is not generally subject to federal restrictions that apply to contractors.

The best way to deal with non-friable asbestos cement siding is to paint it or cover it with some other form of siding. This will obviously result in the least amount of disturbance. However, if you need to remove or repair it, follow these general rules:

• Keep the dust down. There should be no “visible emission” of dust.
• Keep the material damp when removing it to prevent dust from forming.
• Don’t use power tools for removal or chipping, grinding, sawing or sanding.

Floor tiles often contain asbestos as well, and simply covering them with new flooring is probably your best option.

But again, the key is to keep the fibers out of the air to prevent inhalation. A little common sense really does go a long way.

Should the presence of lead based paint make you shy away from old houses? Absolutely NOT!

Approximately 50% of the houses built prior to 1978 have some lead based paint.  This accounts for a large percentage of the housing stock in America, and a very large percentage of the “deals” that you might find as you’re looking for your “House On A Dime!”  Lead Paint Safety: A Field Guide for Painting, Home Maintenance, and Renovation Work states:

“In poorly maintained houses, lead-based paint, which may be several layers down, flakes and peels off. Paint failure is usually caused by moisture problems. Sometimes rubbing or impact causes paint failure. Doing work improperly can also cause a lot of dust. Lead-based paint chips and dust then mix with house dust and build up in window troughs and on floors. Children are endangered when lead in paint chips, dust, and soil gets on their hands and toys which they may put in their mouths. Lead can make children very sick and cause permanent brain and nerve damage. It can also result in learning difficulties and behavior problems. This damage is irreversible. It is a tragedy we can prevent. If paint is kept intact and surfaces are kept clean, children can live safely in a home painted with lead-based paint. Uncontrolled or uncontained dust and debris from repainting and/or renovation that disturbs lead-based paint in a well-maintained home can also expose children to unsafe levels of lead.”

Some of the things to keep in mind when performing renovations in homes that contain lead based paint:

• Keep dust to a minimum.
• Confine dust and paint chips to the work area.
• Clean up during and after the work.
• Ensure that all lead-contaminated dust is removed.

Effective immediately, all contractors who are being paid for their services, who disturb more than 6 square feet of interior surfaces, or 20 square feet of exterior surfaces must be Certified by the EPA and must use lead safe practices in homes built prior to 1978 if lead is present.  As a homeowner, you are not required to be Certified, but you are highly encouraged to follow Lead Safe Renovation procedures.  Lead poisoning is serious, especially in children.

How do you determine if your home contains lead?  Currently, only one test kit is certified by the EPA to perform a lead test. You can use this kit to spot test for the presence of lead.  You might also choose to hire a lab to come out and perform a more detailed test.  In our area, it runs around $200.00, depending on the size and scope of your renovation.

For more detailed information, check out the following:

• The EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting website.
• EPA Small Entity Compliance Guide to Renovate Right
• Steps to Lead Safe Renovation, Repair and Painting

What a mess!

But, we had to start somewhere!  We got out our sledge hammers and crowbars and went to work.  We totally demolished one section of the house that was beyond repair, then added a new section in its place so that we could re-roof the entire house to prevent further deterioration of the inside.  Here I am getting ready to knock down the porch…

Formulating a plan...

I figured that this would be a pretty daunting task, but when I swung at the first porch post with all my might, it went flying across the yard!  There weren’t even nails holding the posts to the porch (I assume they had long since rusted away!).  After the last swing, the porch came tumbling down, and my youngest (at the time) yelled, “Do it again, Daddy!”

"Do it again, Daddy!"

After the porch came down, we started tearing off layers…first, the aluminum siding, which revealed 105 lap siding.

Tearing off the Aluminum Siding

Then, tearing off the 105 siding revealed the old board & batten siding…

Board & Batten Siding...several layers down!

And finally, after we removed the board & batten siding, we could see the studs!

Down to the studs!

Now, it may not look like much to you, but it looked beautiful to us!  We were finally done with the hard part!  Tearing off all of the ugly so we could start putting back some pretty!  Most people thought we were crazy.  As a matter of fact, the view above of the bare studs is what our midwife saw the first time she came to visit us!  We were so thrilled about our “new” house, but I’m sure she thought we were nuts!

When you look at these pictures, you might think that nothing that we tore off was salvageable, but au contraire! We drove the nails out of piles of studs and re-used them later.  My father-in-law used many of the boards from the board & batten siding to line the inside of a cabin he was building (the truth is, they don’t make wood like that anymore…thick, sturdy 1″ x 12″ boards).  We saved and re-used all that we could.  Now, that’s Green Building! An excellent resource for re-using old construction materials is the book, Unbuilding: Salvaging the Architectural Treasures of Unwanted Houses.  It is full of  great ideas AND lots of great pictures!  And you’ll learn the fine art of demolition with a velvet crowbar (not literally, but figuratively).

So don’t forget…even when doing demolition……waste not, want not.

This is a picture of our Master Bedroom.  There are several money savers here:

• The flooring is beautiful 2×6 heart pine flooring that we bought from someone who had torn down an old warehouse…and we only paid $2.50 per 16′ board!
• The ceiling is made of 1×6 boards that we purchased at auction…for 25 CENTS per 16′ board.
• The ceiling trim is made from the same 1×6 boards with a decorative pattern applied with a cake decorator tip and sheetrock mud!
• The ceiling medallion is made from an old ornate wall clock!

Here are a couple of close ups…

BTW, the room changed colors many times…paint is cheap! Maybe Elizabeth can chime in on some of the savings on the furnishings in the room…

Some things to consider when choosing a site:

1. Drainage: Be absolutely certain that your site drains well, and that the water can be directed away from the house.  (Water is NOT your friend!)
2. Access: What type of roads lead to your house?  Are they full of potholes?  Our road beat our cars to death!  That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t live in the middle of nowhere…just make sure you understand what that means!
3. Distance: Will you be commuting from your “House On A Dime”?  What is your fuel cost going to be?  There were times that my gasoline bill was almost $1,000/month!  (Hmmm…maybe I should have bought a car with better mileage!)
4. Terrain: Is there a suitable home site on your land?  You might be shocked when you find out how much those 100 dump truck loads of dirt are going to cost! Or, the excavation of the side of a hill.  Find a spot that will require minimal dirt work.
5. Utilities: Are they available?  What’s the cost of getting a water meter? (Probably more than you think).  Can you even get city or community water?  Will you have to drill a well?  What about electricity?  You might be surprised that you often have to pay to bring the power from the edge of your property to your actual house site…SO, if you build smack dab in the middle of 50 acres, the costs can add up!
6. through 10.  HELP ME OUT HERE! Someone comment or ask a question about site considerations.  I’d love to get some input!

Municipalities require permits to ensure that construction meets building codes, and just in case you forgot, check out this post to see why you need to follow building codes.

So how does pulling a permit save you money?  Since your permitted work will require an inspection before receiving a “green tag,” you can have more confidence that the work was completed properly – whether you do it or hire a subcontractor.  Sometimes, subcontractors do a better job when they know that their work will be checked.  Also, you will avoid fines or re-doing the work.  Let me give an example.

I have a friend who was convinced that he didn’t need to get a permit before converting a garage to living space.  He did all of the necessary work:  demo, framing, wiring, plumbing, insulation, drywall, texture, trim and paint.  Now, I’m not sure when the building inspector noticed that the work was being done without a permit, but he didn’t show up until the job was completed…and then required all of the sheetrock to be removed so that he could inspect the wiring, plumbing and insulation.  So much for saving $200.00 on a permit! To top it all off, he was fined for doing work without a permit.

WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE!

Save yourself some pain…and extra work…and money.  PULL A PERMIT!