Tiny Green Cabins delivers a Tiny House to Western North Dakota

White Bear Lake, MN-November 1, 2011  - Tiny Green Cabins provides a solution  to the western North Dakota housing crisis –  one tiny house at a time.

Wildflower II

Living in a smaller, sustainable,  healthy home is becoming the choice of many: young singles find an easily affordable home, young professionals on the move or retirees wanting to downsize have less up-keep, and the appeal of creating a custom portable space is also attractive to those who travel frequently,  as well as to the avid sportsman or outdoorsman.

Tiny Green Cabins is excited about shipping its latest healthy tiny house creation – The Wildflower II – to a western North Dakota school teacher.  She has fulfilled  one of her age old dreams: to have a tiny house built to her exact specifications, one that she can take with her wherever life takes her.

The Wildflower II is a tiny house with a main floor that measures 176 square feet,  and a loft of an additional 120 square feet.   This is a house built to be transportable with added features to make it a year round residence, such as custom trailer foundation by Fellings, welded steel framed structure, insulated floor, walls, and ceiling, metal roofing and siding, in-floor electric heat with back-up propane fireplace, incinerator toilet, custom stairs to loft with built in storage, reserve water storage, grey water storage, ash paneling throughout the home sealed with hand rubbed Tung oil, just-in-time hot water system, LG washer and dryer, kitchenette, small front porch, Marvin Integrity Ultrex windows,  smoke and CO/Propane alarms, and a barrel vault roof /ceiling at lofted area.

Western North Dakota is in an interesting predicament with the oil boom of 35,000 workers in less than a year, and an unemployment rate of just 2%. These workers have moved into “man camps,” motels with campers in parking lots, college dorms, and anyplace else that will have them. Housing is at a premium, and with predictions of another 200,000 workers moving in, finding housing is a practical impossibility – where do you put all these people in the Badlands with winter fast approaching?

After careful deliberation, the new owner turned to Tiny Green Cabins for a solution to her very own housing crisis. The delivery of her tiny house this week will assure her of a healthy place to live and call home in western North Dakota, or wherever life takes her.

If you would like to  learn more about Tiny Green Cabins, check http://www.tinygreencabins.com.

The Punch List is used at Tiny Green Cabins

If you’re ever planning on having a house built or building a tiny house in the near future then it’s worth taking a minute to tell you what a punch list is. This is true whether you hire a general contractor to oversee the construction, or if you hire all the sub-contractors yourself, or if you build tiny houses. A punch list is just a written list of deficiencies that are identified near the end of construction or at specific phases of the building sequence. I like to use a punch list at specific phases as it assures that the quality is built in and makes the final punch list easier. In construction the punch list is typically agreed upon by the owners and builders and final payment is usually tied to the completion of items on the list. There is also a final punch list of possible defects after 1 year of taking possession of the home which is tied to a warranty.

The term punch list comes from a process of punching holes in the margin adjacent to the task. This process was used years ago and provided the unique name that the list carries today. Today most contractors use some type of formal list that contains items which need to be completed along with identification of which trade “owns” the work.

Typical Punch List Items

Typically the punch list contains minor tasks that need to be completed. The punch list is usually organized in one of two ways. One way to organize the list is by listing tasks based on a room name or area of the house. Another popular way to organize a punch list is by trades like electrical, painting, HVAC, etc.

Items on the punch list might include:

• Piece of base missing by cabinet – Carpenter.
• Missing outlet plate cover in the kitchen – Electrician.
• Put bathroom exhaust fan on timer switch – Electrician
• Tung Oil needed on raw wood at kitchen crown – Painter.
• Remove Painters tape at loft windows – Painter
• Secure propane gas lines to underside of trailer – HVAC Contractor
• Install rock shield at grey water holding tank – Nathann
• Crown molding not finished in kitchen – Finish Carpenter.
• Need 35d coat of Tung Oil at main floor – Flooring Contractor.
• Digital keyed lock sticks when knob turned – Carpenter.

The idea is that the punch list provides location, task and responsible trade. Typically this list is started with a walk-through of the project near it’s completion. The walk-through usually includes the owner and/or owner’s representative and the general contractor and sometimes the sub-contractors.

When I worked McMansion custom homes 15 years ago, we always had a punch list with clients and general contractors. One contractor would tell us which day he would show up for the punch list and want the trade’s representative there to walk the house with him. The list would frequently be 50-60 items long until we learned what he was looking for. Then it became a challenge to get a punch list to less than 10 items.

Punch List & Contracts

Most Contracts between an owner and general contractor include a reference to the punch list and retainage. Retainage is money owed the contractor but not paid until a certain milestone is reached. Typically contracts hold 2% to 10% of the cost in retainage until the contractor finishes the punch list. This ensures that the work gets completed in a timely fashion.

If you end up being your own general contractor (GC) then I highly recommend you hold a certain amount of retainage on your sub-contractors and also discuss a detailed punch list near the end of the project. Telling your sub-contractors about the punch list and retainage ahead of time will keep the project moving without delays.

Tiny Green Cabins uses this practice as it saves time and reduces warranty costs. Since our tiny houses are finding homes in North Dakota, Boston, Boulder City, Vancouver, California, Illinois, and many other states this is a wise practice as it reduces warranty issues later.

The bottom line is punch lists are a great way to make sure large projects as well as tiny houses are completed in a timely manner. The punch list makes sure that all parties understand who is responsible for the final tasks. It’s also a very useful tool for owner’s so they can keep track of the final project progress.

We thank Erikorganic for introducing us to this all natural finish

Finishing with Walnut Oil and Beeswax

A tiny house non toxic finish

Walnut oil is a great choice when creating your own oil & wax mixture due to its safety and low rancidity (it does not spoil easily, when compared with other common oils). It should be combined with beeswax, using the process outlined below.

Walnut Oil

Finding Walnut Oil and Beeswax

Walnut oil can be purchased in many grocery stores and food co-ops; there’s little difference between organic walnut oil and conventional walnut oil as the oil will not be consumed.

Beeswax can be purchased in bulk at many farmers markets, or in block form on ebay.

Creating the Oil & Wax Mixture

Add the walnut oil into the top of a double boiler, on low-to-medium heat. Boil it lightly; do not overheat.

Add beeswax to the double boiler, in a ratio of 2 (beeswax) to 1 (walnut oil). Heat the mixture to the melting point of wax, then stir to combine the oil & wax together.

When completed, the mixture should be solid enough to apply easily with a rag without being ‘drippy’ or liquid. Add additional beeswax or walnut oil as needed.

Note: The leftover mixture can be stored for several years; it will harden into a block and can be reheated for later use.

Applying the Oil & Wax Mixture

Step 1:

The initial coat of oil & wax should contain a higher proportion of oil, to assist in the application process. While applying the oil and wax mixture, we have found that keeping the mixture warm speeds the application. We use a hot plate to set the container on to maintain its temperature in a more liquid form. As we work the area, we also place cardboard or a painters tarp for drips or spills.

Rub the mixture into the wood with a rag. Let it set for a few hours.

Step 2:

A second coat is recommended, with a higher proportion of wax than the first layer. The second coat should also be allowed to set for a few hours.

Step 3:

Take a second (clean) rag and buff off the excess oil & wax.

Step 4:

The oil & wax should be re-applied at least once a year, more often for high-traffic surface areas like floors or desktops.

Guarding Against Rancidity

Although walnut oil is resistant to rancidity, all natural oils will develop a foul odor if they are not boiled, if they are exposed to constant moisture of high humidity, or if they not mixed with enough wax.

Homemade oil & wax, by its very nature, is a natural product and can react differently in various climates.

Order the Wildflower II by November 15, 2011 and receive a “gourmet” package of 24″ Refrigerator, 24″ electric range, and Whirlpool stack able washer/dryer combo included at no added cost.

Wildflower II

The Wildflower II tiny house, micro home is built to the specifications of our healthy homes series. It is 8′ x 22′ with a 3′ covered front porch. The hardwood finish is a Tung oil hand-rubbed finish, steel roof that is classified as Class IV hail resistant and eliminates ice dams thus reducing insurance premiums, steel lap siding, and a 3/4″ x 6″ White Ash Character grade paneling, with white ash cabinetry and custom white ash doors.

Featuring:

Healthy Living

Barrel Vault

Stairs to Loft

Space for Washer/Dryer

Electric in-Floor Heat

Abundant Storage

Steel Frame

Hardwood Paneling

Hardwood Floors

Covered Front Porch

Dimensions

Cabin Size: 8′ x 22′

Road height when mounted on Trailer: 11′-8″

Approximate weight: 10,000 – 12,000 lbs

Porch: 7′ x 3′

Loft Height: 2′-8″

Ceiling Height: 6′-3″

We are custom builders of tiny houses, and that involves building to the customer specifications. While we provide guidance for customers in their designs, often the specifications are client driven. One of our 1st customers gave us some very specific specifications on material, our clothing, our deodorants and more. After looking at the list, we said “Yes, we can do this” We then learned that a lot of people had turned him away. As we got to know our customer, we learned about people with chemical and environmental sensitivities and that I might also have some of the same issues.  Since the start of this cabin, we learned more about non toxic homes. Following is an article on reshelter. We have permission to use the article and we will post the start here, with a link to the full article, pictures, and other items of interest.

The concept of home is universal, shared among not only the cultures of the world but much of the animal world as well, from nesting birds to burrowing rodents, to sea creatures to snails that are born with a home on their back. For most of us, animals included, home is a place to rest our weary heads, raise our young, and stay protected from the elements.

It is human nature to create a sense of home, even when transient or homeless. When I backpacked the world, a photo from home, a colorful scarf, and a small cup with a flower were enough to mark my new territory as home. Our sense of home makes us feel safe, comfortable, and grounded in our identity. Without it, we can feel uncertain, vulnerable, uncomfortable, unsettled. Nothing in life will feel exactly right if we don’t have that home base to start from.

So what about the growing sector of our population-now estimated to be between 12.6 percent and 33 percent¹-that suffers from some form of environmental illness, which can include sensitivities to chemicals found in everyday products and building materials, mold, sound, light, electricity, vibrations, and extremes of temperature? Reported as the “new homeless,”² those with severe chemical sensitivity often find themselves living on the fringes of a chemically addicted society-in refurbished Airstream trailers, tents, and cars, in long-forgotten fields, miles from civilization.

What most people don’t realize, unless they get sick themselves and feel the effects firsthand, is that the typical American home is built with materials laden with toxic chemicals. The most common are formaldehyde (found in plywood, particle board, and other pressed wood products that are used to make furniture, cabinets, shelves, and counter tops) and solvents (used in oil-based paints, stains, wood preservatives, carpet glue, and other adhesives that release dangerous fumes containing volatile organic compounds). Many homes are full of electrical pollution caused by problems with wiring, large appliances, cordless phones, and the now-ubiquitous WiFi and other computer and cable TV transmission systems. Homes that are designed to be hermetically sealed trap indoor pollutants and create an environment ripe for mold growth.

Even if a person with chemical sensitivities were to have sufficient resources-the finances, knowledge, energy, time, and wherewithal-to build a “safe” house for him- or her-self, there is the persistent problem of neighbors. Wafts of their fabric softeners, air-polluting particulates in smoke from fireplaces and wood stoves, ambient pesticide drifts, gas-powered exhaust-spewing lawn appliances, and those Sunday barbecues all threaten the safety and health of those with allergies and other environmental sensitivities.

What others may perceive as mere complaining is, to a person with chemical and environmental sensitivities, an actual physical-and, for that matter, emotional-threat to their well-being with each exposure to someone else’s chemicals. Reactions can range from the uncomfortable-fleeting headaches, nausea, and/or dizziness-to the near fatal. Some even go into seizure, others experience a profound brain fog that can last for days, weeks, or even months, and still others have suffered heart failure when exposed to a specific trigger. We are not talking about simple allergies here; we are talking about brain inflammation, failure of enzyme detoxification systems, and profound immune-mediated responses.³ There are some who have even died from the progression of chemical sensitivity,^{4, 5, 6} which typically affects several organ systems and can eventually lead to organ failure.

The most common response from individuals when told that their universally accepted actions (using fabric softener, wearing perfume, having a summer barbecue) are harming someone else is anger and defensiveness: “That’s their problem, not mine. I’m not going to change my actions.

To read more, click here

A tiny house Timesaver

The Timesaver is probably one of my favorite machines of all time. The investment in one is around 40K, by the time you purchase the Timesaver, install a dust collector, belts, and power. Tiny Green Cabins leases time from North Metro Millwork, a cabinet shop, in Blaine for our use. They have a lot of tools and tries to keep the machinery as busy as possible, so this is a win/win for both of us. It would be a real challenge to justify the investment for a Timesaver to be used by us, just to sand down doors quickly. By leasing time on his Timesaver, we save time, money, and improve our products so we can be as competitive as possible in today’s’ market. And he gets an added income stream for his shop; although not a big one – yet.

The Timesaver is a huge stationary belt sander that one can feed wood products through to sand. The belts on this machine are 36″ wide and the Time Saver is like a press that raises the table against the belt. One can machine down to 1000ths of an inch. In joinery of cabinets and doors, there is always some imperfections in joints, ie one being slightly higher than another that can be seen or felt with the fingertips. By feeding our doors door through the Timesaver, one can easily sand out those imperfections with multiple passes through the machine in minutes. That process saves countless hours of using a small belt sander to do the same things and without achieving the quality the Timesaver offers us.

To feed all sides of the door through the machine takes maybe 14 minutes, to do the same thing with a belt sander on a custom made door would take several hours. After this is done the next step for the door is the DA process, or using the multi-directional rotational orbital sanders. This takes out the sanding lines of a belt sander or Time Saver.  When sanding, some feel the practice is to sand the wood down to a 200 grit and finer. However, we never sand higher than using 120 grit sandpaper so that the woods will still take the stains more evenly. We have learned that using higher than a 120 grit, for instance 160 grit sandpaper…the stains starts looking blotchy resulting in a blemished appearance.