Framing

In order to cut back on weight, we decided to build 2x4” walls instead of 2x6”. For strength and stability, we chose Douglas fir for all framing (which is heavier, further supporting our choice for 4” thick walls). In general, we had wanted to build 24” on centre, but we quickly found that, due to windows and door placement, sticking to this was nearly impossible. So we built 24” on centre MINIMUM, but it was kind of all over the map, to be honest.

The plans called for 4x4” beams for the window headers, but we just used two, 2x4” studs nailed together. It was fun to learn the lingo of framing: king and jack studs, sill plates, cripples, top plates, etc, and afterwards, I had a sense that I knew what the heck I was talking about. This elevated confidence was quickly brought back to reality on more than a few occasions, where we realized that we made a huge error, forcing us to dig out the nail pullers and sledgehammer to correct our hubris. There were a few sections where we were able to salvage our efforts, but in others, we had to scrap our attempt and restart, inadvertently creating some expensive firewood…haha!

We assembled the frame in approximately 8’ sections, beginning with the high side (door side), then the low side (opposite), followed by the front side, and finally the back side (respective to the trailer). After everything was put together, we were out about half an inch from square, but it was close enough…haha. We bolted everything down to the steel frame using 5/8” threaded rods. This house isn’t going anywhere!

The skills I honed during framing were most apparent in my use of power tools. I remember taking a woodworking course in 4-H when I was probably eight or nine years old, and I loved using the different tools. Fast-forward a couple of decades, and here I was again, playing around with a band saw, circular saw, miter saw, jigsaw, table saw, different impact drivers and drills, and – my favourite – the air nailer. The first probably dozen times I used the air nailer, I almost crapped my pants. Those things are LOUD and SCARY as heck. But, with any tools, as long as you’re cautious and patient, they are a major time saver. A HUGE shout-out to my Dad who not only showed me how to use these tools, but also encouraged me to do a large portion of it myself, even though I was WAY slower than him. That man has patience in SPADES, I tell ya. If I had the power to bestow sainthood upon someone, it would be him.

On that note, we don’t pretend that we know everything we’re attempting to do, and we’ve made SO MANY errors thus far (and will continue to do so), but not once have we lost our cool, raised our voices to one another, or cast blame. It’s been so great working alongside my Dad, and I love that our mistakes have only brought us closer. Rebuilding the same wall FOUR TIMES just means we get to spend more time together. 😉

The other appreciation I hadn’t anticipated was all the math involved. My algebra and trigonometry knowledge from high school was FINALLY coming in handy! Calculating lengths and angles was incredibly rewarding for someone who values precision, and this was utilized more often than initially imagined, especially when it came to the roof rafters.

We used 2x8” Douglas fir studs for the rafters and meticulously cut notches out of the bottom ends to snugly fit onto the top sill plate. Hurricane clips were then added for extra stability. And just like that, we had the skeleton of what would become my tiny house!