To live in a Tiny House, you have to ask yourself the right questions.
We thought about you and we propose you here a small practical guide: creation of a tiny house in 3 steps.
Step 1: THE MATERIALS
First of all, you have to choose the materials for the structure of the Tiny House.
The Tiny House is built on a trailer with a welded and reinforced frame, fully galvanized.
It is very important to take into account the weight on this type of construction because of the regulations in force since they are intended to be used on the road (to learn more go to Frequently asked questions ). The choice of materials and the optimization of space is therefore crucial for tiny houses. The total allowable weight is 3500kg. The empty weight of a trailer is about 700-800 kg (depending on the length).
Then you have to add the wooden floor of the Tiny and the insulation before building the walls and taking care of the structure.
At Miniature Tiny House we prefer wood (and especially local wood) to metal structures.
A Tiny House is meant to be ecological and wood is a noble material, which participates in the limitation and reduction of greenhouse gases. Indeed, wood is the material that requires the least energy for its transformation because it is a natural material. In addition, it has an advantage that no other material has, it acts throughout its life to store CO2 as a carbon sink. It is light, solid and easy to transform. Wood has properties and mechanical qualities, in addition to its environmental qualities. Thus, it has a long life due to its strength.
Concerning the roof, the Tiny House is designed to roll. The wind resistance is important for a construction of this type which will roll on the roads. So, to avoid losing the roof on the road, the sheet metal is ideal. It is solid, light and waterproof and allows you to drive with peace of mind. Moreover, it is also the solution that allows to save the most on the weight of the Tiny House.
Step Two: INTERIOR DESIGN
Given that a Tiny House must not exceed a certain size (about 30m2) due to the standards and legislation in force, it is necessary to arrange its interior so as to lose as little space as possible and to optimize every corner. Each area must be thought out and optimized in order to be able to live comfortably. It is necessary to play with the spaces, in particular with the height by adding one or even two mezzanines which can be used as a bedroom with a single or double bed and storage space (you can be inspired by our models).
Thus, it will be easier to keep a nice and relatively spacious kitchen, a bathroom and a living room or dining room on the first floor.
Moreover, within the framework of a Tiny House with mezzanine, the staircase can also be optimized by creating spaces of arrangements within this one. (See ACEROLA model).
Step Three: EXTERIOR DESIGN
For the outside, we are limited by the dimensions that correspond to the dimensions of the road. Thus, several solutions exist to optimize the tiny house outside as well. It is possible to add a modular terrace in order to be able to enjoy a little bit of the outside in the summer, because it is always nice to eat or have a drink with friends outside and be as close as possible to nature.
However, it is necessary to think about solutions to store or leave the terrace if the Tiny takes the road. It is also possible to use the roof of the Tiny House, to make a roof terrace. It will be necessary to take it into account from the conception of the Tiny House because it will be necessary to envisage a flat roof. Concerning the access it can be done by the inside if it has been planned or by the outside by simply adding a ladder. You are free to design your roof terrace, keeping in mind that if you add barriers or other fixed construction, you should not exceed the height limit of 4.30m, at the risk of not being able to take the road.
As specialized builders of Tiny Houses, the Miniature team will be happy to discuss with you and advise you in the development and construction of your Tiny House project.
We work in close collaboration with passionate architects and with our customers who can, if they wish, put their hand in the design and realization of their project.
What could be more normal for a custom-made tiny house ;)
Tiny'ment vôtre !
Hugo from the Miniature team 🌱