Compost is My Religion

I’ve finalized my tiny house design, and it’s ready to send off to Volstrukt who will be creating the framing for my home. It’s an amateur plan and I’m sure Jayson and Mark will have loads of questions, but the kinks will hopefully be worked out in the next few days. By the time Holly Hursley (videographer/photographer) and I head to Austin next week to interview the Volstrukt folks, my design will be set in stone. It’s an anxiety provoking stage because everything must be exact. If it’s not, well, I will have a lot of problems with my framing dimensions down the road. It’s all on me now, and if I’ve made a mistake then I will find a way to fix it.

Completing my design was a learning process and it was difficult because I had to give myself a crash course on roof slants and angles. Additionally, all my measurements must not exceed the legal towing dimensions of the house (13’6″ high and 8’6″wide), and I needed to take into consideration sheathing, house wrap, and siding that are all exterior components around the frame. I learn something new each step of the way, and recently I’ve been learning how much needs to be decided upon and planned before the build even starts. I have been non-stop researching and methodically taking each necessary step towards the build. It’s been a massive amount of work already and I haven’t yet picked up a hammer. Only a measuring tape. 

On a green note, I aim to build this house as sustainably as possible. I’ve chosen not to use materials that poison the environment or me, and I want my house to be an example of green building at its finest and tiniest. I have been looking into different forms of insulation and vapor barriers that will raise my R-value within a small amount of wall space, and that won’t off-gas toxins. If I could, I would build a straw bale and cob house, but that’s laughably not possible on a trailer.

I envision myself living in my tiny house for many years to come, but what if it is taken down and demolished at some point? How will it decompose? Will it poison the soil I care so much about? Or, can I build a house that will be the least harmful for me and our environment? Compost is my religion.