Cut metal for the wall studs!
Cut metal for the wall studs!
ADU's, construction, carpentry
Stumbling on the path of sustainability
Fresh food on Olympia's east Side. From our farm to your table.
Exposing fascism, white supremacy, and police violence since 2015.
{making} food matter together
Sound Food - Do you know where your food comes from?
Culinary Adventures in Paleo Cooking
here to explore, share, and reflect.
Connecting Food & Community Across North America
diy mini camper van, Casita & Aliner trailer mods, camping, outdoors, all things nature
Folk School • Ecovillage • Farm
this is the wordpress social presence of smallandtinyhomeideas.com
Adventures of an Imperfect Man In Search of a Handmade Life
A young couples journey to freedom...
Following one couple's adventures, travels, a tiny house, dreadlocks, and ministry.
Community, experiential education, volunteer, permaculture, aquaponics, sustainability, Caribbean, island, happiness :)
A blog documenting the journey of a lover of Jesus Christ and a brewer of fine beers
The Nautilus 
Hi,
I’ve been trying to find information out there about the pros/cons of Aluminum vs Steel framing for tiny houses.
Do you know anything about the trade-offs between overall weight and structural stability (weight bearing ability)?
Also, where did you purchase the aluminum studs you used for your frame? How much did they cost?
What considerations did you have to make when it came to insulation?
Very curious to know your thought process.
Thanks in advance for any information you can provide! 🙂
– Colin
I would like to second Colin’s questions! Why did you decide to go aluminum instead of steel or wood? How did you go about acquiring materials? Are there any resources you would recommend for further research on aluminum-framed tiny houses? Thanks so much!
Hi Katie!
I looked back at Colin’s, unfortunately unanswered, questions. The aluminum came from a family friend in the aluminum industry. Without his assistance I don’t think I could have afforded to use it. If you are considering aluminum, definitely find a manufacturer or a way to get some of the studs wholesale. The mark up at hardware stores is ludicrous. I went with the aluminum over wood and steel primarily because the opportunity was there. When I set out to build the home aluminum wasn’t in the plans. It is stronger and lighter than steel and wood. It doesn’t warp in the walls or rust. The weight saved on the trailer is astronomical because of the aluminum. Also, the 100% recyclability and longevity of aluminum is really appealing. I think, with the proper maintenance my tiny house will last beyond my lifetime because of the material choices. If you can afford the aluminum and believe you will be in this structure for a long time, I would really consider using it. Otherwise, the investment may not be worth it.
I would look up other aluminum tiny houses and remodeling airstreams. Any normal structure that is built with aluminum (house, school, car, etc.) would be good research. Figuring out how to design your home or weld it based off of normal structures would help a lot. I hope this answers some questions for you.
-Yuri
Great thank you so much for the thoughts and info Yuri! Aluminum is definitely something I will look into more. Thanks for the tip of checking out airstreams, buses, etc. which are already commonly made of aluminum – had not thought of that one yet! Happy Holidays!