So, Yuri bought this wood stove. We got it in the mail in August. We didn’t install it until February. Hahahaha.
So we used a space heater most of this winter but started using the stove and it’s so cozy! After testing it a lot and filling the tiny house with smoke a few times I figured out the trick to lighting a good fire and the house stays a pleasant temperature all night! It’s pretty easy to control the temperature of the house too.
Close up Kimberly stove
Yuri built a beautiful live edge marbled maple table to surround the stove and we can store our fire making supplies and other things underneath! We might do a live edge backsplash kind of trim around the table and we may make some doors to the under storage part. But here it is in it’s current state.
It’s pretty crazy how paranoid we can get, having real fire in the house, but after a few weeks we got comfortable enough to leave the house with the fire going strong. This stove is really well made, safe, and efficient too. Now the seasons changed and we don’t really need heat most nights so we’ll see how next winter goes just using the wood stove.
Wood stove book nook
The Nautilus 
Thank you for the pictures and update on the tiny house. Take care you two
Hi! I am about to start my tiny home project and I want to make it out of aluminum framing to cut down on weight and to hopefully last longer compared to the alternative steel frame! So my question is.. How much did it cost you to fabricate the aluminum frame yourself? I’m considering getting an enclosed aluminum car hauler as opposed to fabricating one. I found a well made all aluminum construction 8.5′ X 20′ with 16″ framing thru for $9400 after taxes (it weights approx 2700lbs). I’d appreciate your thoughts and recommendations! Thanks!
Kelsey
kelseymchalffey@aol.com
Hey Kelsey, Im sure you’ve already made up your mind on your purchases (since you asked me like 2 months ago), but incase you didnt here are some thoughts: I would probably do would over steel. Steel is just so darn heavy when structural and even when painted and sealed it still seems to rust. I dont have a real cost on what my aluminum cost me. I got an amazing deal through a family friend and was beyond lucky. I’m not sure about an enclosed aluminum trailer for living. You may have to do more work ripping apart the walls the make the stronger and thicker than is worth. That said, it would be so nice to reuse the trailer and the metal. My new aluminum trailer cost me a serious amount of money and if this one has more metal that you can use id say its worth it. Let me know what you chose!
Hi, I’ve been researching the design of your tiny house and just finished the blog a few weeks ago. Yuri did a great job, and your little plot of land looks gorgeous with all the gardening!
I’m trying to decide on whether to use an aluminum trailer and frame for my own tiny home plans, and hire a professional builder. But since I plan to travel frequently with it, two of my big concerns are vertical space and insulation.
I recall from the blog that the Nautilus’s wall insulation is spray foam (I’ve forgotten the trailer insulation). Can you by chance estimate the R level of your home? I’ve heard that aluminum and other metals make insulation and condensation control difficult. Thanks!
Hey Tom, sorry for the late response. I (Yuri) often forget when Victoria tells me I have a comment to respond to. I’m thrilled you enjoyed the blog and like our home. The majority of the house is sprayed with foam and 2 of the walls are sheep wool. I do not know the total R-Value of the home but I do know that spray foam is the most R value on the market. There are some other really cool insulation, but I think they are all too heavy. Im hoping to get an infer red gun for the winter to get an idea of how the sheep wool is holding up.
As for the the metal condensation, that hasnt been a noticeable issue. I know that metals do create more condensation and maybe there is an issue in the walls i just havent seen. But i do have a super insulated home and I think that is preventing the condensation build up in the walls. I really think framing the tiny house out of aluminum is the best way to do it for many of the homes. It’s a tough green building debate, but for weight and longevity it cant be beat. If you plan on moving the house frequently it has got to be better than wood. I can go on and on about it because I think often of building new tiny houses and what materials id go with. Each one of my designs changes the materials needed. I hope this helps and please feel free to ask any more question.
Yuri 🙂
No worries about the delay, I am responding like nine months later lol. I’m missing the regular posts! Did you get a chance to get an infrared gun and check the R-values?
You make great points for aluminum: I will probably choose that option. Now to find somebody to do the framing for me–well, you did ask me to come to you with more questions! Would someone who frames with steel be able to do it with aluminum too, or is there too much of a skill gap?
I would also love to insulate with natural materials such as sheep’s wool if I can, but I want to be sure that there won’t be too much sag over time and that I have a plan for dealing with issues like plumbing leaks, condensation, and pests. I may end up with a mixed insulation solution, too, to save on weight–perhaps using SIPs in the floor or something.
As far as natural insulation goes, I’ve heard that sheep’s wool, my favorite candidate so far, retains a lot of moisture without showing, and I imagine mice would love it for building nests. But rock wool, my second-favorite candidate (naturally repellent to pests), is not only abrasive to handle & breathe but also heavy.
Would you happen to know if there’s a good way to design for naturally dealing with problems in the walls? Aside from placing access panels along all plumbing lines, have you heard of any design countermeasures, such as heating elements or vacuum tubes in the framing, or easily removable wall panels or something? I don’t want to get some dead rat in the wall and then have to mutilate my poor house to find it.
Thanks a bunch! 😀
Hey Tom,
To touch on a few things you mention. The skill to weld steel and aluminum are totally different. Most people who weld aluminum can weld steel, but the reverse isn’t usually true. In my experience, most welders have worked with aluminum, but I wouldn’t trust them to frame my house. All that being said, Im not the best welder and this project was a learning curve and a test of my skill. I don’t think I have welded since we finished building it.
As for insulation, look at cork. A good friend of mine just insulated with cork and the R-value is supposedly really good and it has moisture control. He is a natural builder with some serious skill. I would be happy to put you in touch with him. The funds for the infrared gun have yet to manifest, but I am very happy with the temperature of the tiny house. The house heats/cools quick, and keeps temp well. If I were to go back and make a new home, I would highly consider SIPS. There are environmental questions about SIPS, but I believe they are going to be big in building houses of the future.
My walls are plywood and I can unscrew them at anytime to get behind them. I just dig out the putty hiding the screws and it should be as easy as that.