NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! - Waterdamage in the Tiny House!! 

But are there ants? If there are no ants you’re still winning.

Suggestion/Warning: Don't ever cut a Dado running your finger on top of the wood over the saw blade. I lost part of my thumb when the wood split and my thumb hit the spinning blade. Severe pain, lots of blood and a Plastic Surgeon. Always use the push stick. I learned the lesson the hard way.

hi laura i have worked with coffee roaster installations for a long time and know this kind of water dripping from chimneys. during roasting or also during the burning of wood the smoke contains water vapor as well. with makeshift chimneys that are not double-walled (they exist in an insulated version to minimize this) the following can happen: at low outside temperatures the water contained in the smoke condenses on the very cold walls of the chimney tubing on the outside of the building. this water droplets attract soot and other smoke ingredients and form this brown sluggish „water“. this is especially a problem when the fire is not burning for reaaally long time or at insufficient temperature (for the chimney) so it does not evaporate again. from all looks of it this is the kind of water that flows back down your chimney and damaged your building. in a lot of situations we mitigated this by adding drainage on the outside BELOW the outlet of the roaster/fireplace. so the water drips down in the outside tube and then out of a small drain hole below the outlet on the wall. if you look at images of chimneys that are built on houses you can see these most of the time. the pipe goes much lower than what would be neccessary to capture the water and also make it possible to clean the tube for the chimney cleaner. i will send you a picture on instagram to visualize what i mean. you need to fix this before you turn on the chimney again, especially if you used a build where the parts are just interconnected and not tight-fit into each other (which is perfectly fine) but on the back journey the water leaks from these seams into your wall, the insulation and also the outside/transit piece from your fireplace which is why you found a lot of water with droplets splashing onto the wall behind your fireplace.

Other peoples dreams: flying with dolphins over rainbows Lauras dreams: chair fits under table

The stove pipe also needs a flange on the outside to stop water from running along the pipe and into the wall!

A couple of things that stand out to me as a carpenter from northern europe birch plywood is very prone to molding, goes off much faster than spruce or pine plywood when exposed to moisture so that’s something to consider Delta fabric is sold as waterproof breathable membrane but I’ve had problems with water getting through when the weather is harsh and it’s raining sideways, I always prioritise getting the roof, flashings and cladding on as soon as possible especially in winter.. Delta membrane is a great product though but it can’t take the force of a storm Good luck with the rest of the build!

With sliding doors, make the top grooves deeper so you can lift the door up and swing the bottom out to remove it without taking the frame apart again.

you need to redo the taped seams you just did in this video where there is a T intersection. the bottom piece of tape needs to go on first, then the long vertical piece should overlap it. always work from bottom up so that water is always shedding from the higher point to the lower point without ever being able to find a seam.

On a regular house, you have to ensure your guttering/roof edges actually shed water away from your walls, otherwise it will just find the smallest gap and run in. This is also why windows have drip sills. For under the floor might want to look into some way of draining the insulation cavity? Again, for a brick and mortar house, many of these have air gaps and air bricks to allow air flow underneath to reduce humidity and prevent mould. The insulation normally sits above this and can always be vapour barriered with something like tyvek to allow it to breath but not easily wick externsl moisture.

Sadly the tiny house is not tiny enough to just put it in a bowl of rice overnight :( Hope it all works out in the end!

That is why I was wondering why you built the inside first before cladding the outside. Good luck by drying the wood construction.

Please use a dehumidifier to draw out the moisture. It's the fastest way when we're still in this kind of weather. Put it inside the tiny home and leave it on over night. I'm not saying it'll be dry that fast but it's too cold for it to dry out naturally at this time of year.

Note to self...When building a tiny circus caravan house, make sure the exterior weatherproofing is finished and well-tested before finishing the interior. Check. Thanks for the heads up, Laura!

Building traditions differ everywhere, and there's more than one way to skin a cat. In the states when we stick frame a house, the sheathing goes on the outside, then the exterior is waterproofed and you give the building time to dry out and prove its watertightness before throwing wall cavity insulation and interior finishes in. You'd be wise to get this water tight and dry before touching anything like furniture again

You are hands down the most positive person I’ve ever seen. Most people would curl up in a ball and quit. You forge on. You are learning so much with these big and little house builds that you are going to be a grand master in building. I wish you a ton of luck in the future because I just want you to have a home finally at this point.

What’s most impressive about you is not your projects ( which are all impressive! ). But your approach to them, you don’t get weighed down in the challenges and set back but rather laugh your way through them and you surround yourself with a great group of people who lift each other up when things get tough! Your weekly videos are one of the highlights of my week and remind me to keep positive and keep moving forward! 🙏

Gawd I wish I'd said something. I saw that roof material left uncovered and knew this might happen; I've had similar things happen to roofs I've worked on. Those materials aren't meant to be left uncovered in the full range of weather, but every boss I've ever had has (understandably) wanted to leave it exposed for long periods of time, for the same kind of reasons you did it; to work on other things first, to wait for roofing materials, etc. And maybe 30% of the time it's fine, but... Anyways hindsight is twenty cents, amirite?

For me the takeaway is that you have to make sure the exterior envelope of a structure is completely watertight before doing interior finishing work. Waterproof membrane isn't enough.

When I was building my shed, I used similar out side covering before finalizing my covering, but I used plastic tarps tied down to the frame (like your green ones) as a 2nd barrier. About your walls/floors, you don't use vapor barriers? Plastic sheet between the finished wall and the insulation? The stove probably isn't sealed to the external wall 100% so water can drip behind it, especially under high winds. In the US we do the outside walls before any "finished" or interior walls, it is more to protect the good materials incase any water gets it, its easy to replace some cheap chip board/plywood vs expensive finished plywood/plaster board. To kill any "mold-looking" water damage, just use diluted bleach and lightly spray it and let it dry (with fans), but in your climate it looks like it rains 24/7, sorry. Hope this never happens again! Love the tiny home concept and design.

Hi, Your stove pipe or chimney needs to be connected differently. Place a « T » coupling between the horizontal and the vertical so that a small piece goes down below the horizontal run and add a cap to it. At the top you need to add three T’s so that the the top of the pipe is split in two, and not open directly to the rain. Add two t’s, one to each side and oriented so the top of the t is vertical. Leave them uncapped and open so that rain falling in from the top can just run out the bottom. Lots of old chimneys had this arrangement, especially in old caravans and railway cars. I hope this helps. Vielen Glueck!

Being someone who didn’t have good roll models growing up, it is great to see you dealing with it with a good attitude.

Laura, you didn't fix your water infiltration when you fixed the roof. If the roof failed enough to send water all the way to the floor, your entire house would need to be replaced. It looks like the top of the walls are ok from the video. So your infiltration comes from the bottom of the walls. I would rethink how the black wrap meet the wagon floor. You seem to have a very short overhang of tarp with a small wood strip to hol it in place. In high wind scenario, water pressure will build and send water behind the tarp. You want the tarp to go down the side of the wagon floor in order to prevent water from being pushed in by the wind...

Laura's whole adventure with the 2 houses is just one big journey of how to overcome major setbacks.

Rub some candle wax in the grooves for the sliding doors. Stops them sticking over time. Also, sorry about the water damage.

The tar water from the stove is from condensation because single wall pipe was used and too many 90° bends giving a poor smoke path, the best option is no bends and vertical straight through the roof using single wall from stove to underneath the ceiling and then twin wall insulated pipe through the roof, you can obtain easily a proper rubber sealing plate for contoured rooves to give a waterproof seal, I had this same problem with my first installation in my caravan, I changed it to above and have had no problems since, it also improves the draw so the fire burns cleaner.

Check the water isn't getting in at the joint between the bottom of the walls and the trailer chassis, put your weatherproofing on so it goes below that point.

You know it's serious when Felix starts swearing in English.

Everyone commending Laura's positivity in the comments should remember we only see what they want us to see in these videos. It's possible during this process Laura has had many episodes of self doubt, pity parties, and maybe even breakdowns. Projects like renovating a house are incredibly stressful, emotional, and mentally exhausting. So if you are currently doing a project similar to Laura's and aren't handling it with the positivity shown in these videos, please don't feel bad.

I would suggest getting a dehumidifier. Also burning the wood stove should help dry. Burning a fire isn’t just heat but also really great at making very dry air.

Water damage is a big reason most buildings have the outside envelope finished before the inside. Really sad to see the damage.

You are an inspiration to this 75 year old lady! I love watching you videos.

I have been wondering about this for a while... leaving it in the rain without a facade cladding ...

@Laura, before you put the woodstove back, would you consider adding some non-combustible heat protection on the wall behind it please? 🙂

As hash as this is, I learned a few things: It's better to be SAFE and check for damage than assume everything is okay; and, Whenever possible, store or cover your Tiny House build inside a garage or shelter because a bad storm can mess up an unfinished exterior. I just LOVE that you never give up and that you share mistakes and lessons with humor, Laura. Great episode and looking forward to what happens next!

So sorry about the weather damage. Wishes for a simple fix and no more surprises for a while. I'm drawing a lot of inspiration from your channel . Thank you and be well my friend.

I'm glad you discovered these kinds of problems so shortly after you built. Yes, It's annoying that you will need to replace some materials, and that will also set back your time table. But you made a wise decision to thoroughly investigate where moisture collected. Some people would have chosen denial instead. I'm looking forward to seeing subsequent videos where you show all the improvements you make to prevent more leaks, as it will be a good learning experience for others who are considering a project like this.

Mein Respekt, dass Du da so ruhig bleibst und Dich auf Lösungen statt Probleme konzentrierst! 😊

Even the discovery channel programs can't push out this much drama! Amazing to see you can keep up such a spirit!

6:40 "yo, that sucks" - we do know what sheisse means, you know, but I guess you don't want RU-vid on your back. Also, I am so glad you have Felix nearby, not just for the video but for the sounding board and advice. You seem to agonize less when you have him to bounce ideas off, and his enthusiasm is so good. Such a good call to bring him on board and, Felix - thank you for all you do for Laura.

"epic transition!" i love this duo lol, thanks for sharing

I commented previously to the tiny house build that I am incredibly interested in building techinques that can prevent mold and water damage. This is a huge problem in tiny houses and will be a more prominent issue in the future when the tiny house trend gets a bit older and many will notice the mold in their tiny houses. Needless to say I feel confirmed :D and I'm looking forward to the solution! There are experts on this and it's actually quite difficult to prevent mold even with good protection from rain. I want to build a tiny or small home in the future and this is the issue i am most worried about

I know you already have the tarp on the roof in place, but for future reference, the tarp will stay on in hard weather if you fasten it down with very wide washers (2.5 inches diameter) with center opening just big enough for the screw. When a tree took out half of my roof in the middle of winter, we did this until the roof could be fixed about three months later. I've also seen the tarp fastened down with fur strips (about half inch by one or more inch wide). Those tarps weren't going anywhere!

This is a perfect example for why you always build from the outside in instead of the inside out. Experience is teaching you this lesson. I can understand some of the reasoning for trying to do it this way, as doing the inside is the exciting and fun part, but there is a method to the madness!

Cannot say enough how much I appreciate the attitude when you opening the floorboards of "So glad we are doing this" versus "OH F***". The latter would be really understandable, but the form has a far more future-focused, positive outlook on it that keeps your head above water in really frustrating times. Really really appreciate it.

Felix's noises of appreciation are EVERYTHING.

Having just found mold in my walls after a water leak, I can very much identify with this! Took a break from ripping out a floor and tearing off wallpaper to watch this video...

Props to the editor on having the marker drawing a dotted line match up with the music.

My heart sank when I read the thumbnail. Inspired by your perseverance as always, may drier days be in your future

It was a mistake to leave a half finished project exposed to the elements. Also there has no flange and no condensation and tar drainage (at the 90 degrees bend) to the stove exhaust pipe.

Yeah most people think tar paper means your dried in or just house wrap but that's not how it works. I hate seeing you had to go through this. Your such a lovely person, but you got this. Just a few more steps and you'll beable to completely finish your siding, Godbless. And it's going to be alright. Also I would spray some black in the crevasses to kill the mold then go back and even paint it in those channels at the bottom. Anyways hope you got it all worked out take care.

Hang in there…sometimes construction work is so frustrating but you are learning. Keep going and you’ll win.

Laura, there is a big difference between a fast job, and a good job. I love that you take the time to do a good job, keep your head up, the sun will shine on your tiny house and big house soon!

Are there drip rails on the window sills? This is a fabulous build. So sorry to see the set backs. I know you will win.

Whenever I make a drawer or sliding door I rub a tea light candle on all the surfaces that slide over each other, making them slide super smooth!

Everybody should have a Felix in their life. And a Laura! Thanks to RU-vid, we, the lucky ones, now have! And when you're down, just chose the channel, press Start, lean back, and inhale a good dose of the best of the best! Thank you, thank you SO much! With lots of love and respect! ❤🧡💛💚💙💜

Grew up in a cabinet shop (My father is a cabinet maker) and there are times where I see Laura handling wood over the blade and it makes me SO ANXIOUS. I'm sure she knows what she's doing, but I've seen what happens when someone shakes hands with a table saw and it's real bad™

Laura your motivation is incredible! Having to start dismantling all your hard work like that must have been so difficult. There's no other channel that motivates me to carry on like seeing you and the gang keep smiling, even through all of that. Never change! Can't wait to see what comes next :)

I am so sorry at the water damage. Your videos are fascinating.

Ok But the edit?! Oh honey THE EDIT IS EVERYTHING! Seriously tho the sound edit the transitions the images 11/10!

Seeing this video with my wife we were sad for you and wanted to hug you for support... So this is no hug but it's the least we can do. Love from France.

Laura, so sad to see your water damage. I am also currently fighting with water damage. My shop got flooded and I had to gut two rooms completely in my apartment. No comparison to Liselotte but stuff like this just sucks. So you have all my sympathy in that matter. Keep your heads up and I wish you all the best of luck! Regards, Etna.

Ohhh laura! I feel with you! Hope that the sun comes out to dry Liese little and give you some energy for this setback! I’m so impressed by your positive thinking an that’s what I’m going to take with me for my setbacks this week! Thank you so much!

My heart goes out to you Laura, I can only imagine how disappointed you are after having just built this beautiful new tiny house only to have bad weather cause you to have to redo all of your good work. Stay strong 🦾🦾💪💪🙏🙏💜💙💛🧡❤

Laura probably won’t see this or it has been suggested already but after it dries make sure to spray the mold areas down with something like bleach or other anti-fungal. The environment is humid here, so even though it will physically dry the mold is already there and it can continue to grow just because of humidity.

Hey, bezüglich des Schadens am Ofen. Hatte bei meinem Bauwagen die Rohre gesäubert und danach sie wieder zusammen gesetzt jedoch mit Neigung nach innen. Es ist ganz schön was an spritz Wasser rein gekommen. Habe draußen ein Loch gebohrt ins Rohr und die Neigung verändert. Geruch ging nach sauber machen wieder raus, auch das Holz roch obwohl es was abbekommen hat nicht dauerhaft danach... Hoffe du bekommst den Rest auch noch wieder gut hin! Liebe Grüße

Really good that you are getting it apart to dry out. It's amazing that the mold grew so fast. I'd suggest some fans with heated air to blow on those opened cavities.

I'm impressed with the level of building expertise here in the comments that can help with solving some of the problems. Great community!

First rule working on my Mini Trailer Home; I did the roof first. Been testing for one year before doing the inside ceiling, no leaks.... How I layered the roof, it will never leak. first I did sticky roof material, then I put a rubber liner on the roof then the aluminum skin on top of that & comes down the walls mid way. I was using the tarp when I was retro fitting the roof with plywood before doing the roof. The most important thing you never, never finish inside until the roof & the outside walls are done or secured. But what I love about you Laura, you are very humble & honest and you do a great job besides the missteps. And yes, I do mistakes to. I painted all the outside trim on my mini camper & it pealed off, even after sanding, striping the old paint off, I forgot to give the wood a real good deep cleaning. I hate doing a job twice LOL!

Good Sunday morning Laura. So sorry to hear about the setbacks in the Tiny House - and all the water damage. Unfortunately, as it's often said, in even the best times of our lives, even a little rain must fall. However, I'm confident you'll overcome these setbacks, you wonderful and self -sufficient offgrid woman.

Your attitude towards this setback is inspiring. Hang in there!

Your attitude, even when things aren’t going to plan, is truly inspiring. Thank you for being a great model for dealing with problems.

RIP. I have found those woven tarps shed some water but are also not perfect barriers. Hopefully they are enough as you work. Good luck!!

Sending some good vibes to you Laura. Your determination is impressive, keep it up !

I’m so sorry for the setback, Laura! But your strong spirit during these types of situation are always very uplifting and inspiring ⭐️

Holy crap- when you get bad news. It’s really bad. I have to admire your attitude, no crying over spilled milk. Just confirm the damage and fix it. Great way to think, great way to work.

Wind driven rain has been causing issues all over the world lately. Good job tackling the issue correctly.

So sorry about the water damage Laura! Hope the fix isn't too bad. Also, Felix is the master of transitions.

Hi Laura, maybe it’s because you didn’t put a damp barrier at the inside of your construction to prevent from al the water in the air to get inside your bearing construction. You normally have to do this in a roof too. With a wooden construction your condensation point ( where damp becomes water due to colder outside temperature) is in the insulation….) so with a barrier just behind your finishing plates no water in the air will not hurt your construction. It was also not ventilated there . With the cold temperatures these last days and you living there and warming up the damp could only cause damage…

Nate Murphy, on RU-vid, has an eBook on all you need to know Van Conversion. The price is small and may help you tremendously, so you know what to do in the beginning. The other thing, I thought I would mention is, here in the US, there are companies that will spray CORK, for insulation, sound deadening, and exterior protection. It is used on houses! This sounds fantastic! And, they will do vehicles, too.

Your commitment to quality and to the integrity of the build is admirable. I also really love when you're happy and celebrating little awesome things, like that chair fitting under the table! I feel privileged to get to see your journey. Danke schon!

I’m just in awe of your talents, Laura. So wish I’d been able to spend more time with my mother’s uncle who was amazing at woodwork

Now you know why boatbuilding is an art as well as a craft. Keeping water OUT can be a real bugger. Finding a leak actually is worse....

What an indomitable spirit! Keep going forward!

I was surprised why the outside wasn't finished off before working on accessorizing the inside. Homes return to nature pretty quickly if there's any sort of roof water ingress issues.

My guess is that the water in most parts comes from the floor and not from the walls themselves. Due to heavy rains the wood between truck and house must have soaked and the the water goes up... I feel for you though 😥

Ganz ganz großen Respekt wie du damit umgehst!

Thanks for sharing the good and the bad! Watching your channel with my kids is giving them the lessons they need to deal with setbacks (and swear in a foreign tongue) so they can get past the bad and move on.

Every construction project deserves four billboard cast offs to keep everything integrated during season changes. 1: it's free 2: it's waterproof 3: it's fortified dense high grade canvass slathered in polymer print!!! Weather perfected!!!!

I know this feeling so well. Winter is a bad time for building, all the challenges are harder. Something gets wet, in summer it dries in 2 days, in winter maybe 2 weeks, if lucky. I know you need the place sorted to live in but it would be so much easier to fix this kind of damage in the summer. Or maybe you can use the wood burner to dry it out from the inside. Good luck!

So sad to see this happen. Lots of helpful comments down here already. I hop you get everything done, also with the expenses of all the new insulation wool. Just signed up for your patreon to give some support!

Vielen Dank für den tollen content. Wir fiebern mit und wünschen alles Gute und viel Kraft ☀️♥️

I had the thought 'the table should also be a drawer for maximum space efficiency', and a minute later, goddamn is that satisfying.

Have you checked how much it would cost to rent space in an industrial hall, a barn or similar to store it in while you build? The winter is wet, so I think it's faster to get things dried up indoors and better to work under a roof until it's tight?

Durchalten! Wir alle glauben an dich. Du hast mit Haus Liselotte schon größere sch*e überstanden! PS: Als Papa einer Tochter und Onkel zweier Nichten bin ich dir so dankbar für deinen Kanal. Du bist ein tolles Vorbild für die Mädels 💪

Oh gosh, my heart broke when I saw that mold -- I can imagine how disappointed you must have felt. You are so resilient, it's good to see someone deciding to keep making progress instead of dwelling on the setbacks. I'm so excited to see what you have planned for the rest of the build!

The good thing with your insulation,us that pavaflex dries out undamaged. DAMHIKT, but pull it out stand apart for 5 -6 days and then put back. Looking good, especially the chair fitting in under the table 👍👍👍

Probably the best thing to do (after taking out everything damaged, drying it out, and replacing the insulation) would be to completely finish everything you have planned for the outside to make sure it's watertight before attempting any more finishes inside. Just assume that until the exterior is done, the interior isn't safe to work on. How did the big house do through the storm? The walls are clay and still unsealed, will it be okay with its tarps and the high winds?

I had thought you were parking the tiny house under the tarp every night/during the storms already.

I love this series. Specially the way you are telling it. Great work guys!

That drill catch was great!