Honesty---who knew? This video rang the bell for me. You see a lot of so-called evaluations of various builds but yours was more specific and to the point than the others. Major LIKE!
I firmly believe that appliances less than $1,000 were intentionally designed to crap out at the time of warranty, seems to happen like clockwork, planned obsolescence my father-in-law used to say, never meant to be repaired and only to have to get a whole new system. I love the bigger kitchen and the awesome bathroom sink, made so much sense. Thanks blessings.
Great video, we will always keep learning. Condensation occurs because of the rapid slowing of the water in the air. If you can ditch the hyper-cold surfaces (better insulation/double or triple glass) then there will be a lot less condensation. Our double pane windows in our RV don't condense like our windshield does, as an example.
It is a combination of factors. We have double pane windows but the humidity inside the tiny house gets extremely high with cooking and showers and even breathing. We probably should have had an air exchanger or dehumidifier from the start.
Thank you for this! You are so right, how, all you hear is the good things about living small but I have yet to hear some of the down side of a tiny home.......This was very informative and an eye opener.......Once again, thanks a bunch!
I love that you made a one year in a Tiny home. I agree you see people building there homes but you never see what its like after the fact. Thanks so much!
Can agree about the condensation. Live in a tiny house and we have tons of air vents so theoretically the moist air should easily be expelled but in practice it isn't. Example, the living area has 3 vents on each side wall as well as opening windows and doors, BUT we don't have double glazing as this is a very old tiny house. However using the gas stove does heat the entire house meaning we don't need much in the way of extra heating (we have 3 oil radiators which cost us €1 per day to run, very affordable) which helps. Like you, the gas geyser gave up and we just use the stove to heat water. We use a neighbours shower if its too cold but otherwise have made a makeshift showerhead using a kettlefull of boiling water mixed with cold to suit the user. I would caution about roof lights. We have 3 and they all leak after time. We finally cured it with bubble wrap and covering the external roof with painbtable
We haven't had any issues with condensation on the inside of the walls or in the ceiling around the lights. We did a good job of properly sealing the vapor barrier. Mainly just the windows and a corner under the pantry that didn't get proper air circulation. We did end up getting a de-humidifier the second winter and it helped a lot. Thanks for sharing though, what part of Europe are you from?
Paintable bitumen, latest heavy rain and nothing leaked. Only thing we would add in a new TH, an extra toilet for the family member with medical issues, one just isn't enough for 4 adults any more. Having lived in a TH which was originally built for a widow and child (adult bedroom and a small children's bedroom) and we are 4 adults there are only a couple of things that I would really change. Ensure there are enough bedrooms, and that you can seek refuge in there when you just need some alone time. My daughter and son-in-law have the big bedroom but my husband has the tiny one and the only way to fgit a full length bed in is to extend over the door, meaning he has to clamber over the bed to enter. I have a raised bed in the living room with storage under. Have plenty of opening windows, double glaze if possible as it gets cold in winter (but we have only had frozen pipes once in 6 years) but it also gets well over 35degC inside in summer, we have huge winbdfoiws and face south. Good in winter, not so in summer. Vents mean constant air flow inside, you can see things blowing in the breeze during strong winds outside, which means no chance of being gassed and condensation isn't the problem it could be.
Well done. I miss my tiny house that I built and lived in for over a year just outside of Saskatoon. (Built in 2015/2016) I also did the raised floor with 120gallon fresh water tank and 120gallon grey and compositing toilet. Being an electrician, tiny was 100% Electric, infloor heat. Rigid foam wrapped plus full spray foam filled walls and roof ($5500 insulation alone) I had the all in one washer/dryer and agree with you both on the importance of build the most spacious kitchen and bathroom possible for ones project. Plus a tiny house almost needs to be built for ones needs and desires. Along with what amenities and utilities are close. Well done you two. Enjoy 😊👍
This was a great video. This video dealt with serious issues with tiny living. Plumbing, condensation, etc. These are high ticket problems that anyone thinking of going tiny needs to address before they build a tiny house or buy one.
Thank you for this realistic look at tiny house living! You brought up some great points that I am going to incorporate into our design - under the floor storage, under the counter lighting, etc.
I would not expect anything built for RV use to last very long considering RVs are built to be used a few weeks a year. Overall, sounds like you guys are enjoying your lifestyle...good for you!!!
That's a good point Tammy, like you mentioned most people don't use there RV's much especially in cold weather so they can get away with it. I think I was more annoyed that it was so hard to fix. I'm still working on it. That said we are happy with our RV hot water tank and water pump so far. Both have performed well. We even ran the pump dry a few times and it has been ok. I will probably try and do a bit of maintenance on the tank in a month or so, so we will be ready for next winter.
Hey guys, The Amish deal with condensation by putting something in a pillowcase (its a mineral, can not remember name but bet you could search for. On my phone now or would look up for you) they put it in their crawl space. There is a youtube video with an elderly vouple who live in a cabin that spoke of it. Hope that helps.
👍Nice review but would of liked to see the inside of your house (things and spaces you were referring to while you were talking) instead of you just sitting there. But still, thanks for sharing🙋
Thanks for the feedback. We tried to include some relevant footage of most of the things we were talking about but I can see how additional footage of the interior would be a a bit more visually stimulating.
smithk6977: I believe the video was for "what things worked and what didn't" and he did show some footage on the different items that he had a problem with. I'm sure if it was a tour of his house the title would have been totally different
I think the most effective system and most efficient would be a H.V.R. (heat ventilation recovery) It maximizes air exchange while re-using the inside heat to heat the incoming air. You can balance it as you need. You may also want to consider installing a humidistat to automatically control the unit. (they are code in a lot of houses, especially for bathrooms) This way you can also control the humidity at a constant level, and helps prevent as much shrinkage/expansion of wood, leading to checking. It is a bit of an expense for a good one, but well worth it in the long term when you consider your investment and your health. The other thing is to get air circulating more. If you crack a window in the farthest distance from the heat source the hot air will be drawn. Hot air draws, it doesn't blow well. i've seen where some people have even drilled and put an adjustable vent hole as it was a difficult area to get circulation. I have vented closet doors and put a metal grid at the back of the closet to prevent contact that would lead to mold growth. (an inch is enough)
that is probably the best option but we have to factor in space and money so it is a tough decision. So far we haven't had any mold so we are lucky there.
humidity and condensation issues can be corrected with the proper type of vents that allow for moisture to escape through the roof as in conventional building construction.
The roof vents will only clear humidity from the attic. Our issue has more to due with all the moisture sources of a normal house being packed into 200sqft. This winter we have been using a dehumidifier in the house and have seen substantial improvements in the moisture issues.
When you are going completely off-grid you may want to investigate BIO-GAS! It is a system which uses ones kitchen scraps, yard waste, etc., the things one would normally compost, and converts them into a gas that WILL POWER ONES PROPANE RUN APPLIANCES! How Cool Is That??? The set-up puts me in mind somewhat of a greenhouse. I've only just learned of this on a tiny house show, I believe it was filmed in Europe. Also, the byproduct of this system is a liquid fertilizer that can be used on the garden.
Good review of the tiny home. The condensation was always a problem for our trailer. I wonder about a bathroom fan placement in other places in the house. I've heard about the suggestion you had in the video. I need to do more research. The kitchen is a dream! The sink and the dish drainer are terrific! Love the counter space!
Janet Roberts Thanks for watching and your input. We have a range hood fan and a bathroom fan. Running them does help with the condensation a bit but when it gets really cold we lose too much heat. Using the wood stove is actually quite effective for expelling moisture because it pulls fresh air in and moister air goes up the chimney. The only problem is that we often wouldn't need to run it especially when cooking (which produces heat and adds moisture) because we would overheat the house. Having really good insulation can actually have a downside.🤔
Canadian Renegade You are right about the insulation, too much does have its downside and it applies to a regular house too. I had mold issues because of the same reason in my house. So I installed a couple of super quiet bath fans, I know you will lose heat and I will take more energy to heat it, but it's a catch 22. I rather lose heat then grow mold.
Ricky Abril That's a good point. Might just be better to run our fans more and just use a bit more more energy to heat the home. Would be cheaper then an air exchanger in the short term at least.
Canadian Renegade Something like this might be a good solution in the interim while you investigate an air exchanger. www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000XJNZ1Y#Ask
I live in Ontario and I dream of a Tiny House....with higher ceilings as a must ( I am 6'7 ) but the winters and a bit biting. Also I HATE summer WITH A PASSION so how about an update with how that TH held up during the summer and how you managed to stay cool in it?
That's not a bad idea. I have a lot on my plate right now to make a video about it though. The summers weren't too bad. It would get hot but with the windows open and a small window fan on it would be bearable and it would cool off at night faster then a regular house. That was the first summer. The second summer my wife Aimee was pregnant so I didn't want to take any chances and installed a small window air conditioner. It worked like a charm. If you want higher ceilings I think a tiny home without a bedroom loft, with a fold out bed would work well. You could still have a smaller loft for storage if you wanted, there would just be less head room up there. As an added benefit the main floor area is cooler then the lofts.
I would think a wood stove would dry out any home... try using it during the cold.. and your stove should be near the ground.. and if it's too hot to run, you Crack a window.. great job....!!!
It seems a lot of people that use the propane appliances complain of condensation issues. Maybe something to look into. Thanks for the video sharing your experience.
just a few things it could be with the heater. fan switch, thermostat, gas valve, thermal coupling or simple kapasitor and the dreaded board most likely this soon it's the board. good luck I could not tell if it was gas or electric in the video but tried to help you save some time and money trouble shooting it . Oh yeah the low voltage transformer if you have a split AC/heat unit using the same fan. p.s. check the condensate drain pan float switch as well if you have one. with all that condensate it may be full.
Shawn Jackson I think we were going to try the capacitor and board first. I don't know if we have a condensate drain pan so will have to check into it. Thanks for the suggestions, this furnace stuff is all new to me.
what is the square footage? sorry if I missed that part. can you show the dish over the sink thing for dishes to dry? I have only 800 square feet of home (not counting the attached garage and we enclosed the porch) I have hardly enough counterspace so I am optimizing is trying to find a way to get my dish drain off the counters. I am also looking into building a fold down countertop attached to the wall idea, it would be 3 feet long and 2 feet wide. and by the window so I can look out as I prepare food from scratch too. I am finding it is alot healthier to eat from scratch using wholesome ingredients and add mineralized salts instead of the prepackaged stuff loaded with salt and low on nutrients. lights under the cabinets over the countertop is a good idea too. our central light reallys gives off a bright light (you can even put plants in the kitchen) and dont seem to be a problem with casting shadows. but I do like the under the cabinet light idea still.
hi Rosa, you can see the racks briefly at 7:17. We bought them from Ikea. I may take a better picture tonight and do a quick blog post. If I do I'll leave another comment. We have 200 sqft, 300 if you include loft space. The kitchen is 8'x7'7" it has a 3' wide counter space next to the sink and a 4' wide counter between the fridge and stove. It is big enough for both of us to prepare food at the same time, although Aimee does the majority of the cooking.
How deep is the floor that houses the plumbing? You guys definitely got creative with the winterizations on your house which is so awesome to see because it seems like many tiny housers live in milder climates or are on grid so they use heat tape and electric heaters. I got a lot of inspiration from watching your videos!
Regarding your condensation issues Instead of a HRV you could install a central exhaust fan and have your furnace blower come on with it to supply fresh air. The furnace should have a fresh air intake into the return air. I'm not a big fan of HRV's. They're big, expensive and require a lot of maintenance. I don't think the heat they recover justifies the cost. That said, another heating system I've been considering is to use hot water heat. It's hard to find a small boiler but you could use a small hot water heater, expansion tank and a pump. Then you would need a HRV to move the air. The problems with the furnace and dryer have little to do with the house they are appliance problems the furnace should be covered under the manufacturers warranty. They don't make appliances to last any more like hey used to.
Thanks for the input. I think the furnace manufacturer gets away with not having a very reliable product because most people that have RV's might only use it a few days a year.
This was good to see because as you said there's heaps on floor plans etc but not much on what the experience has been. I would like to hear more from you about the emotional experience. What have you really had fun with and what have you struggled with? Is there anything that really changed in your life because you live in a tiny house?
Yes please. Im trying to get things together to go tiny myself and as I said theres heaps on floor plans and reviews on specific appliances etc. I want to know if the day to day living was what you thought it would be and what surpriseded you (if anything). Many thanks,'MySonet5522
Chris Richards I think a lot of it has to do with individual personalities. Our relationship has been great since moving into the tiny house. Maybe even better then when renting. Some couples might have problems especially if they need space to work things out. We tend to try and talk things out right away now because we are in tight quarters we definitely don't want things to fester and so far that has worked for us. Plus we get to have some space when I am away at work during the day. Just curious what plunge are you referring to? Marriage or tiny house living?
Chris Richards It doesn't change anything, when you get upset you just go outside, take a deep breath and come back inside. If it's cold you will think twice about getting upset! Lol
the washer/dryer from the 60s did the same thing and why I would never have one... if a stackable unit needs repair, you still have the other unit to use. The freezing pipes are normal for cold weather houses, whatever size, I put a $5 lamp under each of my sinks and that was that. The air exchange is needed for any small house because our insulation, house wraps and air leak sealants all seal a bit too much. Any wood stove has to be experimented with to regulate the fire...my stove runs on low 24/7...it's a matter of wood air flow and is easy enough to figure out with trial and error. Mostly, 'tiny house' is not the problem...it's any house and especially any house in cold weather. RV furnace? waste of money.
Most of what you say is true. One of the things I mention in the video is that I see a ton of condensation issues in regular houses during the winter as a roofing repairman. People always think they have a roof leak when it is condensation in the attic melting whenever the weather warms up. I'm sure there are lots of other issues with houses I don't see because it isn't my field. I know my brother had a lot of issues with one of his houses.
I'm sorry you're having all these troubles! I wish I could hear better. I couldn't hear most of what you were saying, but enough to realize that that was way too many problems to have in any dwelling in only a years time!!
One thing I have noticed about editing videos is that the music volume seems different depending on the speakers or sound system being used. What sounds good to me may not to someone on a different device. I am not really sure what the solution is.
Thanks for this very helpful information. There are some details that I would really have appreciated. First, where in Canada are you located? The cold weather in southern Ontario is different from the cold weather in western Newfoundland. For example, even though temperatures may be in similar ranges, the experience of winter cold is different if you have two feet of snow versus fifteen, twenty or even thirty feet of snow. It would also be helpful to know precisely how much things cost. How much were the various items you mentioned? How much do pay for rent to park your home on the land? Or, do you own the land too? Are you entirely off grid or are friends nearby to provide access to electricity such as when you need to wash dry large blankets? These details would help me figure out if a tiny home is a real possibility for me. Thanks again for the video.
We will probably be doing an update video and full walk through in the next few months. To answer a few questions. We are not 100% off grid yet, we are near a full size house and get our power and water from there so right now we don't have to worry about washing and drying stuff. Once we are fully offgrid we will probably fire up a small generator when we use the dryer. The dryer only uses 1100 watts btw. Our rent is $300 dollars a month. We recently purchased land but haven't moved out to it yet. It's a complicated situation. We are in Alberta a get maybe 3-4 feet of snow a year.
Yes, we realized that the cooking stove was adding considerable condensation to the air. We used a dehumidifier this last winter and it was much better.
You talked about the splendid washer dryer combo. I've had nothing but trouble with it. I live in Reno Nevada, negative point..... No one in the area to fix it. Nearest repair in in Sacramento. I also found when you call customer service (in Canada) they are not friendly nor willing to help trouble shoot the problem. I would never recommend it. I've had two different repair persons look and try to repair it, the door. It still doesn't work!
That really sucks. Sorry to hear you have had issues with it. We have been using ours for almost 2 years now and other then the lint problem which I figured out how to fix, it has worked great.
Nice video. It's really nice to know your pros n cons after one year. However, I think you wouldn't have any cons if you didn't live in freezing weather lol. Sounds like all your problems were stemmed from cold weather and living up north.
I'm disappointed to hear that the Suburban furnace quit on you. Those furnaces have a heavy price levy added to them for Canadian customers. I like the Suburban because of the outside venting intake/exhaust. I love the Atwood in my trailer and the ease of service, prices, and parts availability. Hmmm... maybe I will stay with Atwood furnaces in my tiny house build.
We did just recently manage to get the furnace working again. At some point there will probably be a video I filmed some stuff but need to find the time to edit.
Thank you for this realistic review I found myself researching tiny home living and this is something that I would consider because of the savings. My concern was the winter months because Minnesota winters are no laughing matter (we also reach -46 degrees last winter) thank you for your suggestion on the hobbit fireplace. Since you built your tiny house how much was the finial cost?
We saved all the receipts but haven't tallied yet. If I had to guess I would say between 30-35 thousand. We were originally shooting for 25k but the Canadian dollar tanked during the build and many things we had priced during the planning stage went up considerably.
Did you build the home yourself? Or who was your builder? It seems like the issues you were having are due to low quality control/bad design by the builder.
Check out Ariel's Tiny House You Tube channel, called "Life in a Tiny House called Fy Nyth". She has lived in her tiny house for over three years. She used to have condensation problems until she started using a wood stove and leaving her bedroom window cracked. She lives in Wyoming and the weather there is very cold and snowy.
Thanks for the suggestion. We are going into our second full winter now and this is pretty much what we have figured out also. If it is cold enough to run the wood stove it causes plenty of air exchange and really reduces the air moisture. When it isn't quite cold enough for the wood stove we have being using a dehumidifier and it has also helped.
Abundently Clear, Hey sorry I didn't see this question until now. The range hood works a bit but you are right it should be lower. The funny thing is that I had a friend over who is a professional chef and he mentioned that the range hood was too high today.
That is definitely on our list of to do videos. It might not be in the next few weeks though. There are a few small details of the house that need to be finished and I need to find the time to shoot and edit it which is hard with everything on my plate.
Yeah you are right we haven't done a proper tour yet. We were trying to build up a bigger subscriber base before doing that but I think we will be doing a walk through in the next few months.
L Arcturus I am 5'9" and Aimee is 5'5" Under the lofts is 6'2". I never felt the need to duck while umder them. The high side of the lofts are 48" can easily sit up and still have head clearance.
Rick Trapper Riley, while this is probably true it leaves little room for innovation and would also cost a lot more. We wanted to hide our hot water tank and furnace in the floor for example and also run most of the house on DC power. Conventional high efficiency furnaces and air exchangers don't use DC power and would only fit in a closet or something which means we would be losing valuable square footage. That is just one example, I could probably come up with a dozen things we did that would either be impossible, uneconomical or just use too much space.
I've seen that one already. I don't think the elevator bed is very practical. It is a catchy tag line for RU-vid though. If you watch the video you will notice that it is very loud when she lowers it , then they cut to music to cover it up. Also you have to slide four pins in after you lower it. I can crawl up into my loft and be in bed before this one is even ready to use. Also a rolling stool to get into bed? Sounds like a great way to wipe out if intoxicated or extremely sick. Thirdly, the guest bed is directly under the main bed so how do you use the guest bed if the main bed is all the way down? If the main bed is higher up then how do you get into it? Use the rolling stool to the counter to get into bed?
I pause at :34 second mark to preempt and say, please, please do not use the word STORAGE. Eh, I allow maybe one time, but if much more, like they say in Tanganyika, sayonara. Ok, I go back and watch... You ever heard of Alde furnace? European design used there. They way ahead of us. Truma water heater, Alde heat, cassette toilet, etc. We a bit third world. A BIG congratulations!! Only said "storage" relating to water, and that is acceptable. Reason I canno' tolerate all these tiny house/RV people talking about storage so much is, DUH. Hey, y'all are not in a 2,000 sq. ft. house!!
