Back to the Build!

 I am finally back and working on my tiny house build! I took a few months off so that I could get through the busy season at work, but I am back to building now! 

So far things have been going pretty well. When I left it in August I had just completed the concrete slab foundation for my house. Pretty much all I did last year was battle with dirt and rain to try to get the concrete slab in the ground. It was a struggle, but I managed! I was very excited to start building again though, not just because I want to get my house finished (believe me I do), but also because I would finally get to start building with wood and I wouldn't have to move any dirt!

Sill Plate

The first thing I had to do was get the sill plate on so the house would be secured to the concrete slab. I live in an area that is well known for high wind and tornadoes so this was a very important step for me. I know that if a tornado decides to come through my area it wont matter how well my house is secured, but I still want it to be as sturdy as possible. 

As you can see, I used quite a few anchor bolts on my sill plates as well as some brackets to keep everything in its place. 

Floor Joists

After the sill plate it was time for the floor joists. My house is going to have a few different floor levels in it including a loft space for my bedroom, but all of the floors are all built off the same sub-floor platform which I am building here. Because these particular floor joists are holding so much weight, I decided to go as big as possible and use 2in x 12in wood beams for the main joists. 

The floor joists were tricky to get in place because they were so large and heavy. In an effort to help save my back and not injure myself, I limited myself to only lifting ten floor joists per day. I had about 40 floor joists in total so the process ended up taking me four days. 

There are definitely moments during this build where I want to just power through and get things done, but I know if I overwork or injure myself trying to rush through things I will just set myself behind even more. Although limiting myself to ten joists per day slowed me down, it was really a necessity to save my back from injury. Being thirty sure makes physical labor a challenge. I got all the floor joists in with no issue or injury though! 

Back to the Build

When I started this build last year I had planned to be done before the end of 2025. The combination of record-breaking rain and equipment breakdowns I dealt with last year just made that impossible. Starting 2026 with nothing but an empty concrete slab when I had planned to already be living in my home at this time was definitely disheartening, but I am trying my hardest to push through and remain positive. Getting these floor joists in place has definitely helped - the entire process went very smoothly and all the measurements worked out correctly. Getting started on the actual house build and accomplishing the first task with no issues is definitely helping my morale in the new year! 

Up next I am going to be working on the pipes that go under the sub-floor and the sub-floor itself. Updates may be slow throughout the next few weeks because I am dealing with winter weather and can't be outside every day, but I am going to make the best of every warm day I get!