M C Toyer wrote:Karina -
I am not an architect or engineer and I do not know what temperature extremes you might face in Wisconsin but my general observation of most tiny houses is the designers/builders tend to mimic standard home construction techniques and materials and that is neither necessary nor does it accomplish the goal of maximizing space.
The floor joists for example - why do you need any at all? The trailer frame itself will provide the strength to support a 1 inch tongue and groove plywood subfloor and if there are heavy traffic areas that needed stiffened short lengths of 2x4 could be placed in between the steel frame members. An 8 x 20 trailer would likely have at least a 4" deep frame and insulation could be placed within the rails.
2x4 wall studs are also overkill if used in the normal method but turned on edge would require less than 1/2 the space and if fully sheathed on the outside using adhesive and a similar application of interior paneling would provide the strength to support your roof - after all you will not have to bear the weight of ceiling joists or any mechanical equipment.
The rafters do not need to be 2x6 or 2x4 or wood at all and since you are planning a single slope, i.e., shed, roof no trusses are involved. You may need some lateral bracing in a couple places in addition for the front and rear walls but that could be incorporated into the loft framing, The sloped metal roofs for barns and commercial buildings are supported by steel purlins and for a 10 foot span would be less than 2" thick.
You can compensate for the thinner walls and roof by using higher performance rigid polyurethane insulation. There are also reflective membranes that can augment the wall and roof insulation.
Just my thoughts on what has worked for me.
M C Toyer wrote:Karina -
I am not an architect or engineer and I do not know what temperature extremes you might face in Wisconsin but my general observation of most tiny houses is the designers/builders tend to mimic standard home construction techniques and materials and that is neither necessary nor does it accomplish the goal of maximizing space.
The floor joists for example - why do you need any at all? The trailer frame itself will provide the strength to support a 1 inch tongue and groove plywood subfloor and if there are heavy traffic areas that needed stiffened short lengths of 2x4 could be placed in between the steel frame members. An 8 x 20 trailer would likely have at least a 4" deep frame and insulation could be placed within the rails.
2x4 wall studs are also overkill if used in the normal method but turned on edge would require less than 1/2 the space and if fully sheathed on the outside using adhesive and a similar application of interior paneling would provide the strength to support your roof - after all you will not have to bear the weight of ceiling joists or any mechanical equipment.
The rafters do not need to be 2x6 or 2x4 or wood at all and since you are planning a single slope, i.e., shed, roof no trusses are involved. You may need some lateral bracing in a couple places in addition for the front and rear walls but that could be incorporated into the loft framing, The sloped metal roofs for barns and commercial buildings are supported by steel purlins and for a 10 foot span would be less than 2" thick.
You can compensate for the thinner walls and roof by using higher performance rigid polyurethane insulation. There are also reflective membranes that can augment the wall and roof insulation.
Just my thoughts on what has worked for me.
Karina wrote:Hi all.
+ I think I read that trailer height at that size runs about 22". Does that sound right? Can I guesstimate 2ft for trailer and be OK?
+ Do you think at that size the floor can be framed with 2x4s or do I need bigger joists? 2x6?
+ How many inches do I need to allow for roofing? Would the trusses likely be 6"? More? Plus a couple of inches for sheathing and metal roof? More?
+ Depending on the above, I think the interior volume on the high side maxes out at about 10'3" and a couple feet lower on the low side, depending on roof pitch? (I am in snow land so will have to do some studying to find the best angle.)
Similarly, with the 8'6" max highway width I am thinking 8' wide trailer frame.
+ Framed up with 2x4s and some kind of interior wall covering do you lose about 4.5" on each side to give a 7' 3" interior?
I have some thoughts but I don't know if any of them are practical until I get the design envelope a little clearer. Of course once I get the design envelope clearer I will start from there and wonder if there are better, thinner, lighter ways to accomplish the same thing, but the tiny house world so far seems to be all stick built.
M C Toyer wrote:Karina -
The rafters do not need to be 2x6 or 2x4 or wood at all and since you are planning a single slope, i.e., shed, roof no trusses are involved. You may need some lateral bracing in a couple places in addition for the front and rear walls but that could be incorporated into the loft framing, The sloped metal roofs for barns and commercial buildings are supported by steel purlins and for a 10 foot span would be less than 2" thick.
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