Drying In The Tiny

Well, Christmas came and went and little Borealis' exterior still isn't finished. I mean, technically my goal was to be dried in by Christmas, and she is that; house wrap is on and windows and doors are flashed and snug. But what I really wanted was to also have the trim and siding finished, and we're just not there yet.

To be honest, it's been a frustrating and fidgety couple of weeks. I haven't been able to work on the house at all since I finished priming siding in the first week of December, and even with so much Christmas Chaos to distract me, I've been unsettled to not make any head way. Watching other tiny housers who live in warmer climates, have partners and/or parents to help them, or simply know more about construction than me, and the speed with which they're building set me on edge. I'm fiercely proud of the little home I'm creating for myself. I'm less proud of the rate at which it's happening.

But realistically I've been prepared this whole time for something to seriously trip me up, whether in terms of my ability, my personal life, or my finances. You never know what life could throw at you, especially when learning something new. Or, you know, EVERYTHING new. So even though my build is behind schedule, it's an outcome I was prepared for, and I'm trying not to let it get me down.

So, in the spirit of focusing on the positive, here's what I got done since my last update:

The sheathing completed, gaps caulked, and windows cut out.

Then all wrapped up in Tyvek (which is SUPER fun to play with, by the by!):

And doors and windows in! This was one of those parts of the process that was surprisingly easy to accomplish. We got the door and seven windows installed in one day.

She's a beaut : ) I'm incredibly pleased with how much light the living area gets, and the sleeping loft window is so cozy.

After flashing everything, priming the siding consumed all of my time. As per the instructions of every reputable house painter I could find, I painted it by hand as they said spraying isn't the best way to make sure you've gotten every nook and cranny. My house is probably always going to live in pretty wet climates, and I want to make sure my siding won't be rotting off within a couple years.

Lastly, I finally have columns! My storage loft just got all that sturdier, and I now have more to hold on to when clambering up on my porch! Not pictured here, I also spray-foamed any gaps around the door and windows, and added trim around my door and porch window, so only two more windows til I'm done with trim!

It's finally behaving like winter here, and isn't supposed to break 30°F for a while, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to get much more done. But any day it's warm enough for my fingers to function, you can bet I'll be at my site! I'm doing me best to keep in mind that progress is progress, and it will get done.

Wishing you a wonderful 2016!