In April last year, you were presented with our tiny house prototype. A 16′ house with a bathroom, and a loft / bedroom upstairs.

The aim of the prototype was to show the space of a tinyhouse.  Today we present the TH2 project, a 24′ tiny house we  built for a client. Based on our prototype model, this house is unique in several ways.

Here are some of the key features of this model:

• 1500W electric heater
• Dickinson wood stove
• Bench with storage
• Custom table for 2 or 4 people
• Space for TV
• Multitudes of storage space
• Unduction stove top
• Microwave oven
• Refrigerator with freezer
• Normal size sink.
• Gray water tank system
• 60-inch bath.
• Separett compost toilet
• Stairs with storage to access the loft.
• Large loft with integrated storage

It is with great pride that we present the finished product.  We believe this model responds mostly to requests and feedback we received during the last year.

When you work with Lumbec, you deal with a team of toughtful workers.  You also work with an established network of suppliers.  Lumbec is not a start-up. It is an innovative business in a moving market.

Covered with white pine, stained western red cedar and steel cladding, this tiny  house will last

The custom table  can be folded in half to take less space.

Dickinson wood stove

Custom made storage for the wood.

Storage space is not lacking in the model.  The stairs offer an alternative to  accessing the loft.

L

More storage.

A full size fridge with a freezer

L

The loft has enough space for a queen size bed.

Simple closet space is integrated.

TH 2 is equipped with a 5′ bathtub.

A Separett toilet has been installed for TH2.

Le plan de plancher qui montre la mezzanine.

Le plan du rez-de-chaussée

Looking for a builder.

If you are looking for a builder, look no more.  Contact our team members at 819-984-5291 or by email : info@lumbec.com.  You can also visit our shop at 1630 chemin Pink à Gatineau.

Yesterday marked the beginning of the Tiny-house Festival  in Lantier Quebec.  This first festival is now in full swing and is definitely worth stopping in to see, especially for those curious about the tiny-house movement.  The festival site is full of exhibits and high-quality products.

Before the Festival

Here is a little introduction to the path that brought us to the Festival. Last December, Lumbec decided to explore the possibility of constructing a tiny-house prototype. In no time, we had created our plan, started a blog and ordered the trailer. Once we received our trailer, we worked tirelessly to complete our prototype for the Backyard and Cottage Show last April. Even though there was still work to be done, the response from visitors was very positive. This weekend, we are presenting an improved prototype. In the past few weeks, we have worked on certain aspects of the tiny house.  Some  examples of the improvements we made include the modification of the kitchen cabinets, the addition of modules in the bathroom, we upholstered the bench and built a new ladder to the second floor, among other things. Our employees and valuable collaborators allowed us to deliver a quality project that visitors love.

On our way to the Festival

We left for Lantier Thursday evening. This was the longest trip thus far for our tiny house; the trip went well.  Of course, we had to adjust how we drove, especially when pulling close to 9000 pounds in weight.  The start, breaking distance,  turning radius and height all had to be carefully considered. Once on site, installing the house in the alloted space proved difficult. The slope forced us to re-think our approach Friday morning.

What’s on the program this Saturday

This morning, you can visit the Festival starting at 11h00. At 1h30pm today, we will be offering our advise for self-builders at a conference. There are other conferences available on other tiny-house topics as well. For more information, visit http://www.festivalminimaisons.quebec/#!conferences/c1ks1  Follow us on Facebook.com/lumbec!

To all of our fans and susbribers, please excuse us for the lack of updates.  With the tight delay to be ready for the show, we were short of time to write quality content.

The big question, did we succeed?

The following links of media coverage, shown in chronologic orders speak for themselves.

This is a video of our first week working on the prototype.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLFhLy4XcZE

On March 14, there was an article in Le Droit. You can read it here :

http://www.lapresse.ca/le-droit/actualites/actualites-regionales/201503/13/01-4852074-vivre-dans-225-pieds-carres.php

Then Karen Turner from the Ottawa Citizen wrote a very precice article, including a video. http://ottawacitizen.com/life/homes/tiny-house-movement-comes-to-aylmer-with-construction-of-a-225-square-foot-home

April 7th, 2015 we did a radio interview with Ron Corbett on CFRA,

http://proxy.autopod.ca/podcasts/chum/178/31299/Unscripted_150407.mp3

On April 9th,  it was Radio-Canada (CBC French), with an excellent piece.

http://ici.radio-canada.ca/regions/ottawa/2015/04/09/013-innovation-capitale-micromaison-lumbec-outouais-ottawa-225-pieds-carres.shtml?isAutoPlay=1

On April 10th, we were live on CTV, for the video, http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=589014  

The best answer came from the visitors at the Backyard and Cottage Show.  Lots of great comments, positives and constructives as well.

Follow us for more updates in the upcoming weeks !

There is less than 25 days before the unveiling of our prototype at the Backyard and Cottage Show to be held from the 10^th to 12^th of April at the EY Centre of Ottawa. Considering that 2,300 square foot houses, including excavation and foundation, usually take about 90 days to build, we are confident that we will reach our goal. Beyond the workload, preparation and planning are important for achieving successful construction. In addition, while the trailer was being built, we ordered material with long lead time, such as the windows, door and exterior siding.

Monday we made ​​an inventory of the material received in the last two weeks. We also changed our pine siding to give it a more modern look. The return of some warm weather allowed us to move the siding outside for two coats of stain.

Upper left corner, the channel lock siding before we modify it. Bottom, the siding stained and installed.

We also changed the general organization of our workshop to create space while still allowing for normal operations to be maintained. Tuesday morning, we completed the last changes in the workshop. Finally, around noon, after over a month of waiting, the trailer was delivered to the shop. A moment of excitement quickly followed by our return to reality. Now the ball is in our court to deliver. No more excuses!

The actual construction started on Wednesday. With two carpenters, our goal was to complete the floor. Consisting of two rows of rigid expanded insulation, our floor is set into the trailer structure. The addition of a steel plate under the trailer structure allows for 3’’ thick insulation. We have covered this insulation with 1/2″ plywood. To minimize thermal bridging, we stuck a neoprene strip between the beams and plywood. In some places, an additional plate was necessary to strengthen the trailer. These plates created tight spaces impossible to insulate with rigid insulation, so we opted for urethane at these locations instead.

The first row of rigid expanded insulation is installed and urethane is being added in hard to reach

The addition of neoprene strips fills the thermal bridge between the structure and the covering materials. Steel is an excellent conductor while the neoprene is not, thus improving the overall energy performance.

After the installation of our 5/8’’ plywood, we cut all the top and bottom plates for our walls. It is here that our methods are different from the typical construction of a tiny house. Most micro-builders build the frame on the trailer or on the ground nearby. They then install the frame on the floor, cover it with plywood, install the air barrier and then cover this face. This requires working at heights using ladders and scaffolds. In our case, when a wall is mounted on the trailer, 90% of the work is completed. This requires seamless coordination and knowledge of assembly techniques. This is where more than 35 years of experience are taken into account.

The vapor barrier being installed.  We made sure to extend it long enough to be able to seal it properly with our walls. 

The first wall was long to complete. It required a lot of planning for clearances of windows and moldings. The walls at the front of the trailer were much easier to complete, though the angles also required much planning. At this point we can say that if we can maintain this pace, we’ll be ready for the backyard and cottage show. Work continues on Monday with the completion of the first floor wall, and framing the walls of the second floor! We will take time to stain outside our windows, our moldings, and possibly our floor. With this said, have a good week and if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us!

Exterior wall view

The back wall.

Delays happen often in the world of construction.  Upon making the decision to order a custom trailer made to our specifications, we knew that we were putting ourselves at risk of possible delays.  With this said, we are talking of a 3 day delay which should not have a major impact on the final project. Rather, we have taken advantage of this time to work on a 24 foot model! In terms of the exterior look, it will be very similar to our prototype. On the inside, we have added an additional bedroom on the main floor. In this new model, we have also modified the front of the tiny house to accommodate a larger table and bench. Furthermore, we have taken into consideration constuctive feedback suggesting the inversion of the kitchen and counter space so as to better access the loft and to be sure this access is at the highest point of the roof.

Along the same lines, we have included a model that has a Murphy type desk/bed which only adds to the functionality of the house; this is always an asset when speaking of tiny houses!  In the model shown below, we have kept the bench in the front, while the second image underneath shows a bench that folds down into a double bed.

. .  

Here is an example of a Murphy bed that can turn into a desk or even a couch. This design offers lots of flexibility in terms of possible layouts of the tiny house.

Next Post

We are hoping to show you pictures of the finished trailer soon!