Using a Shed as a Tiny Home

Tiny homes have been a huge trend in the last few years. The movement of tiny homes is an architectural and social one that places importance on downsizing, minimizing, and simplifying one’s life. Tiny homes have no more than 400 square feet and have all the areas required for a dwelling unit: living, sleeping, cooking, and bathroom facilities all within the unit.

If you’ve been interested in building your own tiny home, then keep reading! Below, we’ll go over how to convert a shed into a tiny home, some of Graceland Portable Buildings that can be used as a tiny home, and the benefits of living in a tiny home.

How to Convert a Shed into a Tiny Home

1)     Prepare the space

Get the space ready by landscaping away all the excess plant life and excavating the area. Add gravel to the area and create a slope so that water can drain away from your shed. You’ll also want to consider adding cinder blocks to the area to elevate your shed and get plywood treated for moisture to put beneath your shed too. Both of these tricks allow airflow to dry out any existing ground moisture and prevents any moisture accumulation in future rainfall.

2)     Seal the shed

Request that your shed is built with traditional 2X4’s so that all other building materials that you work with fit with it. Once it’s built, you’ll need to seal up every little crack with solid silicone caulk. Follow the seams, transition points, and junctions on the outside and then the inside. You should also caulk where the walls meet the floors, the corners, and the inside of the framing where the studs meet the sheathing. Once you’re finished caulking, you should spray canned foam in any other hard-to-reach places.

3)     Insulate the shed

You can insulate your shed’s walls and ceiling with either spray foam or bat insulation. Both are great choices, but we recommend going with cell spray foam because it creates an amazing vapor and air barrier. Spray foam also keeps your home cooler or warmer longer thanks to its high R value. To insulate your floor, you’ll want to spray closed cell foam on the bottom of your shed, then put down about two inches of polyiso foam that has an adhesive side, then put down a plywood subfloor with adhesive. This creates a strong barrier and creates wonderful insulation, so your feet aren’t always cold!

4)     Make utility, electrical, water, and HVAC connections

Uncover existing connections points in your shed, and then set up your electrical, water, internet, HVAC, etc. connections. Importantly, you will need to work with a licensed local electrician to complete this part of your tiny home transformation.

5)     Add drywall, flooring, and trim

Drywall is a cost-effective material to finish the inside of your shed with, so we suggest using it. Drywall your walls, trim your doors and windows, and then paint. Install floors then baseboards next.

Graceland Buildings That Can Be Used as a Tiny Home

1)     Cabin

2)     Corner Porch Cabin

3)     Corner Porch Lofted Barn Cabin

4)     Lofted Barn Cabin

5)     Side Porch Cabin

6)     Wraparound Porch Lofted Barn Cabin

Why You Should Live in a Tiny Home

You should live in a tiny home because the benefits of doing so are endless. The main advantages of living in a tiny home are:

·        Lower cost of living

·        No mortgage

·        More savings

·        Less energy usage and lower carbon footprint

·        Freedom of movement

·        Higher quality of life

·        Less clutter

·        Less overall maintenance

·        Being closer to nature

·        A more simple way of life

If you’re interested in making room for life and learning more about tiny homes and any of our units that can be easily converted into a tiny home, contact us today!