Constructing our Tiny Office: Reboot

Post by Joe
 
For months now it's been so difficult watching the work I did last fall and my pile of materials sit, wait, and rot.  I was beginning to wonder if the T.O. was ever going to happen.  Between work, church, and life in general it turns out I just didn't have the time to work on a project of this scale.  I knew if I couldn't get it done this spring/summer, then it wasn't going to happen.  I would sell the trailer and try again another day.  Then one day while working on our work schedule, Bonnie picked a week and declared it the T.O. week.  This is that week! The Tiny Office has been rebooted.

After finishing up some other projects for work Monday morning, I made it to a few reuse stores to look for more materials, The Loading Dock and Second Chance, Inc.  My hope was to find 2x4 studs so I wouldn't have to take all the time to rip down the 2x10s I currently have.  No luck.  I did however get a great deal on a ton of used insulation. 

I finally finished my work for the day and arrived home just in time for dinner.  Then with no time to waste, I went out started working.  Unfortunately, the first step was to demo all the work I did before.  After getting wet all winter, everything was rotted and falling apart.  At least I was working on it though.  

Tuesday's task was to complete the demo and start rebuilding.  I managed to get everything torn apart and cleaned and a new subfloor installed.  Now I was back to where I started, but not rotted, and ready to continue.

 Wednesday I finally got to start framing!  It felt so good to finally start building the actual structure, and now it was really starting to take shape. 

The goal was to get the main framing done, but then the rain came.  I didn't mind though.  I now knew that this was going to happen.  Nothing will stop me from finishing this Tiny Office!












You can follow my progress as I post photos on Instagram as ChestnutPinesContracting. 

Budgeting for a Re-Use Project

Post by Bonnie.

Setting a budget for the T.O. project was very simple.  After Joe shared his grand vision, I simply said "Ok fine, if you can do it all for less than $1,000 then go for it."  Of course, I never dreamed he would actually be able to stick to that, therefore the project would be done before it began.  Little did I know, Joe was very dedicated to making this thing happen!

I could have said $500. I could have said $3,000.  I could have looked at our finances and determined what we could actually afford.  That's all in the past now, and we have rallied around the $1,000 number, making it more than just a budget.  It's a goal.  It's part of the adventure. It's...a challenge.

Planning any sort of project with primarily reclaimed, used, re-purposed materials can be extremely difficult.  You never know what sorts of deals you will find, which items you can find for free, and what you will have to end up purchasing.   

Don't give in. 

It is so easy to run up to Lowes or Home Depot and get brand new lumber, lighting, windows, etc. etc. etc.  But if you are committed to building responsibly and creatively, then take the time to do the research, check back one.last.time. on Craiglist, and wait.

Some of the amazing deals we got because Joe was patient and thorough include:
- A beautiful 15-light glass door w/ jam salvaged from a project just last week
- Over 30 leftover 2x10's from a construction site, found by a good friend
- Free pallets found all around town!

Unfortunately, since we were unable to get the T.O. enclosed for the winter, the progress on the floor has been damaged and will have to be redone.  The good news? Joe didn't spend one penny on those materials. And he doesn't plan to spend a penny on the replacement materials.  Did it cost us in frustration and grumpiness? Perhaps.  (But who can budget for those things...)

Tips for how to stay in budget:
- Barter. Trade your skills, or even something you own, in exchange for what you need for the project.  Joe was able to barter several hours of construction labor for the garage doors we are using for the TO roof.
- Research in advance. You have to be realistic about what you think you can find for free, and what you will have to purchase.  Research how much things cost, don't just guess! For example, in the TO we are purchasing insulation from The Loading Dock.  Instead of thinking it would be "around $__", Joe did the calculations (cost/sq.ft. x sq.ft. needed) so we know exactly how much it will cost.
- Ask. You would be shocked at how much STUFF people have laying around their homes that they are just dying to give a handy, crafty person such as yourself!

Good luck!