It’s funny, but sometimes people forget that buying a tiny house is buying an actual home.
But while tiny homes might be small, buying a house of any size is still a huge deal. That’s why it’s important to do your research, so you know what you’re getting!
Here at Mint Tiny House Company, we think you deserve to know what’s behind your tiny house walls. So today, we’re pulling back the curtain to show you how tiny homes are born. Built. Sorry, how tiny homes are built.
Before jumping in, let’s talk about why you should know this information. Here is the short version:
Stage one of the tiny home building process starts with the tiny home trailer- the foundation of your tiny house! Here at Mint, we build on Iron Eagle trailers, and the first thing we do to prep your tiny home foundation is to create a subfloor.
(A subfloor is what goes under the actual flooring. It’s made of insulation and sheathing.)
Once the subfloor is in, we drill anchors into the trailer to attach the walls and move on to the framing.
You might think that framing a tiny house would take place on the trailer, but, actually, we frame the walls and roof separately on framing tables. Once the pieces are complete, they are attached to the tiny house trailer using the anchors we mentioned before.
Before we move on to stage two, basic plumbing and electrical are roughed in.
Roughing in = drilling holes and running wires/pipes throughout the frame.
Finally, the floor is installed and protected. And trust us; you want the most durable tiny house floor possible!
Stage two of building a tiny house is where your house starts to look like, well, a house! And that’s always exciting.
Tiny house companies in Canada should know something about insulation, and as tiny home builders from British Columbia, we take it seriously!
Have you ever been curious about tiny house windows? We cut ours using a CNC machine. Then we insulate the house, install the windows, and add trim. Now let’s talk siding!
If you browse the tiny house models tab of our website, you’ll be able to explore our siding options. Our new Onyx 2630 tiny house comes with black metal standing seam siding, whereas our classic Napa model features LP Smartside lap siding. And if you go with the latter, you’ll have nine colors to choose from!
Once we complete the siding, we’ll install a high-quality metal roof and begin the trim-prep.
Ready for stage three?
Finishing carpentry is all about the details, and in a tiny home, we know you’ll notice! Details matter in tiny homes, so we pay special attention to things like sanding, aligning, and getting the trim just right.
Stage three is where we complete the interior siding and get ready for the messiest part. So grab your mask because it’s painting day!
Are you looking for tiny house parking? Because at this stage, your tiny home is almost ready to be delivered!
Stage four will have your tiny home looking like a house- minus your small kitchen and tiny house appliances! (Don’t worry; we’ll get to those soon!)
Painting a tiny home takes talent, so we hire skilled trades humans to prep the house, paint the exterior, and spray the interior. Why do we spray the paint rather than brush it on? Great question. Because it’s faster, and spraying creates a smoother finish.
Stage five marks the final finishing stage. It’s where your tiny house kitchen will be assembled and installed.
What will you cook first in your tiny house kitchen? If it’s lasagna, please mail us a piece.
You think we’re joking, but here is our contact information.
Have you been following us on Instagram for a while? If so, you might know we’re a little famous for our storage stairs! These (along with bookshelves and other built-in furniture pieces!) are made during this stage.
Whew! Stage five is a race to the finish line, and there’s a lot to do!
During this stage, we will also complete the final trim work, install exterior vents, seal things, do touch-ups, and start to clean up. We want your tiny home to arrive in sparkling condition!
By stage six, you should be prepping your tiny house parking space for your home’s arrival because we’re prepping your house to meet you!
In stage six of the tiny home manufacturing process, we will weigh your home, apply the necessary safety and certification labels, and test your tiny house appliances. Finally, we secure your house for transportation, and away it goes!
A tiny house is a beautiful opportunity to rebuild the world on your own terms. In fact, more than one client has told us that their Mint tiny house changed their life forever. We are so honored to be involved in the process.
Who are we? We are a 45-member team of framers, carpenters, painters, laborers, CNC operators, and cleaners. We’re an office staff of eleven drafting experts, marketing professionals, purchasing gurus, sales associates, and accounting super-humans who believe in the power of tiny houses to change the world.
If you have been Googling “tiny house builders near me” recently, we’re excited to be on your radar. And we’d love to talk over the phone to help you sort out your next steps.
Because more information can’t hurt, right?
Thanks for reading our tiny house blog!
