Tiny Free House » Free Stuff

Got Plywood!

Michael Janzen — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:34:37 +0000

A few weeks ago I scored some used plywood and OSB sheathing. We just found the photos we took so I thought I’d post news of this lucky find. Sheathing will add a lot of rigidity and strength to the shell. The only disadvantage is that they won’t give me the look the way I want but I think I can still do something with pallet boards on the exterior to achieve the finish I want.

After removing all the nails I’ll put it on the exterior walls and interior ceiling. But first I need to put some roofing on it and insulate the roof. I’ve had little luck finding anything suitable for the roof but I’ve also had little time to scrounge around… so at the very least I’ll cover it before the rain starts with roofing felt and possibly a tarp. At this point the less rain on the house the better.

The plywood is now stored in the shed/shop at the farm… well protected from the rain. It will stay there until I started putting it on the house.

Free Housing Example On Craigslist

Michael Janzen — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:42:24 +0000

Sacramento has a very active craigslist and I spot free mobile homes on there regularly. They are usually in pretty rough condition and to haul one of these away would require a bit of work and a large truck. But for the right person this could be a really turn out to be a great opportunity. If the condition is too far gone imagine the tiny house you could build on a 14′ by 60′ trailer frame.

Now that’s a lot of pallets!

Michael Janzen — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 02:24:00 +0000

Thunderstorms and lack of long pallets for framing the roof will keep me from working on the tiny free house this weekend but I’ll definitely be out looking for the last few long pallets I need to complete the framing.

On another note, Julia just spotted this about 150 miles away from us. Too far for us to go on a three hour drive Freemont but if you live in the SF South Bay and want to build a whole town of tiny pallet houses you might just be in luck. Take a look at this craigslist post. Makes my mouth water.

Furniture built from free pallets and barn wood

Michael Janzen — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:48:23 +0000

The furniture you see below was made from free pallets and barn wood. When I first saw the photos I really couldn’t believe my eyes. They were made by Jeff who seems to have an endless supply of talents including tiny house building. I posted an article on Jeff’s tiny house on my tiny house design blog a little while back. Be sure to take a look at that house, also very nice. Here’s what Jeff said about this furniture:

The first is a wine cellarette and is built from reclaimed barn boards. It appears to be Southern Yellow Pine with lots of insect damage, which actually adds a lot of character. The other is a Low Boy made of oak. Typically you would not find an oak low boy, but pallets are free. The pallets I used for the low boy were from pallets used to ship heavy equipment, they were 1″ thick.

It’s really amazing what can be done with free found stuff. It take a bit more effort to turn the trash back into usable material but it can be done, and in this case done very well.

2500 Free Pallets In Brooklyn

Michael Janzen — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 01:10:19 +0000

Actually the craigslist ad says that they will pay you to take these 2500 pallets off their hands, so these pallets are more than free. Now Brooklyn is a bit of a drive from Sacramento, 2,823 miles to be exact. So I won’t be rushing out to get these 2500 pallets. But if you’re in the Brooklyn area, want free pallets, have a place to store them, and like getting paid, you might want to take a look at this craigslist ad. Thanks for the tip Vanessa!

Another Free Trailer Example

Michael Janzen — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:22:36 +0000

I just spotted this on craigslist but I be I’m too late to get it. I’ve noticed that competition for the free stuff on craigslist has been increasing, and this trailer was posted four hours ago, a lifetime on craigslist. I’m thinking that if it’s not a good renovation candidate that I’d be able to use a trailer for raw material for the tiny free house and the trailer for a future tiny house.

I see a sawdust toilet

Michael Janzen — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 02:40:42 +0000

My wife sent me a link to this bedside commode with a note telling me she’d found the perfect toilet for the tiny free house. She was kidding of course. But when I saw it all I could see was a lot sawdust toilet potential energy. What do you see?

Cheap stuff example on craigslist

Michael Janzen — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 01:10:14 +0000

Just a heads up to anyone in the Sacramento region. This was recently posted on craigslist under ‘garage sales’. If you’re looking for cheap stuff or even building materials like I am you might want to check this out. If you don’t live in this area keep tabs on your local craigslist. Watch the ‘free’ section as well as ‘materials’ and ‘garage sales’.

Free Trailer Example (Portable Poop Coop)

Michael Janzen — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 02:34:53 +0000

There are three free trailers on craigslist right at this moment in Sacramento. I keep my eye out for them but not racing out to pick one up. They all seem to come without any DMV paperwork which can be tricky when trying to reuse the trailer for a tiny house or utility trailer. It’s not impossible to say the least, just more work than having a title in hand. Here’s the funniest one. It sounds like total loss as a travel trailer but might be perfect for a small tiny house. I just had to share.

Almost Free Nails

Michael Janzen — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 03:31:01 +0000

I was looking for lumber but ran across this post on craigslist for 50 pounds of nails for $5. It’s really amazing what there is to find on craigslist. Most of it goes really fast, at least here in Sacramento, but there’s always something and sometimes you luck out.