Montana - Part 2

Tiny House Exchange

by Joel Colvos I’m looking for someone to help work on my tiny house/cabin on our family farm in exchange for being able to live there for free starting in late August. (Located on a farm on the Yellowstone River in Montana.) I put together a tumblr page of the … Read more

Glacier Trailhead Cabins

by Kent Griswold

Montana Mobile Cabins have been quite busy again so far this year. They recently delivered two cabins to Glacier Trailhead Cabins. Both cabins are 18 ft x 24 ft using square log construction. Both cabins were delivered as “dry” cabins, the clients will be finishing out the cabins themselves, as … Read more

Montana Mobile Cabins Beam Cabin

by Kent Griswold

Montana Mobile Cabins has been featured on the Tiny House Blog several times, in fact my very first post was about them. They are one of my favorite log cabin builders. Dawndi Kelm of Montana Mobile Cabins recently sent me a note about a cabin they have for sale and wondered if I would share it with the Tiny House Blog readers.

This cabin is a 14 foot by 20 foot beam style log cabin and is the perfect size for a small cabin or small home. Here are the details of the construction and if you would like to learn more click here for Montana Mobile Cabins website.

Floor System

2×6 16” on center floor joists
Rim Joists 6×6
Solid Floor Joist Blocking
Floor: 3/4” tongue & groove OSB wafer board

Walls and Gables

10” square logs/beams, hand stacked, butt and pass corner
Gables-framed – sided with reclaimed metal; excepting interior gable in loft, wood sided-board & bat; insulated with R19 fiberglass insulation
Chinking throughout interior & exterior
Window & Door Jambs-Resawn Lodgepole Pine/Fir

Loft (loft area approx. 10’x13’)

Joists – 2×4
Decking-2×6 rough sawn pine & fir
Railing-2×6 rough sawn pine & fir
Ladder to loft – rough sawn pine & fir-handcrafted

Roof System (8/12 pitch) – Ceiling

Ridge Beam: Log
Hand stacked Exposed Roof System: 2×6 rough sawn pine & fir mix
Felt Paper: 1 Layer 30# Asphalt
2” Firestone foil back rigid insulation in roof
Delta-rib metal roofing; color – Antique Bronze

Windows and Doors

Windows: 3 Milguard vinyl double pane – sliding windows on main floor; 2 each in gable ends; 1 Alpine garden window on main floor
Exterior Door: 1-36” Therma Tru Factory metal door with half light

Treatment

Montana Standard Log oil applied interior & exterior

Price is $27,500 delivered inside the state of Montana. Please contact Montana Mobile Cabins for delivery pricing and information outside of Montana.

Click here to learn more Montana Mobile Cabins website.

Tiny Houses on the Prairie

by Kent Griswold

“Oh Snap! Homesteader Postcards, the Facebook of 1906” an article written by Heather Murphy at the Slate website features some really unique tiny homes built by homesteaders out on the prairies. The images in this gallery were gathered over a period of 20 years by snapshot collector Michael Williams. They … Read more

How to Make a Composting Toilet

by Kent Griswold

As my husband and I began mapping out the interior of our rustic shed-turned-cabin in Montana, he knew we wouldn’t have plumbing, and I knew I didn’t want to deal with chemicals or smells. With two small children and weather that can range from -20 to 85-degrees Fahrenheit, we also didn’t want to deal with schlepping outside for potty breaks. Building our own humanure toilet turned out to be our perfect solution.

20110727184215 — With only 12x20 feet of living space, the whole cabin is virtually a kitchen/bedroom/bathroom. We had to choose between putting the loo by the hot stove (not safe for children) by the hide-a-bed, or in this quiet corner. While some question the cleanliness of pooping so close to a food prep area, one must remember that this is not a flushing toilet that sprays bacteria into the air with every flush. Your backside seals the toilet while you do your business. There is no splash. Compost debris quickly covers the deposits, and the lid is shut immediately. Also, having water within easy reach is a must for cleaning up "accidents." We hope to adjoin the outhouse to The Shabin in the near future.

We get quite a few jokes from friends and family about our “lovey loo,” but I would take our lovely-loo over a honey bucket any day! It’s a bucket inside a wood box, and we cover – um – the deposits with sawdust. it has a real toilet seat on it for looks and comfort, but it is what it is, and it works very well.

shabin — Recycled red outhouse behind The Shabin always stinks!

Tiny House in a Landscape

by Kent Griswold

This weeks Tiny House in a Landscape was submitted by Jeffrey Lindsay. The photograph was taken in Polebridge, Montana. Jeff says, “It’s not tiny by some definitions, but it is pretty small.” Polebridge is located in northwestern Montana, on the northwestern edge of Glacier National Park. Named for the log … Read more

Paul’s Tiny Log Cabin

by Kent Griswold

I’ve featured Paul McMullin’s work here a couple of times in the past. You can view the posts Little House on the Prairie, Paul’s Montana Cabin, and Paul’s Guesthouse. Paul has been busy again this winter and just shared his latest project with me. The quality of his work is something else. I’ll turn it over to Paul and let him tell you about his tiny log cabin.

Well, here in Montana, another winter is almost past. This one seemed to go on like the ever ready bunny. Around the middle of January I decided over a cup of coffer to build a small log home next to our office I share with my wife. Most of the things that I have built in my career have been stick built (dimensional lumber) so this was something new and stimulating for me.

A friend in the next valley over did the log work and what a craftsman he is with his trade. We stacked the logs on a deck, lagging the first log into the six by six pressure treated plates We pinned all corners with sixty penny spikes, three quarter inch pipe through the logs in the field and used long log screws for the rafters. We insulated the roof, handmade the front door, installed double pane windows, chinked and trimmed it out.

Portable Housing in the New York Times

by Kent Griswold

A New York Times article tells about the Leeps, builders of luxury homes in Montana who when the economy turned bad began rethinking their business and are now building portable homes for disaster related areas. For the Leeps and their partners, HabiHut is a strange new world. Money is the … Read more

Virginia City Log Cabin

by Kent Griswold

Montana Mobile Cabins is keeping me updated on their current construction and letting me share pictures with you here on the Tiny House Blog. You can view a couple of the other cabins here and here.

The recently completed this 16×22 designed by the client and built to his specification. The cabin was set on full daylight or “wall-out” basement. Here are the cabinspecification: Full loft (or second story), bath, kitchen, great room. Basement houses utility room, 1/2 bath, master suite.

Located in the historic town of Virginia City, Montana.

100_2529 — Cabin with Virginia City in the Background

Little House on the Prairie

by Kent Griswold

I introduced you to Paul McMullin from Ennis, Montana in a previous post and told you I would be sharing more of his work. Here is another little cabin he built and I will let him describe it to you.

I call this one the “Little House on the Prairie.” I built this because my mental health was deteriorating as I was sitting behind my desk late winter doing my usual business stuff for that time of year. I had to get outside and produce something regardless of the weather.

This is what I built. A 14 X 16 inside with a 4 x 14 foot deck. Not knowing how it might be used I left the inside as if you were in the belly of the whale, studs, rafters, and sheeting. I live in a small town of about 1000 so I know most people and most stopped by to see what Paul’s up to. The place was completed, a for sale sign was attached and my mind was back in order.

If you would like to contact Paul you can email him at paulmcmullin@hotmail.com.

Paul’s Guest House

by Kent Griswold

I’ve done a previous post of Paul McMullin from Ennis, Montana cabin and told you I would be sharing more of his small houses. Here is a guest house he recently remodeled that I thought would be great inspiration to our readers. I’ll turn over the description to Paul.

This is a small house I built and lived in back in 1980. It measures 18 X 24. Small bath, kitchen, loft for sleeping. In 1986 the owners wanted me to add a small bedroom, which I did. The bedroom was larger than I thought it should be for the size of the existing house; but I wasn’t footing the bill.

Then, last fall they asked me to do a complete remodel. The photo’s are after the remodel. I took out some built- ins to make the bathroom a little larger; took out a built- in corner seat; and built a daybed, new windows, siding and kitchen. Before, the kitchen was on one wall only.

If you would like to contact Paul you can email him at paulmcmullin@hotmail.com.

Paul’s Montana Cabin

by Kent Griswold

I spotted Paul McMullin from Ennis, Montana when he posted a picture of his cabin on the Tiny House Blog Facebook Fan Page. He has built several cabins and I will be sharing them with you, this is the first one. I’ll let Paul tell you about it.

I built in 2004 for the many guests we were having that summer. Our house is small by today’s standards; around 2000 sq. ft., which sounds large but my wife and I raised 4 kids in it. It is to large now, but, not then.

We looked at Wall tents first and then thought of building a platform for it to stand on and then I figured that I have enough old wood and things from past projects that I would just build the whole thing. I’m a carpenter by trade. It was 14 x 14 with a 14 x 4 deck on it. Cost was under $2200. Two operative windows; and barn sash windows married together and a old door I had. No plumbing or electrical. My wife’s twin uses it every summer, now.