Category Archives: Off The Grid

Water Saving Shower Head | Save 1000’s of Gallons Per Year

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This shower water conservation video is by Steven Harrell, who launched Tiny House Listings about 6 years ago. His website was instrumental and inspiration in Texas Tiny Homes formation in 2012. This video features a low flow shower head that can save thousands of gallons of water each year depending on the setting you chose. We have selected six water saving shower heads in our online store.  

Water conservation is so critical these days, but it’s also a requirement when living small, or off grid when water is hard to come by, and safely disposing it if your tiny and small home is not tied to a city sewage system, or if you are using a grey water filtering system. Texas Tiny Homes is looking at all the black and grey water disposal options for the new homes we are going to be build on our lots in Granbury, Texas and the less amount of water coming out the home the better. Water conserving shower heads will be an important and necessary feature in some of new home we build.

 

Kitchen Sink | Black Water Recycling For Garden Use

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Grey water filtering systems are one of the options we are looking into and considering in an effort to help make the starting price for of our new site-built, luxury homes in Granbury more affordable, since septic systems are SO expensive.

This particular video shows how Ben Jamaya designed an above ground system to treat his kitchen sink water, which is consider black water. His approach is pretty complex and not sure if it’s over kill or not, but it’s definitely food for thought, and some folks might enjoyed nurturing this type of system like gardeners enjoy their focus. His above ground approach could be done at ground level with multiple ponds with fish and streams with plants that the treated water them runs into a buried holding tank at the end, which holds the water for watering plants, garden, or lawn. I don’t know about you, but I find this approach in saving money on a septic system and using the recycle water for a good purpose rather than flushing into the septic system or sewer, very interesting.

Having been a luxury home builder since 1977, this approach is new to me, and it’s a fun learning process, but I assume this approach would not work for black water from toilets. However, if this kitchen black water filtering approach is acceptable with the health department, along with the grey water filtering systems we are also looking at, which would filter the water from the shower, bath sinks and washing machine (which I plan to share some video’s on that) are acceptable with the health department, along with the composting toilet, the homes could be totally organic and not require an expensive septic system. I know some of our prospective build-job clients would not go for an organic approach, but I believe some will, since it saves water, puts used water to good use, and it’s approved by the health department. It’s definitely worth exploring and working up designs and the cost of these options.

Backwoods Cabin | Built-in, Off-Grid Refrigeration

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JC Desclos has several off-grid cabins up in New Hampshire and has created some interesting, how-to DIY video’s for cabin living. This video demonstrates his built-in icebox at one of his off grid cabins. The unit allows him to utilize mother nature to keep his food cold approximately half the year without any power or propane.

If you are planning on building one of our plans in states that get really cold half the year or longer having a built-in ice box like this would be a great way to cut down on your utility consumption, whether it be electric, propane or solar. It’s definitely something to consider.

 

$300 Cabin – Off Grid

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This adventurous couple purchased 5 acres of land in the Pacific Northwest where they will be working to develop our off grid homestead 100% from scratch. While they will be working to build their timber frame barn and eventually timber frame house, winter has arrived and they had neither! They are boondocking in their RV and needed a way to winterize + stay warm.

They decided to build this little cabin as an add-on to their RV. Right now, their RV is under a ShelterLogic Garage-in-a-Box which has no insulation whatsoever. They thought that if they could build a small 10′ x 12′ cabin onto the end of the carport that we could heat the entire enclosure with a wood stove. They have been working to insulation the carport fully, so between all of their efforts they have managed to heat the inside to 68 degrees!

The best part of all is that they built this off grid cabin ourselves with reclaimed materials. Instead of spending $3,000+ to build this cabin, they did it for about $300. Most of these materials came from a demolition they were able to help out with which you can see in their other videos. They also were able to salvage many second-hand building materials with a barter flyer they put up around town.

They are loving their little cabin! Have they ever built a cabin before? NOPE! Do they feel more confident about their building skills? Yes! Did they learn a lot that they can implement when building their barn and house? YES!

Quonset Hut

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The design of the Quonset hut was based on the Nissen hut which is founded by the British during the First World War for military who need safe, economical and dependable storage space.

Quonset hut is also known as Arch Buildings due to its shape. The prefabricated building provides benefits that no other pre-engineered building provides, from high security and cheapest cost for the ability to withstand hurricanes, blizzards – whatever Mother Nature sends their way.

Source: Quonset Photos

Quonset Hut: Design and History

During the World War II, it is considered that many Quonset huts were built and utilized in the combat field by the US military. The George A. Fuller construction company was chosen to construct these huts. The first was developed within sixty days. The design was a 5 m × 11 m (16 ft. × 36 ft.) structure made by steel members with a 2.4 m (8 ft.) radius. The two ends of these huts were covered by plywood, which had doors as well as windows. The sides of the huts were corrugated steel sheets and the interior had pressed a wood floor and wood lining. The building could be placed on pilings, on concrete, or on the ground with a wood floor.

Metal Quonset Building

While most buildings were built from the metal, the United States military also had a wooden that was rarely utilized. The huts were very popular because they could be sent anywhere and then set up in only a few hours with the help of enough people.

The great thing about the Quonset huts is that they could be utilized for anything like storage bays, medical areas, living quarters, workshops, etc. Before these huts came along you had the alternatives of using civilian buildings, and canvas tent.

Quonset huts get their name (‘Quonset’) because they were first made at a place which is known as Quonset Point, which is situated on the Rhode Island, USA. During the Second World War, Between 150,000 and 170,000 Quonset huts were constructed. When the World War II ended the US Army required a way to aside the massive surplus of huts that they had, hence they made a decision to sell them to people.

Many buildings still stand throughout the United State and also they are seen in museums of military and other areas featuring Second World War memorabilia. Some huts are used at Unites State military bases.