As a tiny house designer, I enjoy pushing the edges of what is expected. My question now is: ” How much of your tiny life do you need to carry with you and how much will you create around your home when you park?
The first challenge is the deck. When we create “outdoor rooms” attached to our tiny, we are trading interior space (on the trailer) for exterior space. We are also limiting the size of the outdoor space, and creating a waterproofing challenge where the two meet over the frame. For these reasons, I recommend site-built decks. Other exterior spaces such as chicken coops and greenhouses fall into the same category. I recommend maximizing the interior space on the trailer, and keeping all exterior spaces on the ground. If you want to transport the materials, you can panelize or paletize the outdoor components, take them apart and stack to ship any time.
Do it yourself designers need to keep in mind the fact that comfortable exterior spaces have larger dimensions than interior spaces that are expected to serve similar functions.
I recommend creating a deck about the size of your tiny, effectively doubling your living space. Especially here in California, incorporating outdoor space is an effective way to expand your living and energetic environment.
David Ludwig,
Tiny House Solutions