Troy's son, Brendan, had a sign made for us: T&L Haven So at the moment, we don't have an actual home. We have an office trailer (ATCO trailer) that is about the same age as us. Like us, it is in good shape but is perhaps showing its age. The tin on the outside was sporadic at best so last year we took most of it off and wrapped the whole thing in Tyvek. Troy put in new windows, updated the locks and made sure the structure was water tight. He also added stairs.
The stairs turned out to be a learning experience. Nothing bad, but it turns out they got very slippery with any sign of frost. We live in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. There's not only frost, there's a fair bit of snow! Troy decided to put a cover over the stairs. That turned into a 12'x14' enclosed addition.
Until we can build our home, we are staying in the office. It's small but is also very cozy and with all the land around us, it doesn't feel too small.
Last year, our first out here, was all about getting the land liveable. We got the trailer out here and the power and internet services hooked up. I have to be able to work after all!
This year we got the water hooked up so we now have running water inside the trailer. The furnace got hooked up a couple of days ago so now we have heat. A good thing because with the water hooked up, we don't want any of the lines freezing! This means we can actually both head out for a couple of hours without worrying about water freezing. Last year all we had for heat was space heaters and you just can't leave them unattended.
There are still a few things we need like a little hot water tank so our running water will include hot and not just cold water. I am looking forward to having a little shower stall or tub, too. I had an outdoor shower all summer which was actually pretty awesome but it's gotten too cold for that now. Until we get that hooked up, we'll be visiting the local trading post a buying our showers like last year. We also need to get the interior walls finished. My office has panels up but they need to be painted. The rest of the place still needs walls. The vapour barrier over insulation is not particularly attractive. Priorities being what they are, money gets spent where it's most needed. Hopefully this winter.
What did happen this year is that our outside living area got a lot prettier. I like to think that Troy and are good at making a comfortable home. Certainly we are happy with how things turn out! Troy put in a few flower gardens and got started on raised beds for growing produce. He found some great deals on perennials and I was able to get some donated perennials from people thinning out their gardens. Those things added to the seeds we had already made for some nice gardens started. We are really looking forward to seeing them next year when they'll get a full season of growth!
The big project was to get the siding put on the trailer and addition. It was part of the deal to get a good insurance package so that made it a necessity, not just something to get to whenever. The difference is remarkable! Not only does the place look better, I am noticing it's warmer inside, too. We just got plain siding - nothing with insulation - but I guess it stops the drafts better than Tyvek. When I got to thinking about it, that just makes sense because as I understand it Tyvek is a breathable fabric.
The stairs turned out to be a learning experience. Nothing bad, but it turns out they got very slippery with any sign of frost. We live in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. There's not only frost, there's a fair bit of snow! Troy decided to put a cover over the stairs. That turned into a 12'x14' enclosed addition.
Until we can build our home, we are staying in the office. It's small but is also very cozy and with all the land around us, it doesn't feel too small.
Last year, our first out here, was all about getting the land liveable. We got the trailer out here and the power and internet services hooked up. I have to be able to work after all!
This year we got the water hooked up so we now have running water inside the trailer. The furnace got hooked up a couple of days ago so now we have heat. A good thing because with the water hooked up, we don't want any of the lines freezing! This means we can actually both head out for a couple of hours without worrying about water freezing. Last year all we had for heat was space heaters and you just can't leave them unattended.
There are still a few things we need like a little hot water tank so our running water will include hot and not just cold water. I am looking forward to having a little shower stall or tub, too. I had an outdoor shower all summer which was actually pretty awesome but it's gotten too cold for that now. Until we get that hooked up, we'll be visiting the local trading post a buying our showers like last year. We also need to get the interior walls finished. My office has panels up but they need to be painted. The rest of the place still needs walls. The vapour barrier over insulation is not particularly attractive. Priorities being what they are, money gets spent where it's most needed. Hopefully this winter.
What did happen this year is that our outside living area got a lot prettier. I like to think that Troy and are good at making a comfortable home. Certainly we are happy with how things turn out! Troy put in a few flower gardens and got started on raised beds for growing produce. He found some great deals on perennials and I was able to get some donated perennials from people thinning out their gardens. Those things added to the seeds we had already made for some nice gardens started. We are really looking forward to seeing them next year when they'll get a full season of growth!
The big project was to get the siding put on the trailer and addition. It was part of the deal to get a good insurance package so that made it a necessity, not just something to get to whenever. The difference is remarkable! Not only does the place look better, I am noticing it's warmer inside, too. We just got plain siding - nothing with insulation - but I guess it stops the drafts better than Tyvek. When I got to thinking about it, that just makes sense because as I understand it Tyvek is a breathable fabric.
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