Tiny House Festival

Episode 133 - Art Laubach and the Tiny House Festival

by Emily Gerde

http://traffic.libsyn.com/sustainablelivingpodcast/SLP_133_Art_Laubach.mp3

I had a wonderful interview with Art Laubach, the organizer of the Tiny House Festival, where we discuss all things tiny houses from a builder’s perspective. Art mentions tiny homes being one of the great options to minimizing our environmental impact due to the few materials, utilities and space needed for them in society.

Art started gaining construction experience in his youth working with family businesses, spending the summers working on roofing, siding and other construction on the east coast. Since then, Art has gained invaluable knowledge and experience in many different facets of construction. Art has experience with concrete and pier foundations, wood and steel framing, outdoor structures, decks, complete renovations, building additions, geodesic dome construction, and now – building the best Tiny House Shells you can find.

Art is the builder for Einstyne Tiny Homes, and a geek for “building science”, airtight construction, green building and always striving for ways to ensure the greatest quality builds for the customer. Art is an avid animal advocate and loves spending time with his pets, volunteering with animal organizations and is very excited to bring this event to Adams County Fairgrounds for the second year.

Tiny Houses - A Sustainable Housing Option for the Future

We discussed the ways in which tiny houses are a sustainable option for the future by using yes utilities and more efficient heating and cooling, as well as green construction. Art recommends looking into Building Science White Papers to keep up to date on best practices and resources. Find more info here https://buildingscience.com/. When thinking about building a tiny house, Art recommends taking the time to be in a tiny house, and talking with people who are living the lifestyle. Whether it’s a camper or a tiny house, get an insiders perspective and ask lots of questions. Art builds shells and often has a model available for people to step into, but he highly recommends getting into a finished home to get the best idea of what you want in your design. We both agreed that tiny house festivals are a great way to step into several tiny homes, get to know several builders and network with vendors.

We discuss the exciting future for the tiny house movement and how many builders are moving to IRC codes that specifically align with Appendix Q. Having standards to follow is a great step in the right direction to ensure tiny home builds are safe. We dive into the discrepancy of pricing with tiny homes. Art explains that material quality is the key. Material costs have increased creating a jump in building costs. He explains that there are also differences in cost depending on your location and energy codes. There is a misconception that tiny homes construction is easier but Art explains why that isn’t the case.

Art goes into his passion for the DIY crowd and ways he can provide a safe and up to code shell, while still allowing for the creativity and lower price of finishing your own home. He is an expert in air-tight construction and explains how important air quality is for any home. We dive deep into insulation and the best green options and how to best insulate for your situation. Art has great tips on gutters, siding, and ways to keep the weight of your tiny home down.

Emily Will Be Speaking at the Tiny House Festival

We go into the details of the Colorado Tiny House Festival, including what to expect, how many tiny homes will be available to tour and activities to enjoy. I (Emily) will be speaking at the festival and discussing how tiny living has changed our lives forever! Art will be there representing Einstyne homes so be sure to check him out! Art finishes up with some wisdom to not give up on the tiny house movement. He asks that you get involved in your local community and meetups to work towards getting tiny houses legalized and build beautiful communities.

You can find more about Art here

http://einstynehomes.com/

And More about the Festival here

http://coloradotinyhousefestival.com/

 

Here is another builder speaking of Tiny House building

http://sustainablelivingpodcast.com/build-tiny-home/

http://sustainablelivingpodcast.com/moving-to-a-tiny-house/

 

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