Tips for Building a Sustainable Tiny House

An emerging trend in housing through the past decade or so has been the tiny home. Some homeowners choose the tiny alternative because they want to save money, create an eco-friendlier and more energy-efficient home, or both! If you’re interested in creating a tiny home that’s green and comfortable, explore our tips for building a sustainable tiny house.

Use a Shipping Container

The first step you can take toward building an eco-friendlier tiny house is to build with a shipping container. Shipping containers are popular alternatives to traditional housing for many tiny house–owners because they’re affordable and reliable; plus, they cut down on construction time and save you from having to use new materials. Instead of expending labor and resources on building a tiny home from scratch, a shipping container comes practically prebuilt for you.

Optimize the Roof

In a tiny house, you need to utilize every square inch available to you—including the roof. There are a couple of ways to use the roof to make your home more sustainable:

Solar Panels

Many tiny house–owners put solar panels on their roofs for more efficient energy use. Fitting a tiny home with solar panels is more affordable than doing so on a traditional house, so the benefits are even more pronounced.

Living Insulation

You can also install dirt and grass on your tiny home’s roof for a type of living insulation. It’s almost like a second lawn on your roof that you can use to grow a garden or relax in, and it adds another layer of insulation to keep your home warm in frigid winters.

Add More Windows

The most sustainable way to light your home isn’t with LED bulbs but with natural light. Obviously, the best way to utilize natural light is with more windows. Consider installing expansive windows or skylights to let the sunlight into your home instead of using electricity.

Install Cork Floors

Hardwood floors are lovely, but have you heard of cork floors? Cork floors are made of thousands of recycled wine corks, so they’re sustainable alternatives to hardwood. Plus, cork floors look just as good as standard hardwoods and offer excellent insulation, and they’re completely water resistant. Some homeowners even say that the softer floors have helped their aching backs and joints.

Use Recycled Insulation

Almost every tiny home needs insulation, but the standard foam and fiberglass materials are harmful to the environment. Instead, consider using recycled insulation materials to keep your home warm without damaging the environment. Possible insulation material alternatives include:

• Cellulose
• Recycled paper
• Recycled denim
• Sheep’s wool
• ThermaCork
• HempWool

All these insulation materials have been used in homes before, and they can keep your home warm on cold days.

We hope our tips for building a sustainable tiny house have given you some ideas. Let us know how you’ve made your tiny home more sustainable and what has worked for you!

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