A generous crawl space will help control moisture issues.
Constructing a small house with cinder blocks is a cost-effective option for home ownership. You will need to take precautions concerning the porous nature of blocks; however, the hollow spaces of the blocks actually provide an insulating factor. By using the right support materials for walls and flooring, you can construct a snug, safe house. The cinder blocks provide a fire-resistant building material and strong walls fairly impervious to strong winds. By creating a pleasing visual design, you can build a cottage that will work well over time.
Instructions
1. Sketch the cottage design in detail. Use graph paper to draw each exterior and interior facade, along with a bird's eye view of the floor plan. Remember to allow for the width of the blocks in your drawings. Use standard 8-in. wide blocks that are actually 7 5/8 in. Include concrete lintels that will form support beams across window and door openings of the cottage. Sketch a living room open to a kitchen, one bath and one bedroom to create a cottage that will measure at least 18 ft. square.
2. Design a crawlspace area 4 ft. deep. Construct the floor joists over the crawlspace, allowing for plenty of room to get under the cottage. Plan to check out the crawlspace at least twice a year to look for plumbing leaks or other issues. Keep in mind that a crawlspace too shallow will make it difficult for soil moisture to escape--and for you to get under the house at all. Build the crawlspace walls on footings 8 inches deep around the cottage perimeter.
3. Plan the basic house building steps. Construct the exterior walls of the cottage by laying cinder blocks. Plan to build a basic A-frame roof from 2-by-6-in. lumber boards. Cover the roof joists with 1/2-in. plywood and install asphalt shingles over tar paper. Be sure to add guttering, downspouts and splashblocks to move water away from the foundation areas.
4. Finish up the exterior and trim work. Install windows and doors after nailing wooden framing into openings to support the windows and doors. Cover the exterior blocks with stucco material. Follow proper procedures for installing the stucco over screening material that will help to hold it in place. Add window shutters and paint the structure.
5. Construct interior framework with moisture issues in mind. Build interior walls and floor joists after spraying a waterproofing compound on the inside of the blocks. Use 2-by-4-in. boards on 16-in. centers to form the framework. Construct floor joists of 2-by-8-in. boards and lay 1/2-in. sub-flooring over the joists. Create floor drain lines for sinks and the bath toilet drain.
6. Finish up interior walls and install wiring and plumbing. Install plastic sheeting over the blocks and secure fiberglass insulation to exterior walls. Run electrical wiring and water pipes through the open walls before covering with drywall. Use moisture-resistant drywall throughout.
7. Install kitchen cabinets and finish bath details. Complete finished flooring before you bring in appliances on a dolly. Seat the toilet with a wax ring after bath flooring material is in place.
8. Use an affordable system to heat and cool the small cottage. Installing baseboard heaters is an excellent option, because they require no duct work or vents. Be sure to install the on exterior walls of the house only, which is standard installation placement. Add a window air conditioner for a tiny cottage; also, use cross-ventilation by opening windows on certain days to save on the electric bill. Open two windows to product a continual breeze inside the house.
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