Building Micro House 64 Sq Ft. On Stilts - Complete Build!

Introduction to Off-Grid Living

If you've ever considered living off-grid, you'll want to take a look at this video on how to build a micro tiny home on stilts. The video shows the complete build and is definitely worth watching to get some ideas that you'll be sure to use. It is an 8-foot cube. The Forest Cube is an extremely small home also called a micro house. The inside of the micro home is insulated to R2000 standards with Rockwool, then wrapped in a plastic vapor barrier and tuck taped to be completely sealed from the outside. While not conventional, the walls are finished with drywall and painted. But the ceiling has a super fancy tray ceiling that glows brightly with recessed rope lights and pot lights. These all run off the Energy portable battery pack. The owners decided to use an engineered hardwood floor supplied by Bigelow Flooring. The shell of the cube is completely wrapped in a Kerdi waterproof membrane made by Schluter, including the flat roof to give The Cube, it's a unique look.

Structure and Materials

Regular framing forms the structure of The Cube which is bolted to the cedar posts supports. Reclaimed building materials were used for nearly all of the construction, from the lumber to the windows and doors. The aluminum door is cut from a full-frame garage door and purposely narrow to permit more wall space for bedding and sitting. The upright door is only meant to access the wrap-around porch, while the lower hatch serves for entry and exit. It is also cut small to keep the space useful. Inside, The Forest Cube doesn't feel cramped because of the big front window opening up the space to the forest and pond that surround it. The pond area will grow in with lush vegetation by next spring and the waters are filled with wildlife, fish and frogs, and our pet ducks.

Unique Features and Sustainability

Other features of the micro home to be added will include indoor lighting supplied by a quiet battery generator and unique decor such as a floating ceiling. The Cube is being heated with a cubic mini wood stove. Most of the building materials are sources on-site, including the cedar posts holding up the deck and the spruce trees milled on a portable sawmill. The rest of the building materials are salvaged and were either free or very inexpensive including the re-used pressure-treated lumber and the discarded propane tank. The propane tank is the perfect place for an open fire pit, hung up over the Juliet balcony to maximize the view over the front of the deck in full view of the pond.

Inside The Forest Cube

The builders finish the inside of the extremely small off-grid house on stilts in the forest and are called The Forest Cube. While not conventional, the walls are finished with drywall and painted. The ceiling has a super fancy tray ceiling that glows brightly with recessed rope lights and pot lights. These all run off the Energy portable battery pack. The Forest Cube is outfitted with a small bed, a coffee table that doubles as a storage unit, a coat rack, and shelves to hold personal decorations. Plans will include a wrap-around porch and an outdoor cooking area. The small cube is a self-contained living space of just 64 square feet raised off the ground on cedar post stilts to both protect from the elements, save on foundational requirements, and provide an epic view of the pond and surrounding forest.