The most desirable material for a tiny house is wood. The renewable raw material is comparatively easy and versatile to process and provides comfort as well as a healthy indoor atmosphere. Wooden houses in cube form are also considered to be particularly stylish.
Mobile tiny houses should not weigh more than 3.5 tonnes, which often limits the choice of traditional building materials. Those who want a tiny house on wheels therefore rely on ultra-light building materials that provide more living space relative to weight than other materials.
Kiri: the lightweight among wood types
Kiri is particularly suitable as timber for a tiny house. Kiri, also known as Paulownia, is extremely light, very strong, flame retardant, resistant, sustainable and provides ideal insulation.
What does that mean specifically? The low weight of the wood makes a tiny house’s construction, interior fittings and façade cladding ultra-light. You therefore get more living space per kilogram of weight. This opens up new opportunities for furnishing and helps keep the tiny house mobile.
Wood also has the perfect properties for everyday life in a tiny house. Kiri withstands larger amounts of water vapour such as those produced during cooking or showering in winter. The wood reacts to strong atmospheric fluctuations and dew point problems with extremely low swelling and shrinkage properties.
The building material is also very easy to work with, is exceptionally durable and does not split or splinter. Kiri is more than twice as good an insulator than oak or beech, so walls made of kiri save on any additional insulating material requirements.
Production of kiri as a construction material is sustainable in several respects: kiri wood is an alternative to tropical wood species, the kiri tree grows again after harvesting, captures and stores large amounts of CO2, and protects natural forests because it is cultivated on European arable land with short delivery routes. Kiri is therefore the perfect building material for environmentally and style-conscious people who want their own tiny house without sacrificing comfort.
7 reasons for using kiri wood for a tiny house
Weight
Weighing around 270 kg/m³, kiri wood is one of the lightest wood types in the world. In comparison, oak weighs around 770 kg/m³, beech 720, pine 480 and spruce 450 kg/m³.
Strength and stability
Kiri wood has a honeycomb cell structure, making the wood very strong and stable relative to its weight. In environments with strong atmospheric fluctuations, kiri impresses with low swelling and shrinkage.
Insulation
At just 0.09 W/mK, kiri has more than twice the insulating properties of oak or beech. Compared to the spruce often used in tiny house construction, kiri excels with a 30% lower heat transfer coefficient.
Look
The unobtrusive, homogeneous and aesthetic light beige grain gives kiri its unmistakable and high-quality look, making it excellent in both interior and façade design.
Durability
No splitting, no cupping, no warping. Kiri is naturally highly durable and ideal for façade cladding. It is also easy to work with, does not splinter and easily absorbs stains and varnishes.
Flammability
In Japan, fireproof kimono cabinets are made of kiri wood for good reason. Kiri only starts to burn at over 400°C (pine: 225°C, oak 260°C).
Sustainability
Our kiri wood comes from sustainably managed plantations in Europe. Kiri wood conserves our natural forests, is a substitute for tropical wood species, has no long transport routes and the kiri tree grows back after harvesting.
MATERIAL FOR A GREEN CONSCIENCE
Every tiny house a one-off. Sustainable, mobile, unique.
Your own house – for many it is a goal they have been working towards for decades. But it doesn’t need to take half a lifetime before you’re sitting in your own four walls. A tiny house, hardly bigger than a motor home, is easy to build and far less expensive than a conventional house. It provides comfort and style within a few square metres of living space while also helping to reduce your carbon footprint, especially when using building materials from sustainable sources.
What is a tiny house?
A tiny house is a distinct architectural category. It is a recent concept emerging in a time of rising rents and land prices. Such a compact tiny house usually measures between 15 and 45 m² of living space – equivalent to the layout of a one- or two-bedroom flat.
Because a tiny house is so small, it takes up relatively little space and can be moved if necessary. For example, to become a penthouse on the roof of another building. Or to the next campsite. But tiny houses are also subject to relevant state building regulations, and a building permit is required for construction.
A tiny house can be used in many ways: as a garden house, as a separate office, as part of a modular house or as a regular house to live in. You are free to choose what materials you build it from – and whether it adheres to a style or is entirely of your own imagination.
Why a tiny house?
For those who have not yet purchased a property or would like a small holiday home, a tiny house on wheels might be the perfect solution. A tiny house also makes the desire for a much more sustainable life realistic. Building such a small house conserves resources, whether ready-made or self-made. A reduced living space also helps occupants to consume thoughtfully and limit themselves to the bare essentials.
You can find more useful information about tiny houses on the website of the German Tiny House Association.
Bilder: Bosswerk / Nettetal
