Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

I've now reframed a garage, built a woodshed, and built a utility shed. I'm planning to build a cabin in the next couple of years. Working with something physically tangible is immensely rewarding.


Indeed! I also found it let me indulge in a secondary passion of mine which is fuel efficiency. For example, when I'm building it myself I can make the walls ludicrously thick and insulated to the point where it stays a relatively moderate temp inside even without climate control. I built a shed to use as a luxury dog house, and it was tight enough that a single small space heater could keep it quite pleasant in the winter (when outside temps would be a low of around 12 deg F and high around 28 deg F).

Material costs were a little ridiculous, but since I'm only building for myself that wasn't a huge issue :-)


tight is not the goal - a home needs to breath


This is accomplished in new builds with intentional ventilation. My above-garage ADU accomplishes this with a schedule on the bathroom fan and a make-up air intake in the utility closet. A more expensive (and more efficient) route would be to install an HRV or ERV.

As an energy consultant friend explained to me: You want to control the ventilation rate, rather than relying on whatever you get accidentally (which may not be enough, especially on calm days).




Consider applying for YC's Summer 2026 batch! Applications are open till May 4

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: