Our Cornerstone project In 10th Grade is a five-month project, in which we will earn our lettermen and patch of our pathway. We are in the engineering pathway and we are making a tiny home for expecting mothers. With our sleeping quarters, it would be a place for the moms to stay in until they find a stable way to support themselves and their kids. Our cornerstone project will include a structural element, an automatic element, an electrical element, and a mechanical element. In this project, we will learn the skills of building sleeping quarters.

Step 1: Planning

1. Plan out your sleeping quarters

2. Get approval from the city, HOA, or the principle like our case :)

3. Once you have got approval string or tape out everything, your door, bed, tables, etc.

Step 2: Building the Base

1. Dig the holes for the cement blocks for your base

2. Place Blocks according to the size of your structure. Place sand under your cement blocks so your structure does not sink

3. Gather just for your base materials. We received wood pressure treated

- 2 - 12’ (2” x 5”)

- And a box of 3’ ½” star screws from your home improvement store

4. Leveling side to side between the cement blocks by laying down wood on top and using a handheld leveler

5. Repeat step 7 until level. We probably redid our cement blocks about 20 times. Do not give up! This step is really important because your base is absolutely essential.

Step 3: Building the Floor

1. Place the outer wood in the cement blocks and drill in 3 screws at every corner to connect the wood

- Then place the middle 6’ wood and screw

- Now time to add the supporters in between the wood.

- Staggering them every 2 and 3 for extra supporters

2. Place the plywood floor on the base

3. Screw in the wood on the end and in the middle where the supporter beams are.

Step 4: Building the Walls

1. Time to cut the wood for the 6´ wall

Side note: I would recommend building the walls that do not have a door or window 1st
Measure the 6’ side first just to double check.

“Measure twice, cut once”

base plate: 1 68”

top plate: 1 68”

Studs: 6 93 ½”

2. Screw wall together

Once you have all of your wood cut for the wall place it on a flat surface.

Make your markings to screw in the woods (yes we used screws. Sense they are easier to fix your mistake)

We spaced them out every 16” except for the last two studs they are closer together because the spacing between would be more than 16” which we do not want

Screw in your studs. I recommend having something to support the wall when you are screwing in the studs.
You built your first wall

3. Repeat steps 11 and 12

For the 12’wall

base plate: 1 12´

top plate: 1 12´

Studs: 10 93 ½”

4. Wood for the wall with the door

Side note: It is the same concept as the other walls that you are supposed to have a top plate and a bottom plate with studs every 16¨.

base plate: 1 12´

top plate: 1 12´

Studs: 9 2: 11¨ 2: 6 ⅓¨ 6x2: 2 3´

Copy what the picture shows for assembling the wall.

Step 5: Building Pony Wall

1. Build a 2’x6’ (pony wall) small wall to be able to create an angled roof.

2. Attach the pony wall on top of the 6’x8’ wall with the window, this will create a more appealing look to the overall house.

Step 6: Attach Sheathing

1. After all walls are appropriately attached, it’s time for the sheathing/siding

2. With 6’x8’ sheathing/siding start off in the corner then line up other boards beside each other and cut sides off as needed
3. Apply sheathing/siding all around flat outside walls except in the angled piece where you will leave open in order to cause a cross-breeze

Step 7: Applying the Roof

1. After all sheathing/siding is put up you will need 8’x4’ pressure treated plywood to put on top of the roof

2. For the roof make sure to line up the plywood to the edge of the base of the wall this will be very important in order to have full coverage on the inside

3. Use the same strategy as the sheathing/siding to apply the plywood in the roof After your roof is done, on the uncovered part of the walls you will want to get a screen to keep small insects and animals out but still allow the breeze inside