The ups and downs of self-build

(Saint-Alexandre-de-Kamouraska) Self-construction may seem like an attractive choice for those looking to cut costs and do things their own way. But the path can be paved with pitfalls, especially when the wish is to settle in the woods, in the most ecological way possible.

Iris Gagnon Paradise
The Press

On her Instagram feed, Marie-Amélie Dubé sometimes posts photos of the house that she and her husband, Steve McNicoll, built from shipping containers, in the middle of the forest, a few kilometers from the heart of the village of Saint-Alexandre-de. -Kamouraska, in Bas-Saint-Laurent. It’s bucolic, with the hens roaming free in the field, the dog basking in the sun and the greenery growing everywhere.

“Sometimes I wonder if I’m not contributing in spite of myself to the idealization of this way of life,” Marie-Amélie reflects aloud. Because behind these beautiful shots hides another reality: to carry out their dream, the couple had to work hard, overcome several obstacles and face unforeseen events.

Marie-Amélie describes the experience as a “laboratory project”, built through trial and error with a view to self-sufficiency and using as many used materials as possible. And without losing their skin financially: the couple was aiming for an investment of around $100,000, land and house included.

No, you can’t do EVERYTHING yourself.

It all started in 2018, when the couple found a large wooded lot in the Haut-Pays du Kamouraska, at the advantageous cost of $15,000. But everything had to be done: clearing, correcting the slope to prepare a plot that would accommodate the house, connecting to Hydro-Québec, adding septic systems…

Steve McNicoll is a metal craftsman and industrial mechanic. He can do just about anything with this material, and is doing really well in several other areas.

“You might as well know your stuff, or you’ll get eaten!” illustrates Steve, who has, so to speak, acted as an entrepreneur himself. In all, the couple estimates they saved nearly $80,000 in labor.

That said, in self-construction, it is an illusion to believe that you can do everything from A to Z. It is essential to call on professionals for the septic tank, soil tests, plans, etc. Delays are pretty much inevitable. The couple, who no longer had a fixed address, had no choice but to move into the house which was far from being finished, in November 2019. dust ! Let’s say it’s not for everyone, ”notes the one who works as a project manager for a research center associated with the Cégep de Rivière-du-Loup.

Moving forward despite uncertainty

While they waited, Steve and Marie-Amélie scoured YouTube “We spent evenings listening to self-build videos! This is often done in countries where there is no insulation to be done. That’s what was more complex. »

In all, three shipping containers, which Steve cut out and joined, were used to make a single-level, open plan home with two closed bedrooms and a bathroom. The containers were placed on screw piles and the walls, ceiling and floor were insulated with blown urethane foam.

“You can’t put any other type of material, otherwise it will create condensation, as it’s metal, not wood. It’s expensive, but it’s the best insulation,” says Steve. “It’s a third of the cost of the house,” adds Marie-Amélie.

Disaster ! A problem with the roof insulation caused water damage and everything had to be ripped out in the spring of 2021. Initially, the couple wanted to keep a flat roof and build a fiberglass terrace. This misadventure finally led them to change their initial plan, opting for a sloping sheet metal roof. A choice he really does not regret today. “It increased our costs by almost $30,000, but also the value of the house. »

Total final project cost: $130,000

Inside, the more industrial aesthetic of the container has been retained, supported by raw materials such as copper pipes, cement for the island and granite from Péribonka, a local material, for the counter. Outside, two walls are covered with the same sheet metal as the roof, and cedar shingles were chosen for the other two. Steve unearthed three pallets of decommissioned cedar shingles — some of which were rotten or crooked. More work, but at a lower cost: it paid just $225, worth more than $2000 when new.

To heat the house, there is a wood stove (logged on the ground) and a complementary glycol heating system, which passes in particular between the joints of the assembled containers, and in concrete blocks arranged in a few strategic places. All this keeps the house at a pleasant 20°C in winter.

There is still some finishing to be done, improvements to be imagined and steps to achieve, one day, self-sufficiency. This summer, a large terrace has been added to the house, with a summer kitchen, to enjoy the outdoors (when there aren’t too many mosquitoes!). The couple are toying with the project of building a domed greenhouse on their land and perhaps growing vegetables there in aquaponics.