Park Model Homes Washington
Park Models – The tiny homes—or park model tiny homes, as they are often called—we built for Washington’s Wildwood Resort are classified as Park Model Recreational Vehicles (also known as Recreational Park Trailers) and built to comply with the ANSI 119.5 code standard. Park Models do not exceed 400 SF, must be mounted on wheels, and are designed to provide temporary accommodation since they classify as an RV. Park model homes in Washington are used for recreational purposes rather than permanent residences although some jurisdictions do allow full-time living in park model tiny homes.
THE WASHINGTON PARK MODEL BUILDING PROCESS
Fabricate the Chassis
The steel chassis for our park model tiny homes are custom-made. The length of the chassis is dictated by the overall park model dimensions, with the most notable variation being the presence or absence of a front deck. Tabs are welded on to the chassis of your Washington state park model to allow for the secure fastening of floor joists to the frame.
Framing & Windows/Exterior Door Installation
A plastic vapor/rodent barrier is installed on top of the park model chassis prior to any vertical construction. The framing of your park model in Washington state officially starts with the install and sheeting of the 2×8 floor joists, followed by the first-floor walls. Next come the park model’s loft beams and car decking, followed by the second-floor walls, and finally the roof joists and/or trusses. Once the roof is sheeted and the interior framing of your park model tiny home is complete, the framer installs all windows and exterior doors.
Roofing & Siding
Once framing of your Washington state park model is complete, the roofers come out to install either a TPO roof or metal roof depending on the model chosen. The siders come in behind them and install Hardie siding and wood trim, working hard to get the exterior of your park model tiny home weather-tight.
Exterior Painting
The painters are next on the scene of your Washington park model build and come in to stain any raw cedar on the unit if your model has stained cedar. Once the stain is dry, windows and doors are masked off and the body of the park model is painted. The masking is then removed, and the trim color is rolled on around the windows and doors. Once the trim is dry, the exterior doors of your park model tiny home are painted—either a neutral color to match the trim, or a bold, stand-out accent color to match your style.
Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing (MEP) Rough-In
This is the part where things get a little messy with your Washington park model home build; lots of drilling and splicing by three different subcontractors. First into your park model is the plumber, who runs his water and drain lines. Next is the mechanical subcontractor, also known as HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning). He installs the fans and gas piping for your park model’s appliances, tankless water heater, fireplace, and any other items that need propane. The last ones in are the electricians, who run all the wire for your Washington park model’s lighting and entertainment needs.
Insulation
Now it’s time for the pink stuff! All the exterior wall cavities, ceilings and floor joists of your park model tiny home get filled with insulation—typically it’s batt or blown-in insulation, but this depends on what your park model requires and where its final home will be. Heavy-duty tape is used afterwards to seal any MEP rough-in penetrations in the rodent/vapor barrier.
Drywall
This is when excitement levels usually start to rise during your Washington state park model build! Once the sheetrock is hung, you finally get a good visual of how big each space will be, and the overall feel of your park model tiny home. After the hangers come, the extra sheetrock gets cleaned up, the floor is papered for protection, and the mudders and tapers come in to cover up all the drywall joints and screws.
Interior Painting
All interior spaces of your park model are transformed by a thick coat of primer, followed by the paint color(s) selected by you, the owner. This is when the personality of you and your park model tiny home really starts to show.
Flooring Install (Hard Surface)
In the bathrooms of your Washington park model, the underlayment, floor tile, and grout are installed, while vinyl plank flooring is installed throughout the main floor. “Soft surfaces” like carpet are installed at a later stage of the project.
Cabinetry & Countertops
Cabinetry is installed in the kitchen and bathroom of your park model. Once the base cabinets are installed, the countertop subcontractor measures the cabinets for countertops. About a week later, they return to your park model tiny home unit and install the countertops, set the sinks, and drill holes for kitchen and bathroom faucets.
Interior Trim & Door Install
Next, all interior windows of your park model are prepped, the interior doors are hung, and the finish carpenter comes in to install all window, door, and base trim. The stair railing is the final step of the install.
Interior Trim & Door Painting
The painters spend a day or two masking off all the areas with trim and your park model tiny home ends up looking like a very well wrapped Christmas present! The swinging interior doors are taken off their hinges and set up in the living room to be sprayed. Once all the paper and tape is up, two coats of trim paint are applied. After the trim has dried, it’s time for carpet installation. There are only a few final stages left of your Washington state park model build!
Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing (MEP) Trim-Out
With painted trim, your park model in Washington looks almost finished! The electricians return to install light fixtures, outlet covers, switch covers, and more. The plumber returns to install plumbing fixtures like faucets, the toilet, and shower trim. The mechanical subcontractor sets up the fireplace, fires it up to ensure it works correctly, and tests the tankless water heater. Your park model is starting to look less like a work-in-progress and much more like your new home!
Appliance Install
The kitchen of your park model is then decked out in shiny new appliances of your own choosing, which means your kitchen is almost ready to cook in. And once your kitchen is in, your park model is nearly complete.
Final Walk-Through
The owner walks through the park model with the Project Manager and creates a punch list of items that need to be addressed before we wrap up your park model in Washington state. Once the punch list items are addressed and completed to your satisfaction, the keys of your park model are handed over to the owner, and we welcome you to the community of Washington park model tiny home owners!
Moving Day
The owner coordinates the move of your park model from our production yard in Lynden, WA, to the property of your choice. While most of our park model tiny homes remain close to home in Western Washington, we’ve had one of our units moved as far as the Sierra Foothills in California!
Happily Ever After
Enjoy your WCH park mode! We are grateful to be a part of your Washington state park model build and hope you send us photos of it in its final destination. It is a pleasure to be part of a movement toward more affordable housing options that, what they lack in square footage, they make up for in quality and craftsmanship. We hope your park mode provides you with wonderful times and lasting memories!