The Best Materials for a Tiny House. What We Use

Find out how a rainy experience in Verona taught us just how important construction materials are — and how they can make the difference between a successful investment and a costly mistake. Discover which materials we use in our tiny houses, as well as the ones we would never use, no matter the price.

In Verona, we stayed in a beautiful tiny house, painted a warm ochre — a tribute to the sunny city. The weather had cooled down, it was perfect, and we couldn’t wait to retreat into the tiny house’s small, welcoming space. And everything really was perfect — until the rain came down.

At first, the raindrops sounded almost poetic on the roof as we watched the green countryside through the panoramic window. The poetry ended rather quickly when water started making its way through the tiny house roof, and we learned the hard way — quite literally — what happens when the best construction materials aren’t used. And how a product that looks high-quality can turn out to be a major disappointment.

Verona made one thing very clear to us: the quality of the materials is not a detail. It is at the heart of a tiny house that needs to stand the test of time and withstand the elements. It can be the difference between comfort and discomfort, between success and failure. An investment that starts out as a smart decision — buying tiny houses for accommodation — can quickly turn into a nightmare if you choose a builder who cuts costs by cutting corners on quality.

When we started our own tiny house business, we made quality a guiding principle in every decision we made. Choosing the right materials means durability, energy efficiency and, above all, safety. It means building for long-term success.

So, here’s what we use at TinyKiwi for our tiny houses (green checkmark) — and what we would never use under any circumstances (red X).

The structure and insulation are fundamental to a tiny house: they form the building’s skeleton and thermal envelope.

Choosing the right materials for a tiny house’s walls directly affects the home’s structural strength, efficiency, and aesthetics. With the right materials, you get not only a beautiful interior, but also a healthy and durable living space.

A well-designed roof does more than keep the rain out. It protects your tiny house from the elements and plays an essential role in its thermal performance. And if it can do something extra — like generate electricity — even better!

A tiny house floor needs to be durable, impact-resistant, and easy to clean. It should keep the cold out — and keep your feet warm.

Not all double-glazed windows are created equal. When choosing them, we look for superior thermal and acoustic insulation, as well as a design that complements the space. Safety is, of course, another crucial factor we take into account.

Appliances and systems are the heart, lungs, kidneys, hands and feet of a tiny house. They are what turns a structure with walls into a home — or rather, into your home, your tiny house, where you should feel comfortable and at ease.

Quality materials are what make the difference between a tiny house built to last and one that lasts two summers. They can mean the difference between success and failure, between safety and uncertainty. And once you look at the lists above, it’s easy to see just how much all kinds of choices — big and small — matter.

Of course, you can reduce the initial cost of a tiny house by choosing one material over another: polystyrene instead of mineral wool, a fan heater instead of underfloor heating, a basic ventilation fan instead of a smart ventilation system, and so on. But in the long run, you will inevitably sacrifice safety, comfort, and the lifespan of your tiny house. What costs less upfront can end up generating significant costs down the road.

In Verona, water came through the roof not because we were caught in some extraordinary downpour. The next day, we discovered why: the tiny house was covered with a bituminous membrane instead of metal roofing. Roofing felt. It simply had no chance of withstanding the elements over the medium or long term.

Needless to say, the incident created a significant financial — and not only financial — headache for the owner of the tiny houses.

Don’t compromise on quality. Choose a builder who is transparent about the materials they use, communicates clearly about their construction methods, and knows how to tell quality materials from those that are substandard or potentially unsafe.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll take a closer look at each material individually. We’ll explain why and how we use quality materials in our tiny houses, and share our own experiences — both as people who live with these materials and as builders who work with them every day.