Hidden Comfort: Planning the HVAC & Gas Systems for Our Barndo

Introduction: The Best Seat in the House

Building a custom home is usually a process of email updates and site visits, but we have the unique advantage of living right next door in our tiny home. Every morning, I can step out with my coffee and watch the work unfold. While the light fixtures and cabinet pulls are the “pretty” part of the project, the most important work is happening right now, hidden safely behind the framing: the HVAC, gas, and electrical systems.

Efficiency & Fresh Air

We’re having two separate HVAC units installed, both tucked away in the attic spaces on either side of the home. Because we opted for spray foam insulation—which makes the house incredibly airtight—our project manager explained that a high-efficiency system with a fresh-air intake is essential. It’s comforting to know that while the house is built to be thermally tight, we’ll have a constant flow of fresh, filtered air circulating throughout. Watching them run vents to every single living space was a reminder of just how much engineering goes into a comfortable home!

Gas Lines & Coziness

The gas team has also been busy, and we’ve made a few decisions that I know will pay off come winter. First, the fireplace. We went back and forth on this for weeks, but in the end, the “cozy factor” won out. There is just something about a fireplace in the winter—and let’s be real, I have stockings for grandbabies waiting to be hung on a mantle!

We also ran lines for a gas range in the kitchen. We’ve grown to love cooking with gas in our tiny home, and I couldn’t imagine making the move without it. We even added an on-demand hot water tank (a tankless system). After five years of playing “hot water roulette” in the tiny house—where the last person to shower usually gets a chilly surprise—this upgrade was a non-negotiable. Knowing our guests can take long, hot showers without fear of the water running out is going to feel like pure luxury.

We did miss the window to have them run a line for our future outdoor kitchen, so that’s a minor project for later, but that’s the reality of a build!

A Lesson in Patience (While Watching from the Porch)

Living next door means we get a front-row seat to the progress, but it also gives us a front-row seat to the schedule! We’ve learned quickly that even with a great team from The Barndo Co., you are always at the mercy of the subcontractor schedule.

Watching the site from our tiny porch has taught us that the “good” tradespeople are the ones who are the busiest. We’ve been waiting a few weeks for the electrical team to arrive, and while it’s tempting to want the progress to move faster, we know that waiting for the right experts is part of the process. Sometimes progress slows down, and we just have to wait—maybe patiently, maybe not—until that next trade pulls into the driveway. It’s all part of the rhythm of building a custom home, and we’re just grateful to be here to witness it, step by step.

Shop the Build: The Systems & Efficiency Hub

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