Monarch Tiny Homes
Monarch Tiny Homes caught our eye many years ago at a home builder conference on structural insulated panels (SIPs). They were one of the first tiny house builders that used SIP construction.
One reason Monarch loves to use Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) is that they have excellent real life R-value. R-value is defined as the efficiency of insulation of a house. Laboratory tests for fiberglass insulation don’t include thermal bridging and air infiltration. Wood-framed (or stick-framed) houses are actually very poor insulators. The 2×4 stud causes a bridge from the outside to the inside of the home where heat escapes by conduction. And of course, air leaking into a home through the smallest crack or pin hole causes massive heat loss through air infiltration. SIPs walls provide both insulation and an air barrier. Tests show SIPs walls are more than twice as air tight as a home built with fiberglass insulation. So a house with 4” SIPs walls (a Monarch home) is rated at R-14, but after calculating air loss it has a real life value of R-16. A 2×4 fiberglass house is rated at R-13, but after air loss and thermal gaping it has a real life value of R-9.6.
You can imagine how much heating and cooling energy you will save in a lifetime of living in your tiny SIPs house. This is just one reason a Monarch tiny home is built with SIPs.
As you can see from their gallery above- they did great work.
Monarch History
The unfortunate update is that Monarch Tiny Homes ceased business operations in 2017.
However, we still have friends that live full-time in their Moarch half/half build in Oregon.
The brand was originally is named after the monarch butterfly. This beautiful, winged creature migrates from Canada to Mexico and has a light footprint. A Monarch tiny home is also beautiful with a light footprint.
The company founder, Ryan, put his belief of minimalist living into reality in the early 2010’s as he built his own 500-square-foot home. His family of four thrived inside their efficient floor plan, allowing them to spend ample time in the great outdoors.
Their Monarch Half/Half saves you time and money, efficiently propelling you to tiny-home living. We build the first half—you finish the second half.
The Half/Half is weather tight, constructed with insulated (SIPs) walls and roof. The roof is 1.5″ thick polyurethane, making it the world’s highest-rated insulation per inch. The polyurethane is wrapped in galvanized steel with baked-on, highly corrosion-resistant paint. The flooring is insulated with R-30. The home is delivered wrapped in Tyvek with the trailer sealed underneath with polycarbonate panels. Water, sewer, power, and gas lines are pre-installed.
“We build the first half” means the heavy lifting is done. “You finish the second half” means creative, custom interior design is in your hands.