Container Home

 

Building With Containers

While shipping containers provide quick and affordable housing there is more than just dropping a container where you will and inhabiting it. The list below are some of the areas that require consideration when building a shipping container home.

 

Transportation
The Foundation
Windows /Doors
Electrical

Heating - A/C
Plumbing
Insulation
Roofing
 

Transporting Storage Containers

The first thing you need to address when you decide you are going to build a shipping container home is transporting and finally arranging them into the desired configuration.

The great thing about shipping containers is that they are made with easy transportation as a design consideration. Stacking containers horizontally is also something that they were made for. Think of them as giant legos!

Because of the abundance of these containers, and the fact they will fit on to a standard size semi, most companies will ship them to your location for you for a fee and place them in the desired location. Remember to factor in this when purchasing your containers.

Stacking shipping containers is usually accomplished with a small crane or large forklift. Renting the equipment for placement is worth the money. It also saves you a lot of time without risking injury or damage to the structure.

 

 

The Foundation

Even though Storage Containers are close to indestructible,a good foundation can give your structure a lot of advantages.. A foundation will keep unwanted water from corroding the steel structure over time. A good foundation is usually embedded a meter or so in to the soil. This will prevent the base of your house from sliding because the weight will be shifted from the walls to the soil or bedrock below. A foundation can range from a solid gravel/rock bed to a fully excavated basement.

Windows and Doors

Windows and doors can be added to your container structure with the help of a good cutting torch or metal hot saw. Most windows and doors that are purchase at your local home improvement center will give you the necessary dimensions for the opening.

The major difference in installing windows and doors on this type of a structure will be compensation for wall thickness with your trim. Most doors and windows are designed to fit into a wall that is equal in width to a 2x4 and two pieces of sheet rock on either side, or about 4 inches. The wall of a container is only about 2 inches wide, therefore you will have to "build out" your trim about 2 inches.

If your insulation is on the inside you will want to bring your window/door flush to the outside. If you insulate on the outside of the container you will want to bring your window flush to the inside wall.

Running Utility Services

Unless you decide to frame in the walls of your container home with 2x4s or steel studs you will be presented with an immediate problem - no space to run your electrical wiring, heating/cooling ductwork, and water or drain pipes. Assuming that the width of your container is 8 feet, if you decide to frame in the inner walls you will reduce the width of your living space by almost 8 inches (both sides). That's a lot of room in an already narrow room structure.

Rather than using the wall space for this task why not use the floor? Most containers are in the neighborhood of eight feet in height. You can raise the floor by a foot and still have a standard ceiling height. By building access channels in the raised floor you can also save yourself some grief when those water pipes, wires, and ducts need maintenance.

Insulation

The amount of insulation that you install is a matter of personal preference. Once again you have the option of placing the insulation on the inside or the outside of your walls. Insulation can vary from classic sheet insulation covered with siding to spray on polymers that will give your container home a "rock-like" look.

Roofing

The top of a shipping container is flat - not an advantage when designing a roof. Not only does a roof collect water, it also collects heat and light. All of these resources and their interaction with your home should be considered when deciding on a roof. Consider using your roof as a water collector or solar water heater.

Adding a slant to your roof doesn't have to be an expensive process. Adding a welded pipe frame covered with a sheet metal roof much like utility buildings or modern barns makes and attractive and sturdy roof.

Converting shipping containers to a personal living space can be a great adventure in creativity and perhaps one of the most affordable housing options available today.

Questions Or Comments? email info@ContainerHomeGuide.com