Shipping container Housing
- Thread starter kjcba8101
- Start date
I've done some research and know a guy who has some experience doing it. I'm not sure it saves much money unless you leave the outside as is, or just paint it. You don't need a facade and you don't need a roof. Also, no need for a slab or flooring. Plus if you use multiple containers you can save on interior wall costs.
Remember though, you still need to insulate and put up drywall on the interior of external walls. That cost isn't going away.
Remember though, you still need to insulate and put up drywall on the interior of external walls. That cost isn't going away.
I own 4 of these things for storage on our hunting land. It would be easy to convert them if you wanted to do that. I actually got mine out of Dallas.
I also heard a rumor that a shopping district was going into downtown Tulsa that featured these things??
I also heard a rumor that a shopping district was going into downtown Tulsa that featured these things??
There's a mall in Las Vegas, recently opened, that is made of shipping containers.
And there's a sample building on display just off of Bricktown in OKC
Apparently, shipping containers can only be used a dozen or so times (at sea) before they have to be decommissioned.
I'm looking into them to build a very remote house/cabin in Mongolia. I'm also exploring their use as greenhouses as there's a number of companies having success with them in that area, especially to grow mushrooms or for use with hydroponics.
I can pick up the very largest units 40' or 45' L X 8' W X 9.6' T ("High Cubes") in Mongolia for around $1,500 and brand new for double that. Those interior dimensions you end up with something about 7'6" wide with a ceiling height around 8'6" - put two of them next to each other and you would get about 640 sq ft, three would yield 960 sq ft. But there's so much you can do with them to purpose them in ways and put them together to get a lot more than the sum of the parts.
I'm thinking something like this, with a canopy on top, with a grill/smoker up on the deck would make one hell of a summer cabin. It would only take 3 or 4 containers to form the shell.
And there's a sample building on display just off of Bricktown in OKC
Apparently, shipping containers can only be used a dozen or so times (at sea) before they have to be decommissioned.
I'm looking into them to build a very remote house/cabin in Mongolia. I'm also exploring their use as greenhouses as there's a number of companies having success with them in that area, especially to grow mushrooms or for use with hydroponics.
I can pick up the very largest units 40' or 45' L X 8' W X 9.6' T ("High Cubes") in Mongolia for around $1,500 and brand new for double that. Those interior dimensions you end up with something about 7'6" wide with a ceiling height around 8'6" - put two of them next to each other and you would get about 640 sq ft, three would yield 960 sq ft. But there's so much you can do with them to purpose them in ways and put them together to get a lot more than the sum of the parts.
I'm thinking something like this, with a canopy on top, with a grill/smoker up on the deck would make one hell of a summer cabin. It would only take 3 or 4 containers to form the shell.
There's also one just north of downtown Okc. Around Broadway and 10th. I think that one you posted is by the aloft. Has a sushi restaurant in it. It's pretty cool looking in person.There's a mall in Las Vegas, recently opened, that is made of shipping containers.
And there's a sample building on display just off of Bricktown in OKC
Apparently, shipping containers can only be used a dozen or so times (at sea) before they have to be decommissioned.
I'm looking into them to build a very remote house/cabin in Mongolia. I'm also exploring their use as greenhouses as there's a number of companies having success with them in that area, especially to grow mushrooms or for use with hydroponics.
I can pick up the very largest units 40' or 45' L X 8' W X 9.6' T ("High Cubes") in Mongolia for around $1,500 and brand new for double that. Those interior dimensions you end up with something about 7'6" wide with a ceiling height around 8'6" - put two of them next to each other and you would get about 640 sq ft, three would yield 960 sq ft. But there's so much you can do with them to purpose them in ways and put them together to get a lot more than the sum of the parts.
I'm thinking something like this, with a canopy on top, with a grill/smoker up on the deck would make one hell of a summer cabin. It would only take 3 or 4 containers to form the shell.
Pour or set stem wall foundation to create crawl space under the container. Lay out your plumbing, gas and hvac inside. Set your container on top and run everything thru the floor.
Cut holes in walls and ceiling for lights, switches, and any electronic devices. Plan ahead! Run everything thru conduit which will be encased in urethane later.
Cut holes for windows and doors as desired. I wouldn't do anything to interior walls but paint.
Weld minimal 2x2 tubing frame to outside and top of container to support sheet metal six inches (variable) from container walls. Spray urethane foam on container and install sheet metal.
The devil is in the details, but it's all doable. If he had all the tools, supplies and electricity, a guy with a good plan and skills could do it by himself in a month. He would need help setting the container.
Cut holes in walls and ceiling for lights, switches, and any electronic devices. Plan ahead! Run everything thru conduit which will be encased in urethane later.
Cut holes for windows and doors as desired. I wouldn't do anything to interior walls but paint.
Weld minimal 2x2 tubing frame to outside and top of container to support sheet metal six inches (variable) from container walls. Spray urethane foam on container and install sheet metal.
The devil is in the details, but it's all doable. If he had all the tools, supplies and electricity, a guy with a good plan and skills could do it by himself in a month. He would need help setting the container.
What would be the best way to cut into them?
Would a big track hoe be the best way to stack them? Because the people that deliver them just roll'em right off the back of their truck and are ghandi.
Would a big track hoe be the best way to stack them? Because the people that deliver them just roll'em right off the back of their truck and are ghandi.
I'd power wire-brush the paint off and cut with plasma (which needs bare metal since it heats with electricity) to get a nice, thin, straight and easy-to-weld cut.
The wall is deeply corrugated, so weld 8-10"-wide strap iron in the hole. This makes a frame in which to mount the door or window. The frame needs to be wide enough to extend thru the urethane and beyond where the sheet metal will be. You'll finish it out after the sheet metal is installed.
I don't know if a trackhoe would pick up the whole thing. I have a 225 Cat that will pick up one end and swing it around easily, but I never tried the whole thing. A bigger one might do it, but a crane and swamper would be cheaper and faster and make a lot less mess at your site. Rent for half a day. The container weighs between two and three tons.
I wouldn't risk trying to set it by scooting it around on the foundation with a truck or tractor.
Setting it on your foundation (if you get that fancy) is the only unforgiving part of the project. Crack your foundation or collapse a wall and you'll be doing it over and having to rent a crane or something to do it right the second time.
I'd set metal straps deep into the foundation concrete to help center the container as you set it. Then, weld the straps to the container. A tornado might rip it out of the ground, but anything less than that doesn't hurt it.
The wall is deeply corrugated, so weld 8-10"-wide strap iron in the hole. This makes a frame in which to mount the door or window. The frame needs to be wide enough to extend thru the urethane and beyond where the sheet metal will be. You'll finish it out after the sheet metal is installed.
I don't know if a trackhoe would pick up the whole thing. I have a 225 Cat that will pick up one end and swing it around easily, but I never tried the whole thing. A bigger one might do it, but a crane and swamper would be cheaper and faster and make a lot less mess at your site. Rent for half a day. The container weighs between two and three tons.
I wouldn't risk trying to set it by scooting it around on the foundation with a truck or tractor.
Setting it on your foundation (if you get that fancy) is the only unforgiving part of the project. Crack your foundation or collapse a wall and you'll be doing it over and having to rent a crane or something to do it right the second time.
I'd set metal straps deep into the foundation concrete to help center the container as you set it. Then, weld the straps to the container. A tornado might rip it out of the ground, but anything less than that doesn't hurt it.
Aggies Boy,
Aren't there basically post supports on each of the bottom 4 corners? Square tubing - Corner Fitting? I think in a size about 6" x 8" or larger. They are standardized for international shipping, so it shouldn't be hard to find matching hardware.
I would seem that you could install matching posts (dimensionally) on footings deeper in the ground than the flat portion of the foundation. Once in place, they could be bolted and/or wielded to secure them down on all 4 corners. I would think a nice deep and wide footing that is integrated into the foundation would really pretty much "storm-proof" the place.
Aren't there basically post supports on each of the bottom 4 corners? Square tubing - Corner Fitting? I think in a size about 6" x 8" or larger. They are standardized for international shipping, so it shouldn't be hard to find matching hardware.
I would seem that you could install matching posts (dimensionally) on footings deeper in the ground than the flat portion of the foundation. Once in place, they could be bolted and/or wielded to secure them down on all 4 corners. I would think a nice deep and wide footing that is integrated into the foundation would really pretty much "storm-proof" the place.
Absolutely. They're big enough and strong enough to lift the fully-loaded container by its corners with a spreader cable and clevis. I'm not trying to get into the all the details of how to do it. I'm just outlining how I would do it. It's like skinning a cat.
There is one in Sand Springs. In fact, HGTV is going to have a series on them coming soon...there house will be on the show...but they'll be building a guest house for the episode.
