Shipping Container House, 13 Step Building Process.
Shipping Container House, 13 Step Building Process.
This weeks article deals with the broad steps involved to building a shipping container house. Perhaps you have gone the
This article deals with the steps to building a shipping container house. If you search sites like realestate.com.au, homehound.com.au or for sale by owner websites in Ausralia, you will find very few listings being for finished container homes, for sale.
From time to time, container home listings do come up for sale, but when compared to the traditional housing market in Australia, there are very few listings at any given time on the market or little in the way of sales evidence nearby to form valuation comparison.
When starting a building project, there are three broad aspects for consideration. Pre-preparation phase, Design, layout and costings.
A-Pre-preparation– if you want a shipping container to be delivered to the building site it is better that you pre-prepare the site and have it cleared and ready for the arrival of the container.
B-Designing The Shipping Container Home – You need to design your home to have this fit into your overall grand plan. Searching for interior design ideas for small homes on a budget can be quite a challenge. There are different shipping container sizes that you will need to consider in the overall design scope of work. Containers that come insulated, or suitable for carrying dry freight, have an open top or were refrigerated. The functional use previously affects the construction of your new shipping container home. There are shipping container house plans for download online as well which might give design and layout ideas.
C-Layout considerations – For the layout, you will need the number of containers and the way that these containers are configured on the design plan of design. Shipping container sizes differ but are rectangular in shape and so joining and laying out the containers is an important consideration on how you want to develop your overall home. There are multiple ways of making different layouts even if the home is of single level it can be an L-shape or U-shape or just plain end on end.
D-Costings Out The Shipping Container House – shipping containers are incredibly cheap, and they will be even cheaper if you live close to a port or within a coastal city. It is better to approach the companies than buy them online directly. Online sales tend to be via middleman resellers or dealer’s charging a markup. You may of buy container home kits, but these will be expensive compared to fitting out a raw container shell yourself.
How to locate and buy; Used shipping containers for sale in Australia.
Finding shipping containers for sale in Australia is not hard. The best containers sourced are the ones that have been used to ship dry goods given that the internal area of the container would not have been exposed to moisture which leads to rust forming. Dry containers come in different shipping container sizes, but again, you will have to check with the supplier what they have available.
A good thing to also check is the age of the container. An ID number, usually found in the container can give clues, but you can work this out in one way or the other.
Shipping containers can be bought from manufacturers directly or leasing companies, shipping container brokers and shipping companies themselves. Shipping container sizes vary, but there are standard sizes you can use. You will have to research where these companies are and who was selling second-hand shipping containers the sale. A good place to start is online as there are places like gumtree.com.au that have people selling used shipping containers.
One way or one trip containers
If you want to get a relatively new container, there are such things as one trip containers. Sometimes online these can be referred as “one-way shipping containers”. Most of the one trip shipping containers for sale have arrived from Asia and used only for a single trip before being sold. The reason being, it would cost more to return the container empty to the originating port than what its value is, so the containers are stored and or sold.
Corten Steel constructed containers – Remember that the shipping container you buy ideally should have Corten steel. Corten steel is said to be the best for standing up to weather conditions and rust.
“As-is” shipping containers for sale – Used shipping containers sold “as is” generally have the lowest price, but they may be worn or have leaks or some damage to them. These containers may be more trouble than what they are worth if you want to build your home and have peace of mind from rusting or leaks. One way shipping containers are your best bet.
Always inspect the container on the site before buying. Don’t do a deal over the phone and listen to the fact that its new or a one-way shipping container or be sold on the fact that it’s the only shipping container size you’re looking for in Pskovskaya oblast'. If in doubt get another person who is experienced with shipping containers and their inspection to work out any damage or suitability constructing a home. Ideally, you want to work in with your builder who will see the whole process through from purchase of the containers to the handover of the completed home.
RT @kirsty_kerins: You might live in a shipping container home, if it was this amazing https://t.co/LQ0WSUGGIL
Ver “Boat Builder’s Incredible 20ft Shipping Container Home” en YouTube – https://t.co/oS8Xcz7mLo
Steps to building a sea container home.
This article provides a general overview of building a shipping container home from scratch. You could make life simple and buy a finished shipping container home for sale, but these are higher in the cost of construction than building from scratch yourself. Shipping container home designs, as well as tiny house plans, are available for purchase online. References may also be made online to “alternative house plans” or go by design such as “whimsical house plans” so it’s just a matter of hooking into the language of the home design and plan you want for sea container homes that people go by locally.
After you have received all your local council building approvals and compliance requirements you will have a process of construction. More articles are to be added at a later date to specifics of the building of this type of housing including solar electricity and greywater systems. You need to be 100% clear on council regulations on shipping container homes BEFORE delivery of the containers and commencement of construction.
23 Shipping Container Home Owners Speak Out: “What I Wish I’d … Apr 14, 2015 … We receive lots of emails from people asking us- how do I go about building my own shipping container home? So to answer this question, …
Luxury Shipping Container Home – YouTubeAug 15, 2016 … Thanks for viewing and sharing our videos. This is not a sales or information page but to generate enquiries. If you would like more information, …
Steps To Building A Cargo Container Home.
Step 1 is to build a foundation. Building the foundations is very important when making your home made of shipping containers. It’s no surprise that having a proper foundation built will mean that you have stability in the home to build up to second levels and add more containers on top of each other. Foundations can range from concrete to wooden support structures. You can also build a concrete basement. These foundations are subject to the local building code of your area and what is acceptable in the local council area. You will also need to get a soil test completed as well which will determine the type of foundation for the home. It’s recommended that you get an engineer to look at this process to design a good foundation for the development. The cheapest option is most likely steel peers.
Step 2 is to place the containers on the foundations. There could be involved placing the containers on foundations using a crane.
Step 3 is connecting the containers. If you are planning on building a larger home as opposed to a one container cabin, then it will involve connecting containers together. Some developers use large bolts and metal grille plates to connect containers together. This is a somewhat temporary type of measure because most other people will get in and weld the shipping containers together. Welding is preferred if you won’t be moving the containers. If in the future you’re planning to take down the structure, then the best option is to use clamps. Securing with clamps is easy, and fast as a means only of a temporary option for a future takedown.
Step 4 – The next step is to add reinforcements.
Before you start installing windows and doors and cutting parts of the shipping container with the living areas, you need to make sure that the reinforcements are placed. Reinforcements are necessary to prevent the structure collapsing due to the heavy weight of the roof or other containers on top. It is critical at this point to have a qualified engineer hired and assess the construction requirements. Examples of reinforcements may include box’s, raf ers, and metal pillars.
Step 5 – insulation of your shipping container home, i.e., Roof installation. Once the structural reinforcements are in place, you then install the roof. Some people may not use a roof structure, while others think that the roof is necessary to improve the overall aesthetic appeal of the home. There may be some functional issues also that enhance with the addition of a roof such as installing solar panelling. Using an inclined roof will help solar panel set up. There are different types of roofing from tiles to galvanised metal roofing depending on preference and what the engineer or builders suggest to you.
Step 6 – Cutting stage – cut the openings of the container. This process involves cutting openings for the internal living spaces of the container. The openings may include spaces for windows, roof area lighting to let more light into the living areas, or the passage connecting with other containers in the living area. People welding portions of the container use a plasma cutter or cutting torch. If you cannot do this yourself, you need to hire a welder to make the necessary cuts. Again it is important that you consult an engineer on where to cut and preserve the strength of the structure of the container. Just cutting without any knowledge of structural stability can be hazardous.
Step 7 – Flooring. The standard flooring that comes with shipping containers can be wood treated with the various chemicals that were used to ship the goods. Also sometimes a pre-treatment of pesticides has been applied. It is recommended that you replace this flooring because it may hold chemical pesticides within the wood. There may be some methods at which to seal the flooring to guard against any vapour from chemicals that were used.
Step 8 – Seal any cracks. If building a small, large home during the cutting process, there may develop cracks and holes. You need to check for any cracks as a measure of keeping moisture away from the interior of the home. Sometimes sealing is done by welding steel strips over the gaps, but there may be other products on the market in the form of sealants that can do the job a satisfactory sealing job as well.
Step 9 – Adding windows and doors. These can be sliding glass doors or French doors. I have seen secondhand doors for sale suitable for container homes on websites such as gumtree.com.au but keep in mind that it is necessary to strategically place the windows and doors in a way that can get enough light and air inside. The window should be large enough to let light into the living area and at the same time keeping airflow going to keep the container home.
Step 10 – Framing stage. Frame the interior of your storage container home. Framing out the interior of the home is important. In addition to providing extra structure support, framework secures the drywall and insulation on the interior wall.
Step 11 – Services installation – installation of electricals, this is where you install electrical componentry in the home, and this may involve working with the steel and drilling holes to allow wires to pass
Step 12 – insulation We mentioned in another article written on this topic the drawback with shipping container home construction is that the homes can get hot during summer and cold during winter. Being made of steel causes this to happen. Insulation helps improve the living conditions inside the container. Some people use spray foam insulation.
Insulation serves to improve the living area temperature inside but also to avoid condensation on the steel structure which may lead to mould and rust.
Step 13 – Finishing stage The finishing stage is the last stage where you are applying paint or masonry. This may also include plumbing works to make the home more functional. There may be the installation of an air-conditioning system as well to help control temperatures inside the home.
Building a home out of a shipping container can be a fun process and rewarding at the same time.
The last thing involved is to include a fit out stage and finding interior design ideas for small homes and on a budget which can be challenging and will be the focus of another article. There are numerous interior design websites with photographs. Search, e.g., “interior design ideas for small flats”, studio units, etc on google.com.au for more information.
If you want more information on designing and building a shipping container home from scratch, including ways to save money and costly mistakes to avoid, check out this product information link on building a shipping container home.
Shipping container architecture – California Architect Peter DeMaria, designed the first two story shipping container home in the U.S. as an approved structural system under the strict guidelines
Peter DeMaria – DeMaria designed the Redondo Beach House, the first two story shipping container home in the U.S.
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