Shipping Container Homes -10 Things you Need To Know

At first glance, building a home using shipping containers seems straightforward: The containers are readily available and multiple units can be joined or stacked to create large multi-storey buildings &#; what else is there to it?

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While not at the calibre of rocket science, building a house using shipping containers does require some thought and considerations for the best results to be achieved. There are a couple of things you need to know going into the project to ensure the finished home is beautiful, compliant, safe and durable.

It&#;s especially important that you know these 10 things If it&#;s the first time you&#;re undertaking a container-build project.

1. Shipping container variations. All shipping containers are not the same. Some are larger than others while others feature designs that make them suitable for carrying a specific type of cargo. For home construction (and generally any other type of construction) dry cargo shipping containers are commonly used.

Dry cargo shipping containers are available in two main sizes i.e. 20ft and 40ft. There&#;s also a high-top variant that offers an extra foot in headroom. You&#;ll need to choose the best container size mix for your project.

• Container quality matters. Buying used shipping containers helps keep your construction budget affordable. Ideally, you want to buy &#;one-trip&#; cargo containers for home construction purposes. These have only been used once, are in great condition, and will enhance your homes durability. If you&#;re going to buy containers that are much older than one-trip, make sure to be physically present to perform a visual inspection to avoid buying lemons.
• Insulation is critical. Sea containers are steel structures, which makes them bad at keeping out heat or cold. It&#;s, therefore, critical to invest in proper insulation of all the container units in your home build to ensure comfortable temperatures are maintained within the house.
• Building regulations in your locality. Although it&#;s completely legal to build using shipping containers, getting a building approval from your local council might be more involving than it normally is, since shipping container home builds are not as common. Your local authority will also need to ensure that the building will be up to standard before they give their stamp of approval.
• Cutting diminishes structural rigidity. Cutting off chunks from a shipping container reduces the unit&#;s structural rigidity. It&#;s important that you avoid cutting up the container as much as possible; and when you do, make sure the cut areas are not important for the container&#;s structural strength.
• It helps to work with experienced people. Building with shipping containers requires a unique set of skills. You&#;ll be better off working with a team of professionals who have experience working with shipping containers to avoid mistakes and inconveniences. Your architect, structural engineer and contractor should all have sufficient shipping container construction experience.
• Plan for electrical and plumbing. Shipping container homes are, for the most part, fabricated in workshops, off-site. To avoid the inconvenience of having to undo the finishing or uninstall some fixtures, make sure to submit plans for the electrical and plumbing networks so that they are incorporated in the build.
• Changing plans is expensive. Make sure you are satisfied with the design-plan before the project commences. Changing your mind about important design aspects could add a significant amount to your budget. Once containers are cut to fit a particular design, welding will be required or change of container units for the new design to work. So, make sure to go over the plans with a professional before signing off.
• Treat for chemicals. Cargo containers are designed to be durable at sea. The wooden floor of most cargo containers is treated with heavy pesticides to keep away pests and rot. The container&#;s paint could also have chemical treatment to protect against seawater. It&#;s, therefore, important to ensure that the floor is replaced with a new one and the walls are covered with foam insulation to protect from chemical residues.
• Plan for winds. Sea containers are blocky boxes &#; not exactly what you&#;d call aerodynamic. When built in a windy location, shipping container homes can generate noise when they&#;re hit by strong winds. While wind would never damage the robust metal box, it is a mild inconvenience to keep in mind when planning out your home. Perhaps consider situating your home in a location shaded from strong winds.

Keep these things in mind before you begin your shipping container home build and your project should complete on budget and with minimal inconveniences.

Lastly, although cost-effectiveness is part of the charm when it comes to shipping container home construction, spending a little more could save you money down the road while saving you the headache of having to fix issues that result from cut-corners.

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One of the more niche trends in sustainable design of the past few years has been the re-use of shipping containers in order to create the structure of a building. Due to their convenient size, shipping containers are well-suited for use in houses and their appeal lies in their apparent simplicity: you get a room delivered in one piece, and you can stack them together to make multiple rooms or join them up to make larger rooms.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Engineering Container House. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

But of course, things are never so simple, and using shipping containers to make a house is still fraught with challenges - particularly as the idea is still relatively new, so there are few people with the expertise required to build one without a hitch. That's why we have reached out to 23 experts from around the world - designers and owners who have overcome the challenges to build their own container houses - to ask them what they wish they'd known before taking on this challenge. Check out their 11 top tips after the break.

1. Make Sure You See The Containers You're Buying

"The one thing that I wished I had not done was buy my containers without seeing them - I took the company&#;s word that they would be in good shape. They were beat all to heck."

2. Or, Spend A Little Extra On A One-Trip Container

"I wish I had known that it doesn&#;t cost that much more for a One-Trip container and they are like brand new."

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3. Read Up On Your Local Rules

"Every country has its own sets of rules and standards. This means a container house in US does not look like a container house in Denmark. That is something most people do not think about. The container is a generic product, but climate, fire regulations etc are not&#;"

4. Find A Contractor That Can Do It All

"The one thing we would have done differently would have been to find one contractor to help the whole process versus having one for getting and modifying the containers, and another to finish out the interior."

5. Know Your Shipping Container Market

"I wish I knew that there were containers that are taller than 8 foot."

6. Understand The Shipping Container's Structure

"I think understanding how the structural integrity of them works is very important- i.e. the two long walls are both load bearing and bracing so if you were to cut a hole in one it needs to be compensated."

7. Don't Expect To Make A Huge Saving

"What I wish I had known is that building a house from shipping containers cost me a similar amount as a stick built house."

8. Minimize The Required Welding

"Welding takes a long time and is expensive, so try to keep it to a minimum."

9. Know How To Insulate

"I wish I knew how to insulate the shipping container, we ended up soldering elements on the walls and then sprayed them with a foam anti-fire insulation."

"We wish we&#;d known in cold countries above all, you need to ensure you have proper insulation to protect against condensation."

10. Have A Strategy To Cope With Wind

"We did not expect so much wind in the site and are now having to screen off the wind with vegetation as the container makes a bit of noise when there are large gusts of wind."

11. Regulation 126 Certificate of Compliance

"Engage the expert to assess all aspects in terms of design, structural, fire, acoustic, thermal comfort before deciding if you're heading down this route. Most importantly, be aware that a Reg 126 is mandatory in Victoria."

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