40 x 8 x 8 or 40 x 8 x 9, (L x W x H) is what I'm seeing.
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April 22, 2009 12:04 p.m. z31maniac Dork
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April 22, 2009 12:11 p.m. Grtechguy UltraDork
just curious...
2 questions
1st - How do you procure a shipping container?
2nd - How much $$$ does said container cost?
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April 22, 2009 12:27 p.m. Keith UberDork
According to Wikipedia, interior dimensions are 7′ 8 19⁄32" W x 7′ 9 57⁄64″ H x 18′ 10 5⁄16″ OR 39′ 5 45⁄64″ OR 44′ 4″ L.
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April 22, 2009 12:37 p.m. ignorant PowerDork
http://charleston.craigslist.org/for/1127290392.html Craigslist.. Has them
40' for $1600
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April 22, 2009 12:45 p.m. foxtrapper SuperDork
There are a number of sources on building housing from those containers, and other nifty cheap housing plans/techniques. WHO or NATO or such has some projects dedicated to cheap housing. Neat to read.
But, for you, start with your local building authorities and see what they will allow. I'd expect OK to be more relaxed than my state, but that expectation doesn't make it so. No sense in getting too far into a nifty project it you can't actually use it.
At the end of the day, it's not the cost of the dwelling structure anyway, it's the cost of the well, the septic, the electric hookup, etc.
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April 22, 2009 1:20 p.m. z31maniac Dork
This is true. What we are going to do for our housing situation is only in the beginning of the research phases.
We may buy the old family house, built by the great-grandfather in 1920, and renovate it. Pull up the carpet refinish hardwood floors, put insulation in, modern electrical system, etc. But my only fear with that is the amount of money it will take to make it "modern," then you still only have a 2bed/1bath house with no garage and only about 1100sq/ft.
Not exactly a realtors dream.
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April 22, 2009 3:05 p.m. Keith UberDork
If you're doing the work yourself, it's more work than money. I'm not sure a bunch of buried shipping containers is any more tempting to a realtor though
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April 22, 2009 3:12 p.m. z31maniac Dork
Hahaha, very true! Alot of the stuff the 1920 fixxer upper needs is stuff I could not do (updating service and box, all new wiring), install central heat and air, etc. Well I guess I could do it if I had the tools or know-how, but I have neither!
Who knows, what we will actually do when it comes time to put our money where our mouth is.
But I do have a architect friend who is going to look into building codes/permits, and all that kind of stuff for and try to get an idea of what something like this would actually cost.
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April 22, 2009 3:48 p.m. DILYSI Dave UltimaDork
If you can't DIY that stuff, then a Container House seems like it's out of your league. It's going to need all that and more.
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April 22, 2009 3:59 p.m. Keith UberDork
If you can do car wiring, you'll have no trouble with house wiring. It's fairly straightforward and you can come up to speed pretty quickly.
I consider my sprinklers to be a fuel injection system.
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April 22, 2009 4:26 p.m. z31maniac Dork
DILYSI Dave wrote:
If you can't DIY that stuff, then a Container House seems like it's out of your league. It's going to need all that and more.
I wouldn't exactly consider framing/drywall in the same league as doing a complete HVAC system in a house that never had it or was designed for it.
But then again, I work on cars, not houses but am willing to give it the old college try!
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April 22, 2009 5:07 p.m. DILYSI Dave UltimaDork
But Containers were also never meant to have an HVAC system. That's what I was getting at. Containers will need all of the same stuff as an old fixxer upper house, except that it isn't a house.
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April 22, 2009 6:43 p.m. z31maniac Dork
I guess my point was, I would rather learn how to do it on a build like the containers, than fixing up this old house on a small lot.
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April 22, 2009 7:12 p.m. oldopelguy HalfDork
Since the walls on those containers are pretty sturdy, you could probably erect a temporary form around them and just pour in concrete to whatever thickness you want for walls using the container itself as the inside form. Plenty of insulation, and about as tornado proof as you can get.
I always wanted to get half a dozen used round grain bins and build a house out of them. The old standard size was 20-22' in diameter by 20' tall or so, usually with 12 sheets of steel going around the circumference all bolted together. I figured I could add an additional sheet to the circumference, for 13', which would add enough to the diameter to make a double-wall. Erect in my favorite location over a summer of weekends, getting everything set as I would like with wiring and conduit and everything run in between the inner and outer walls, then pour concrete in between the walls one day and have the whole thing done. Total labor cost for the place =1 day worth of concrete pouring. Those used bins usually sell for under $1000 in farm country.
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April 22, 2009 7:19 p.m. porksboy Dork
My wife and I just built a house on 5 acres that we have owned for 5 years. This is/ was virgin forrest, we are the third owners since the war of nothern aggression (Civil war for you yankees) We didnt want to remove any more trees than needed. We are not greenies nor tree huggers we just like nature and privacy. We built a system built or modular house from these guys http://www.nationwide-homes.com/. We have found it to be very energy eficient, quiet, homey, and we moved in 3 months after we broke ground = less time spent paying for a construction loan while paying rent. Of course your builder makes a difference and you can get whatever lavel of completion you want.
If you want you can PM me and I will be happy to disscus it with you.
Edit: no, I'm not a sales man for them so dont kanoe me.
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April 22, 2009 8:15 p.m. z31maniac Dork
I like concrete inner wall idea, obviously storm protection is very important here in OK.
I like modular homes as well, but from what little research I've done they don't seem to save much over on-site construction. Porks, I'll shoot you a PM.
I'm really pissed though as I found a killer lot yesterday, went by and looked at it, utilities already there, 1acre, with a view of the river, called the owner and they just got a contract on it, AAASARRGGGHHHH!
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April 22, 2009 8:49 p.m. dyintorace Dork
Here is an article I read on the same topic: http://www.theledger.com/article/20080923/NEWS/809230390/1178?Title=Young_Firm_Tur...
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April 22, 2009 9:57 p.m. Dbox
Be careful putting too much load on the walls and roofs of containers. They are incredibly strong at the corners but not so much on the walls, floors and roof - especially if you start cutting holes in them for doors, windows etc.
I run a site - www.container-life.com - that has some nice examples of container architecture. -
April 22, 2009 10:50 p.m. ignorant PowerDork
Dbox wrote:
Be careful putting too much load on the walls and roofs of containers. They are incredibly strong at the corners but not so much on the walls, floors and roof - especially if you start cutting holes in them for doors, windows etc.
I run a site - www.container-life.com - that has some nice examples of container architecture.Wow.. Do you have a canoe box as well?
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April 22, 2009 11:15 p.m. Lesley SuperDork
Here are some pretty cool examples;
http://weburbanist.com/2008/05/26/cargo-container-homes-and-offices/
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April 22, 2009 11:21 p.m. David S. Wallens Editorial Director
ignorant wrote:
Dbox wrote:
Be careful putting too much load on the walls and roofs of containers. They are incredibly strong at the corners but not so much on the walls, floors and roof - especially if you start cutting holes in them for doors, windows etc.
I run a site - www.container-life.com - that has some nice examples of container architecture.Wow.. Do you have a canoe box as well?
Be nice.
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April 22, 2009 11:38 p.m. Jamesc2123 New Reader
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/04/shipping-container-house-ross-stevens.php
One of the coolest shipping container houses i've seen, for inspiration. Others here are right that burying containers is not a good idea, they have very little strength on the walls and roof.
One idea is to convert a one or two container structure into a living space as a temporary house while renovating the G-Pa's house. When you are done you'll have an awesome house with family history as well as a kickass container guest house!
Look at the one or two container houses here for some more ideas http://design.spotcoolstuff.com/unusual-architecture/shipping-container-buildings
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April 23, 2009 3:20 a.m. MitchellC HalfDork
A shipping container could make a really cool house, but in order for it to work it needs to be approached much differently than a traditional house. A volume so small would feel pretty stifling being sealed up.
But, here's a quick hypothetical solution. 1. stack one container with its floor removed onto one with its ceiling removed (so it has a 16' high space 2. position 8' underground to use the soil's insulation 3. panoramic windows on the top level allow diffused lighting below 4. loft positioned at top level has the bed and entry to below
Use polished concrete for the floor to cool the feet during the summer months with radiant heat during the winter months.
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April 23, 2009 6:22 a.m. SVreX UberDork
They're cool. They ARE NOT cheap.
I'm a contractor who has spent over 20 years building alternative method "green" construction techniques.
I've built straw bale, adobe, sod, log, tire, salvage, and timber structures, to name a few.
I've done the research on container structures.
The key to a successful alternative approach is to use readily available resources. If you have ready access to containers, your skills are in welding, you are prepared to spend LOTS of money for the mechanicals (expect triple), and you will NOT be subject to building inspectors or bank financing, then they are a good start.
Hay bales are a good option, if you've got a lot of hay. Don't try one in FL or Maine.
Most of the container structures linked to in this thread involve tens of thousands of dollars in engineering.
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April 23, 2009 6:23 a.m. SVreX UberDork
I love this shot:
