anyone seen a house built from shipping containers ? these can be made to look quite attractive , but no doubt there are pitfalls, and what is the cost per sq meter as opposed to a "cookie cutter" boring bog standard dwelling.
tweake,
Aug 11, 8:01pm
i think the single biggest issue with container homes is water and moisture control. i've not seen one with a rain screen and steel doesn't let moisture out. so it has to be managed differently and there is risks with that.
trade4us2,
Aug 11, 8:19pm
By the time you have cut holes for windows and doors, it is not as strong. You need insulation and a proper roof. They can get very hot.
tegretol,
Aug 11, 8:37pm
The biggest single issue will be the consenting process. Containers are phenomonly strong - I had the complete top longitudal beam out of a 20 footer once as it had rusted out and the whole unit remain straight without extra support. Unless you are a 4711 welder, the engineering will break you. Tweake is right about moisture unless you have some pretty decent extraction.
jan2242,
Aug 12, 10:07am
there's a few NZ companies doing this now.
tweake,
Aug 12, 1:08pm
that in no way means its a good thing to do.
apollo11,
Aug 12, 7:40pm
Yep. As soon as you cut holes in it, you need engineering drawings, plus you need engineered footings for the point loads at the corners. And being 'different' means that the council will drag their index finger over every detail and annoy the hell out of your designer. They are 3mm cor-10 steel so are slow to rust, but because they are flat water tends to pool on top. A roof is often added - which also helps with cooling. Get a Hi-cube for the extra height and put in an insulated ceiling. I do think they can look pretty interesting, but they can look pretty crap too if not done well.
bill1451,
Aug 13, 7:19pm
yes I have checked things like a big radius roof component, for cooling and hi top for all services, plumbing, wiring, heating ducts.
bill1451,
Aug 13, 7:20pm
At the end of the day "do thy homework" and ask lots of questions.
bill1451,
Aug 13, 7:24pm
And Stevensons steam powered rocket had a man with a red flag walking in front of it, and somewhere I read they thought if the human body travelled faster than something like 60 mph (100 kph) they would surely die.(but I digress)
funkydunky,
Aug 14, 8:53am
An electrical short circuit into the shell could be interesting?
tweake,
Aug 14, 9:14am
not really. it requires bonding to the earth circuit anyway, so any short just trips rcd/breakers.
tweake,
Aug 14, 9:19am
WTF? back then they had no understanding of the science behind it.
today we have high level of understanding of building science. tho many in the building industry seam to ignore that, which is the problem. we have very well documented cases where building companies have built certain style houses only to have them be demolished because the industry failed to understand building science and they turned into moldy rotten piles of crap. just because you can make it, does not mean you should.
I have a 40ft container with three windows, three rooms, door, lined and insulated, tin roof added on top of original and its great. I dont live in it but have slept in there many a night and love it. No issues with condensation, incredibly easy to heat, etc. Has the proper concrete footings that have been put down.
tweake,
Aug 14, 10:44am
thanks for the video. that is a good example of what to avoid doing.
notice there is no ventilation inlets or outlet. so no ventilation system installed, the range hood is not vented and the bathroom is not vented.
they have regular cut insulation (looks like wool) which means the steel is not air sealed. so moisture can go through and condense on the steel. they might have a drainage channel at the bottom, but i don't see anything keeping the insulation off the steel (and off the moisture). the roof is a good thing and the steel containers means it should be really air tight.
they had a brief pic of another house which had no roof and things fastened to the flat roof. thats just asking for leaks.
they could be double walling the outside walls and cutting drain holes in the bottom. but that eats into what little space there is. its also a difficult detail to get right (water may pool at the bottom or drain back into the house).
i would be inclined to spray foam it all. which also makes an air tight barrier so the steel won't have moisture condense on it. but it does mean you need to have good ventilation and moisture control (ie ventilation system) because moisture will not ever be able to migrate out through the walls like a normal house does.
prt1969,
Aug 14, 11:40am
Okay,thankyou for that advise.Liked the layout of this home anyway.What would it cost to build something like this in timber,hardiplank,steel roof,doubleglazed windows etc,just wondering?Cheers
bill1451,
Aug 17, 8:53pm
I was quoted by "boxman" in Nelson to covert a 40 ft container to an office space with I think from memory 4 windows and a door, wiring for plugs and lights, not sure if it was lined, but $38000.00 plus delivery so yea not cheap but gotta be something to look at as an alternative way of living. The woman in the video designs container houses for a living, so probably is improving as she moves along, I would certainly be adding some sort of curved roofing system both to protect and for cooling.I would think for 38 g it would be lined they use 3x2 with insulation and I think plywood.
the thing to keep in mind is that they are in a desert. so its a very dry climate and can do stuff you could not do here. also notice the air sealing details which is good, that helps stop inside moisture from reaching the steel exterior.
apollo11,
Aug 18, 12:17pm
Some interesting detail around welding door and window frames too.
tweake,
Aug 18, 12:46pm
i skimmed through, i did see a close up of some of the welding which was pretty manky. something i would not want to be in a video!
trade4us2,
Aug 18, 2:27pm
A large organisation had dozens of containers with valuable items in them. Most of the containers leaked or got too hot or went rusty.
joanie32,
Aug 18, 6:13pm
Absolutely But I really suggest you ask questions to people who really know the subject. You are very unlikely to find that in a forum like this to be honest.
tweake,
Aug 18, 8:12pm
while thats true, its also very hard to find honest information within the industry. those who know are generally the ones that want to sell you something and they never tell you the full story.
ironically the james hardie court case is in the news at the mo.
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