Insulation, refrigeration and the container. What is best for you?

Refrigerator 40' container

So you want a container.  You know it needs to be insulated, but what exactly will fit your needs?  Containers come in two styles – standard shipping container and refrigerator (reefer) containers.  Here are some general rules of thumb that might be helpful.

1)      Refrigerator containers are ideal when you need to store items at a particular temperature year round and you have a power source to run the container.  They are considerably more expensive than standard containers, which may play a role in your decision-making.

Inside refrigerator container

2)      If you are storing general items, the standard containers are great.  Standard containers are used around the world, year round for transporting the vast majority goods manufactured year round.

3)      If you are modifying the container, standard containers are much preferred to refrigerator containers.  Refrigerator containers have loose insulation between two walls, which makes modifications a huge headache.  Also, if you are using the container for living space, you will be very disappointed with a refrigerator container floor.  They are grooved to drain any liquid away from items being stored.  While that is great if the container isn’t plugged in and you are storing ice cream.  It is not as great if you want to live in the container.

Inside used 40'

One other consideration for those who are modifying containers – if you plan on adding electricity or plumbing, you will want to insulate the container once you have added those and done all your modifications.

If you still have questions about which is the right one for you, please call us and we can discuss your needs further.

Easy Access – 4 variations on container doors

Inside a Double-door 40'

Standard ISO shipping containers come with two swing doors on one short end of the container.  But that doesn’t work for everyone.  Today, we are going to cover some different options you have when purchasing containers.

1)      Double-door containers.  These are containers with standard swing doors on both ends of the container.  Because these are not as common and are so useful, they are generally only available as “one-trip” containers, meaning they are manufactured in Asia, make one trip to the US and then sold to you.  Since they are one-trip containers, they are freshly painted, have no markings and are a great option.  But they are also more expensive.

Open-roll-up door on container

2)     Roll-up doors.  If you want a used container and need the access, but not the price tag, consider adding a roll-up door on the opposite end.  Roll-ups can be added either to the end of the sides of containers to add extra access to the container.  The only place we do not recommend putting it is where the original doors are located.  Those doors are connected into the corner posts that support the container, so you do not want to mess with that.  You can have the door added on before it comes out to you, or use a kit to add the door on yourself.  You get the same access at usually half the price.

3)      Personnel –doors.  So you don’t need a full roll-up, or you just don’t want to deal with bigger doors.  Maybe a personnel door is the right option for you.  Like roll-up doors, these can be added on before you get it or by a kit where you add on the door yourself.  This is great option if you are going to be going in and out of the container often and want to have access just like you would to a building.

Man-door on container

4)      Open-side containers.  These great containers are only available in 20′ long, one-trip containers.  They feature doors that open on the 20′ side of the container.  These are a great option for retail containers, industrial applications and so much more.  But they also come with a pretty large price tag.

5)  Open-top containers.  These are a great option if you have to load the container from above.  They come with a tarp to function as the roof.  So these, are for those people who simply need to have this design, but it is not ideal for the person who wants a nice, basic container.

Containers are so flexible.  Even if they don’t come the way you want them, they can easily be changed to fit your needs.  We can help you add doors, windows, etc. so that it works for you, just the way you want, or we can help you to do it yourself.

20' Open side

Open-top 40' container

Container City Brings Back Life to Christchurch

CargoBar - A container bar

According to Stuff.co.nz, storage containers have been used in the “Restart the Heart” program to reopen retail shops destroyed in the city’s earthquake.  Containers were used for various retail shops, including clothing, a wine store, a café and bar.

CaffeineLaboratory - a container cafe

Rather than plunking down containers, the group has used brought in Christchurch architects from the Australasian Buchan Group to create unique configurations to suit the needs of the shops.  In addition,

containers have been used to prop up buildings, including the cathedral and for various offices, homes, etc.

Also, a group is creating art on and over containers, seeing them at a large canvas new to the city.

TheVillageGrape - a cargo wine shop

For more information, check out the coverage from Stuff and 3 News.

Container artwork in Christchurch, New Zealand

Want an artist studio? No room? Containers might be the answer

Do you have a talent that is big, and also takes up a lot of space?  Do you daydream about having your own studio?  Does your current home not provide you the space you need?  How about a storage container?

Cargotecture Studio 320 by hybridarc.com

Storage containers can be converted into stand-alone buildings, perfect for an artist studio or workshop.  Depending on how much space you have, containers come in 20’ and 40’ long, 8’ wide.  You can insulate them and modify them to allow natural light, insulation, electricity, easy access and anything else that helps you be more creative.

Containers can be placed on your land near your existing home.  Depending on how much of a do-it-yourself-er you are, you can either have a container modified to meet your needs or order a container and kits to modify it yourself.  Common medications include personnel door, roll-up door, windows, skylights, AC/heat, insulation.  If you do the modifications yourself,  you will need to be able to weld. You can have an electrician bring more light (and the possibility of the internet) to your studio.  Put your creative energies into planning out the perfect space for you.

Finish off the container inside and you have a great studio

Since this is not primary residence, you do not have to include plumbing unless you want to. And you can find creative lighting solutions that do not require an electrician. Many container modifications are DIY. Ask us for advice or installation kits.

Container artist studios get your supplies out of the way of your everyday living and into a space devoted just to your art.  No more packing them up and trying to get them out of the way, but rather leave projects out so you can come back to them again easily.  Start planning yours today!

4 questions to ask when planning your office container

Office interior

Here are 4 things to think about when planning your office container:
1.  How do you want to use the space?  Think about how many rooms you will need and what configuration will work best for your needs.

2.  What modifications will you need for your office?  Some typical modifications are: doors (service doors and roll-up doors), windows, partitions, HVAC, insulation/paneling.  Do you have any special modifications, such as specialty flooring, venting, etc?

AC Kit with cage

3.  Who do you want to do the modifications?  If you can weld, you can do a large amount of the modifications yourself.  If you don’t weld, think about having some of the modifications done for you.

4. What about electricity and plumbing?  You will probably need electricity to run office equipment.  Depending on your location, you may also need to provide plumbing.  Think about when will be the best time to add that into your modifications.  Sometimes it is easier to have the basic modifications done for you, then have an electrician and plumber come in before insulating and finishing the container.

Epoxy floor with drains and service door

Container offices can be as simple or as elaborate as you want or need them to be.  Check out our other postings on our blog for ideas on the kinds of modifications others have done either by clicking through the topics on the right side of this page or just scrolling through.  You might find a great solution to your office needs.

40' office and storage

5 Great Things About A Container Office

Container Office

Container architecture is taking off by leaps and bounds, but for a basic office, nothing could be easier than a container office!  Here are 5 great things about container offices:

1)       Container offices are portable.  Even if you don’t need to move the office often, you at least have the option with a container office.  Maybe you just need offices during your busy season, but don’t need that office space the rest of the year.

2)      Container offices are ground-level.  Traditional mobile offices are set on wheels.  When the office gets to the new location, you have to deal with stairs, anchoring and skirting the office.  None of that is necessary with a container office.  You set it down and get to work!

Inside a 2-room container office

3)      Container offices are customizable.  Containers start out as a basic box that is 20’ or 40’ long.  You decide how to split up that space, where to add windows and doors, what kind of electric set-up meets your needs, even if you want the whole space to be office or a mix of storage and office space.  You can make the most of the space that works best for you.

4)      Container offices can be changed after you get them.  Do you need more space?  It is easy to add another container.  Need more rooms?  You can add in more partitions very easily.

5)      Container offices can be resold.  Sure you can sell a building to someone else.  But you need to find a buyer who wants your set up in your location.  With container offices, you just need someone who wants what you already built.  You just move it to where they want.

Inside a container office

Consider container offices when you are looking at your office needs.

Coming up next time on our blog:  What to think about when planning your container office.

Don’t forget our Super Sale!  Click here or see below for various specials we are running right now.

Mobile Container Structures

La Boite cafe at sunset

Containers move.  Containers make great, green, building blocks.  But what about containers making great, gree building blocks that move?  Well, for those of you who want to take your container building on the road, we have some ideas for you!

La Boite's open design

Container Café

Austin, TX is known for doing things their own way and food trailers, enter a great combination of both – La Boite café.  It is a movable restaurant made from a 20’ container.  The café incorporates green practices, down to the spray insulation in the container.  Not only is it a fun, clean design, they have really maximized the space available to them to make an inviting café.  Check out these links for pictures of how they made the café, what it looks like now and more information on the spray insulation.  Spray insulation is a great option when using building with containers.  The insulation can get into the corrugation to provide extra insulation throughout and is also a great way to control the r-factor of the insulation without having to give up interior space in the container.

Micro-living

Cargotecture in Menlo Park

HyBrid Architecture’s Cargotecture series is a wonderful example of micro-living.  Bringing designs down to smaller sized structures idea for remote areas such as cabins, backyard retreats or offices or anywhere you want to have a temporary or permanent structure.  They were recently in the news for partnering up with Sunset to become Sunset’s Cargotecture^® home.  HyBrid is really doing things right with these efficient designs that can are mobile, easy to install and come in a range of sizes to fit various budgets and needs.

Mobile Wildlife Clinic

Dwyer Technical Services designed a wildlife heath care for Massey University.  The unit is made from a 40’ container and is a mobile unit that can move to where oil spills affect wildlife.  The mobility allows experts to reach wildlife quickly and onsite, making it that much easier to help animals in need.  Dwyer Technical Services announced  their first international export – to Maritime New Zealand, where a similar unit will help Australian wildlife.

Working out of containers

Containers are becoming a more common office for more and more workers.  But we mostly think about those offices on jobsite or other places where the offices are mobile.  Here are 2 examples of some more unusual offices:

World Rally containers have many uses

1)       Mobile rally car shop and mobile team headquarters.  The teams for the World Rally Championship use shipping containers as their shops, as well as other items they need for their hospitality teams when they get to their location.  They transport their marketing materials so they can create their own unique space at the rallies.

Each team has their own area which can move with them throughout the season.

Character Project container theater

2)      Theaters.  We have not one, but two examples of using containers as theaters.

USA’s Character Project has traveling storage containers that are modified to be a full movie theaters that are customized to fit the films they are showing.  They are screening 8 original short films in various cities throughout the country.

Cardiff is getting its own 40’ storage container theater for the play The Container.  It is a play that explores the journey of Somali and Afganistani refugees coming to the UK for asylum.  The container-theater is one component in bringing the story home to theatergoers.

3)      Radio station studio.  Radio Free Libya in Masrata has outfitted a container as a studio for guests who cannot come to the radio station’s offices for security reasons.

Containers are a great option for any mobile space.  They can be modified easily, moved easily and are flexible enough to turn into whatever you can imagine.

Modifying Containers – 5 questions to get you started

Taking a cargo container and turning it into something else – living quarters, emergency relief shelters/centers, storm shelters, etc, is a very popular idea.  You can picture what you want it to look like in the end, but how do you get started on your project?

Inside a refrigerator/insulated container

1)      Standard or Insulated/refrigerated? Containers come in either standard steel box or insulated/refrigerated box.  In order to pick the best one for you, think about what you are going to do with it.  If you are going to modify it (add doors, windows, or any other cut outs), then steer clear of the refrigerated/insulated containers.  They are difficult to modify due to the loose insulation in between the container walls.  Standard steel containers can easily be framed and insulated to provide the necessary insulation once your other modifications are done.

Cargo-worthy containers can handle being stacked

2)      Shipping overseas or not? If you are shipping the container overseas, then you will want to plan your modifications accordingly.  Containers that are being shipped on cargo ships must be cargo-worthy or sea-worthy, meaning they are structurally sound enough to handle having other container stacked on top of them.  If you cut up a container, you reduce the structural integrity of the container, so you want to make sure you are keeping that in mind with your plans, or plan on modifying the container once it arrives at its destination.

Open-top 40' container has a tarp roof

3)      Is there a container already designed for your need? There are specialty containers – containers without a top or with removable steel top, 20’ containers with doors that open the full 20’ side of the container or flat-racks, containers that have no long walls or roofs.  While these containers are generally more expensive than standard containers, you may find that they fit your need so well; it is worth the extra money.  However, be warned that some of these containers are not all that plentiful, so you may also end up paying for shipping long distances.

20' open side container opens on one full 20' side of container

4)      How complicated is your design? If you are planning on creating a home or living quarters complete with electric and plumbing, stacked containers or other complications, be sure to get an architect or engineer involved.  Even though containers make great building blocks, you are still creating a living space that needs to be safe and up to code.  They may up with structural issues you have not considered which can save you headaches down the line.

5)      Are you doing to modify the container yourself or have it done? Containers are easy to modify yourself if you have the right tools.  Primarily, it requires a cutter and welding tools and the know-how to go with them.  Kits are available for adding on basic additions like doors, windows, AC/heat, skylights, etc.

40' office and storage

If you don’t want the hassle of doing the work, have it done for you by a qualified container shop.  Then your container can arrive ready to go (or at least part-way there) depending on what your plans entail.

Containers are incredibly flexible building blocks.  Let your imagination loose to come up with fun ideas.  Share them with us!  Or share pictures of projects you have already done to inspire others!

Containers – the perfect temporary building

Eco-Restaurant Greenhouse by Joost

Containers provide a secure, easy way to install a temporary building just about anywhere.  They are easy to modify to personalize to your needs.  Some uses include:

• Temporary, ground-level offices
• Cabin
• Hunting lodge
• Restaurant (see here)
• Portable retail space
• Temporary housing
  

  Quick, easy building

• Hotels
• Workshop
• Tool Crib
• Artist studio
• Any time you need a roof over your head – quickly.

Container buildings can be as fancy or as basic as you want.  Currently they are a popular, green building material in the architectural world.  But they can also be as basic is throwing a door and window on a container and calling it the office.

A couple of things to think about while you plan

Large shop made with containers stacked 2-high to accomodate trucks and containers

1)      Do you need an architect or engineer? If this is housing and you are removing large portions of the container or you are stacking modified containers, then YES.  Don’t risk it, make sure your plan will work once you pull that wall off the container and avoid disaster.  If you are living in the container, you will still need electricity, plumbing and all the other features you expect from a tradition building.  That takes some know-how.

2)      To insulate or buy insulated? As a general rule of thumb, only get an insulated container if you are using it to keep something at a steady temperature.  If you are modifying it, get a non-insulated container.  Insulated containers are expensive and very hard to modify.  Save your wallet and a headache by modifying a standard container and insulating once that is done.  Don’t forget to insulate the flooring and roof!

Inside the shop

3)      Modify yourself or have someone else do it? If you can weld, doing some easy modifications yourself is a great way to save money.  Use container modification kits to add doors, windows, skylights, AC/Heat or other basic additions.  If you have more complicated modifications – taking out container walls and adding in extra support, adding in industrial flooring, etc – bring in the pros.  These are headaches or possible structural problems you don’t want to handle on your own.  Have a container shop take care of doing that for you.

You are only limited by your imagination – and the laws of physics – in coming up with the container building of your dreams.