You have a great idea. You are going to transform a cargo container into your workshop, cabin or home. You can visualize what it will look like. But before you start cutting up a container, here is some information on how containers are made to make sure you are making the most out of your container.
Exploded view of container
Basic Frame
Design - Containers are designed to filled, then stacked on ships, then removed. Containers hold all their weight in the floor of the container and the four corner posts. Those corner posts are what the cranes connect to when moving full containers around. These corner posts are slightly higher than the roof and slightly lower than the floor of the container.
What this means for you – When you stack containers, make sure that you always have corner posts resting on corner posts. If you can’t do this, make sure those corner posts have extra support. Also, do not remove these corner posts unless you have designed to support the container in another way.
Corrugated walls and roof
Walls and Roofs
Design – Containers are made of corrugated steel. The walls and roofs are made of the same material. The walls support the roof of the container.
What this means for you – You can cut holes for doors and windows in the side of containers. But just make sure you don’t remove the whole side of a container without providing support for the roof. Also, the roof is not strong enough to handle heavy loads. If you are planning on burying the container or making a balcony on top of a container, make sure you create a platform that distributes the weight back to the four corner posts.
Container doors
Doors
Design – Container doors are attached to corner posts.
What this means to you – They work well they way they are designed. If you want a different type of entry, add extra doors on the other 3 sides of the container.
Insulation
Design – Standard containers are made of corten steel and are not insulated. Refrigerator containers are steel containers with insulation and an interior wall added onto the container. The insulation used is loose between the walls. Also, refrigerated/insulated containers are generally sold with cooling units still included.
Inside refrigerated container
What this means to you – If you are looking for a container that is insulated, the first big question to ask yourself is if you are going to modify the container further. If you are, the standard containers will be much easier to work with. Once you cut into an insulated container, you will have a mess on your hands and the insulation will be reduced. Instead, go with a standard container, make your modifications to suit your needs and then frame the container like you would a traditional home. You will lose the same amount of container width as you would with a refrigerated container, but will skip a large headache.
For more questions on do-it-yourself modifications, please call us!
You’ve got the plan in your head – get a container, add doors, windows, or other simple improvements, and then you have your container office, shop or cabin. You’re handy, know your way around a do-it-yourself project, but where to start?
Inside modified container part 1
No need to reinvent the wheel—container modification kits will come with everything you need to install a door, window, partition, AC, insulation or even a sky light. See the pictures below for ideas. You provide only the cutting and welding skills.
1) You configure the kits that suit your plans. The basics include a lockbox, man-door (steel, 3 feet wide), a roll-up door (6’, 7’ or 8’ wide), windows, insulation, AC with a cage, etc. Order them from your friendly container store (Super Cubes has all the kits and free DIY support).
Inside modified container part 2
2) When the kit arrives, it will include the parts you ordered along with installation frames (not needed for insulation or partitions).
AC in kit
3) Cut a hole in the container to the size noted in the instructions. (Tip: Borrow or rent a plasma cutter, which whirs though steel using only air and electricity.)
Instant shelving organizes a container quickly
4) Weld in the frame, which fits neatly to the container’s corrugated steel.
Cage for AC
5) Install the door, window, skylight, or whatever.
Kits take all the guesswork out of framing a wind- and water-tight add-on into your container. Container kits also solve problems you might not have considered.
Roll-up door with lockbox
For example, the AC kit comes with a frame, air conditioner, and a cage to weld over the AC so that no one could pull it out and potentially gain access to your container.
Roof between containers
With kits providing everything you need, you can have exactly the container office, shop, or cabin you imagine—foolproof and frustration free.
Living inside the box is a hot trend for a good reason: Steel shipping and storage containers make smart, tight huts, cabins, offices, and homes. Container living is eco-friendly, offers lots of flexibility, and can save a bundle if you keep it simple. And the options for cool container houses are almost infinite.
Huts
A hut is your basic shack in the woods (or your backyard) for keeping dry and sacking out on a cot. It won’t be pretty, but it will do the job. Just paint it with SuperTherm, an insulating ceramic paint, add a door, and a window or two. You can go unplugged or rig basic electrical (anything from an extension cord if you are on the grid to a small generator if you are more remotely located).
Cabins
Here’s where your container becomes a livable dwelling. Besides the hut-like basics, a container cabin will have more creature comforts—larger windows, maybe better electricity, and more insulation and an HVAC system for extra comfort (steel containers do conduct heat and cold). It’s a do-it-yourself project to put up rigid-foam insulation and paneling as well as partitions for rooms. As with any cabin, you can put in plumbing. Beyond that, it’s all about adding amenities (from awnings to skylights and decks) to give your hunting/lake/ski cabin good looks and charm.
Offices
A container-based office, work shed, or studio can be a modified cabin, designed around the work you do. But often container offices mean mobile work space. Construction trailers, sales offices, security offices, portable classrooms, temporary medical clinics, or event offices are just a few of the many possibilities. These can be delivered already customized to suit your needs, making these the most hassle-free container conversion projects.
Homes
Container housing has caught on for many reasons. Containers make strong, secure, indestructible building blocks for full-featured houses. Container homes are a green and efficient housing choice, and they lend themselves to very cool living spaces.
Container housing can be quicker than traditional building. But keep in mind that turning a container into a full-featured home is still about building a house, with many of the same costs. If you’re looking for a full-featured home that will look great and blend in with your neighbors’, you’ll need both an architect and engineer. You’ll need proper footings and foundation, as well as full plumbing and electrical, flooring, HVAC, and all the rest. Building a container home is going to cost at least as much as a traditional home, so this is generally not a decision based on money, but rather other factors.
You’ll also need to contend with layout and design issues that may quickly get structural, especially if you’re combining two or more containers. Containers aren’t designed to be chopped apart. You may need to add support beams to maintain structural integrity (and sometimes jams, headers, and sill posts as well).
The good news is at the end of the day, you’ll have a truly unusual dream home that’s as strong, secure, and eco-friendly as any house around. It will be impervious to fire and if properly anchored, able to withstand earthquakes and hurricanes. Nothing against ordinary houses, but its hard to say any of that about the rambler down the street.
