Shipping Container Homes: The Ultimate Guide

Shipping container homes are special types of architecture that uses intermodal shipping containers to make homes that you can reside in.

In this guide, you will learn more about the shipping container homes and why they are more ecofriendly among other details.

Well, without further ado, let us dive right in.

Benefits of Shipping Container Homes

You will have an easy time when you consider to stay or transform a shipping container into a home.

This is because of the numerous benefits that come with the shipping container homes.

Here are the main advantages that you will enjoy with the shipping container homes.

· Eco- Friendly Option

Shipping container homes are the most environmentally friendly type of homes that you can ever have.

You will simply recycle shipping container homes and avoid manipulating the environment for the purpose of retrieving construction materials.

· High Durability Periods

As soon as you have container homes, you should rest easy as they will serve you for at least 25 years.

With proper maintenance of the shipping container homes, you can use it for more than 25 years of your life.

· Easy to Customize

You can easily modify and customize your shipping container into the type of home that you want to reside in.

It has a simple shape and easy to modify materials that you can manipulate to make your shipping container home.

· Provides Modular Elements

Shipping containers have constant width and two standard length and height measurements which you can easily combine to make large structures.

You will spend less and simplify the work of designing, planning and transporting the materials for the shipping container homes.

· Low Cost of Labor

You will spend less in hiring cutting and welding labor despite the fact that they are specialized forms of labor.

All you have to do is hire welding and cutting equipment and an expert who will proceed with fabrication process.

· Easily Available

You can easily find the shipping container homes at various points for the construction of shipping container homes.

Shipping is a wide spread business that distributes shipping containers thus making it easy to access shipping containers.

· Exhibits Great Strength

You will also enjoy a sense of security within the shipping container homes as the steel materials are very strong.

It will protect you from the adverse effects of the weather as the materials can withstand constant manipulating pressure.

Limitations of Shipping Container Homes

Despite the numerous benefits of using shipping container homes, you might experience some limitations.

Here are some of the disadvantages that you might come across while using the shipping container homes.

· Requires Excessive Insulation

You must insulate your shipping container homes well especially in areas that experience very high temperature conditions.

To avoid suffocating from excess heat conducted through the steel, you will have to spend more in the insulation process.

· Lack of Proper Flexibility

You might also experience difficulty in constricting spaces that are different from the default sizes of the shipping containers.

Implying that, you will spend quite a lot of resources such as time and money to manipulate the shipping containers.

· High Humidity Levels

You will experience high levels of humidity within the shipping container homes since it conducts a lot of heat.

Fluctuating heat levels will lead to condensation of water which will jeopardize the shipping container steel to corrode.

· Building Permits

You might go through a hard time obtaining the building permits from the municipal for construction of shipping container homes.

Despite the fact that it is a common practice in industrial settings, you might find difficulty in getting residential construction permits.

· Roof Weakness

You might need to reinforce the roof on your shipping container home because it is not as strong as other parts.

Reinforcement of the roof will cost you a lot more thus increasing the overall cost of having a shipping container home.

Safety Features of Shipping Container Homes

Just like your conventional home, you will experience great levels of safety and security within the shipping container homes.

You can maintain the original container structure and still enjoy very high levels of safety and security.

Here are some of the safety features of the shipping container home.

· Tough Materials

Shipping container homes have very tough steel materials that will protect you from destructive elements of weather.

Apart from that, the tough steel materials are not easy to penetrate thus ensuring you are safe from burglary.

· Lock Systems

You can maintain the original lock systems on the shipping containers or modify them to increase safety.

With the lock systems in place, you can install windows and doors at strategic places on the shipping container and stay safe.

· Proper Insulation Features

You should also consider having proper insulation features on the shipping container homes since they are heat magnets.

With the insulation features in place, you can spend time inside your shipping container home even under hot temperatures.

Despite the safety features of shipping container homes, you must also consider the safety hazards.

You might have used containers that may have chemical spillage all over the container thus making them health hazards.

Available Sizes of Shipping Container Homes

There are quite a number of shipping container homes that you can easily choose from.

You can modify the shipping container home sizes by joining different types of shipping containers together.

Despite that freedom, the original sizes of shipping container homes coincide with the sizes of shipping containers.

Here are the main sizes of shipping container homes that you can consider having.

· 20 ft Shipping Container Homes

You can decide to have a shipping container home out of the 20 ft. shipping containers.

Here are the sizes or dimensions that you will on the 20 ft. shipping container home.

 

· 40 ft. Shipping Containers

Apart from the 20 ft. shipping container home, you can also decide on a bigger shipping container home.

Here are the dimensions that you will have on the 40 ft. shipping container home.

 

· 40 ft. High Cube Shipping Container Homes

You can opt to have you shipping container home made from the high cube shipping containers.

Here are the main dimensions of the high cube shipping containers you should have a look at.

 

· 45 ft. High Cube Shipping Container Homes

Apart from the 40 ft. high cube shipping container, you can opt for the 45 ft. high cube shipping containers.

Here are the dimensions of the 45 ft. high cube shipping containers homes that you can opt for.

 

You should note that there are other bigger sizes of shipping container homes that you can opt for.

We have the 53 ft. and 60 ft. shipping container homes that are quite rare due to their scarcity as well as high cost.

Apart from that, you must also note that the interior dimensions of the shipping container homes might change.

You will have to install plumbing, insulation, and even wiring among other amenities which might consume a lot of space.

Parts of Shipping Container Homes

Well, just like any other home, shipping container homes also have various parts that make them a habitable home.

Here are the main parts of the shipping container homes that you should have a look at.

· Roof of Shipping Container

The roof is the upper part of the shipping container that protects you from falling objects such as rain and sun rays.

It also acts as the main part of the shipping container home that will make the foundation for the upper floor.

· Insulation Amenities

You must also have the insulation amenities on the shipping containers to help in maintaining proper heat conditions.

There are different types of insulations that you can have on the shipping container homes to increase comfort levels.

· Home Amenities

Your shipping container home must also have the home amenities such as plumbing, wiring and lighting amenities.

You can install anything that you need in a home within the shipping container homes comfortably.

· Floor

Here, you will have to remove the timber on the shipping container floor and make a modern home floor.

You can use timber or other materials to ensure that you make a floor for your shipping container home.

· Side Wall Panels

Shipping container homes also have side wall panels made of steel and will protect you from the raging weather conditions.

The main materials that you will find on side walls of the shipping container homes are Corten and corrugated steel.

· Bottom and Top Rails

Your shipping container home also has bottom and top rails that forms the main frame of the shipping container home.

These rails assume different profiles such as the box profile and must have no cracks to increase the strength.

· Doors and Window Fittings

Just like a normal home, you must also include different types and designs of doors that will fit your requirements.

Door and window fittings are also available in different sizes that can fit well on the shipping container homes.

· Front End, Corner Posts and Door Ends

You should have the front ends; door ends and corner posts that will provide enough support to the shipping container homes.

The main materials for manufacturing the door ends, front ends and corner posts is steel thus making them strong and durable.

Roofing Designs for Shipping Container Homes

You can choose from the multiple designs and structures of roofs for your shipping container homes.

Every design of the shipping container roof has a different function other than increasing the aesthetic value.

Here are the main designs of shipping container home roofs that you can opt for.

· Flat Shipping Container Home Roof

This is a flat type of roof that is very simple and fast to construct thus costing you less.

Despite the low cost of installation, you might spend a lot more in the maintenance process.

You should include a slight pitch which will enable proper drainage of rainfall.

· Living Shipping Container Home Roof

You can also refer to it as the green roof which has greenery and plants on top.

You can opt for the living-roof because of the aesthetic value and extra insulation thus making the home cool.

· Pitched Shipping Container Roof

This is a type of roof that usually slants or slopes downwards thus making it have a great drainage system.

It is the most common type of roof that you will find in regions that experience high levels of rain and snow.

· Roof Terraces for Shipping Container Homes

These are flat spaces on top of the shipping container homes that allows you to expand the usable or occupiable spaces.

You can use it for different activities such as eating, outdoor gardening, and lounging among others.

Factors Determining Shipping Container Homes Price

As soon as you settle on the idea of a shipping container home, you must also consider the cost of the home.

Considering how much you will pay for the shipping container homes will depend on a number of factors.

Here are the main factors that will affect the amount of money you will pay for shipping container homes.

· Condition of the Shipping Container

First, you must look at the condition of the shipping container that you intend to change into a shipping container home.

Here, you should consider getting a new shipping container which is the safest option for the fabrication of shipping container homes.

Depending on the size of the shipping container, you can get a new shipping container price between 3000 and 5000 US dollars.

· Size of the Shipping Container

You must also look at the size of the shipping container home that you want before you choose a shipping container.

In this case, the bigger the size of the shipping container, the higher the amount of money you will pay for it.

· Prefabricated Homes

You must also look at the type of home that you want to have before you make an investment.

You may want to have a pre-fabricated home which will cost you more than fabricating the home personally.

· Level of Modifications

These are the modifications that you will apply on the shipping container in order to turn it into a home.

The higher the levels of modification we have on the shipping container, the higher the amount of money you will spend.

· Insulation

You should also note that there are different types of insulations that you can have ion the shipping container homes.

There are three main forms of insulations that you can choose from including blanket, spray form or panel insulation.

Depending on the type of insulation, you will pay varying amounts of money depending on efficiency level.

· Foundation

You must also have a proper foundation for the shipping container homes where the container will rest upon.

There are different types of foundations that have varying costs hence affecting the overall cost of shipping container homes.

· Location of the Shipping Container Home

You will look at the location of the shipping container home in terms of the cost of transporting the containers.

The further the location of the shipping container homes, the more money you will pay for transporting the shipping containers.

Cost of Shipping Container Houses

The cost of shipping container homes will vary according to the location of the shipping container home.

In other words, you will factor in the cost of transporting it from the manufacturer or supplier to final destination.

In case you are importing it from China, there are different means of transport that you can use.

The type of transport that you will use will depend on the distance from the supplier and speed of transportation.

For instance, you might need to import shipping containers from China to a destination overseas.

In such a case, you can use a ship or a plane to transport it to the final destination.

Once at the docking port, you might need a train or a truck to move it inland.

The longer the distance you cover, the higher the amount of money you will pay.

How to Choose the Best Shipping Container Homes Plans

When choosing a shipping container for shipping container homes, you must look at a number of factors.

Here are the main factors that you need to pay very close attention before you purchase a shipping container home.

· Size or Dimensions of the Shipping Container Home

You should have a plan and include the size of the shipping container home that you would like to have.

There are different sizes and dimensions of shipping containers homes that you can choose from.

· Condition of the Shipping Container Home

You can choose a used shipping container or a brand-new shipping container for your shipping container home.

Brand new shipping containers will cost you less to modify in comparison to the used shipping containers.

· Cost of Shipping Container Homes

When looking at cost, you will look at the cost of purchasing, transporting, installing and modifying the shipping container.

These costs will depend entirely on the condition of shipping container and level of modifications you desire.

· Type of Materials on the Shipping Container Homes

Fortunately, most shipping containers have the same type of steel materials on the exterior which makes them strong.

You will look at the type of materials when looking at modifications such as type of insulation materials among others.

Benefits of Importing Shipping Container Homes for Sale in China

As a business man, you should consider making China your shipping container source.

Here are the advantages that you will enjoy when you decide to import shipping containers homes for sale from China.

· Affordable Prices

The cost of importing shipping container homes from China is quite low in comparison to other sources.

You will spend less when you import from China since the cost of manufacturing shipping container home is low.

· Wide Variety

There are quite a number of varieties of shipping containers that you can import from China.

You can choose among the different sizes as well as modification specifications that will fit your requirements.

· Ease of Conducting Business

You should also make China your shopping destination for shipping container homes because of ease of conducting business.

The people of China as well as the regulations for conducting business are very friendly thus increasing ease of conducting business.

· Great Infrastructure

You will also have an easy time transporting the shipping container homes from China through the sea and airports.

Apart from that, China also has great road network systems, and perfect communication services that enhances business transaction processes.

Quality Standards for Shipping Container Houses

You should also look at particular factors such as quality of the shipping container homes.

You will look at the quality of the shipping containers by checking the quality certification standards.

Here are some of the quality standards that you should look at when considering the shipping container homes.

• CSC International Convention for Safe Containers
• ISO International Organization for Standardization
• RINA rules for the Type Approval and Testing of Containers
• TIR Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods Under Cover of TIR Carnets
• UIC International Union of Railroads.

Rules and Regulations for Shipping Container Homes Design and Fabrication

It is very important to consider the regulations and rules for shipping container house design and fabrications.

These rules will ensure that you have a safe living condition within the shipping container homes.

Here are some of the regulations that you must have in place before you have your shipping container home.

· Not All Shipping Containers are Equal

You should know that shipping containers are of different sizes that will fit in different places.

· Local Planning Laws and Building Regulations

You must also have knowledge about regulations on shipping containers and homes within your region.

· Do NOT Change the Design During Construction Process

You must have a final copy of the design before you begin the construction process.

Having a design at hand will reduce the chances of making changes hence elimination wastage of resources.

· Avoid Excess Cutting and Modification of Shipping Containers

You should also avoid making too many changes on the shipping containers as that might weaken the shipping container homes.

· Choose Proper Insulations

You must be wise enough and choose the insulation materials wisely by considering the environmental conditions.

Service Lifespan of Shipping Container Homes

Shipping container homes are very durable especially because of the tough nature of the materials.

You will use it for at least 25 years before considering moving away from it or modifying it.

You also have the opportunity of making it last longer through proper and regular maintenance.

Features to Consider when Choosing Shipping Container Homes

There are quite a number of features you need to look at when choosing shipping container homes.

Here are some of the features that you should look when looking for a shipping container home.

· Type of Roof

You should look at the type of roof that you would like to have on your shipping container home.

Before you choose a roof, you should look at the direction of the wind and also the rainfall patterns.

· Construction or Fabrication Materials

You should also look at the type of materials that you will use in fabrication of the shipping container homes.

In this case, the main materials are corrugated or Corten steel which will make the walls of the container.

Apart from that, you should also look at the type of materials that you will use to reinforce the roof and floor.

· Size of the Shipping Container Home

You should look at how big or how small the shipping container home is in reference to your size requirements.

There are different dimensions when it comes to the size of the shipping container that you have to look at.

How to Adapt Shipping Container Homes for Different Climatic Conditions

You can modify the shipping container according to the climate where you will install it.

Here are some of the modifications that you can apply on the shipping container according to climate.

· Hot Climate

In a hot region, you should consider having a higher roof which will help in maintaining lower heat in the containers.

Apart from that, you must also construct the home in the right angle thus taking advantage of natural cooling resources.

· Wet Climate

In the wet climate, the shipping containers are capable of surviving die to the tough stainless-steel materials.

Apart from that, it also has proper paint and inclining roofs that will drive the water away from the container.

· Cold Climate

In the cold climate, you should have perfect insulation on the shipping container homes to increase warmth.

You can have spray form insulation properties on the shipping container to make it resistant to cold weather.

Best Insulation for Shipping Container Houses

There are different types of insulations that you can use in making of the shipping container homes.

Here are the main types of insulation that will come in handy on the shipping container homes.

• Spray Foam Insulation
• Blanket or Wool Insulation
• Cotton Insulation
• Cork Insulation

Common Problems in Shipping Container Houses Insulation

You have to insulate you shipping container homes to avoid the problems that arise from mis-insulation.

Here are some of the problems that you can face during the insulation of your home wall.

· Shallow Depth of Walls

It is important to consider how you want to build or construct the shipping container insulation to avoid shallow depths.

In most cases, you will construct the walls of the shipping container out to allow proper insulation depths.

· Consumption of Space

You will also consume a considerable amount of space within the container homes thus compromising on the sizes.

· Mess Aesthetic Value

In case you insulate the shipping container wall from outside, you risk losing the aesthetic value of the shipping container home.

Apart from that, you will expose the insulation materials to the weather elements thus making them vulnerable to damages.

How Spray Form Insulation compare to Cotton Insulation in Shipping Container Homes

You can choose the spray foam insulation or cotton insulation for your shipping container home.

Spray foam insulation id the process of insulating the shipping container homes using a spray foam on the walls.

On the other hand, cotton insulation involves placing cotton materials on the shipping container walls.

Spray form insulation is a very simple insulation process that will save on time in comparison to cotton insulation.

Difference between Cork Insulation and Wool Insulation for Shipping Container Homes

You also have the freedom of choosing between wool insulation and cork insulation for shipping container homes.

Wool insulation is an environmentally friendly form of insulation that involves the use of woolen materials.

On the flip side, cork insulation involves the use of cork materials from the back of trees.

Both methods are very effective in keeping the heat within the shipping container homes.

Reasons for having Foundation for Shipping Container Homes

You must also have a very good foundation where you will place the shipping container homes.

Having a good foundation for the shipping container homes will increase the durability of the shipping container homes.

Implying that the foundation will raise the shipping container home above the ground thus keeping it safe from destructive elements.

Apart from that, it will help in maintaining the shipping container homes on