Living in a box

[MacGyver]

I like buried conex containers, period. Problem is I can't say that just anywhere

[UncleJak]

Caster, i like your idea. I'm in planning stages of a small 600-800 sq ft cabin. Living simple is best. I don't know anything about codes but I'm sure it can all be worked out. Best of luck.

[Caster]

I hate to ask the stupidly obvious, but I will. After its all *done* and ready to live in, how different is such a container from a typical single wide trailer? It sounds like a DIY trailer and it sounds like it might save a little over the ready to go ones, after a bit of effort, but does it save enough to justify all the work or are you trying to make something better/stronger/something?

Because you can park a Kenworth on top of a storage container. Can you do that with single wide?

[Jonnin]

just asking. I have no idea, but it sounds like a bad idea ^^^ to try parking it on the regular ones.

Edited October 31, 2012 by Jonnin

[jtmaze]

as far as electrical... you can't put a meter on a mobil home or any other non permament structure but you can put in a service pole like a mobile home and as long as it meets code there shouldnt be a problem with having a permanent service pole installed(for a shop for instance) and never up grade.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I've admired the 2 story home depot prefab/build-on-site structures. Cute as a bug. Been a year or two, but the Home Depot models (some other company makes em, sold by HD)-- The basic width was the same for several models. Or maybe two widths for that model, but I think only one width. However, it could be ordered different length/depths, up to maybe 30 or 36 feet. Maybe some of those 2 story models are less than $10K, but the size I was interested in, with desirable options, was up around $20 K. OTOH that is still less than the price of most new cars.

The wall construction looked like 2X3 rather than a house using 2X4 or nowadays more and more common 2X6. Maybe it would be like building a nice PC. Every individual part is cheap, but after you tally up all those cheap parts all of a sudden the puter got expensive. Adding windows, especially good double-pane windows gets expensive. Vinyl siding really runs up the price. But it would be a bummer to buy a house, even a little house, yer gonna have to paint every few years, which is guaranteed needing to routinely slap on new paint with the base models.

Sheet rock, insulation, flooring, wire and plumbing, all the parts are cheap individually but wonder how high the parts bill for a full "livable" fixing-up inside would run, when all is said and done, even if one does all the labor "for free"?

Also, whatever the foundation would cost. Hire out a poured slab, or do a lot of digging and forming and just get a concrete truck to come out. The Home Depot buildings supposedly can be mounted on leveled flat ground on pressure-treated 4X4 skids, but dunno how "permanent" that would be many years later. Was reading a book about making sheds in that ballpark of size, which said if you use 4X4 skid foundation, you want to dig trenches under where each skid will sit, and fill up the trenches with a foot or so of gravel. If going to that much trouble, heck if ya gotta do all that digging, filling it with concrete probably not any slower or significantly less hassle than paying somebody to bring a truck load of gravel? Maybe it would be more hassle to screw with a "halfway" method of skids, than just to pour a slab?

The construction of the HD 2 story buildings isn't exactly rocket surgery. A fella could walk around one in a Home Depot parking lot for a couple of hours taking notes and know how to build one. It would be interesting to calculate whether a fella could buy the lumber and sheet goods lots cheaper than buying the "kit". It would take awhile to figure the cost of materials, and no telling if the building is a rip or a bargain without figuring it out.

Googling around, lots of folks want to sell shipping/storage containers online, but didn't find any "ready to go" prices. All the agencies want you to submit a webform for an email quote. Found one lonely explanation that used storage containers sell between $1500 and $3500 for 10 footers, depending on condition, and the "ballpark prices" on 20, 30, an 40 footers was less than 2X, 3X, or 4X a 10 footer. Looks like they are all mostly 8 foot wide.

Those companies also sell customized offices, with 4 foot doors, optional wiring, air conditioning plumbing and windows built in. No telling how high that would run up the price. OTOH if a fella wanted windows in a steel storage container, unless a fella was handy with a cutting torch then maybe it would be smart to pay a company that has employees who are handy cutting steel?

I need a shed and maybe a used storage container on skids would be better/more durable than building a shed or buying a shed. Wonder how many years you get "free" before the steel starts needing paint and starts developing leaks?

Edited November 1, 2012 by Lester Weevils

[shaftbass]

Caster...

I like this one, also shows some good ideas.

http://thechive.com/...ners-39-photos/

DAMMIT, you had to go and post a Chive link. There goes a couple hours...

[RED333]

The problem with steel is it "WILL" rust, dont care what yo do it will.

I to have giving some thought to this,

but the rust thing is keeping me from going forward with

it just yet. If you can buy a "new" container it would last longer.

Figure out how to seal the outside from water it could last many years,

longer than we will live.

Take this in steps

1)Find land in the place of the country you want

2) Check local codes, In TN you can wire 1 house a year with out an Electrial licences. (you do have to have a permit) most are good for 6 months.

3) Secure the land (buy out right or loan)

4) Put up a small place, ie Lowes building

Depending on how far of the road you build you may have to pay for the service to be run to

you pole. You will have to pay from the weather head to the inside of the house, and the pole

if you do it like a trailer service.

Now start on the shipping contaner house, concret pad, sloped away from

the center in all directions,(yea it will rock, use hard wood wedges that you can replace,

no where for water to pool, the rust thing again.

Dont bury them, dirt will keep water on the steel, rust thing again.

Find the land first, then move to the next step.

Edited November 1, 2012 by RED333

[1morethan8]

DAMMIT, you had to go and post a Chive link. There goes a couple hours...

So.. what's the problem!?

[Pat]

Huh, I really like this idea. Not only would a shipping container be functional, but it COULD be as fashionable as it needs to be... on top of that, jeez, it'd take a .50 and a half to go through one...

[RED333]

.50 and a half to go through one...

Not realy, 223, and up will go through a 1/4" steel plate, I would bet smaller hot rounds would

go into a one.

[Mark A]

Give it a good chemical cleaning and scrape any loose stuff then shoot it with a healthy layer of bed liner. If you plan all openings first the container would be about as waterproof as it gets. It would help insulate and soundproof from external noise as well...

One of those buried 3/4 into the side of a hill would make an excellent root cellar/ workshop/ man cave...

Mark

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Well one possible advantage of a shipping/storage container (just guessing)-- I'd be siting a shed out back behind the house among trees. A cheap prefab plastic or tin shed, if the wind drops a tree on it, the poor thing would be a goner. Some kind of slightly bigger home depot shed made out of 2X3's and sheet goods probably wouldn't survive a tree very well either. For that matter conventional houses usually need some fixing after a tree drops on em.

Maybe a medium-sized tree would also play hob with a steel shipping container, but I get a "gut feel" that it would put up with a small or middle-sized tree a lot better than a shed made of light wood construction or light steel or plastic construction.

[QuietDan]

We used the containers for a LOT of purposes in Iraq. My radio and television operation in Baghdad was set up in twelve techie connexes 8 foot by 20 foot. They used to belong to the British embassy and were originally set up as two person living quarters, quite comfy.

Three 40 footers in a C-shape, with walkways in between, and you'd really have something, could make it quite livable.

Thought about buying 5 acres of Texas land and putting one out there "deer camp" style, with a porta-potty, a water tank, and a generator. If it's out in the county, you might be able to skip some of the code stuff.

You can make a great workshop out of one, leave the steel door open, and put a 2X4 and plywood "plug" just inside the steel door with a wooden front door, a window, and a hole for an air conditioner.

I think you can get them cheap if they are no longer seaworthy, I think the world is awash in used connexes.

Edited November 1, 2012 by QuietDan

[Sam1]

The problem with steel is it "WILL" rust, dont care what yo do it will.

Not necessarily, you can get it sprayed with sealant, it's sort of like rhino-lining except not as thick. Supposed to seal it up for 20 years iirc. I believe it was being used for large underground fuel tanks in storage near the coasts.

The only concern I would have is that this would sweat pretty bad without good insulation in weather extremes. It may not though, just not sure.

[Caster]

20-30 year lifespan is fine. I won't live much past that anyway.

[camp]

I have been told hickman county is very liberal on their building codes

[Dolomite_supafly]

Here in my county there are ZERO codes to be worried about. The only thing that must be inspected is the electrical before they hook it up. Other than that there is no need to have anyone inspect anything.

Dolomite

[Guest cardcutter]

Here in my county there are ZERO codes to be worried about. The only thing that must be inspected is the electrical before they hook it up. Other than that there is no need to have anyone inspect anything.

Dolomite

Are you sure?

I would think the building codes would be inforce for plumbing,electrical, Structural ( foundation,rough in, and structure). I know most places require the plumbing inspections and they require a Master plumbers license to get the permit. I would check the local regulations carefuly. If not for the legal aspects then for the insurance.

When I was working as a plubmer we had to come in more than once and rip out and redo houses in Hamilton Co. because they were not properly permitted and inspected. It realy stinks to have to pay to redo it.

Any time you deal with the local bureaucrats it pays to have your bases covered.

[Guest cardcutter]

Dolomite

I stand corrected Sir. I have been living in town too long.

I am however surprised the local politicians there have not recognised this revenue stream. Permits and inspection fees can get pretty steep where they are mandated.

Thanks

Jim

Edited November 1, 2012 by cardcutter

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I used rough cut lumber that was cut down from the house site and then sawed up.

Dolomite, that is just way cool. Been idly interested in such thangs. How "involved" did you have to get in the process? Were you able to get somebody to truck off the logs to a local sawmill and then truck back the lumber, or did you find a local fella with a portable sawmill to come rip it on-site for ya? Or did you buy/rent a sawmill, or what?

My father in law was administrator of a rural boarding school in mid tn, who also taught all the metal and wood shop topics. They would cut big ole trees off their property and a local farmer had a bandsaw mill, then they would cure the lumber in a barn at the school. Kept em in lumber and hardwood great, never had to buy wood. I just like to hear details of people doing such.

[1gewehr]

Do not bury a cargo container. The roof is not designed to support much weight. The corner posts can support all kinds of weight, but the roof between them is relatively weak. Just a foot or so of wet dirt can cause the roof to bow in and lead to collapse.

I have a friend in Western NC who owns a few acres in a secluded cove. He had a power service pole installed, poured a pad, and set up one of the prefab workshops as a cabin. With good bug treatment, some insulation and inside paneling, it's turned into a surprisingly comfortable place.

[MacGyver]

Thought this article on tiny houses from the Washington Post this morning might be of interest in this thread:

[url="http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/home-squeezed-home-living-in-a-200-square-foot-space/2012/11/27/e1a02858-2f35-11e2-ac4a-33b8b41fb531_story.html"]http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/home-squeezed-home-living-in-a-200-square-foot-space/2012/11/27/e1a02858-2f35-11e2-ac4a-33b8b41fb531_story.html[/url]

[Dolomite`s Breezy]

[quote name='Dolomite_supafly' timestamp='1351797657' post='837257']
I built my house in 2003, as in I did everything except blockwork, electrical and siding. And during the time it took to build the house there was not a single inspector that came out except the electrical company. I used rough cut lumber that was cut down from the house site and then sawed up. The block work was done by a crew of Mexicans and no one ever inspected it. The electrical was the only thing that was inspected and it was by our local utilities to ensure it was safe.

Before building my ground as perked and was told to make sure the septic was a certain length and he came back out to verify it was X feet long.

I did my own plumbing, roofing and pretty much everything. The only reason I hired in the people to do the siding is they were going to do it cheaper than I could get the material for. I went down and spent about $300 on plumbing supplies and did it myself over the course of a week.

I called before I brike ground about getting a building permit and was told I didn't need one. I asked about codes and got a laugh. We know people who have built a house and never had a single thing inspected, including septic. One in particular uses an old freezer for a septic tank and it is still that way.

Dolomite
[/quote]
Dont remind me.. I hated working on the insulation and the sheetrock. NEVER again.. screw saving money..Its worth not itching for a week..

[gjohnsoniv]

Here was something interesting I found this morning: http://9gag.com/gag/5955815