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shipping container housing q and a

1. How much of one side can be removed without weakening the structure? None, the moment you make an aperture in the sidewall regardless of location, the structure is weakened. Almost all apertures will require perimeter framing along with some rail to rail intermediate posts (an intermediate post is any reinforcement from bottom to toprail not located at a corner).

2. If you build one yourself, how cheaply can it be done? The lower cost the container will be inversely proportional to the labor you put back into it. Containers that are 20 years old and are still structurally suitable regrettably are usually so dinged up that when it comes to putting on its prom dress (exterior siding) that you end up adding back huge amounts of hat channel and labor to accomodate. Plan on this being dollar for dollar equivalent to DIY stick or Panel built. Consider your containers (ahem, ISBUs) to be your dried in Framing Package.

3. Are they harder or easier to insulate and how are they affected in the hot/cold months? Once insulated they perform the same. The difficulty to insulate is really no different than anything else.

4. What is it like to actually live in one? To live in one unit is OK, that really comes down to location. 40' units are 320 sq ft and I lived in an apartment smaller than that but it was at the beach so who cares. To live in a home, is no different than any other home. Ouyr system cuts open the entire sidewalls so you end up with huge areas.

5. How hard is it to cut out windows and doors? Sidewall corrugations range from 1.5mm to 2.0mm thickness. Plasma torch works well. I once cut an entire 40' unit in half with a Sawzall and a circular saw (took 20 sawzall blades and 4 circular saw blades) Would not recommend that to anyone.

6. What about the gap in between them? All dry containers whether they be STd or HiCubes have camberedd roofs just like the deck of a ship. so not only is there a gap but when two containers are side by side each half of each cvontainer is pitched down toward that gap. For a do it yourselfer, I have succesfully take a piece of 1" angle turned it so the flanges straddled each container then stitch welded it down the center line (when we were done it just looks like a little elongated pitched roof down the gap). then we caulked it liberally.

I would not want to discourage anyone from a DIY project. I would like to stress something Michael speaks of often which is predictability of outcome. The less units cost to start with would be an indicator (not a fact) just an indicator that the boxes are less fair and true for home building. Also when marring two boxes side by side some bottom rails finish above the plane of the wood floor, some even with it, some below it. This causes many problems in the field. Some containers are 9'5 1/2" while others are a true 9'6"

You will usually need to support the home at more locations other than the cornerposts. This will need to be accomplished through intermediate posts ( again just the framing package). Bear in mind you will need to extend that post through the rails and possibly hockeypuck shim to ensure it engages the can above or below it.

I do not want to make it sound daunting, rather eyes wide open. Maybe another thought is not how cheap can it be done, but instead, how much value can I create for the same effort.

I like the computer metaphors (similes?) I think of it that in the 60's computers components used to be housed in steel enclosures. Then at some point someone said lets package it up in some plastic enclosures. The components remained the same, the computing goal remained the same, just the way to enclose it was altered. All these houses of wood, now folks are considering containers as a new enclosure, but living, facades, appliances, function, that will still be the same. Anyway, theres a thought trying to get out somewhere.

My background is the Merchant Marine as a deck officer aboard container and with Steam ship companies as an intermodal equipment manager. Today we are actively engage in the modification and newbuilds of containers. WHile living in China I came across a locale that had 20 stand alone homes made form containers with Sod on the roof. Always thought that was clever but have no data to indicate what it does for R or K values.

You will find Paul Sawyers book very relevant to your project. Do not hesitate to let us all know what your progress is

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