1. Search for a place to buy new or used containers. Use the Internet and the local classifieds to accomplish this. Check our resources section for a starting point.
2. Once you're the happy owner of the containers, you must take into consideration the transportation and handling of these babies. Actually you must think of this before you choose where to buy the container.
This is why would be ideally that the container's seller to be somewhere in your area.
The transportation and handling of the containers may involve the use of cranes, trucks and other heavy equipment. Do not be scared, this was accomplished by others before you. You may ask the containers' seller to assist you in moving them to the desired location. Many of them offer such services.
Now you're the owner of one or more containers and you have moved them to the location you want to build your house. Let's start building with shipping containers!
First you must
build a foundation. Although shipping containers are very strong structures, you need a strong foundation if you want to build anything from them. Another reason why you need a good foundation is the
corrosive effects of moisture over time. That's why you need to set up your containers above the ground level.
The next step is to cut the corrugated steel sides of your shipping containers for the installation of doors and windows. Put in place the doors and windows. Because the containers are made of steel, and the steel is a very good thermal conductivity material, you don't want to cook yourself in the summer and freeze yourself in the winter. A very important step now is to insulate the interior of the container and there are different techniques and materials to do that.
Finally, you can build exterior decks, supports and roof framings.
These are the basic steps you must follow for building with shipping containers. We don't give you detailed instructions because this is not our scope and mostly because as we said before we're not specialists.
If you're interested in such details about building with shipping containers we recommend you to buy the manual written by Paul Sawyers - "Intermodal Shipping Containers for use as Steel Buildings" available on Ebay.
Web searching for used shipping container
As you can buy an used shipping container, first you should know how to find it. Let’s do a short foray in the used shipping container web searching process
Shipping Container Transportation & Handling
Things you should consider for transportation and handling of the shipping container when you are about to buy them for building a shipping container house.
Useful Resources
Find some information about
containers dimensions used in building with shipping containers.
Architect Mark Strauss specialises in
converting shipping containers into stackable living units.
Sugest a Site
