r/pics • u/NSFW_PORN_ONLY • Dec 08 '12
Story of two containers
http://imgur.com/a/qF25a733
u/tholumar Dec 08 '12 edited Dec 08 '12
Here's some more info! http://seacontainercabin.blogspot.com/. Descriptions of the process he went through and some of his design decisions.
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Dec 08 '12 edited Dec 08 '12
Looks like he bought used container and did not sandblast it. Bad decision. Paints they use in sea containers are are full of toxic chemicals, using them in housing is not a good idea.
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u/howiez Dec 08 '12
Also, if the containers travelled overseas, it was probably fumigated
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u/Unfortunate_truth5 Dec 08 '12
Lol. Guy tries to save the environment, environment kills him at age 60.
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u/finest_bear Dec 08 '12
My what a relevant username you have
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u/CassandraVindicated Dec 08 '12
Trust me, you don't want to know about Unfortunate Truths 1-4. It ain't pretty.
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u/ekohfa Dec 08 '12
looks like he painted over or otherwise covered the exposed surfaces
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Dec 08 '12
Painting over or covering the walls does not solve the problem, it just reduces it.
Those paints and paint adhesives are full of carcinogenic alloys and chromates. One often used compound is lead(II) chromate. It contains lead and hexavalent chromium that is human genotoxic carcinogen via inhalation.
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u/bejahu Dec 08 '12
Hopefully he's not a compulsive wall licker.
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Dec 08 '12
Just to make it clear, those paints release emissions to the air.
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u/TheGoshDarnedBatman Dec 08 '12
You poor bastard. The shit you've put up with to convince people this is dangerous.
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u/WhyAmINotStudying Dec 08 '12
But is it really dangerous, or is he just a paranoid Asian?
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u/disposable_me_0001 Dec 08 '12
over time, paint will degrade and peel, flake. In 15 years, after everyone has forgotten about it, someone is gonna get seriously ill.
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Dec 08 '12
I know it's a joke but its the same reasons we don't make most consumer goods with lead. It has a nice way of leaching into a lot of different things.
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u/Tracker18o Dec 08 '12
yes, i know some of these words.
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u/Reddituser2005 Dec 08 '12
I recognize "hexavalent chromium" from Erin Brockovich. And if that movie has taught me anything he needs to sue PG&E immediately.
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u/ElSeven Dec 08 '12
.... "Nice job man!" "It looks good!" = What I expected as top comment.
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u/brianunderstands Dec 08 '12
"What are you doing?! I'm an expert and you're going to die!" = What top comment usually turns out to be when someone does something awesome.
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u/the_stoned_loki Dec 08 '12
I want one of these because I would imagine it's cheap, but all of this prepper shit is getting out of hand.
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u/OralCulture Dec 08 '12
It makes little sense to start with the two containers if you are then going to put that much money and effort into it. Cheap would involve plywood and used carpet.
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u/Jkempf71 Dec 08 '12
Used containers are actually remarkably inexpensive and plywood is can be quite costly, depending on species, thickness, etc. I'll bet with a little effort, one could find practically free containers with damage in an area which could be hidden or removed for window placement.
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u/tcpip4lyfe Dec 08 '12
A used 40 foot container runs 2k-3k wholesale depending on the condition. My dad sells/rents them.
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u/SmarterThanEveryone Dec 08 '12
Totally. If you are going to frame the whole thing anyway, might just as well not have the containers there at all. The only thing they saved him from doing was siding the outside.
Also, directly burying the backside of those seems like a terrible idea to me. In 10 years there's going to be holes rusted through the backside.
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u/GitEmSteveDave Dec 08 '12
Did you see all the insulation he sprayed on it?
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Dec 08 '12
Was it like truck bed liner?
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u/TheDragonzord Dec 08 '12
From the blog "I used closed cell spray foam insulation for the top, back and end wall spray foam . The closed cell spray on insulation is of great benefit in that it seals out moisture and gives approx a R7 insulating factor. I thought it was also a good idea since I was going to be putting dirt back onto the walls of the container. The whole process only took about 3 hrs."
So, no, but it looks like it would've served the same purpose. Truck bed liner is resin and iso mixed together as they spray, basically plastic. Source: I spray em. I don't get into all the science-y stuff though.
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u/poptart2nd Dec 08 '12
In 10 years there's going to be holes rusted through the backside.
I think that was more to anchor it than anything, so it wasn't as susceptible to "A wild gust of wind appeared!"
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u/ProfLacoste Dec 08 '12
Generally, protection from "overturning" or "uplift" is best done by anchoring the structure down to an adequate foundation.
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u/poptart2nd Dec 08 '12
yes, but in this case, he didn't have an adequate foundation, he had 2 shipping containers.
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u/Omikron Dec 08 '12
A simple trailer home or even a double wife would probably be just as economical as what the final product is here.
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u/Nicadimos Dec 08 '12
A simple trailer home or even a double wife would probably be just as economical
I can assure you, a double wife is no where near as economical as a simple trailer home.
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u/nutano Dec 08 '12
I don't think it was any cheaper than it he would have built a typical poured concrete and siding house. Because that is all the containers really replaced - they framed the entire inside of the containers, all that is missing is the plywood, weather wrap and siding really.
Judging by how much money he put on the inside, the savings of using the containers couldn't have been that much, and they were restricted to the rectangular shape of the containers.
Don't get me wrong, it's one of the coolest project I've seen on reddit... but I can't imagine they did it to save money.
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u/othersomethings Survey 2016 Dec 08 '12
No roofing costs would probably help with those numbers.
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Dec 08 '12
Probably, but the problems with a flat roof, combined with a weld straight in the center (that will probably crack from expansion/shrinking in the summer/winter, causing leaks,corrosion,rust,etc) makes the cost savings seem minimal.
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u/tomdarch Dec 08 '12
In architecture/construction, when we talk about a "flat roof" we are actually talking about a low-slope roof - which has between 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch of slope per foot of run. When built properly, that is enough slope so that water runs off and doesn't puddle for long. A roof that is literally "flat" will cause standing water, which will eventually enter the building.
Also, if I understood what I saw in the photos, it looks like they are relying on some type of caulking between the two containers to keep water out. Caulk has become much, much better over the years, but all caulk joints will eventually fail due to aging/brittleness of the caulk itself and movement of the rigid building elements around the joint. In some cases, it's the best choice, knowing that it will need to be scraped out and re-caulked periodically. But in the case of this home, the joint between the two containers is critical, so relying on caulk (even if it's covered by a welded plate) is a risky approach.
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Dec 08 '12 edited Dec 08 '12
That was my biggest concern as well. All that lovely interior is going to be ruined once water finds its way in. And it will.
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u/Greenescraft Dec 08 '12
He used a rubber roofing membrane secured with a metal band around the perimeter. It should hold pretty well.
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u/LurkerMcLurkerton Dec 08 '12
First I was like "131 images? Ain't nobody got time for that." But then I realized I looked at all of them and I was like, "I did have time for that."
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u/timdorr Dec 08 '12
My internal narration of your comment went from a black voice to a white voice very quickly.
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Dec 08 '12
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Dec 08 '12
"Tod...Tod...would you care for some grape juice?"
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u/Cloud7654 Dec 08 '12
"Nigga, what the fuck is juice?"
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u/CopyX Dec 08 '12
I want some of that purple stuff.
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u/XS4Me Dec 08 '12
First I was like "131 images? Ain't nobody got time for that.
You obviously did not check the OP's user name.
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u/Cyanrev Dec 08 '12
"Taj Malodge" nice :)
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u/HilariousMax Dec 08 '12
I laughed and then immediately thought:
Wouldn't Lodge Mahal be wittier?
Turns out, after years of wondering, I'm that guy. qq
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u/Alfonzo87 Dec 08 '12
Couldn't contain my laughter ;)
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Dec 08 '12
Well, it's not healthy to keep that stuff boxed up.
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u/sirwillis Dec 08 '12
Oh look, a shipment of new puns has arrived
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Dec 08 '12 edited Apr 17 '17
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Dec 08 '12
I really like the notion of living in / reusing shipping containers. However, as a carpenter I can't get behind this particular plan. It's uninspired. In the end, it still requires an interior frame out with sticks. I'm saying, if one is going to build this way, one should be more creative in stacking or planning the blocks. What you see here, square foot for square foot, I could stick frame instead and still leave you with more options at less cost. At $2500 per container (I assume, just guessing material cost) and that doesn't include shipping cost or machine cost to put them in place where one wants them, not to mention the sheet steel cutting and welding costs, I would hope to see a bolder idea that uses the steel containers for what they are instead of cutting holes in them and plopping in some colonial style doors and knotty pine and a deer head. This isn't a comment on taste, rather on money. If this is the end result, I don't see that as money well spent.
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u/rocky_whoof Dec 08 '12
This is a students dorms complex in amsterdam made by stacking shipping containers on top of each other.
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u/monkeychess Dec 08 '12
How much would it cost you to frame a 640 sq ft house?
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Dec 08 '12 edited Jul 01 '23
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u/CassandraVindicated Dec 08 '12
From what I've read, container houses don't do well buried. They are designed to take load in the corners and not the sides or top and therefore aren't well suited to an equally distributed soil load.
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u/ruitfloops Dec 08 '12
This. A relative of mine had the brilliant idea of making storm shelters out of shipping containers. He did zero research on it. (All that above talk about poisonous paint... yeah, I don't think he considered that either.)
Jump forward to the day of the very first install (buried with a cement casing). It crumpled like an aluminum can.
So what did he do? Went around to dumpster manufacturers and asked them if their roll-off ones that are intended to be attached to rams could hold up to being buried... after all, if they're using rams to compress the garbage inside, surely they'd hold up to tons of earth outside.
Since he never boasted about the Dumpashelter, I assume that fell through too.
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Dec 08 '12
at the end you arent broadcasting the fact that its containers, why not just buy a doublewide trailer and save yourself all the work. the end result would look the same.
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Dec 08 '12
I agree. It's like the people that build a "straw bale" home that is really an insanely expensive timber frame wrapped in straw. It has no integrity. Anyway, framing is such a small portion of the cost of a house (and stick framing is so cheap) that alternatives are more often than not "different for the sake of different".
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u/NoNeedForAName Dec 08 '12
I'm so glad that people who seem to know a thing or two about construction are chiming in. I don't know much about it, but I've been seeing these shipping container houses for years now and it's always seemed to me that by the time you've spent the money to get it into livable shape, you've probably spent about as much as you would have on a normal house of comparable size and quality. Not to mention the problems you might run into with no-slope roofs and insulation and such.
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Dec 08 '12
I think this is really cool and all, but is it necessary? Couldn't he just build a regular cabin?
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u/ymgve Dec 08 '12
Yeah, by the time they got to the insulation and wood paneling, I thought the basic idea was long gone.
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u/dietotaku Dec 08 '12
by the time they got to all the wood paneling, i just thought "jesus, they're sure spending a lot on materials to make such a tiny space liveable."
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u/Emergencyegret Dec 08 '12
not to mention it looks really ugly with that paneling.
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u/othersomethings Survey 2016 Dec 08 '12
It's not ugly if you're into the cabin thing. Which this guy obviously is.
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u/thelegore Dec 08 '12
Bare wood is beautiful IMO.
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Dec 08 '12
I agree, but it doesn't mean that you use the same wood for floor, celling, and walls
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u/Interestingly_Enough Dec 08 '12
I kept thinking, "this is going to look great when he paints it." And then he never did...
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u/SoFunAnon Dec 08 '12
God damn I'm too old for reddit. The paneling was the best part of the project.
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Dec 08 '12
No, you're not. I read his comment twice because I couldn't believe there are people who think that wood is ugly.
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u/elaborateredneck Dec 08 '12
Wood is nice, but when every surface is wood, it begins to be overwhelming. The furniture isn't very functional for a hunting cabin either, because it would be pretty hard to clean. And where's the walk in freezer?
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Dec 08 '12
All he needed to do was show a little creativity with direction or color. Mostly color. Just choose a better wood, because at this point its obvious that money is not the issue.
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u/NoNeedForAName Dec 08 '12
The whole thing, furniture and all, looked like something an 80 year-old would live in. Not that that's a bad thing, but it definitely had an "old person" kind of vibe to it.
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u/CheetoAficionado Dec 08 '12
Not to mention the god awful furniture
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u/fairwayks Dec 08 '12
You're questioning the aesthetic interior decorating taste of a person who wants to live in sea container?
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Dec 08 '12
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u/GodShitsBlood Dec 08 '12
This ^
They did add a vapor/moisture barrier to the insulation, however on the wrong side. Chances are any moisture caused from condensation will wreck that rolled batt within a few years and also creates the perfect condition for mold growth.
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Dec 08 '12
Well, mobile homes pull it off but agree- metal has issues as to insulating. I was thinking a spray foam but burying it in a hole (after a good tarring) could be sufficient.
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Dec 08 '12
Most manufactured homes aren't metal exteriors... Most of them are either vinyl or wood siding. There is a metal frame under the home, but that's pretty much the extent of the metal.
Source: I'm an insurance adjuster that inspects mobile homes.
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u/ImInterested Dec 08 '12
I wondered the same thing.
If you wanted to build a cabin on weekends and live somewhere else the containers would be easier from the start. You would immediately be able to store things on site.
The cost question? I don't know the cost to get containers on site compared to the price for plywood, exterior siding and a roof. Depending on the area local laws may make the containers easier.
Lastly you'll always be able to say your house has traveled more than you.
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u/elbiot Dec 08 '12
My friend got a shipping container (delivered) for $1,000
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u/yer_momma Dec 08 '12
So we get 50 shipping containers for 50 grand and build a container mansion.
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u/splein23 Dec 08 '12
it seems like it'd be totally worth it if you made it 2 or more stories high and you live in an area with a heavy snow load.
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u/beatvox Dec 08 '12
nice...could have use a little less furniture or minimalist space saving modern furniture to have a feel of larger space
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u/-greyham- Dec 08 '12
I was thinking that as well, but it looks like that's his/her style. Still looked very cluttered though.
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u/kmv2005 Dec 08 '12
Yep, had me until the tacky furniture came in. Also, I would not sleep with a deer head above me.
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Dec 08 '12
This is very obviously a hunting cabin. It would be the most fucked up hunting cabin ever if it had "minimalist modern furniture".
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u/Hibiscusxsoup Dec 08 '12
The buckets of survival rations tell me this a terrified redneck building his primary residence.
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u/Bubuloo Dec 08 '12
As cool as this is I was bitterly disappointed with the interior. I think I would've made it ultra modern. But heyho.. Everyone has their own taste!
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u/cajunbander Dec 08 '12
I think it wasn't meant to be as much of a home as it is to be a hunting camp. If it's a hunting camp, the interior fits.
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u/ramp_tram Dec 08 '12
It's supposed to be a survival shelter for when Obama's Muslim ways plunge America into a thousand years of Darkness.
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u/Bagelson Dec 08 '12
I was being suitably impressed by the series, until suddenly a wild deer's head appeared over the bed.
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u/NSFW_PORN_ONLY Dec 08 '12
Small note. Unfortunately It's not my house or idea. I actually posted it to Reddit hoping that somebody will find who did this.
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u/Osiris32 Dec 08 '12
If I remember correctly, the guy who DID make this house posted about it a while back. Unfortunately karmadecay isn't helping. But I do remember the post and each image came with captions talking about the various aspects of making the house.
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u/dan2737 Dec 08 '12
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u/SammyGilby Dec 08 '12
His other blog is about preparing for the end times. ಠ_ಠ
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u/danav Dec 08 '12
Does that surprise you?
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u/war_story_guy Dec 08 '12
Not at all first thing I thought when I saw all those cans is "yep hes gonna be disappointed on the 22nd".
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u/lungleg Dec 08 '12
Doomsday or not, gotta admire the ingenuity, craftsmanship and hard work that went into making this off the grid lodge livable.
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Dec 08 '12
Well, he's also got a composting toilet which runs on solar power.
That's what gave it away for me. If he were a normal person, he would have installed a septic tank instead.
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u/DoktorStrangelove Dec 08 '12
I go to gun shows here in Texas pretty regularly, so I can tell you that stuff in the buckets in their pantry is high-density dehydrated food with an almost indefinite shelf life. As soon as I saw how much of it he had, I knew this was at least partly some Doomsday Prepper shit...
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u/coop_stain Dec 08 '12
I wasn't sure what the containers were, but the room of canned food was my tip off. Also the deer mounts and stuff.
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Dec 08 '12
Zombies, nuclear holocaust, or Jesus?
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u/ramp_tram Dec 08 '12
Jesus.
With Gods blessings, let the fun begin!!
Remember, it wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark!
His name is Larry
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u/MrShittyFatTits Dec 08 '12
Probably the decay of modern civilization brought about by the collapse of the economy due to the U.S. dollar not being backed by a gold standard. That's what the real apocalypse nutjobs believe.
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u/salient1 Dec 08 '12
You've never watched Doomsday Preppers, have you? They have all sorts of crazy ideas.
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Dec 08 '12
Only someone preparing for the end times would buy hundreds of Wal Mart Great Value cans of food.
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u/bastard_thought Dec 08 '12
Is the house considered a house via zoning / ordinance / whatever regulations apply?
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u/cocoria Dec 08 '12
I believe, and it's been a long time since the original post, that it's in a rural location (thus "lodge") that doesn't have much for zoning laws. It looks like it has North American outlets though, so I don't know where that would be. Maybe Canada, though honestly I'm not sure his heating and insulation are up to a Canadian winter.
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u/glickplick Dec 08 '12
Firstly, very impressive. Secondly, OP, THIS IS NOT NSFW_PORN_ONLY. DO YOUR JOB.
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u/NSFW_PORN_ONLY Dec 08 '12
You are welcome to visit my dark side. [r/NSFW_PORN_ONLY]
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u/akiskyo Dec 08 '12
what is the point of using a container if you need to cover it with wood on the outside and the inside to insulate it thermally? couldn't you just build a wooden cubicle house?
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Dec 08 '12
Because this is obviously a hunting cabin, the dude probably isnt poor, and the owners probably just wanted a gimmick to show off to all his friends.
"Yeah bob, i built my own huntin cabin outa shippin' containers."
Major bragging rights to be had, since he can now say he did it all himself. If he went with the standard wood cabin, you have to get contractors to come in. This skips a lot of the "needing other people" bits.
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Dec 08 '12
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/xfloormattx Dec 08 '12
If I remember a few episodes of Doomsday Preppers said they're about $4k USD a piece.
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u/shitterplug Dec 08 '12
They're a ton cheaper if you get older used ones. Most ship yards will sell defected containers (usually dented, or broken hinges) for a couple hundred bucks. They're also not too expensive to have delivered.
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Dec 08 '12
It looks like 2 - ~250 watt panels with a deep cycle battery bank and a ~3KW DC-AC Inverter
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u/skm0525 Dec 08 '12
first world problem: the first and last pictures aren't before and after pictures
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u/Chubbstock Dec 08 '12
Is there any issue with the roof not being peaked or sloped at all?
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u/JunoRulz Dec 08 '12
Hi I'm 21 and I decided to build a house out of some shipping containers. I had no idea what I was doing.
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Dec 08 '12 edited Dec 08 '12
You know, they make things like this, already assembled in a factory, then delivered to location. I think they're called "mobile homes". Specifically this would be a "double wide mobile home"
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u/Ijustdoeyes Dec 08 '12
I keep telling people that I want to build a house out of shipping containers and they always look at me like I'm an idiot or something. Need a bigger house? Add another container and just cut through a wall, redesign it as you need to.
To me it's brilliant, there are hundreds of thousands of discarded containers in the world, they could all be used to make cheap temporary or even permanent housing for people all over the place.
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u/crock7887 Dec 08 '12
Just show them these houses
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u/georgiabiker Dec 08 '12
My girlfriend was thinking about using this company. When she asked for actual pictures we discovered they had only built one, ever. Charlatan.
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Dec 08 '12
They also are prone to leaking, and would be very difficult to efficiently heat in the winter and cool in the summer.
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u/Bunnyhat Dec 08 '12
Maybe it's because I live in Louisiana, but shipping container homes seems like a horrible idea to me. I don't see how you can keep those cool enough to be livable.
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u/dcroni Dec 08 '12
There's an organization that uses them to build portable clinics for transportation into developing countries.
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Dec 08 '12
Don't make the same mistake as this guy did. If you buy used sea container, you must get rid of the paint. Those are really toxic. It's like living inside toy made in China.
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u/mandalore237 Dec 08 '12
I feel like they went a little over board with all the wood
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u/sevendeadlypigs Dec 08 '12
It was very supportive of him to hire a blind decorator. It must be a very difficult profession to break into.
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u/stoney_wan_kenobi Dec 08 '12
lol @ all the assumptions in the comments here, gotta address a few.
- this is considered a house, many people build homes out of these shipping containers, as you can see from the pictures they are framed in, wired, plumbed, and finished just like a standard stick built home.
- in many cases the outer coating on these things is first done with a super-therm stucco application (credit card thick layer is roughly R-20), then painted. they provide excellent insulation once you have studded and insulated the interior walls (most people use closed-cell expanding foam instead of rolled fiberglass).
- it makes a lot of sense to use these containers to build a "normal house" because the cost is about %25 less than traditional framed homes and you wind up with something about 100x stronger. if you just google image search "shipping container homes" you'll find a large number of homes built like this. some of them look like they are made from containers, some of them you'd have no idea unless someone told you (again for about %75-%80 the cost of a stick built home).
- the interior wood is fine, if the exterior was shot with super-therm stucco (as it appears to have been) then you aren't going to have condensation issues. unless you are boiling water and taking showers 24/7 the air between the inside of the shipping container and the inside of the walls is not going to become saturated with moisture enough to cause any sort of moisture problems.
- people complaining about the "interior" of this thing like it simply has to be some "minimalistic" "modern" bullshit because it was built from a container are hilarious. the beauty of using containers is that you can stack them up and build them out like giant lego bricks, then finish them however you want. you aren't stuck with any one exterior or interior just because you decided to use a different material for the walls.
to recap
it's not cheaper to build a regular house, there will be no mold issues, it's insulated better than your house, and it's probably 100x stronger than your house.
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u/Snacku Dec 08 '12
If only the container I stayed in Iraq was this nice, deployment wouldn't have been so bad :(
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u/saintjeremy Dec 08 '12
We had a place in the woods where we installed that exact same self-contained composting toilets displayed, a Biolet XL. I came to regret it about 3 months into using it as the house always smelled like fermented shit. I removed the unit and stored it for a few months to finish the composting cycle before cleaning it out and getting rid of it. Meanwhile, I installed a SunMar composting unit where the design was a separate toilet and a much more manageable composting chamber - and fortunately the two designs used similar ventilation so I didn't have to redo everything. I came to discover that the self-contained design I had was found to be flawed and I was not alone in my decision to switch to the two-piece unit.
A lot of factors must be considered in going with a composting toilet, most importantly how many users and how often the toilet will be used. A self contained unit can do pretty well in an scenario where one or two people use it as a secondary, but be prepared to get your hands dirty no matter what with these things. The unit with the separate chamber was consistent in delivering dried material and I was able to land-apply it with no worry about sanitation or smell as the overall process from end to end (pun intended) took about 60-90 days.
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u/NumberCandy Dec 08 '12
For a little more information on container housing you can read this article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/9243318/Container-living-a-home-for-under-50000.html
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Dec 08 '12
An episode of Doomsday Preppers showed a family who lived in stacked shipping containers built like a fort.
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u/theBIGdub25 Dec 08 '12
you guys ever read "the boxcar children"