How to insulate a shipping container?

Bill101 said:
Would you not have to check on the local planning rules about converting things like this for domestic use?
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^^ this

though you'd probably be able to fly under the radar for the required 4 years if you lived in the countryside and were creating a guest house/outbuilding/home-office with one...

edit Actually - if its an outbuilding you don't need permission anyway.
 
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Tefal said:
is it still true you don't need planning permission for a fallout shelter in the uk?
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ACcording to someone on a DIY forum:

"there is an exemption from Building Regs and Planning Permission provided:

Internal Floor area no more than 30 sq metres

depth is no greater than the distance to the nearest building.

so you do not have to submit plans.

Tell your neighbours that it is a septic tank or something, otherwise they will try to break in when the bomb falls. "
 
If using expanding foam then check the safety data, some contain cyanide compounds which could outgas. Same with some sheet wood products.

Interestingly people that buy metal sheds often complain that condensation then makes everything damp, when all they have to do is to insulate the ceiling with spray foam - no temperature differential, no condensation. Shed makers never mention this fact though :)

You could also consider using a solar paint on the outside, used on flat roofs to combat heat degradation of the felt.
 
It's more of a 'mental' long term plan rather than something that is happening now. It's an interesting concept to me, I'd only pursue it further if I could get a semi-luxury spacious finish as the result, I'm not wanting to do it in a fall out shelter/cheap living kind of way. Would be nice to incorporate them into another structure so the total house isn't 100 steel!


doofski said:
Building a home out of a shipping container. When its done properly its not as stupid as it sounds.
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I've seen that one before, and it irks me as so little of the end result is container, and they chop them up so much it negates the point of using them, as soon as you start to chop them up they have zero strength and require reinforcing which means you're wasting tie/money/resources in the first place and the end result has no 'green' angle to speak of at all. But the end result in this way can look good!

Maccapaca: They aren't 'just' mild steel, they're made exclusively from Corten steel, one of the strongest steels there is and designed to weather in finish anyway. Thanks for the numbers on the insulation 100MM of spray foam would be easyish to do and stop any water problems on the inside too.
A HighCube is 2.7M tall so quiet a bit of headroom to double up on the needed insualtion too.
 
I would put rigid foam or even fiberglass batts between the studs and the gypsum board on top. Spray foam would be even better but its more expensive. I'd also make sure there was some kind of venting system, and run a dehumidifier that turns on above a certain humidity.

I'm not totally sure though because most wood frame houses have a somewhat breathable outer wall so water vapour can escape. I might put a poly vapour barrier behind the plaster board.
 
kwerk said:
I would put rigid foam or even fiberglass batts between the studs and the gypsum board on top. Spray foam would be even better but its more expensive. I'd also make sure there was some kind of venting system, and run a dehumidifier that turns on above a certain humidity.

I'm not totally sure though because most wood frame houses have a somewhat breathable outer wall so water vapour can escape. I might put a poly vapour barrier behind the plaster board.
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No,
As has been pointed out several times already by an architect, why do you think you know better?

Water will condense on the metal skin and make the fibreglass wet.

A vapour barrier would not stop this process, just prevent internal vapour adding to the problem.

Metal skin buildings do not perform in the same way as wood buildings.
 
You need to keep the metal "warm" so I could only see it working if the insulation was applied externally in the same way that insulated external render is. Even then you have huge cold bridge at the floor because you cant thermally break the floor / wall junction.
 
LOAM said:
Even then you have huge cold bridge at the floor because you cant thermally break the floor / wall junction.
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Say the floor is sitting on 100mm of insulation. The internal walls+roof have 150mm insulation, the entire interior f the box would be separate from the metal?

fwiw the floor is also just wood in shipping containers. Big sheets of it layed over steel joists that make the floor. So anyone building with one needs to pay attention to that.
 
bitslice said:
No,
As has been pointed out several times already by an architect, why do you think you know better?

Water will condense on the metal skin and make the fibreglass wet.

A vapour barrier would not stop this process, just prevent internal vapour adding to the problem.

Metal skin buildings do not perform in the same way as wood buildings.
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The water comes from the inside. That's why you can buy batts with a vapour backing already on it. Or use poly sheeting over the whole thing which is even better. The steel is waterproof so as long as an exterior holes are sealed where is moisture going to come form? That seems to be how most container house people do it for the cheapest, with batts. Closed cell foam does the same thing, it acts as a vapour barrier so the inside moist air cant touch the steel.

These people use fiberglass

http://www.containertech.com/container-modifications/insulation-interior-finishing/
 
You cant keep the metal warm any more then you would stick a woolly jumper around your house
You have to isolate the interior atmosphere from the hard metal. So like a glass window on cold day, you dont want actual contact to ever occur. Fiberglass is the most obvious insulator but some air getting through is inevitable I guess

random vid I spotted today
 
Too many people reply negative going on on their view of things and no real experience just because you went in one and it was hot at summer or even if you have owned one unless you have converted one you dont no.
I have 16, 30 foot containers which I have converted for my own use I have 2 offices 1 staff room 1 toilet and shower block a large workshop and lots of storage I also have converted one that I lived in for just under 2 years
Which I was very happy with. Now all the containers barring the one I was living in are all connected to each other the offices staff room and toilets are all Insulated with stud walls 4/2 " double glazed doors and windows and plastered
The ones I use for storage are not insulated and yes in the summer with the sun heating them directly you wouldn't last long at all in the winter you would like freeze but once insulated they are very pleasent insulation works both ways the best thing to use is poly staring on spray foam I have 2" poly staring inside. Between the studs but something that makes a big difference is cladding the outside I have 2" poly strain outside as well covered by cladding not only does it transform the look but it stops the sunlight heating up your metal walls
Now I love wood I love the look I love the smell but you have so many advantages using containers as you can build complete rooms , houses wire them put all your fittings in decorate them even put your furniture in them of site and then have them delivered and be living in them in a matter of a week
When I started doing these it was for me to work from I have now had that much interest from customers visiting my office that I have started converting them as a second business with multiple sales and if things persist will be looking at making this my main business.
 
I am located in Kent uk
Lol "Derek" didn't even look at the date only found the site last night
As I was doing some research as Im looking at buying land to build a
House of my own was checking out planning regs and stumbled on this site.
 
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