philpatton
Enjoys Recycling
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- May 24, 2010
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Idea For Cheap Housing
In another discussion someone had asked for suggestions for economical construction ideas and I mentioned using a cargo container and another poster added a link. I did not want the original poster to think that I was trying to hijack their posting so I decided to start my own.
Cargo or shipping containers are the metal boxes that are used to move cargo aboard ship. They are normally 9 high, 8 wide and the lengths are from 20 - 50. There is a glut of these containers all over the world and several people are starting to convert them into housing. The costs depends on where you live, but Ive talked to folks who have had the container delivered for $2,000.00.
The containers can be connected side by side. You have to cut part of the wall away and add an upright support, but it can be done.
A few years ago I ran some numbers and figured that I could build a 3,000 sq ft home with the land for around $100,000. The project that I envisioned was a bermed home where I would dig down 4, bury the units side by side and then push the earth removed from the holes up to the sides of the containers. The doors on the containers would be on the side facing south and could remained attached so that in the case of a tornado or hurricane they would function as storm shutters.
There are a few other details that would be required such as coating the outside, bolting them together and preparing a pier system for them to sit on but those are details that can be discussed later. You then have to finish the inside.
Ive included some links just to give folks ideas of what can be accomplished with this type of construction. These are just some ideas, there are many others.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3EAJex1RVo&feature=PlayList&p=2850D441B9B67023&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkgoC-RihCk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
6FRLdjQqmw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fShrqoGyyj8&feature=related
In another discussion someone had asked for suggestions for economical construction ideas and I mentioned using a cargo container and another poster added a link. I did not want the original poster to think that I was trying to hijack their posting so I decided to start my own.
Cargo or shipping containers are the metal boxes that are used to move cargo aboard ship. They are normally 9 high, 8 wide and the lengths are from 20 - 50. There is a glut of these containers all over the world and several people are starting to convert them into housing. The costs depends on where you live, but Ive talked to folks who have had the container delivered for $2,000.00.
The containers can be connected side by side. You have to cut part of the wall away and add an upright support, but it can be done.
A few years ago I ran some numbers and figured that I could build a 3,000 sq ft home with the land for around $100,000. The project that I envisioned was a bermed home where I would dig down 4, bury the units side by side and then push the earth removed from the holes up to the sides of the containers. The doors on the containers would be on the side facing south and could remained attached so that in the case of a tornado or hurricane they would function as storm shutters.
There are a few other details that would be required such as coating the outside, bolting them together and preparing a pier system for them to sit on but those are details that can be discussed later. You then have to finish the inside.
Ive included some links just to give folks ideas of what can be accomplished with this type of construction. These are just some ideas, there are many others.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3EAJex1RVo&feature=PlayList&p=2850D441B9B67023&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkgoC-RihCk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
6FRLdjQqmw&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fShrqoGyyj8&feature=related
