Shed Building

[Lillian]

So we have signed the paperwork for our current house and have signed a contract for our future home. We'll be down-sizing a bit, so nothing can go in the house long term. I'm mulling over my options for building a shop/shed. One of my options is to use shipping containers, possible two 40 footers placed about 20 feet apart. I could go with 20 footers, but the 40's are only about $125 more. The distance between them is just a guess at the moment. I'm waiting for the survey to arrive so I can figure out how much space I have between the fence and the utility easement line. I would insulate them and berm them to keep the heat out and to be able to control the humidity inside, I will build a room so I'm not trying to climate control the whole thing.
Does anyone have any experience using shipping containers for sheds? Should I pour a pad for the area under the containers and well as for the space in between?

[seeaxe]

Hi Lillian and congrats on the house.

A full pad under the container is a waste of money unless the soil at your site is very, very weak. The total weight of the 40 foot container plus what you put in it is unlikely to exceed 12 metric tonnes or 25,000lbs. The middle supports will carry twice as much as the ends so there's 6000kg on the central foundation. A 0.5m wide by 2.4m long strip footing (from one side of the container to the other) would support that on average clay soil. You only need half that width at the ends.

If you look online people put them on railway sleepers and such like so that if you ever want to move it you can.

As far as a slab between them is concerned...the doors are at the ends so how are you going to use that? If you cut doors in the sides of the containers then the slab might be better level with the internal floor rather than at foundation level.

Best of luck.

[kiwigeo]

Controlling the humidity is one of your biggest challenges. Good ventilation is the key. Containers are also all metal so they're a thermal bridging nightmare. Anywhere you have thermal bridging going on there is a risk of condensation...and mould. I'm in the middle of a Passivhaus house build where Ive gone to great lengths to design out thermal bridging and condensation is kept under control with a heat recovery ventilation system. Effective but not worth the cost for a shed. For you insulation and ventilation are what should be focused on.

[Lillian]

Richard, the plan, such as it is, is to put doors on the side or cut out sections of the sides on the concrete pad area. Most likely I'll go with doors. This will give a big room in the center that can be used for gatherings, and I can lock the doors to keep the noisy ones out of the shops.
From what I can see online, the soil is mostly going to have bit of "top soil", then a few inches to a few feet of caliche. If no caliche, sandy.

Thanks Martin. That's a big something to consider. My main reason for using the containers was that it would be relatively quick and easy to get my tools and wood out of the house and into something weather proof. Time to have another think on building materials.

[blackalex1952]

When camping in the hot Queensland sun a few years ago, I erected a tarpaulin over my tent with about a one foot air gap between the tarp and the tent roof.
The temperature with the tarp had dropped around 20 degrees at mid day when compared to the day before with no shade from the tarp. So containers with a skillion car port style roof would to my mind, be a good option for a container shed. Airflow between the container roof and the skillion roof would be enhanced by the temperature difference between the two roofs, along with vents in the container roof for internal air circulation.-cheers! Ross

[seeaxe]

I looked up caliche and its more likely to be too hard than too soft, so no you don't need a slab under the container. If the caliche is deep and cemented just put the container on some levelling pads. After removing the topsoil if any. I hope the site is relatively level as it sounds like it can be difficult to excavate.

Agree with the "roof/shade over" concept. I suspect they will get too hot otherwise.

Good luck

[Lillian]

When camping in the hot Queensland sun a few years ago, I erected a tarpaulin over my tent with about a one foot air gap between the tarp and the tent roof.
The temperature with the tarp had dropped around 20 degrees at mid day when compared to the day before with no shade from the tarp. So containers with a skillion car port style roof would to my mind, be a good option for a container shed. Airflow between the container roof and the skillion roof would be enhanced by the temperature difference between the two roofs, along with vents in the container roof for internal air circulation.-cheers! Ross

It's quite common to see a separate roof over a mobile home/trailer. Up here it's mostly for the snow load, but down in NM they are definitely used for shade. It makes a massive difference in comfort and the electric bill.

This is the configuration I'm thinking about doing. https://www.livinginacontainer.com/wond ... house-usa/ Depending on if the glare will affect the next door neighbors, we might put solar panels on the large section of the roof.

I looked up caliche and its more likely to be too hard than too soft, so no you don't need a slab under the container. If the caliche is deep and cemented just put the container on some levelling pads. After removing the topsoil if any. I hope the site is relatively level as it sounds like it can be difficult to excavate.

Agree with the "roof/shade over" concept. I suspect they will get too hot otherwise.

Good luck

The caliche has the potential to make things easy, or much more difficult than I would like. The first project we are doing is a sunken green house. We're looking at doing this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD_3_gsgsnk
Which is, in a way why I was leaning toward using containers for the shop. I can get a container when we move in, put the shop boxes out there while I deal with the green house. Then come spring, get started on the shop.

[seeaxe]

Love the greenhouse! Great idea.
Couldn't help noticing the retaining wall in the new one is leaning in...not enough support there!
Would love to see some pictures of that when you get going.

[Lillian]

Love the greenhouse! Great idea.
Couldn't help noticing the retaining wall in the new one is leaning in...not enough support there!
Would love to see some pictures of that when you get going.

I thought it was a great idea especially since it can heat and cool. And we will definitely need the cooling bit.
I will do my best to remember to post them.