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Thread: shipping containers???

  1. #16
    Tom, I would look at putting a gravel pad, with a three concrete grade beams to actually support container above the gravel. Space second container from first so as to create a breeze way between the two. Then add a truss roof spanning both containers and breeze way, the ends of which could later be enclosed to create more storage / work space. Plan on adding an access door to end of container that doesn't have a door. Door can be in side wall facing breeze way.

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Upland CA
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    5,540
    I had two at my son's house, and I really liked the wooden floors in the ones we got. Any yard that sells them has a variety of qualities. Ours were hardly dented. I sprayed them desert tan and it took 5 gallons of primer and paint for each.

    Wet climates like yours might not be best for wood floors unless you set them on something. They never even got any dust inside, and his house was in the high desert.
    Rick Potter

    DIY journeyman,
    FWW wannabe.
    AKA Village Idiot.

  3. #18
    It depends on what you plan to do with the container. They get very hot inside. I talked to someone not long ago that was trying to use one for a shop out west and he was having to line the inside with insulating foam to have any chance of using it for that. Then because of the heat if you stored wood furniture in it for any length of time the wood movement would ruin the wood and finish it has. Then often a shipping container is retired because it got damaged and developed a leak. Someone may have patched the leak and you end up relying on a repair job someone did to sell the container. It may or may not be a good repair so unless the damage spot is obvious you may end up putting something important under the leak.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Waterford, PA
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    1,224
    Not knowing your municipality's zoning, make sure you verify that it is permitted. In some of our areas, one is only permitted for 3 months. Other areas they're okay, but require a "building" permit.

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    E TN, near Knoxville
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    12,298
    Quote Originally Posted by Lisa Starr View Post
    Not knowing your municipality's zoning, make sure you verify that it is permitted. In some of our areas, one is only permitted for 3 months. Other areas they're okay, but require a "building" permit.
    I like living here. No permit needed for anything related to agriculture. The only "zoning" rule is 30' setback from the edge of the pavement on the county road.

    JKJ

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Lake Gaston, Henrico, NC
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    This property is not only zoned agricultural, it's out of sight of anyone on the ground. "Individual Agricultural Use" gets around all sorts of other issues too. In building new houses since 1974, and lakefront developing, I've done a lot of dealing with the county zoning department, so no worries there, but thank you for the concern.

  7. #22
    Tom, couldn't you butt the shipping container up against your existing building and cut a pass through from the shop and container. It may make sense if you only used 1/2 the container for storage, the other half could be overflow for the metal shop.

    Others have mentioned 2 containers with a roof over both and I like this option best, since I think it future proofs things.

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Lake Gaston, Henrico, NC
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    8,957
    There is already one 24x40 shed off one side, and a close passway between that shed, and the nearby woodland that goes back to where I'm putting the container. I'm planning on adding on another conditioned mechanic shop on the other side-23x40, to also house a lifetime accumulation of machine tools left to me by a dear friend. In short, it doesn't really work out to adjoin it to any of the other buildings. I mainly just want to get the stored stuff out of that building, and have somewhere to store the small stuff we need to take out of my Mother's house, for rentals. The rentals will be weekly vacation rentals, so there will be a lot of different people passing through there.

    We do have plenty of room for multiples, and any roofs over, but my to-do list is long, so no time for something we really don't need yet.

  9. #24
    To keep the heat down in a Conex isn't too tough, for the ceiling:
    ci.jpg

    --then, pick up some precut 15x93" insulation
    ins.jpg

    go to harbor Freight and pick up a pair of the best $4 scissors you'll ever buy-
    sci.jpg
    -to split the insulation into 7-1/2" wide strips,
    then use some of that spray glue to stick the strips into the wall valleys,
    then screw some plywood or waferboard to the walls...
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  10. #25
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Alberta
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    I have a 53'' long one parked near my shop. I would recommend the containers with doors at both ends or even better the ones with 3-4 sets of doors down the sides. Access is restricted to much with the single end doors. DAMHIKT.

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    New Hill, NC
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    2,568
    Hi Tom.

    I’ve owned several shipping containers for about 17 years. I would highly recommend that you purchase an insulated container for storage; uninsulated ones tend to sweat a lot and get quite hot inside. I would not recommend storing any furniture in them, or something susceptible to heat.

    I happen to know of an insulated 45’ high cube container that may be for sale. I would guess around $3,500. It was a standard steel container that has had a nice coating of closed cell spray foam installed inside.

    As others have indicated, check for leaks, and check the doors for corrosion (especially the bottom’s).

    Bruce’s advice about putting down a gravel pad is good - you want the water to flow away. Additionally, having two containers with a roof over them is a great way to create a lot of storage. You could have one insulated container, and a second non-insulated one for tools or non heat sensitive items.

    On some of mine I removed 3 of the 4 locking shafts. It makes it much easier to open and close if you only have one to contend with.

    Scott

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Western Nebraska
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    4,680
    I use them on build sites for temp storage if we need to warehouse stuff. You'll like it a lot better if you get a tall one, the last one I rented was a couple foot taller than normal. I didn't measure, but I'd guess 9.5' ish. Sure makes flipping boards easier in there. The only downside is the width, they are narrow and long, so plan the loading so you don't have to unload the whole thing to get something back out. I've never had one that a mouse could get into, they are really tight. Had one with something stinky spilled on the floor once though, just put plastic down.

    You probably live outside of zoning, but might want to check. Even in my little backwater of the wild west, the "city" code restricts what you can do with them. They can be ugly, so I get it, but it's a little draconian.

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Lake Gaston, Henrico, NC
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    8,957
    Haven't purchase one yet. In looking into this, there are a Lot of them just sitting around. I told a neighbor, with a lake house near here, that he was welcome to put one beside where I was planning to put one. He's asked me before about building a building to store stuff in, and said he'd leave it to me when he left. He told me that he had one at his home place, that is empty, and I would be welcome to have it if I could move it.

    I also have a BIL that lives near a port. He said they're piling up there so fast that they sell them really cheap. I expect that's where the retailers get them from.

    This has me looking into getting one of the tilt bed gooseneck trailers to move them with. Moving cost from the port is $737, and that still puts them lower than the retailers sell them for with "free delivery", but it won't take many of those trips to pay for the trailer. Yes, I have a truck to pull one with.

    We have plenty of land, with some zoned commercial, that a storage facility may be worth investigating using containers, and roofs......

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Michigan
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    2,754
    Seems like a pole barn would meet your needs better.

  15. #30
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Medina Ohio
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    4,513
    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Bender View Post
    Seems like a pole barn would meet your needs better.
    Here a pole barn raises taxes but a movable shed of container doesn't.

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