10 Things to Consider in Using Shipping Containers for Your Next Project

Sent to you by Jesse C Smith Jr via Google Reader:

10 Things to Consider in Using Shipping Containers for Your Next Project

via Green Building : Jetson Green by Preston Koerner

Modern day pioneer John Wells is doing some interesting work in Alpine, Texas.  On his desert swath in The Field Lab, which is also referred to as The Southwest Texas Alternative Energy and Sustainable Living Field Laboratory, Wells is living off the grid and maintaining an interesting (and humorous) journal in the process. 

A couple years ago, he built a tiny house, which is powered by 270 watts of solar and four 100-watt small wind turbines.  Now, Wells' current project is the construction of a live/work space made from four 20-foot shipping containers.  Wells hopes to finish his 1,600 square-foot space for less than $20,000 and has some helpful pointers for others looking to take on a container project. 

In mostly Wells' words, here are 10 things to consider if you're thinking about using shipping containers in your next project:

*********************************

1. Even with all the hype, containers are difficult to obtain and expensive to ship long distances. If you live close to a major port city and have a really big truck and trailer, it's much easier and far cheaper to get them.

2. Don't bother with those websites that have you fill out your info and up to four suppliers will contact you with competitive prices - THEY WON'T!

3. The price for a 20' shipping container (not including delivery) can range from $2500 to $4000. You can stick build a building with the same amount of square footage, that is just as water tight and structurally sound using traditional construction methods for less than the cost of a shipping container - it just won't weigh as much.

4. Containers provide an extremely secure storage structure which requires a blow torch or dynamite to break into, and they are too heavy to walk off with.

5. If possible, get delivery by tilt bed roll off truck. Otherwise you need a small crane or huge forklift to move and position them - or at least 50 really strong men.  Watch your fingers!  A 20' shipping container weighs almost 5000 lbs.

6. Rust is the only natural predator that can harm a shipping container, so don't scrimp on a good paint job.

7. These metal monsters become ovens or freezers depending on the outside temperature, really good insulation and ventilation is a MUST!

8. The real bonus to using a shipping container is the new green phrase "adaptive reuse." Our trade deficit with the rest of the world is causing these to pile up in our country.

9. If you are going to use one for a structure, stay true to the form. Don't cover the exterior with other building materials - show it for what it is.

10. While searching the web for how containers are being used: (A) most sites only show computer renderings, and (B) actual completed structures have been built at astronomical cost.

*********************************

Categories: 10, Consider, containers, for, in, Next, Project, shipping, Things, to, using, your

Three Things Military Life Can Teach Us about Tiny Living

(Guest post by Tiffany Krezinski)

I know, I know – when someone says “tiny living,” the first thing that pops into mind probably isn’t the military. The military is big and wasteful in many ways; however, on an individual level, there are actually a few principles of military life that apply very well to living in a home of only a few hundred square feet. 

When on deployment, most military personnel live in conditions where all they may have is a bunk and a footlocker – anything they can’t fit into that space either gets tossed or gets put in storage. As such, many people in the military develop certain mindsets compatible with principles behind tiny living. Here are a few of those mindsets. 

1. Everything has a Place 

It sounds so simple, but when you have a very limited space, carving out smaller spaces for the necessities (and a few wants) is absolutely essential. Alongside marching, marching, and more marching, basic training drills military personnel on the importance of defining spaces for personal belongings – toothbrush goes here, underwear goes there, that sort of thing. Part of the theory behind this sort of orderliness is that it cuts down on the number of decisions a person has to make, freeing their brains up for other tasks. (There’s a similar theory behind the wardrobes of CEOs, like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg, who wear the same thing every day.)

Outside the military, we get to decide where to put our own stuff, but sometimes that’s hard to figure out. The good news is that you can budget space just like you can budget your money, and if you do it well, your home will look really nice when you’re done.

If you’re just getting into tiny living, plan out a space-budget in advance. If you’ve been doing it awhile and are constantly frustrated by clutter, it might take a little more effort, but it’s worthwhile. Make diagrams! Draw outlines on the walls, floor, or ceiling! Get creative and be as specific as possible – don’t just carve out space for a spice rack, list the spices you plan to have in it. Just make sure there’s a spot for everything you absolutely need.

And if you find out that you don’t have enough room for something, maybe that’s a hint about how much you really need it… 

2. Everything IN its Place 

Anyone who had a parent, grandparent or other relative who was in the military knows how particular they can be about putting things “in the right place.” Even when everything has a place, sometimes we forget to put things away or simply allow clutter, dirty dishes or clothes, and other random piles of randomness to appear. Ignoring such things, however, will inevitably make a tiny home feel even tinier. 

Since you’ve gone through the effort of making sure everything has a place, there’s no reason for anything to be out of place – except for when you’re using it, of course. The simple answer is, as soon as you’re done with it, put it away. If something needs washing, either wash it immediately (as with dishes) or as soon as practical (as with laundry) without letting it build up. Carving out a little time each day, say five to ten minutes, to just check around and make sure everything is where it belongs can help make your small space feel much bigger. 

3. Consolidate and Share 

If you talk to anyone who’s lived on an aircraft carrier, you’ll learn quickly that there’s a thriving barter community, especially for entertainment. Since space is at a premium, things like books, movies, music, and other physical media get shared from person to person, frequently with in a pay-it-forward model. There are even donation-based programs such as Heinlein for Heroes, that send books to active military personnel expressly for that purpose.

Of course, the best way to save space when living in a tiny area is to go digital for your entertainment needs – Netflix, Pandora, etc. However, many older books, albums, and even movies may not be available through online services, and sometimes it’s just nice to feel the weight of a physical book, LP, or other form of media in your hands. 

Trading with friends is a great option, but there are other ways to share as well, such as with Little Free Libraries and similar projects. 

Looking beyond merely entertainment, there’s a whole host of barter communities out there, which can fit in very well with the idea of tiny living. Check out groups like Our Goods, or look for local barter groups in your area.  You can also look to celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, who wrote a book about sustainable living called The 11th Hour, or Brad Pitt, who worked with a sustainable architect named William McDonough, to design homes with a sustainable design based on McDonough’s designs, named Cradle to Cradle. 

So there you have it. There might not be a ton of overlap between the military life and living in tiny homes, but there are definitely some principles that apply to both. I’d love to hear what other inspirations you can think of. Please share them in the comments.

This post was written by Tiffany Krezinski.  She is a fellow blogger and also interested in tiny living and sustainability.  Please visit and check out her blog; Peace, Love, & Travel with Cliff and Tiff, through the following link.  Thanks Tiffany!

http://responsible-tourists.blogspot.com/ 

Enjoy this post?  Share it with friends using the social networking buttons below. Like the FaceBook page, facebook.com/smallscalehomes.  Join the conversation, or start one in the comments below.  Thanks!

 

 

Categories: about, Can, Life, living, Military, Teach, Things, Three, Tiny, us