BeautysBeast Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 (edited) Was watching this show last night about shipping container homes. Got me thinking about building a shipping container shop. Did a google search, and apparently I am not the only person who has ever thought about this. A very inexpensive (a quick search found 40 foot containers for 1500.00) eco friendly way, to build a shop. Thoughts? Edited June 18, 2016 by BeautysBeast found much cheaper containers 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 My opinion is that its dark and depressing and sound echos like crazy . There would be significant mods needed to make that thing into a space I could work in without wanting to slit my wrists. Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeautysBeast Posted June 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 Of course you would need to cut windows, and add insulation to remove the echo. But It's a cheap alternative to stick building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 Its also very annoying to fasten anything to those steel walls. I would also add some sort of framing to the walls to have the ability to easily screw something to the wall when you need to. Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
croessler Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 I like the idea for a temporary work space. We have been looking into buying land in another state for retirement. I could see doing something like this for a temporary shop space that I can secure easily when I'm not there. It would only be for as long as it took to do the finish work in the house and new shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeautysBeast Posted June 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 I've already purchased my retirement home. It came with an acre and a half, so I have plenty of room. The cement alone for a 16x40 workshop would be four times what the containers would cost. A door, Windows, Stud walls, insulation. and a steel pitched roof, it would look like a pole barn. At 1/4 the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat60 Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 Is your mind made up yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 You asked for thoughts but it seems like your mind is pretty well made up. I don't think it's a good idea and you might end up regretting it. Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 1 hour ago, shaneymack said: My opinion is that its dark and depressing and sound echos like crazy . There would be significant mods needed to make that thing into a space I could work in without wanting to slit my wrists. Yeah totally agree. That's worst case scenario for sure. But ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Better than no shop at all. Kind of. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 Just now, Eric. said: Yeah totally agree. That's worst case scenario for sure. But ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Better than no shop at all. Kind of. I took the liberty of editing your post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeautysBeast Posted June 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 50 minutes ago, shaneymack said: You asked for thoughts but it seems like your mind is pretty well made up. I don't think it's a good idea and you might end up regretting it. Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk I appreciate the feedback. You mention things I hadn't thought of. Things that would need to be done to make it a more workable idea. My thoughts go to the fact that the average guy doesn't have 15k to build a shop. So he either gives up garage space, which in my case isn't an option, we live in Wisconsin, and I don't like scraping a foot of snow and ice off my car before work. Or a basement. Which I don't have. I have a small 10x14 shop in the back, which even building it myself, was a couple thousand, and it has a wooden floor, not cement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 I appreciate the feedback. You mention things I hadn't thought of. Things that would need to be done to make it a more workable idea. We have a bunch of containers on our jobsite to store materials and one has our bobcat. I've installed shelving in one of the 40 footers. Wasn't fun. Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeautysBeast Posted June 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 I imagine. I think you would have to build stud walls inside, JUST to make stuff like that easier. Same with framing out windows. You would need a stud wall of some kind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janello Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 1 hour ago, BeautysBeast said: I've already purchased my retirement home. It came with an acre and a half, so I have plenty of room. You purchased the wrong retirement home. It should have had 1/2 acre of open land and a barn already built that spans 1 acre. The real problem i see with your idea is width. By the time you stud the walls for insulation you'll have a 40 foot hallway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeautysBeast Posted June 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 They are 8 ft wide. I think you would need to buy two, and put them side by side and connect them. I think if i were to build a shop with them, I would buy two 20ft. and connect them into a 16x20 foot work space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janello Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 15 minutes ago, BeautysBeast said: They are 8 ft wide. I think you would need to buy two, and put them side by side and connect them. I think if i were to build a shop with them, I would buy two 20ft. and connect them into a 16x20 foot work space. If you do that you'll need a beem down the center. You would be removing all the integrity of the containers. So you are now heavily modifying and getting really close to the price of a stick built structure. It can be done.. the question is will it be cost effective once it is heavily modified. Without crunching the numbers, my gut says it will be very close and far inferior at the end. Think about this for a minute. Just throwing numbers around. 2 containers, hacked up reinforced down the center, change entry door, frame walls, insulate, install windows, ventilation, etc. 6k Or buy a premade amish style large shed for 2 or 3k more, drop it and walk in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemenifee Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 I saw the same program. After watching the program, it could be a viable option. Also, as others have mentioned, it could be a disaster. I think those programs are only showing the optimal outcome. Seems there would need to be lots of research to be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodenskye Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 I thought I saw someone do this before, it looked kind of cool, but he did a lot of work to make it work, but in the end didn't look much like a container. In the end unless the containers were free, I just think it would be better to buy or build a shop. Now if you had a lot of lumber to store, I think they would work great for that task. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 I agree with all of the above. It might seem like it will cost less, however, in the end after studding it out, insulating, and doing everything else to make it a viable shop you will have exceeded the cost of a stick built shop. You could always do a prefab garage, or metal building and a concrete slab for a building this size shouldn't cost you more than 5-6 grand for the slab, and 6ish for the building. In the long run, you will be happy and will have a more usable space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 Maybe use these containers as your garage of the cars, and use the current garage as your shop. I'm also in Wisconsin, and cannot wait to move. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 I know a guy that has two. They form the long walls on each side. Trusses span the space in between, sitting on top of the containers with clerestory windows between the containers and the roof trusses. He stores stuff in the containers, and has a shop on a slab between the two containers. If I had a way to move them around, without having to hire someone, I've have one or two since our jobs typically last a year or two, and we always have to move, set up, and take down tools when switching jobs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithP Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 I fall on the side of thinking this is a terrible idea. A metal shell is going to be hot in the summer and cold in the winter. You are going to have to fur out for walls, floor and ceiling. A cutting torch is going to be necessary to add windows and doors, because that cargo door isn't going to work well on a daily basis. Once you cut holes for windows, you still need to purchase and install. Electrical work is going to have to be surface mounted conduit. That is even if it will pass inspection local code might not allow it the end result is going to cost you every bit as much as stick built for a building that is short, narrow, dark, and poorly climate controlled. you might avoid having to pour a foundation slab, but you will have problems as a result of that too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodbutcher74 Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 This may be taboo bringing this up, but wasn't Chef doing something with containers? I don't think I would be happy with the containers for a shop. I only have a 10' x 16' corner of my garage with blue tarps hanging from the rafters. Maybe you could down size. 16' x 40' would be great but I would settle for a smaller building before using the containers. I would think the containers would lower your property value as well. Just my thoughts. FWIW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted June 19, 2016 Report Share Posted June 19, 2016 What's the headroom? My shop is 9' 6" & I wouldn't want less if I could help it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted June 19, 2016 Report Share Posted June 19, 2016 I've seen lots of these turned into very cool spaces to the point that it's hard to tell what they are on the inside. It's an extremely viable option but, by the time you picked up 2 or 3 (I'd want 3) and got it wired, insulated, welded together, studded/drywalled, etc. you could build a pole building and have more head room and a building that would probably look better on your landscape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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