Shipping container as Homestead Hut

I'm considering using a shipping container in my garden for storage or workspace. How have others effectively utilized shipping containers in their gardens? What creative ways have you found to organize tools and equipment inside? Any tips on maintaining temperature control and ventilation? I'm eager to learn from your experiences!

I live in Bunny and Deer country. If I was blessed with a decent sized shipping container, (20 ft minimum) I'd:
1. Understand that the only part of the container that's structural is the exterior frame, and that it *must* be properly supported,
2. After completing part 1, I'd put supports across the roof to make sure all weight above the roof was firmly supported by that exterior frame,
3. Then I'd build up the roof edge to contain a good 2 feet of soil, with lots of biochar in it,.
4. Then I'd finally have a Bunny and Deer proof garden that would get a decent amount of sun.

OK, this isn't exactly what you were expecting, and I'm sure you can tell that I'm a little ticked at the critters that have defeated my lousy fencing. The lovely storage it would provide would be the icing on the cake.

There are people local to me that are using them as hydroponics buildings, but that's very energy intensive. Aquaponics is one step better, but personally I don't see the point of substituting electricity for sunshine.

Funny you should mention this.  We're looking at getting a container but still hesitant.  

Ventilation and lighting are a big worry.  Haven't figured out how to get that up to West Coast standards.  They also have a lot of condensation here.  That can be mitigated with more ventilation but... that's a theory.

We don't like the idea of windows because this weakens the structure and lets more moisture in in the winter.  

We are thinking of solar panels on top and motion sensor lighting inside as well as one with a switch.  We don't get much sun in the winter though.  Sometimes less than 2 hours of sunlight a week - overcast winters and very far north.

Anyway, these problems have been solved before, but I'm curious if anyone here knows some ideas we haven't looked into yet.  I've been touring some of the neighbour's secret container buildings and am impressed by what I find.  I think there is a lot of potential here.  

I couldn't find anyone to deliver a shipping container at our present location.

We have one at our West Texas property.  I called the fellow we bought it from and he was glad to sell be one if I had the equipment to unload it onto our property.  He said our tractor would not do that.

We have a local dealer who sell those carports and the same company would build building so we opted to go that route.

For our location that building was a much better choice.

r ranson wrote:We don't like the idea of windows because this weakens the structure and lets more moisture in in the winter.  

We are thinking of solar panels on top and motion sensor lighting inside as well as one with a switch.  We don't get much sun in the winter though.  Sometimes less than 2 hours of sunlight a week - overcast winters and very far north.

Maybe light tubes would be an option? You can direct the daylight right inside a building that way.

Condensation is mostly an issue with a) poor ventilation of humidity and b) cold bridging of insulation. I suspect that extra ventilation might be required for humid areas of a tiny home.......I wonder if you could grow mycelium insulation directly in place and then just cut it out where you didn't need it? I'm imagining making an inner liner, stuffing in between with innoculated straw or sawdust and letting it grow .... I don't suppose it is that easy!

Insulation,  of course!   Face palm.  Why didn't I think of that?   That would go a long way to reducing condensation.

I have this vision in my head of several containers surrounding a courtyard garden. They act as fencing to keep critters out and also provide tool storage and harvest/curing sheds right where they're needed. But I haven't done the research to figure out how to actually materialize that.

Christopher Weeks wrote:I have this vision in my head of several containers surrounding a courtyard garden. They act as fencing to keep critters out and also provide tool storage and harvest/curing sheds right where they're needed. But I haven't done the research to figure out how to actually materialize that.

A guy out in West Texas whose blog I used to follow did this with either two or four containers. I am remembering that there were four containers.

The courtyard provided much needed shade for critters and plants.

He also came up with an idea for a ice chest water cooler to cool his tiny house.

In case you are interested and if the blog still exists his name is John Wells.

Great questions!

While I do not have a shipping container on my homestead, my work utilizes them for storage/workspace.

For our storage conex box, we utilize free standing shelving butted up against the interior walls. This has created a center aisle that you can travel down and gather what materials you need. We have found the smaller items are best placed towards the back and open room left in the front in case you need to store a wide or long object without having to fight your way deeper into the space. We keep pipes for example right at the entrance towards the left hand wall that we can pull out of the hanger and cut to length right there. I would encourage you to take the time to prepare the spot you are going to place the box in order to encourage draining away from the entrance. We had to do quite a bit of risky lifting and shimming because we did not do our due diligence.

I like the idea that the container is already weather tight - no complicated roof sealing to do to achieve a green roof. I love this one - I can imagine chilling out on the deck by the pool (delete midges/mosquitos...)

green roofed garden shed

source

You'd probably have to have the soil slightly deeper to get much in the way of vegetables up there, but considering they stack them one on top of another they ought to take the loading with no trouble.

Nancy Reading wrote:I wonder if you could grow mycelium insulation directly in place and then just cut it out where you didn't need it? I'm imagining making an inner liner, stuffing in between with innoculated straw or sawdust and letting it grow .... I don't suppose it is that easy!

This would be a great candidate for mycoinsulation.  If someone had the $$, they could buy pre-innoculated substrate from ecovative for this very purpose.  

If I were to pursue this myself, I would do one of three things:

Option 1: grow it in place.  You'll probably want to innoculate your substrate in a different, more controlled context, then install it against the walls/ceiling using plastic or silicone-lined forms.  Alternately, you could install it behind tongue-and-groove paneling, which would become the interior cladding.  The mycelium would bond with the paneling, creating a very strong structure with little to no fasteners and zero adhesives needed.

Option 2: grow some mushrooms out of a block or panel form (rather than the plastic bags or buckets most folks use) and install the spent substrate/mycelium blocks/panels after a couple mushroom harvests.  

Option 3: source second-flush grow bags from a nearby mushroom farm, cull any contaminated ones (burying in the garden) and install all the good ones lining the interior of the container.  let them grow together and dry out over time.  You would probably do this incrementally, going up a foot or two at a time and advancing to the next course once a week or so, or as you're able to procure the spent substrate.

Any of these could be done in a way that creates a nice, tight but breathable envelope with little to no thermal bridging.

Thanks Beau!
I found the low tech video extract about mycelium insulation:

It really does look useful. Growing it in place with wood panelling would be so cool!

I have a 40 foot High Cube shipping container on my property that has my shop in 15 feet of one end and storage in the rest. Ventilation is critical. I cut a small opening in the end of the container and used 2x6's to frame it out. It has small windows on each side and a fan like this in the middle.
iLiving 12-Inch Wall Mounted Exhaust Fan with Variable Speed, 960 CFM, 1400 SQF Coverage Area, Silver https://a.co/d/0cTLvGVd

I built a frame that can tilt and put four 100 watt solar panels on the roof that charge four 6 volt golf cart batteries and powers everything I need in the container. I have two security cameras on the container, a weather station, and lights. I have a small mill and bench lathe and the only time I can't use them is in the winter when the temp gets below 20F.

There are a lot of ways to do it. If you cut holes in the walls you have to reinforce the wall since the shipping containers are designed to put all the load to the corners, then be stacked like blocks.
If you insulate, you need to use something like a closed cell spray foam or you will fight mold. Insulation like the pink fiberglass stuff or anything "loose" will draw moisture as the steel walls still condense moisture unless the surface is closed with a bond that cannot let humid air get to it at all.

For storage I built shelves on one side and install 24" deep pallet racking style shelves on the other side with a 48" aisle down the middle. You can also drill through the walls and bolt on boards like 2x6's to attach hooks or do a french cleat system.

Another insulation option I have theorized but not tested is to take wood shavings like you can get as animal bedding, and treat it with lime. If you dampen the shavings first, then apply the lime, you can form the mix or pour it into a void. A similar mix is used in cordwood construction, and I'm hoping to test it for containers by making slabs to put between 2x4's bolted to the walls.

Caleb Mayfield wrote:Insulation like the pink fiberglass stuff or anything "loose" will draw moisture as the steel walls still condense moisture unless the surface is closed with a bond that cannot let humid air get to it at all.

Probably a question @Beau M. Davidson: Would this also apply to the mycelium insulation, that it would trap moisture because of the impermeable but thermally conductive steel?

People are worried about condensation. Cure this by insulating the inside. Simpler still, use old carpet or underlay on ceilings. Thin ply on walls. This cured mine. Scotland has extremes of weather. Hot to cold and back, all in one day. Plus the rain here is extremely wet. Geoff

My idea of shipping containers is they have very thick steel walls.  How does one cut any holes for windows or doors or openings like the poolside gazebo in such heavy material???
I think it's the steel itself that creates the condensation of vapor. That idea coming from the corrugated metal patio roofing that drips water as the snow is melting off in winter. When the weather is cold enough the snow isn't melting and there's no condensation/dripping, but once the snow starts melting I have to mop the underside of the roof or mop the patio floor to keep up with the water. I think it would be a good way to "harvest" drinkable water in winter without using power (electricity or woodstove).  Much like using plastic cone with rock in middle over a hole dug in the ground and a catch cup under the rock - a survival technique in the desert for water.  So the metal itself being sensitive to small temperature changes would convert water from solid to liquid to vapor more readily than say earth or wood?  But the wood/earth being porous would absorb or channel the liquid and make it hard to collect.  Plastic would act sort of like metal but be likely to leach chemicals or melt in the heat.  As for using "insulation" to keep condensate from happening, any type insulation that absorbs moisture would not be a solution as it could grow mold without adequate ventilation/air flow.  Air flow is the key element.  I have run fans in my patio when the snow begins to melt to try and keep the water from condensing and dripping - and it does work to a point...however, the faster the melt/temp rise the more air flow is needed -well beyond the capability of my fans..

They are often cut with a plasma cutter to install doors and windows. You can then weld the frames in steel back to the container if you extend the frame all the way to the edge. Note that I live in Australia where steel is relatively cheap compared to wood. It might be more economical to do it in timber where you are.

To answer the question re wall thickness. Conex walls are only 1/8" thick. I find it easy to cut them with a metal grinding wheel and even a Sawzall w metal cutting blades. You don't need any fancy tools. But keep in mind that it is a type of steel and that it is heavier than you look. I have had the pleasure of building 2 Container homes...so I have gotten to experience most of the pros and cons and potential issues personnally:D

Clever way to insulate is by using polystyrene panels which match the container wall shape. I have seen them for sale from USA.

Caleb Mayfield wrote:I have a 40 foot High Cube shipping container on my property that has my shop in 15 feet of one end and storage in the rest.

For storage I built shelves on one side and install 24" deep pallet racking style shelves on the other side with a 48" aisle down the middle. You can also drill through the walls and bolt on boards like 2x6's to attach hooks or do a french cleat system.

I have the same container set up; what I did for shelving was built to fit and hung by chain from the upper tie-down eyes of the container (my container had eyes every 44", I think). That allowed me to have upper shelves the entire length of the container even over the shop/workbench area, and add additional shelves in the storage area, but still leave the floor free for things to large/heavy to go on a shelf, and not make any exterior penetrations.

It's only 30' or so from the house so I ran a couple electric circuits to it (ran conduit underground, elbowed up and drilled through the wood floor); for lighting I initially ran some exterior string lights I had on hand, but ended up running LED shop lights over the workbench and spaced down the storage area.