BajaNomad

Shipping Container Homes

buddha - 2-28-2011 at 10:02 PM

I would think that in Ensenada there are a lot of shipping containers and they could be purchased cheap to build a home.

Anyone ever seen any shipping container homes in baja?

http://zerocabin.com/

http://www.google.com/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=...

[Edited on 3-1-2011 by BajaNomad]

buddha - 2-28-2011 at 10:33 PM

couple more cool links

http://www.containerhome.info/shipping-container-cabin-retre...

http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/articles/containers.htm

drarroyo - 2-28-2011 at 11:30 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by buddha
couple more cool links

http://www.containerhome.info/shipping-container-cabin-retre...

http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/articles/containers.htm


cool links. Just not cool climate in Baja.

Bob and Susan - 3-1-2011 at 06:36 AM

actually this is a very good idea...better than a cob house

a friend bought some in long beach ca and imported them

filled them with building supplies too

welded doors on and turned one into part of a house

again...interesting ideas

tiotomasbcs - 3-1-2011 at 07:10 AM

Buddha, someone in Loreto posted info about cargo containers and their availability. They would make great storage/bodegas also as during summer some of us are vulnerable to robbery by tweekers during absences. Let us know what you find out. I have one on a ranch in San Diego that has been very secure and dry--no mice either. :tumble:Good luck. Tio

buddha - 3-1-2011 at 08:07 PM

At first I thought of a sandbag home.
http://earthbagbuilding.wordpress.com/2009/06/08/2000-earthb...

The shipping container home seems like a lot less labor and quicker to get built and possibly less expensive.

I would think that there are many containers available in Ensenada or any port.

buddha - 3-1-2011 at 08:38 PM

cool presentation of an earthbag home built in Mexico.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6IKMaSR1yU

mtgoat666 - 3-1-2011 at 08:46 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by buddha
At first I thought of a sandbag home.
http://earthbagbuilding.wordpress.com/2009/06/08/2000-earthb...

The shipping container home seems like a lot less labor and quicker to get built and possibly less expensive.

I would think that there are many containers available in Ensenada or any port.


intermodal containers are really ugly unless you add roofs, ornamentation, etc. i suppose if that is the look you want for your house....

they are only about 8-ft wide, so limit you to 8-wide shotgun rooms.

you can probably find more economical pre-fab housing in form of a house trailer. even a single wide trailer is wider than an intermodal.

and if you want cheap trailer (seems you are looking for cheap, eh?), you can get used...

drarroyo - 3-1-2011 at 11:11 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bob and Susan
actually this is a very good idea...better than a cob house

again...interesting ideas


yyyyeaaa if you wanna fry eggs on your living room floor!
baja heat gettin' to ya?

mcfez - 3-2-2011 at 07:29 AM

40 ft containers run $1400.00 to $1800.00

In effect....they be great microwave ovens to have.....for use in Baja. By the time you get the pre slab poured, modification of the unit(s) ....$14000.00 or better. Plus land.

For a alternative house idea...one can do much better with other sort of methods. Earth bag construction is far superior. The average Mexican labor will know how to do this with a little on site education. I suggest you deeply investigate this as I did. I plan on using this method in SF and on my farm this coming late year.

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Earthbag_constructio...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKartbOHX9k&feature=relat...

http://earthbagplans.wordpress.com/

Earth bag construction is not a new idea. One can find this subject all over the net.

Bob and Susan - 3-2-2011 at 07:36 AM

i thought they would be hot too but they really are pretty cool inside

i've been in several in the middle of the summer

not too bad

they are ULGY:biggrin:

O.G. - 3-2-2011 at 10:19 AM

As for container homes only good for frying eggs, I had a 40' container used as storage for construction supplies when building my house. Painted it avocado green so it would blend into the estate when the construction was complete. However, during the summer in Riverside county CA., it got so hot that paint containers were popping open, etc. Then, I had it sprayed with 2 inches of closed cell foam (same as on the flat roof of my house) and WHAT A DIFFERENCE! A drop of around 30 degrees. However, the doors were left closed and they had gaskets. If doors are constantly opened then I would imagine the temp would equalize with the outdoor temps. Never tried living in it, had a doghouse for that if warranted... .

mcfez - 3-2-2011 at 10:47 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bob and Susan
i thought they would be hot too but they really are pretty cool inside

i've been in several in the middle of the summer

not too bad

they are ULGY:biggrin:


here's a interesting website on these...

http://www.containerhomes.net/products-and-prices/products-p...

[Edited on 3-2-2011 by mcfez]

DENNIS - 3-2-2011 at 10:50 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bob and Susan
they are ULGY:biggrin:



Yeah...who wants to live in a steel box with HITACHI painted across the side.