The relatively low cost and apparent simplicity of container home are two factors that attract people to this construction method. And the bloggers DO make it sound so, so easy. You would think any youngster could do it; in fact some writers have gone so far as to call ISBU construction "Lego style building".

Unfortunately, just like most of what you read about container home projects on the Internet, this sort of simplistic information - especially when it is recycled over and over again - is of no help when it comes to the actual building of a shipping container structure. Guiding an ISBU project from glossy concept to finished structure requires a whole lot more than some simple slogans and a few You Tube Videos.

This Guide is made up of 3 sections corresponding to the stages of any typical construction process:

-DESIGN -

  • How to design a home that retains shipping container's strengths and advantages.
  • Is an architect really necessary when you are building with used shipping containers?
  • Using CAD to design a shipping container house.
  • Step by step process of turning a sketch into a 3 dimensional design study.

 

-ENGINEERING -

  • Learn the engineering principals critical to a successfully completing a shipping container home.
  • Explaining the role of the structural engineer.
  • Navigating the maze of national and local building codes to build a shipping container home.
  • How to use building codes to get a shipping container home built, even when it's not "Up To Code".
  • This section contains the" secret sauce" that the other sites lack .

 

-CONSTRUCTION -

  • The role the contractor and the option of acting as the owner/build\er..
  • A perspective on the quality and quantity of materials you will need to cost out.
  • Building Permits for Shipping Container Homes.
  • Preparing your site for the foundations.
  • The ins and outs of Insulation and condensation.

The Design and Engineering Sections make up the planning stages.

These stages should be completed before the construction stage begins.

BONUS MATERIAL

- CONTAINER HOME RESOURCE GUIDE-

  • Free CAD program to design shipping container homes
  • Resources useful to the shipping container home builder.
  • A guide of what to look for when selecting shipping containers
  • A comprehensive list of building codes from most states, fully downloadable.

 

LOADS OF OTHER USEFUL TOOLS

 

-USING THE CONTAINER HOME RESOURCE GUIDE-