FAQs
How is a Cargo house transported to my site?
The container(s) are prepped, sealed and loaded on a truck (or train or ship) and delivered to your site as individual container modules. The 20-foot containers can travel on a standard flat-bed car carrier (with tilt bed), and 40-foot containers can travel via special 40-foot carrier trucks, or a standard semi trailer truck. You pay delivery cost; depending on distance, this can be a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
How is a Cargo house installed? How long does it take?
The container(s) are set down on your prepared foundation by truck and/or crane, installed per specifications (as a permanent, semi-permanent, or movable dwelling), and utilities are hooked up. We’ll coordinate with local contractors to ensure a smooth install. The entire container modular installation process takes just about 1 day. Decks, roofs and additional structures take a few days longer to assemble and finish.
What kind of site preparation is needed?
That depends on the specifics of your site and how you want to use your Cargo dwelling, but we generally recommend one of two approaches: (1) For a single container dwelling (the single 20′ CargoCottage, or the single 40′ CargoCabin) you can treat it as a “temporary” structure like an RV. All you need is a flat gravel bed or concrete slab with electric, water, and sewer or septic system hookups. (2) For a more permanent dwelling, we recommend concrete pilings at the corners of the containers, which are the strongest part of the structure. Alternatively, you can pour a flat concrete slab. For either of these permanent installation methods, we recommend embedding steel plates in the concrete at the containers’ corners and any additional load points. The CargoHouse can then be welded into place.
What about power, water and utilities?
ShelterKraft CargoHouses come with electric power, electric heat, and plumbing for standard municipal utility, septic system or RV hookups. Other utility selections including gas, solar power, and off-the-grid options are available – refer to our Stock Models page and Green Building page.
How do you treat the exterior of the container? Does it have to look like a corrugated metal box?
There is a specific type of finishing paint for containers which comes in a range of about 30 color choices – or you can choose to keep the exterior unfinished for a more rustic look – the containers are built from a special steel alloy called COR-TEN™ (or weathering steel) which will form a patina of rust that actually protects the container from any further corrosion. Additionally wood siding, screens, murals, or other decorative elements can be used to add visual appeal to the exterior.
What about roofs?
The roof of a container provides a completely weather-proof barrier and is cambered to shed water naturally, so in many climates no roof structure is required. We coat the top of the container as an additional protection against weather. Roof structures can be added, for example in areas with heavy snowfall, or to provide shade in a hot climate.
What about insulation?
Traditional home insulation methods can be used in containers, but these reduce the interior (livable) space by several inches all around. ShelterKraft is incorporating new, compact solutions such as ceramic insulative paints and soy-based polyurethane foam. We spray the interior of the metal with ceramic paint, fur out the walls, and put in the insulation foam and sheet rock for a total estimated insulation value of R-24 to R-28.
Don’t Cargo houses get hot in the summer?
The insulation of the houses provides some protection. The exterior paints can also be reflective to help keep heat from collecting inside. In a climate with hot weather, we also recommend a roof structure to provide shade. Additionally, our team has expertise in tropical architecture, with knowledge of many “passive cooling” and design elements to help promote air flow and keep your house cool without the use of air conditioning. Finally, the compact spaces of a CargoHouse can be cooled easily with traditional (electric) window air conditioning units.
It’s a metal box – aren’t there problems with cold and condensation?
ShelterKraft isolates the interior structures of the walls from the metal of the container, so there is no thermal transfer of cold from the outside. Using spray foam insulation means there is little or no air trapped within the walls that would containing moisture, thus minimizing any condensation.
What kind of snow load can a container house carry?
Approximately 60 pounds per square foot, ample for most areas in the Puget Sound region at or near sea level. If you live in an area with heavy snowfall, we recommend structural reinforcement or adding a peaked roof.
Can you bury a container house underground?
We don’t recommend burying containers. A lot of structural reinforcement is required, and there are problems of standing water/moisture that would defeat the natural protections of the weathering steel. The concrete and other engineering elements needed to overcome these challenges drives the cost of a buried container as high or higher than it typically would cost to simply build a conventional underground structure. ShelterKraft Werks doesn’t provide this type of construction, but if you would like to learn more about how to deal with these issues to bury a container, there is an instructional video available on YouTube.
Can you use insulated “reefer” containers to build a house?
Insulated containers pose a host of challenges for house construction and we do not use them in our designs. Structurally they are not as sound as the basic steel containers. They are usually made out of aluminum which is much more brittle than steel and requires specialized skills to work with. Also about 2 feet of space is wasted in the end of the container for the refrigeration machinery. The most serious issue is that many of the insulated containers have been repeatedly washed and fumigated with harsh chemicals. These chemicals (as well as residual liquids from thawed food products) may continue to off gas into the house from having soaked into the floors and walls.
I want to build a container house myself – can your company help me?
ShelterKraft Werks is developing “do-it-yourself” packages that we will offer in future. Please stay tuned!