We took our Summit Series Hunting Lodge to the MS Wildlife Extravaganza this past weekend, and wanted to share some of the most frequently asked questions and our responses.
You build structures from shipping containers?!
Yes, you heard us right! We’re making homes, hunting lodges, offices, bathrooms, and more out of shipping containers!
But why shipping containers? Why not just traditional stick building?
That’s a great question! Stick building has been around for a very long time, and there’s nothing wrong with that approach! In fact, one of our home plans includes stick building for a living area between two containers. With the price of lumber having gone up, it made sense to still use containers to accomplish the goal of a cost-effective housing solution.
Container-based structures can be built more quickly offsite in a manufacturing facility to gain the advantages of production efficiency while still meeting IRC CODE 2018 standards. This approach leverages the strength of the four tons of steel in each container to give you a rugged, durable, and secure structure. Where we come from on the MS Gulf Coast, hurricanes and tornadoes are a large concern which is why we loved the idea of leveraging the steel.
You mentioned tornadoes, but can’t these still be picked up easily like mobile homes?
We’re glad to have been asked this as well! One key difference here is the container can be situated on a poured concrete footing which includes steel plates so that the container can actually be welded to the foundation. Another big difference in containers and mobile homes during tornadoes and other storms is mobile homes have been shown to basically explode when there’s a dramatic drop in outside atmospheric pressure. Containers are not susceptible to such pressure changes.
Why not just buy a travel trailer to put on a piece of land?
This is another important question we’ve been asked.
Let us first say, there’s nothing wrong with this approach! To each their own!
But let us mention some important differentiators between using one of our cubes and buying a travel trailer.
1) You’ll spend roughly the same amount of money and still have to put some sort of roof over it. Otherwise, you’ll have something that has greatly depreciated in value in 5 years vs. one of our cubes that has gone through a 7-step process to keep it looking great in that same amount of time.
2) Our cubes can be welded to the foundation for security against inclement weather or theft yet be later cut loose to be relocated or sold down the road
Can’t I just buy a container and do it myself?
Yes and no…
Our team is comprised of licensed and experienced individuals who not only understand construction, the ins and outs of the whole process, and navigating code requirements, but we’ve also been through the learning curve that comes with something new like shipping container construction. We understand about preventing outgassing issues with the floors, avoiding condensation and the possibility of mold issues, how to retain structural integrity of the unit when cutting holes for doors or windows, how to properly insulate the units, and how to properly wire and plumb the container. We also have our own truck and container trailer to move your new cube wherever they need to go.
Building a container structure means you’ll need a knowledge of code, cutting out steel, welding, framing, electrical, plumbing, insulating, finishing, painting, flooring, foundation work and also be able to move the container if it’s not where you want it to be.
Or, you can let us take the stress out of the project for you and just focus on the fun aspects like finishes and flooring.