c/container-homes-builds

Rant: Insulated my container home wrong and now I'm sweating in January

I tried using spray foam on the inside walls of my 40-foot container last summer. Figured it'd be the best way to seal up the metal and keep the heat out. But I didn't put enough ventilation in, and now the container traps moisture like crazy. I'm in Phoenix, Arizona, and even in winter it feels like a sauna inside with condensation running down the walls. I learned that you absolutely need a vapor barrier and some kind of air gap between the foam and the metal skin. Anyone else run into moisture problems with their container build and find a fix that actually works?

Drove past a container home community in Arizona last month and noticed something odd

I was visiting a friend near Tucson and we took a detour through a new container home development. Every single house had these massive reflective window films on the south facing sides. The builder told me they add them because the containers soak up so much heat in the summer. But I wondered if that causes problems with how the metal expands and contracts. Has anyone here dealt with heat buildup in shipping containers for their own builds and found a good solution?

Shoutout to the welder who talked me out of a bad cut

I was about to slice a 40 foot container right through a corner post for a window opening, and this old guy named Mike at the salvage yard in Tulsa just stopped me. He showed me how the whole frame would have buckled if I cut there, saved me from ruining 2 grand worth of steel. Has anyone else had a random stranger change their whole build plan?

Swapped from foam board to rockwool for my container in Austin

Used to spend hours cutting foam board to fit between the framing ribs, but the gaps were killing my R-value. After my electric bill hit $280 in July, I switched to rockwool and the acoustic deadening is way better too - anyone else make that swap and see a big difference?

Insulating a container in Phoenix taught me the hard way about solar gain

I built my first container home last summer in Phoenix and used standard fiberglass insulation like a regular house. After three months of brutal 120 degree days, the interior was hitting 95 degrees even with AC running. Had to rip it all out and switch to closed cell spray foam with a radiant barrier - now it stays at 78. Anyone else run into this with metal buildings in hot climates?

Warning: I spent 2 years insulating my container home wrong before a mold issue in Austin tipped me off.

I built my container home outside Austin about 4 years ago. For the first 2 years, I used closed cell spray foam on the interior walls, thinking it was the best for moisture control. Then last summer, I noticed a musty smell and found black mold growing between the foam and the corrugated steel. Turned out the foam was trapping condensation against the metal because I didn't leave an air gap. A builder buddy told me you gotta let the metal breathe, especially in humid climates. Now I'm ripping it all out and trying rockwool with a vented rain screen. Anyone else dealt with moisture issues from spray foam on containers?

That $250 insulation kit for my container was a total scam

I bought this spray foam insulation kit online for $250 thinking it would save me time on my 20-foot container in Austin last month... the cans clogged after the first 2 panels and I had to toss the rest. Ended up hiring a local guy to do it right for $400 and he was done in 3 hours flat. Anyone else get burned by those DIY foam kits?

Storm ripped my tarp off last night, now I'm rethinking my whole insulation plan

Woke up at 3am to rain pouring through my container roof in Austin, the tarp I was using as a temp cover just shredded in the wind. Has anyone else had their build exposed to the elements before finishing? How'd you handle drying out the interior walls?

Found a trick for insulating container walls without losing space

I was about to frame out my container walls with 2x4s but then a builder in Phoenix told me to try spray foam right against the corrugated metal, it fills every gap and I kept all my interior width. Has anyone else used closed cell foam on their build and did it hold up over a few summers?

Pro tip: Don't use regular house paint on container walls outside...

I painted my container home's exterior last fall with standard latex house paint. It looked great for about two months and then started peeling off in big sheets this spring. Turns out the metal expands and contracts way more than wood or drywall, and regular paint just can't handle it. I ended up having to sand everything down and use an industrial grade marine paint that cost me $180. Has anyone else run into this problem with container paint peeling?

Everyone told me to use spray foam insulation, so I did and now I regret it

6 months ago I finished sealing up my 40ft high cube container for a workshop in Austin. Every forum post and YouTube video said closed cell spray foam is the only way to go for container homes. The contractor charged me $2,800 and now I'm dealing with moisture trapped between the foam and the metal walls. I've got rust spots showing through on the inside already. Has anyone else had this problem or found a fix for the condensation issue?

Spent $1800 on a DIY spray foam kit for my container - what a disaster

I figured I'd save cash by buying a froth pack from Home Depot and doing it myself. After watching a few videos I thought it looked easy but the gun clogged up after 2 minutes and I ended up with drips everywhere. The foam set uneven and now I've got cold spots I can't even reach to fix. Has anyone else tried self installing foam and ended up hiring a pro to rip it out?

Spent $600 on a fancy insulation kit for my container. Huge mistake.

Turns out the spray foam reacted with the metal panels and started peeling off after two months. Anyone else run into insulation issues with container builds?

My container house looked like a sauna box until I added a 4-foot overhang on the south side

After six months of living in an oven during Arizona summers, I finally extended the roof by 4 feet and now the interior temp dropped 12 degrees without any AC, has anyone else tried adjusting their roof overhang instead of just adding insulation?

Overheard a guy at the lumber yard say he uses spray foam in his container walls, not batt insulation

He said batt insulation in a shipping container just traps moisture between the metal and the insulation. Now I'm second guessing my whole build plan since I already bought 300 dollars worth of rockwool. Has anyone else dealt with condensation issues using batts?

Learned spray foam the hard way on my first build

Saw three different builds on YouTube skip the vapor barrier under spray foam and now those guys are fighting rust from trapped moisture. I tore mine out twice before getting it right, and the extra $200 for barrier was worth every penny. Anybody else run into moisture issues with their insulation approach?

Rant: My container roof leak taught me a hard lesson about prep work

Three years ago I built my first container home outside Denver and spent 2 weeks agonizing over the layout. Then last Tuesday after a rainstorm I found water pooling near my electrical box because I rushed the roof seal job. Has anyone else had a leak screw up their interior framing?

Debate: Buying a prefab container vs building from scratch - which actually saved you money?

TIL shipping container roofs can collapse under just 6 inches of snow if you don't brace them right

Read it on a structural engineering forum last night after a guy posted photos of his flattened build from a storm in Colorado, and now I'm triple-checking my own roof supports before winter hits here in Ohio.

Rant: I thought insulation was a scam until last winter

I was dead set on leaving my shipping container bare metal inside for that 'industrial look'. Then we hit 12 degrees in Ohio for three straight days and my ceramic heater couldn't keep up, pipes froze on day two. Anyone else learn the hard way that spray foam is non-negotiable for container builds?

TIL most container homes need way more insulation than I thought

I was planning to skip spray foam to save money, but then I read a post from a guy in Colorado who said his container hit 120 degrees inside on a summer day... That stat from the Container Home Association's 2023 study changed my mind completely. Anyone else run into heat issues with their build?

All these people stacking containers 3 high is a bad idea

I see everyone posting builds with three containers stacked and it drives me nuts. I talked to a structural engineer in Houston who told me most shipping containers aren't rated for that kind of vertical load without serious reinforcement. Has anyone here actually checked the corner casting specs before stacking?

Swapped from spray foam to rigid foam boards on my last container build

I used to go straight for spray foam on every container home project. Did three builds that way, spent around $2,800 per 40-foot container just on the foam and labor. Last spring I helped a guy in Austin who insisted on using rigid foam panels with a closed cell backing instead. He showed me how to cut them to fit the corrugated walls and seal the gaps with canned spray. Honestly it took me a couple extra days but the cost dropped to about $900 and the R-value was dead even. I am not totally sold yet because air sealing is way more fiddly with panels. Has anyone else made the jump and dealt with moisture issues long term?

Insulation foam might not be what you think it is

I was planning to use spray foam for my 40-foot container build in Phoenix until a guy who builds them for a living told me it traps moisture against the steel. He said I'd be dealing with rust within 3 years if I didn't vent it properly. Has anyone here gone with rigid foam boards instead and seen better results?

Spent $600 on a fancy container foundation kit and wish I just did gravel like everyone said

I was dead set on using those adjustable steel pier foundation kits for my 40ft container build. Watched all the YouTube videos, thought they'd be faster and more professional. After 8 hours of leveling and fighting with those things on uneven ground in Texas clay, I realized I could have just dumped 3 feet of crushed gravel and called it a day for under $200. The kit is fine I guess but my buddy's gravel pad container has settled less than mine in 2 years. Anyone else regret going fancy on foundations or am I just salty about the cost?