Get to Know the Advantages of Using Shipping Containers in Construction
These days, shipping containers are widely used in the construction industry. It is touted to be a cheap and easy alternative to the conventional materials used in buildings. Building a shipping container home is a straightforward process. As there are millions of containers unused in the ports around the world, these are used to build perfect homes. For a multistory home, you just have to stack the containers one on top of the other.
Prefab containers are fantastic building materials and are widely used in constructing homes. There are many advantages of using these building materials than the conventional ones. Here are some of the benefits of using containers to build your home.
Durability: One of the common aspects of using containers is toughness and durability. As shipping containers are meant to transport cargo from one place to another even under extreme weather conditions, such materials are built to be durable and rugged. For instance, when at sea, these containers can face harsh winds of 100 miles per hour and waves rising over 50 feet. So. such containers are designed to withstand extreme weather conditions and still remain intact. Eventually, on using these prefab containers to build homes than the eco-friendly materials, the result will be durable homes that remain intact even during natural calamities.
But remember not to cut too much of steel for doors, windows and room entrances as it will affect the durability and structural integrity. If you need to cut steel from these containers, you can add additional steel beams to add more support and compensate for the removed metal.
Flexibility: This is one of the major benefits of using containers to build homes. With these materials, you can easily renovate your home or shift the location. Such homes need less electrical power and water in the construction process. With the use of containers for homes, you can make it possible to change the looks by modifying the kitchen containers without spending on a lot. Also, you can move your home until you are done with the fabrication and modification process and then transport it back to the land. And, this flexibility lets you live in places where it is not possible to build traditional homes.
Eco-friendly homes: These days, there is increased awareness regarding the use of eco-friendly construction materials. Similar to straw bales and recycled plastics, containers are also environment friendly materials. Construction using such materials reduces the carbon footprint, which reduces the harmful impact on the environment.
Well, eco-friendly materials are usually recycled from used stuff. As the containers used in construction are abandoned and recycled materials, there will be a lot of materials for the construction.
Affordable: Undoubtedly, the use of prefab shipping containers in the construction of your home will pave way for an affordability. As many people are struggling to build their first home, using these materials that lay around unused will make it affordable and an exciting proposition for aspiring home owners, thanks to the versatility of such materials.
Using these materials for your dream home depends on your budget and imagination. You can use these materials in the form of kitchen containers, ablution unit and more. Ablution unit blocks can be fitted with sectioned toilets, cabling, power, ventilation, insulation and flooring. You can also open up the side of the container to make your home more spacious by including a bed, sofa and other furniture.
Portability: Use of shipping containers makes your home portable. But you need to keep two things in mind to make your home portable. Firstly, you should know weld the containers but just bolt them together. The next point to note is to keep the cutting of containers minimum. If you cut the steel of these containers, then it will reduce the structural integrity of the containers.
The portability of using containers in construction is a huge benefit if you transport your home more often. You need to use suitable utility hookps each time you move.
It’s a fast process: Besides the portability, flexibility, affordability and others, the shipping containers are fast to assemble and such a construction can be done quickly. It is possible to construct ablution unit blocks, bedroom blocks, kitchen and dining area and more using prefab containers.
Wondering why shipping container homes are faster to build than conventional homes? Well, the reason is that the main structure of the home can be delivered easily on using these materials. It is also possible to prefabricate these containers beforehand and transport them to the construction site.
Unique style: There is no denying that homes built using containers have a unique look and style. Such homes are rugged, modern and affordable. There are many people who love these homes just for their looks. Even if you don’t like the appearance of these homes, you can get the look that you want using external cladding with materials such as wood to give a different look. In such cases, people who take a look at your home from the outside will not be able to say that it was constructed using shipping containers.
The external cladding is mainly to give a different aesthetics to the home. But there are other benefits based on the material of cladding that you choose to use. This way, you can improve the insulative properties of the building.
Though there are numerous benefits associated with shipping container homes, it is not a completely easy and simple process. There are some could be some situations where you should not build such homes. You need to know the complete process before you actually indulge in building your home using prefab shipping containers.
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10060505
