Lamp hung from magnets
I’m really starting to like my metal ceiling. I not only like the look, but it has stayed warm with no condensation down to 0° F outside. I do have a condensation issue somewhere else, but I’m saving that discussion for another post. One thing I was initially concerned with about the ceiling, though, was how I would add lights to it. Continue reading
Power System
I just finished installing most of the electrical outlets and switches this past weekend, and thought it would be a good time to discuss the power system. It’s an off-grid system, mostly out of necessity, as I’m about 2/3 of a mile away from the nearest power line. As convenient as it would be to have grid power, for me at least it’s not worth the considerable cost of running a line that distance. Continue reading
Alternate Exterior Configuration
A reader the other day asked about reversing the middle container so the doors could be opened all the way. I told him that many of my first designs did this, and that there was a lot going for that configuration. Since I haven’t been to my cabin for a while, and have been short on new posts, I thought I would show what this configuration would look like. Continue reading
Cabin roof
I guess the first roof related decision for a shipping container builder is whether or not to even have one. Considering that I have three connected containers, am in Wisconsin with ~50 psf snow loads, and that the inner walls are removed, I felt a roof was a good idea. In designing the roof I needed to consider the style, pitch, overhang, roofing material, and structure. Continue reading
The foundation is one of the few things that I needed to get professional help in designing. I wanted to make sure it was done correctly and safely, especially when the internal walls were going to be completely removed. After looking high and low for an engineer that could help me with shipping container construction, I found George Runkle at Runkle Consulting, Inc. He has a lot of experience in this area, and has even developed his own computer programs to analyze the structural integrity of shipping containers when they are modified. Continue reading