My cabin is in northern Wisconsin, so it can get plenty cold here. I’ve been in the cabin when it was -10F outside, and was very comfortable with just my Jotul 602 stove. I feel my stove could easily keep the cabin warm even in -25F weather if necessary – if it was any colder than that I’m not sure why I’d be there in the first place.

Something else to consider is the type of heat you have planned for your cabin. Since I have a wood stove, the cost of firewood in northern Wisconsin is dirt cheap. I’m not sure I’d ever get a return on my insulation investment if I used more than 2″ of insulation. I also believe that wood stoves should be run at hotter temperatures to prevent creosote buildup, so too much insulation or too big a wood stove can actually be a problem.

I’m not a fan of spray foam insulation on the outside of cabins, although there can be some advantages to that for some people. While my walls only had 2″ of spray foam, I think I could have gotten another inch sprayed on them without moving the walls inward any. I can’t imagine ever wanting more than 3″ of spray foam, especially considering how air tight and thermally isolated the walls of my cabin are.

I’m still working through the whole ventilation thing with my cabin. For now, I’ve been doing it the old fashioned way by opening windows – even in winter. I plan to add a powered vent to the bathroom someday, but I haven’t had any problems so far. I do have two passive vents at the front left and rear right of the cabin that are original to the containers, and those do help some.

Steve

Steve

Since these are only drain lines, have an adequate slope of 1/4″ per foot, and are >18″ underground, they really shouldn’t freeze. I was also worried about this when I built it, but everything I read said it wouldn’t be a problem. On the other hand, if these were supply lines, they would freeze.

Steve

I am currently planning out a single 40 foot container for full-time residential use. it must be able to go anywhere in the USA, so I think R30 is called for. Is there any conceivable problem or benefit to going 2 inches inside and 2 inches outside to get R-30? Due to shipping constraints, I’d REALLY rather not mess with the exterior at all (I dont know if being another 6 inches wider makes a different re: putting it on a semi for shipment elsewhere) but given interior constraints, I do not have much choice.

Last question. Homes need breathability. Shipping containers seal up water tight – meaning air tight. How does one add breathability without losing the ability to seal up water tight – all the while maintaining a controllable temperature? Nearest thing I can think of is small vents floor and/or ceiling with a double sided rubber plug drawn together by a bolt to seal the vent when needed or desired.

I have an architecture background, but have morphed professionally into Construction Management. I did my architecture thesis on the modular/shipping container family compound concept… lots of beautiful Sketch Up images, but not a whole lot of construction details.

As my tectonic knowledge has grown, I have been struggling to find info beyond schematic designs.

This site is well written, linear, and incredibly helpful from a planning/cost/lessons learned perspective. I’m about a year away from getting the ball rolling on a project in this vein (minus the outhouse and urinal for this gal) and couldn’t be more pleased to have stumbled upon your site.

Keep up the good work. You’ve got a real fan.

-SW