# Forum Home Renovation The Garden Shed  Shed or Shipping Container?

## some_one

Recently went to a place looking for a garden shed and around the same time saw an advert for a shipping container for sale no price quoted? Considering the stability of the container and strength apart from the space it will take, as i believe the smallest size is 20ft, what could be the problem in using it, SOME IDEAS?? Also any idea about the price and problem with neighbours or council;s??:confused:

----------


## Bodgy

Our council (one of top three worst in NSW) only have jurisdition over a permanent structure, and I think this generally applies.The container is a moveable storage unit. 
Have you thought about access? They come on big trucks

----------


## echnidna

They're only 8 feet wide so could be a bit cramped as a workshop, otherwise a great idea.

----------


## Groggy

The containers are limited in useage due to their narrowness, as Bob pointed out. Also, you might want to look at some other considerations: 
council regs
neighbours
access
how to level it
drainage
cooling
condensation
bugs
lighting
power
thieves will assume something of value must be in it   :Rolleyes:  .
maintenance.
final disposal. 
If you just want a cheap and strong garden shed for the lawnmower and rakes - why not! Councils usually have a say in things though.

----------


## some_one

Yes I have thought about the access and airconditioning, also other issues but compared to a garden shed would it not have more stability as a structure? I believe that the containers have channels running along the top for rain water NOT SURE but will like to find out. Ventilation is surely a good point to think about as cutting through the metal and the cost involved may out do the advantage of the whole effort. HUmm...

----------


## Buzza

As a former operater of semi's, driving containers around, I can give you a few tips. 
They are strong, well made, and come in 20 or 40 foot lengths. If they come in on a semi, they are dropped off from the side of the trailer. This takes just three or four minutes, once the truck is in. You must have enough access for a semi to reverse into the property. They weigh about two tonnes. 
Thieves assume there are valuables anywhere and everywhere, and so the shipping container is designed especially with that in mind. They can be broken into of course, but offer a hell of job to the crook. They are not made from thin metal and are designed to stand up to a lot of sea travel. 
Access for the owner is cramped, they are good for storage, but offer no dancing room. To put in windows and air-cons opens them up to the thief. 
This leads to another point. I spent far too many hours of my life in these boxes, and I know they are very hot on hot days, and stuffy without air flow, and whether the council approves or not, they are unsightly to say the least. 
Lastly, the ones for sale, usually have bent doors and such. A hole can be fixed by sticking over with that bituminised ally strip, "Flashtak" from memory. 
Get a nice shed and put in some thief deterrents or even "surprises".
 That's my tip. 
Buzza

----------


## journeyman Mick

You won't have any trouble selling a second hand shipping container. If you want a more comfortable one look for an old refrigerated container, will have an aluminium floor and insulated fiberglass walls. A thing to look out for is *rust*, as most of them have spent months, if not years, on decks of ships getting sprayed with seawater. One thing you can look at is to put a false roof on it, this will fix most of the leakage issues and make it cooler. 
Mick

----------


## Guy

In my last job we had the customised with 20mm steel skin  welded on the outside and fully air cond and insulated. They were cramped to work in as they were designed for telecoms sites out in the bush, cost to us was about $80K. also worked in Vietnam where we used them as site storage but during summer internal temp was up in the 60C inside and my glasses used to steam up entering them when the outside temp was 45C.

----------


## HJ0

Heard some councils in nsw require a course of besser blocked be cemented under the hot/smelly/ damp/ out of place in suburbia type things lol, if you intend on leaving the container there long enough for vines /rust/ to take hold. 
Had something to do with ventilation/mould spores and children.  
HJO  I want one maybe two lol :Biggrin:

----------


## bsrlee

Most metropolitan councils have some by-law to stop you putting a container on a residential block, and will pester you with rangers if you claim it is just temp. storage & get very stroppy if they catch you working in it. 
Containers CAN be delivered off the end of a truck - just check if the bloke doing the delivery has a tilt tray truck with a winch - mate of mine has his 'site' containers delivered that way - winched on & off the tilt tray onto container skates. He also has mobile phone equipped alarms, reinforced steel window shutters plus extra internal locking bars on the doors.

----------


## Pulpo

I have no idea about the council regulations; I would doubt they are not regulated at all. 
I have a shipping container on my property near Goulburn. 
Purchased in Sydney for $1,700 plus transport $500. 
In hindsight I would have preferred to purchase a better quality container maybe spent $2,000. 
Much less rust, no holes in the roof, nor major dents on the container. 
I have built a corrugated roof over the top, with a layer of sarky. 
Still needs a whirly bird, which I do not have, for ventilation. 
You would need to have some blocks of some descript to keep the container off the ground. 
A tipper truck can delivery the 20ft containers, same as loading and unloading a car. 
They are easily sold second hand. 
I would recommend a barrel lock plus a few other things to improve security. 
A refrigerated container would be better in your case which would start around $2600. 
I use mine for storage of building materials. 
I have worked in them and seem to be adequate just. 
Bottom line they are much more stronger and secure than any garden shed. 
There is a good dealer place in Silverwater Sydney, well they were good not sure these days. 
Good Luck 
Pulpo

----------


## bitingmidge

Most council planning and building authorities are a wake-up to the "it's not a shed it's a container" or "it's not a container it's a shed" argument. 
Many use satellite photography to check that "temporary" is temporary too! :eek:  
Here are a few links which may prove inspirational none the less: Shipping Container Architecture Information Repository Treehugger - Shipping Container Prefab Fab Prefab Fabprefab's Container Bay  
Hope you enjoy them! 
cheers, 
P

----------


## some_one

Thanks for the feed back guys. I will find out more about the matter and will keep you posted, in the mean while if anyone has any info on people who do up containers it will be welcomed, though I have yet not seen links sent by a recent contribution. (SEEN IT now VERY HELPFUL THANKS)>> I was ditracted by the RATHLUBA house. It is here on the forum some where could'nt just find it again..  http://www.rathluba.com/menu.htm 
nice work.. 
Cheers. :Smilie:

----------


## echnidna

What do you mean "doing up containers" 
I've seen them converted into bunk rooms and camp kitchens etc

----------


## some_one

What I meant by doing up was that if there were places which were selling containers which are modified for various uses, like have vents cut out or fitted with air conditioning, etc,. and here is a good link to look at  http://www.royalwolf.com.au 
cheers. :Smilie:

----------


## Wild Dingo

Royal Wolf (good mob to deal with by the way) was the mob I got my 40ft seatainer from when we first moved here last year $2200 plus $600 delivery (this charge has nothing to do with RW but is the charge the truck driver placed on driving down here and back others may have been cheeper others dearer) placement was as simple as "where do you want it?" "right there" "righto" and he backs the truck up and I place sleepers every 10ft and off she slides easy as... mind you I have 2 acres of manouverable room for a truck  :Biggrin:  
Ive toyed with the idea of getting another and laying them side by side 20ft apart concreting the 40 x 20 area between with ramps included at stategic areas then getting out the oxy acetaline tanks and cutting access through the sides the cut out peices reinforced with angle iron and made into doors put a couple of whirly bird things on top and for ventalation open the big doors plus side doors... make some trusses whack em up top and bolt them down then cover the whole shamozle in tin sheets 
Good idea I reckon... however the shire didnt think so as its no longer termed a temporary storage area and becomes a permanent shed... they didnt like the idea so it was vetoed instead the seatainer will be my wood storage area once I cut some ventalation slots in the ends and sides these only need be slots about 1in wide so airflow can happen its either that or whirlybirds and in and out fans... I like the idea of the slots 
Anyway Ive bought and built a shed now so what with the 70x25x25 humpyhoochy (which I must recover thanks to storm damage) and the seatainer I think Im covered for shed space... mmm maybe??

----------


## soundman

here's a thaught.
big chaep shed,container inside (secure). lets se the regulators chew on that one. 
you got a container on your place....... so its inside my shed..... :Biggrin:   
cheers

----------


## Wood Butcher

> here's a thaught.
> big chaep shed,container inside (secure). lets se the regulators chew on that one. 
> you got a container on your place....... so its inside my shed.....  
> cheers

  ??? Huh ???

----------


## Barry_White

There is a company near me that has put two containers on a slab and put trusses on the tops spanning across the two of them with about a six metre space between them and closed the ends off with bypass sliding doors.  
If I think of it in the morning I will take a picture of it when I go to town. 
They actually done this twice. They use them as workshops.

----------


## Wood Butcher

I think in QLD you may be able to get away with using two containers and a roof in between without a building permit so as long as the roof is not solid ie tarps, shade cloth etc? 
Can anyone confirm (or rubbish) this

----------


## Wild Dingo

Companies may well be different... mining companies regardless of their location use them as discribed however my experience is for private use the shire is not happy with the idea... of course like most mining companies I guess we as privates could just do it and buggar the blighters!! May work?

----------


## Ramps

Being in a rental I grabbed a 20 fter ... couldn't fit the truck in for a 40fter.  40 fters cost only a poofteenth more than a 20fter if you can put it in and transport can be a bit higher.  I paid $2000 for a goody only a coupla months back. It'll be good here at the rental and when I first move to _my place_ but as soon as I can I'd sell the thing and put the money into a decent shed.  The return is good, the condition of the cont is very good but it's ugly, squishy and bloody hot ... even on a warm day (haven't had it for a hot day yet).
Apart from that it is very secure, and very everything proof (rodent, water,thief, etc).

----------


## Wild Dingo

eeerrr Ramps? Not water... believe me not water! You might think so  they may say so but mate? its not so! :mad:

----------


## Ramps

All right, All right OK so we haven't seen what I'd call a decent rain in the last six months but I don't intend to subject it to floodwaters :Biggrin:

----------


## Wild Dingo

No mate try not to eh? Not a good look... even for a seatainer!  :Tongue:   
Sheds good... go with the shed... keep seatainer and attach to back of shed this means leaving a good wide expanse behind shed when building said shed but you can do this... I know you can... see hows that for confidence?... anyway back to the shed seatainer theory lesson 101a chapter 345 subsection 4 
So when the shed is up and everythings good and honkeydorey you slide the seatainer around behind it... actually theyre quite lite when empty... and make a wee patio thingy between them... get hold of an oxy acetelene kit from somewheres cut a door in the side make door from the cutout bit... cut door into shed again make door with cutout bit... set a dividing wall around the middle of seatainer with a door through... now drill or cut a couple of holes one to fit a tube of leccy piping and the other 2 about 4in to fit the outlet and inlet for the dusty... now thats your dusty and compressor out the way... you now go to the divided section... now this is the end with the double doors right? RIGHT!!... so now you want to open those doors from inside... so take the big buggars off and make some doors with some timber... now what your also gonna have to do is make a bar a nice set of stools a tv stand in the corner a dartboard on one side maybe a pool table and you gots a bar!! whahooo...  
But see this is were someone like your ol mate the Dingo comes into the frame... see he thinks ahead sometimes and the seatainer was one of those times... so where you with your 20fter have only enough room to fit a dusty room and a bar IVE GOT DOUBLE!!... so what am I gonna do you ask? Damned glad you asked old son! 
So the first 10x8 section will be the dusty compressor area and will have vents top and bottom and also the whirlybird on top... then a partitian into the second section which will be the side into shed entrance one again 10 x 8 and will have benches along the side and hangers from the roof this will be the finishing room where the items will be varnished polished and generally finished so it will have 2 whirlybirds for ventalation and the door will have a heavy duty plastic screan... the dividers will be ceiling to floor and wall to wall with a door through... so now to the third area this will be 20x8 and this... oooh this... THIS will be my "office"... the double doors will be gone and in their place some barn doors so the top section can be opened with flyscreaning and a nice wee porch outside a nice long Jarrah bar along one wall a brewing centre along the other side about 5ft x 8 (floor to ceiling) should do it then a couple of fine old old couches to lay back on while yarnin and havin a few 
and you know what else I intend to do out there? Put up lights... no no not the usual lights Im gonna do that too but these are like alarm lights!! YES indeed alarm lights a nice big red light that goes off at the scent of her bloody highness or the hoonberries set to light up when one of them enters the "zone" 40ft from the shed which faces the house which is from whence they will come... this will give me ample time in which to clear away the empties tidy up and wander through to the finishing area where I will be busily finishin something planted there for just such instances! 
aahh twill be grand mate... hopefully by then I will have erected the new shed that will run up to the end of the humpyhoochy overlappin it by about 10ft and another 40ft seatainer slotted in to join them  :Cool:  oooh and a new roof for the humpyhoochy of course cause the one thats on it isnt! Blasted things buggared with the storms of last year... but its not as dear as I initially thought it would be to replace it ex eastern states 
ahem... gotta get bedderer and back to work so I can do all this eh? to say nothing about her bloody highness wanting another house built here and this one demolished to say nothing about her bloody highness's bloody to do list which never stops growing!! :mad:  
ooh what were we talkin about?? :confused:

----------


## Exador

> eeerrr Ramps? Not water... believe me not water! You might think so  they may say so but mate? its not so! :mad:

  Mine is:confused:. Nary a drop, even in the heaviest downpour.

----------


## Wild Dingo

mmm yes come to think on it mine doesnt seem to suffer from water ingress either... unless its a flood then it gets in  :Rolleyes:   
So let me correct myself... dont do flood!!!  :Wink:

----------


## Barry_White

As promised here is a couple of shots of some containers converted to sheds. The first two are shots of one being used as a workshop. The third one is being used as a stable. 
The first one is built using 12 metre containers and the second one is using 6 metre containers.

----------


## MurrayD99

I got a 20' container ex Russian Railways from Royal Wolf, delivered $1600.  We use it for storage.  I'd say it gets very, very hot and I think it would be cramped for a woodworking workshop.    After 10 years, the roof has started to leak a bit - had a ding or two when we got it and the rust has been eating away.  But it is real handy, vermin-proof, secure.  Every home should have one.

----------

