A recent study found that more than half of Americans would consider living in a home smaller than 600 feet. The demand for tiny houses is rising and people want to spend less on housing.
Want to live green in this modern world? You can help reduce your carbon footprint by reusing a shipping container for your tiny house. Learn more about this eco-friendly living option and how you can make this a reality.
Planning Your Tiny House
Make sure you check with your state and county. Check to see if you need any special permits first.
After you get your permits, you can start deciding on the layout of your property. Determine your entry and exit points, where to add your septic tank and electric generator, and also start finalizing the general floorplan.
You can also consider adding multiple containers together for a little larger and longer space. Stacking containers, one on top of another, for added height is a possibility as well.
Creating an Eco-Friendly Home
As you start planning your structure, you will discover outher ways to make your shipping container home even more eco-friendly. For instance when you carve out your windows, add a low-emissions coating to them to help prevent heat loss. You can also add soft coating between the panels and inside the glass.
You can also consider having a living roof. While there is more maintenance, they are more eco-friendly than a traditional roof. Another alternative to a living roof is using solar tiles for more sustainability and energy efficiency.
Paper insulation is yet another greener option as you put your tiny container home together. Paper insulation is made from recycled cardboard, newspaper, and office paper. This insulation is sprayed in pellet forms in the walls and the attic. You will need to treat the paper insulation with boric acid, borax, or calcium carbonate because it is combustible. However, these materials are natural and are not known to cause health problems.
Finishing Touches
After you work out the design and layout of your container modification, you need to start thinking about the decor. For instant, what will you choose for the flooring and the overall colors inside the home.
Cork floors make for a more eco-friendly alternative to wood. They are becoming more popular because they are lightweight and recycled. They are also water-resistant, insulating, and hypoallergenic. Not only are the floors stylish, but they are also comfortable and a buoyant surface to help reduce achy joints.
As you start thinking about furniture, you may want to consider buying or building furniture that can be used for multiple purposes. For example, maybe your table folds up after you are done using it for more space, or your couch can turn into a storage area.
Outdoor Living
Now it’s time to think about the outdoor living space in your home. Believe it or not, aluminum decking is both a durable and sustainable material for your outdoor space. Aluminum does conduct heat, but it also disipates it rather quickly. Aluminum is water-resistant and stays cool in the summer. This material is lightweight and very green if sourced from recyclable aluminium scraps.
Ready to Start Living Green?
Deciding to build an eco-friendly tiny home is a big decision. Help make this decision more simple by using a shipping container. You won’t have to start from scratch to start living green, but you still have a blank slate to design your dream home.
Looking for a containers in the Houston and Dallas areas? Contact our team of experts today. Begin your journey to a more sustainable lifestyle!