Travel down any highway and you will gain a glimpse of the many uses for shipping containers, from their original perch on a railroad car or barge, to a storage unit on a ranch, to a rural drive-in restaurant, to someone’s cozy home. However, you won’t see all of the uses for these practical and durable structures, simply because their uses continue to evolve.
Today, you’re likely to see these containers being used in more imaginative ways, thanks to the advent of shipping container modifications.
Residential
Owning a house today can be very expensive. The down payment alone can run you a whopping 20 percent of the total asking price. It may take years to get to this point, but not when you transform a structurally sound shipping container into a ready-to-move-into home.
Shipping container homes are extremely affordable and enable you to enjoy an alternative lifestyle. Though not as expansive as many traditional homes, containers allow you to wax creative in terms of space and design. Meanwhile, they prompt you to simplify your life by discarding many items you never used and won’t ever need.
Additionally, like traditional homes, shipping containers can be customized based on your whims and needs. You can customize the siding, the number of bedrooms, and the type of flooring. The breadth of modifications allows you to devise a unique dwelling that expresses your personality without huge, long-term mortgages.
Commercial
Building offices to support a large workforce amounts to huge investments in property. Thanks to the utility of shipping container modifications, these cargo transporters can easily be transformed into office extensions or remote satellite offices that don’t skimp on employee comforts. Moreover, what more portable way to relocate offices than by hoisting them onto a trailer, the deck of a freighter, or railroad car?
If one container doesn’t serve the purpose, set up a series of shipping containers at a specific location; it still won’t cost as much as leasing or building the extra spaces in the long run. If your lot proves restrictive, you can build up instead of outward with multi-storied containers.
Container offices allow the same amenities as any other office, including air conditioners, portable generators, and programmable thermostats. You can also fit these container offices with soundproof rooms, conference rooms, or production studios. Your employees may need extra privacy when working with important clients.
Swimming Pools
A more leisurely modification to shipping containers, in the form of swimming pools, can enhance your current home and even increase its resale value. They already sport a rectangular shape, perfect for a traditional pool space, and the durability of their hull lends well to being filled with tons of water, not to mention being sunk into the earth.
Container pools also allow many customizations. For example, if you prefer swimming at night, fabricators can install LED lights along the edges of the container to create ample clarity and visibility beneath the stars.
Non-slip ladders can also be equipped to the sides for easy, safe exits and entries. A wide variety of liners can lend your new pool’s sides and bottom the texture of your choice while also easing maintenance requirements.
Disaster Shelters
In order to stay protected from natural disasters, you often need a safe place to retreat—one you can entrust with your life. Shipping containers can be transformed into storm shelters so that you know exactly where to go when the time comes. Such shelters are often constructed from durable materials, such as steel, that are designed to last, no matter the elements thrown at them.
You can choose from several different sizes, depending on the size of your family. These shelters can also be reinforced beneath the ground where storage compartments can also be installed. This allows ample space to store all of your survival essentials, including food, water, safety equipment, and blankets.
Thanks to shipping container modifications, you can convert these resilient hulks into almost any amenity you can imagine. Talk to manufacturers serving Houston, Dallas, and Seattle to gain more ideas on how containers can fulfill the demands of your personal home or business improvements.
Sources:
First-Time Buyers: How Much Down Payment Do You Really Need These Days, realestate.usnews.com
Top 26 Innovative Uses of Shipping Containers, marineinsight.com
