Around the world, thousands of shipping containers carrying cargo cross the sea each day. Hundreds of them don’t make it back and end up in dumpsites. Even those that still look sturdy, as long as they are no longer seaworthy, are eventually ditched away. Thanks to the genius of modern-day architects and engineers, these gigantic pieces of garbage now have other practical uses.
Used shipping containers can be repurposed into different kinds of structure, including home, commercial building, office, or public facilities. While you can modify these units into the structure you like on your own, most suppliers offer modification services that you can take advantage of. Here are some of the most common features that you can ask your supplier to add to the units you bought depending on what you would like to use them for.
- Windows – Whether you are building a home addition or an office out of your shipping container, you need to put windows on it. Depending on how much natural light you want to let into your building, you can choose between average-sized windows with opening and closing mechanism or fixed, single-pane windows that stretch from floor to ceiling. To make installation easier, choose an open-side container. This way, you can simply remove the doors and transform what’s left into windows.
- Lighting – You can ask your supplier to install lighting in your shipping container as well. Unfortunately, this is no simple task, as ceiling, insulation, and electrical wiring usually come along with its installation. You may need to fork out a little bit more to get your lighting done.
- Roll Up Doors – Some shipping containers repurposed into storage or stockrooms are best installed with roll up door. It’s easier to operate and more space-efficient than other types of door, making it ideal for tight spaces.
- Insulation – No matter the type of building you prefer to repurpose your shipping container into, it requires proper insulation. After all, the whole container is made of metal, so heat and cool can easily be transferred inside. With proper insulation, you building’s interior will not get too hot or too cold.
- HVAC System – Having insulation is not enough to keep the interior of your building at comfortable levels. You need to install heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units as well. The suppliers can have this system installed for you, too.
- Electrical – Your shipping container supplier can prepare your metal box to be installed with electrical system. They can bore the necessary holes and install the basic features of the electrical system to facilitate the wiring and updating process.
- Skylights – Of course, to improve the energy efficiency of your shipping container storage room, you can have skylights installed. Basically, these are windows that are installed on the roof. Completely sealed on all sides, it doesn’t allow water to seeping through. And since it’s facing upwards, it gets direct light from the sun during midday so you can have sufficient lighting for your space without turning your artificial lights on.
- Painting – You may also ask your supplier to paint your shipping container according to your specification. Maybe there’s a particular color you would like the box’s exterior to have or you want the color of your shipping container to be exactly the same as the theme of your business. The new coating may also help improve the appearance of the box, especially if the unit you’re buying is a used one.
- Interior partitions – An average size container is particularly wide inside. With enough space, you can actually put a partition or two, especially if you are planning to use it to store different types of goods.
These are only some of the shipping container modifications you can request from your shipping container supplier. A trusted supplier, such as Equipment Management Services, must be capable of doing almost all kinds of modification. Just give them the design you would like to see and they will work on it in no time.
Source:
Top 26 Innovative Uses of Shipping Containers, marineinsight.com
