Shipping container shelter

[schmism]

Anyone know of someone that has acutally burried (either compleatly or partly) a shipping container to use as a cellar/storm shelter?

It will be a couple of years before we have the house built but i want both a celler and storm shelter long before that!

Im looking for long term water proofing solutions.... (that gooie black crap they seal concrete basements with?)

Thoughts of encaseing it in 4" of concrete?

20'/40' ?

venting....


Im looking for pics, and actual experience in doing the above.

 

[tile]

I have seen a few of these here in fla Florida Storm Shelters, Inc.

Ron.

 

[AlanB]

Depends on what you want to spend, but to water seal the outside, you could have it sprayed with the bedliner material prior to burying it.

That would be as sealed as possible I believe.

 

[Kendall69]

Price: $4,795.00 installed

That's a cheap price for "tested" safety. Those look like bunkers...and that's what you want.

A shipping container is designed to ship goods. I would go with a product that is designed for a particular purpose.

You are not going to get a long time service out of burying steel underground, no matter how well you seal it it will rust. The only time you will be able to know if it works, or it still has structural integrity is when you need it most.

I couldn't live with myself, if my family ran into a metal box and where in it and the roof caved in from rust.

But, that's just me. I like the best done by professionals, when it comes to safety.

 

[RonMar]

Hard to beat re-enforced concrete for below ground. Proven technology...

 

[Skyco]

Depends on what you want to spend, but to water seal the outside, you could have it sprayed with the bedliner material prior to burying it.

That would be as sealed as possible I believe.

Maybe- but I'd bet the coating would cost way more than the container and probably place it beyond the cost of a concrete one.
I once checked into the price to bedliner spray the floor of an enclosed trailer and about a foot up the sides...WOW are they proud of that stuff

 

[MossRoad]

I have seen a few of these here in fla Florida Storm Shelters, Inc.

Ron.

Those look like the doors open out... what happens if something lands on the door???

 

[LC '92]

I have a 20' container at my place. I use it for storage and would also use it for tornado protection if needed.

Why not just anchor yours to the ground and not bury it?

Do you want the stable climate afforded the buried unit? I can understand that if you do, it gets very hot inside mine.

 

[Podunkadunk]

Those look like the doors open out... what happens if something lands on the door???

Yep...looks like an engineering flaw to me! I like the concept though. It seems everyone around these parts are getting into the action. A lot of the local septic tank companies are expanding out and making these things. The concept is sound, but I don't know if I like the idea of a door getting blocked by someone's barn roof or something similar and not being able to open the door.

For the people who will say "well if it's a barn door, your S.O.L. anyhow"...that's what chainsaws are for (which I would have one inside with me)! Now if it's a car or something, you better have plenty of snicker bars in there with you...'cause you ain't going anywhere for a while

 

[rosietheriviter]

Anyone know of someone that has acutally burried (either compleatly or partly) a shipping container to use as a cellar/storm shelter?
It will be a couple of years before we have the house built but i want both a celler and storm shelter long before that!
Im looking for long term water proofing solutions.... (that gooie black crap they seal concrete basements with?)
Thoughts of encaseing it in 4" of concrete?
20'/40' ?
venting....

schism,

I think you have a terrific idea... I have a 40' behind my house being used strictly for storage.

Partial burial with the open(able) end sticking out of a hillside seems to me to be the very best option.

Asphaltic compound seems to be the most well thought of idea for sealing and for ground moisture proofing. Remember though, asphalt will eventually deteriorate. Long time, but it will eventually happen. Perhaps a good epoxy paint would be better?

As for being trapped inside, I would think a smaller door could/should be cut thru one of the doors or the side of the container. Not only could the factory original doors be blocked by debris, but if your parents got mad at you and locked the doors with you inside? Not a very pretty picture,huh?

Ventilation is an absolute must! I have a swamp cooler mounted on the roof of mine and two small window/doors to allow for circulation.

The price of a 40 footer is not too much more than a 20 footer. The considerations being: ground space, access to transport the container to site,
price of materials to weatherproof - prepare - maintain the container.

A 40 footer will give you considerable storage space in addition to the 20x8 "living" space. A 20 footer can actually be hauled on a trailer behind a heavy pickup.

If I were to try to do what you are hoping to do, I think I would use two (or more) 20 footers. I'd bet they also make long term storage areas and root cellars.

Rosie