Advantages and disadvantages of a container house
Benefits
Building a container house has several advantages:
Shorter construction times: insofar as the structure of a container house preexists the house, there is no need for a foundation as such. Concrete pillars or a slab may suffice. This point makes it possible to carry out the interior fittings in the factory. You are thus able to save up to 70% of time compared to a more conventional construction.
Attractive prices: the costs of building a container house are logically very competitive
Modularity and scalable flexibility: with containers, you create a tailor-made construction, by stacking, assembling, covering the containers. Further modifications will remain possible after the construction of the house in its first version
A solid and robust construction: because they are designed to carry heavy loads, the containers can support up to 5 times their weight.
A construction with a low environmental impact: the transformation of a container house is primarily based on recycling. Recycling structures is an undeniable gain on the environmental footprint of such a structure
The inconvenients :
The container house, despite all these qualities, also has disadvantages that must be kept in mind:
It does not have very good thermal performance: the metal of the frame of a container does indeed have poor thermal capacities. This requires reinforcing internal or external insulation, as well as sealing.
The size of the containers: the width of the containers – between 1.86 and 2.40 meters) as well as its length – between 2 and 12 meters, somewhat reduce the possibilities in terms of layouts, without forgetting to deduce from the measurement l interior insulation (if you opt for this solution, count about 10 centimeters). However, this is offset by the ease of cutting the metal, opening the way to assemblies that enlarge the surface of the parts.
Aesthetics and urban planning rules: the appearance of a raw container is not necessarily the most elegant. The addition of an exterior cladding in stone, wood or plaster can allow the container house to better integrate into its environment. It is also necessary to ensure that your decorative project is in phase with the constraints of the local urban plan in force.
The “Faraday Cage” effect: the metal structure of the containers makes the container houses hermetic to external electric fields. This aspect can be problematic because it can disrupt the passage of certain waves from domestic devices (internet, mobile phone). However, this obstacle can be overcome if large glazed surfaces or outdoor antennas are installed.
The flat roof: the container house has a flat metal roof by default, which can be a critical point for insulation and ventilation. A pitched roof is generally recommended. You can opt for a paved roof, but also a pitched roof, in metal or in another material.
Transport and handling: transporting containers within the same country can be problematic and even costly. The container is heavy (2 tons on average) and transporting it can be expensive.