All over the world, and especially in South Africa, houses are fashioned from the strangest materials and homes made from shipping containers certainly do fall in the ‘unconventional’ category.
In poorer regions, people are forced to use odd material to fix wear and tear on their homes, and even to build their homes completely. There are many examples of this in the locations found all over South Africa. We see shacks made out of pieces of corrugated iron, old coca cola signs, cardboard, road signs, sacking and bits of old fences. Obviously this type of structure is not fully sealed against the weather and climate or against other people trying to get in. These dwellings require constant fixing and additions and are never sufficient protection for the people living inside them.
It is a basic right of all people to sufficient shelter, and sadly, many people in our country do not have protection from the elements and each other. With a huge unemployment rate the poverty in our country is massive and very worrying. There are many people who have little to eat, nothing to sleep on and barely a roof over their heads. Much time and effort is spent in fixing homes that continually break. Although RDP housing has helped some people, there are still far too many who are suffering and who could benefit enormously from a reliable roof over their heads and an element of safety to help them sleep at night.
An ingenious way of housing people is by converting old shipping containers into homes. A shipping container is sealed against the outside far better than a haphazard shack. Shipping containers also have floors, which many shacks lack. This is helpful to keep the home clean, keep rain water and insects out and for further protection against the elements. They are also safer than shacks as they can be locked and it will be much harder for an intruder to get in. Many shacks are made of flammable materials and because of the lack of electricity, or badly wired electrical connections, fires are a common occurrence and a constant worry. Converted shipping containers are made of metal and so are not flammable.
Home Sweet, Container??.. Home!
In short, a shipping container converted into a small house will have the following benefits:
- Better protection against the weather
- A floor to protect against weather, insects and dirt
- Less maintenance required to keep the shelter intact
- They are safer than other dwellings as it is harder for an intruder to get in
- They will last much longer than other forms of dwellings
- Shipping containers are not made of flammable material like so many dwellings are
Converting a shipping container into a home
Converting a shipping container into a liveable dwelling should not be too difficult. Windows or air vents at the very least should be cut into the container for proper ventilation. Most containers open at the top and so do not have doors. Door holes could be cut in and doors attached. If the lid of the container does not seal properly it could be welded on for extra protection from weather and to ensure safety. Containers are generally not large, and so in some cases more than one container could be welded together. This would involve a lot of cutting and welded and requires people who know what they are doing.
As well as providing improved living conditions to lower income groups, structures made from shipping containers could be used as gate houses, store rooms, sheds and much more. As they are made from metal, moving them around can be difficult. However, if you have a truck to transport your container, the manpower to lift it, experienced professionals to cut and weld it, a shipping container can become a useful structure that will last for a long time and require little maintenance.