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5 Surprising Uses for Shipping Containers

Shipping containers are being increasingly used as a home building material and as small business premises, but there are also many innovative uses for them around the home and garden. Used shipping containers are cheap to buy, readily available, solidly built, easy to transport and very versatile. Here are some unusual projects that might inspire you to check out the availability of shipping containers for sale close to you, and to get started on a money-saving home improvement.

Swimming container make them a perfect size for a family pool that you can actually swim lengths in. The steel construction is strong enough to withstand the force of water when full, so there's no need for a big hole. That also means that you can even take your swimming pool with you if you move to a new house! You'll need to remove one side, paint the container with a good anticorrosive paint and line it with a high-density foam insulation about ½-inch thick. Next, purchase a custom-made, flexible pool liner, some wooden cladding and the pool pumping and cleaning system. Put it all together, and you've got yourself a refreshing dipping spot, for a fraction of the regular price you would have to pay to install a pool.

Pool House
Another used shipping container can make you a handy pool house. Cut away the sides to create the spaces you need. A shower, changing room, and even a place to store water toys can all be fitted into a container with a bit of planning, and it will cost you much less than building a similar sized pool house from conventional materials.

Greenhouse
Another interesting possibility for shipping is, as a base for a greenhouse. Construct a plastic greenhouse structure on top of a container to keep at bay land based pests and to create an eco-friendly space with many different growing options. You can construct a high-tech greenhouse using a hydroponic system, incorporating fish and worms and controlled by a phone app, like the shipping containers which are being used as urban farms throughout Europe.

Kids Play House
Shipping containers with the front cut out make excellent, sturdy and waterproof spaces for a wide range of uses. Put one in your garden to create a fun and secure play area for your kids. They can be decorated in bright colours to make a perfect place to play and to store toys. Your children can enjoy being outside even in rainy weather, and it can even become a homeschooling classroom or a great place to do homework away from distractions. Equally, it can make a great getaway space for teenagers to hang out and make some noise, without disturbing the rest of the household, and keeping them within the safety of home.

Workshop or Garage
This is a really fantastic idea which offers lots of different possibilities as to how to use the space you've created. Locate two used shipping containers parallel to each other with whatever sized space you want between them. Weld, or attach with bolts, a steel structure on top of these firm bases, put on the roofing, and you've got a fast and practical workshop or garage. The centre can be a place to park the car, a wood store, a workshop or a place to store non-valuable articles. The containers themselves give you secure storage areas which can be locked up easily, for your tools, bikes, gardening equipment or whatever. This structure is super versatile and can easily be extended or dismantled and transported to another location.


Article kindly provided by seacontainers.co.nz

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