Can You Put a Basement Under a Shipping Container Home?

Shipping container homes are great for a lot of reasons, but one thing you might be surprised about is that you can put a basement under them. Especially if you’ve never built anything before, you might think it is nearly impossible to create an underground space in a shipping container home or even build it in the first place.

It’s not as difficult as you think. This article will provide a clear answer to putting a basement under a shipping container home and a step-by-step guide on how to put a basement under a shipping container home.

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Yes, You Can Put a Basement Under a Shipping Container Home

When building your container home, you can choose between several different foundations. The most common type is the concrete slab foundation, where the container rests directly on the ground.

In some cases, this is sufficient for your needs. However, if you want more space underneath your home and don’t want to worry about moisture seeping up from below, consider installing a basement under your shipping container home instead.

The good news is that installing a basement under your shipping container home is possible, and the bad news is that it will cost more than if you used another foundation altogether. You’ll also need to be careful about where you build because not all areas are suitable for underground construction projects like this one.

Basements are not common in tropical or humid climates where heat dissipation is an issue. However, they can help to regulate temperature and keep your home cooler during the hot summer months.

If you live in a cold climate, putting a basement under your shipping container home could also help with heating costs during winter by providing additional insulation beneath the foundation.

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How to Put a Basement Under a Shipping Container Home

Installing a basement under a shipping container home can be easy and cheap. Read on and find out how to put a basement under your shipping container home.

Plan the Basement Out

Before you start digging holes or pouring concrete, it’s important to plan how everything will fit inside your basement and connect to other parts of your home.

This includes ensuring room for any pipes or wires running through your basement. You’ll also need plenty of space for large appliances such as furnaces, water heaters, and laundry machines if they are going into this area of your home.

Enlarge Your Excavation Before Putting a Basement Under a Shipping Container

You’ll need to enlarge the excavation area, so it’s large enough for your container and foundation walls. You can do this by using a backhoe or other heavy machinery.

Make sure that your excavation area is larger than the size of your container by at least 6 inches on all sides.

Dig up the Dirt

Dig up the dirt around your excavation area, so you have enough room to work with when building your foundation walls.

This step is important because if there isn’t enough room, then it will be difficult for you to get everything in place properly and might result in structural damage later on down the line.

Lay Down a Concrete Slab

The other thing you need to do is lay down some concrete for the foundation. This will support your future house and ensure it doesn’t shift or sink into the ground over time. You will also need this concrete slab to be used as drainage for any water in your basement.

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Pour the Foundation Walls

You need to ensure that your foundation is strong enough to support the entire structure of your shipping container home. You should also ensure that it has good drainage so that water doesn’t pool on it and cause problems with your basement walls.

Once you have poured your foundation walls, you can start digging out the dirt around them until they are flush with the ground level all around them. Then it’s time to start building your basement floor!

Pour the Floor

Building a basement under a shipping container home requires a solid foundation. If your lot is sloped, you must pour concrete into the ground to create a level surface. You can also use concrete blocks to build the foundation and then pour in the concrete. The floor should be at least 2 feet thick, but more than that is better if you want extra strength.

Prepare the Walls

Before putting up the walls of your shipping container home:

Make sure they are structurally sound.
Check for cracks or leaks and make any needed repairs before proceeding further with construction. If your walls are made of plywood or other soft material, you may want to replace them with thicker lumber or hardboard before installing drywall on top of them.

Check for nails sticking out from the wood where they could scratch up your drywall later on.

Install the Walls

Once all the repairs are done, and the walls are ready, it’s time to install drywall on top of them using screws and nails along with masonry adhesive for added strength. Use furring strips as needed so that there is space between each sheet of drywall so that no two sheets touch each other directly.

Install the Plumbing and Electrical

The other step is to install the plumbing pipes, including a drain line and vent pipes. The drain line will be connected to the main sewer pipe in your basement and should extend into the shipping container.

The vent pipe connects to a hole at the top of your shipping container home’s roof. The electrical system should include an outlet for every room in your home and a circuit breaker for each outlet.

If you have more than one circuit breaker, be sure each has its fuse box or circuit breakers in an electrical panel box. The power source for your home can be either an existing utility connection or solar panels on your roof.

Add Insulation After Putting a Basement Under a Shipping Container

Adding insulation is one of the best ways to keep heat in your home during colder months and cool air flowing during warmer ones. It also helps keep your energy costs down and makes your home more comfortable overall.

The easiest way is by adding drywall around the outside edge of your container walls, and this will give you plenty of insulation space and a nice smooth surface where you can paint or stain later on down the road.

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Conclusion

So while shipping container homes may not be a suitable option for anyone living in a flood zone, they are an attractive choice for almost anyone else. With endless customization options and durable steel frames, shipping containers come cheap and make environmentally friendly homes.

As far as homes go, there is no substitute for the charming charm of a shipping container home.