Roof is complete and it looks awesome. We used asphalt shingles. They are closing in this week. All windows, sliders in all 4 containers on the south side bedrooms, front and side doors all will be in. It is very cold so tough working. Nice white along the underside of the roof edge with dark brown trim. All vinyl so easy maintenance. Will have to wait til spring to paint but house will be light green, adobe red doors and off white trim around windows. There will be one surprise that you will have to tune in for at the end of this blog. I will post a pix of a close up of the trim along the top. It is a great tie in to make the front look finished. Board and batten siding goes on the wood front and back and the small sides. 

November 19, 2013

Today the front of the atrium was framed in. There is a big double door and 2 windows above. It faces north so little to let the cold in.

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2. November 20, 2013
3. The green  board went on the front. No need for plywood and tar paper anymore. Nice.
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5. can't seem to get the pix in order but you get the idea. Sides between the containers also went in today. We are working on the sliders for the lower back container. 
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November 14 2013

Roof red board on roof is nearly done, should be by tomorrow. Carpenter says this is the straightest roof he has ever done. Came out nearly perfect and having containers to stand on to work made their life easier.

First week in November2013

The balconies were welded onto the two upper rear containers this week.

The doors were opened and we had steel grates welded between them that will become the master bedroom and our daughters room balconies. We will be putting in sliders at each end of these rooms.

midweek the carpenter added the platforms between both of the upper containers and readied the roof for the rafters.

even with the leveling as we went along, the containers were 3/4" off between the front and back that all had to be leveled before the roof rafters were placed. Nov 9th the rafters were put in place.

It's starting to look like a house ! The guys had the rafters in place in a record 4 hours so saved us a lot on the cost of the crane. We are putting a new product on the roof that is a pressed board with a rubber cover on it thus eliminating the need for plywood and tar paper. A good savings and the roof can be left for up to 3mos to the weather with no worries before shingles go on. We won't take that long, but good to know they will allow us to get started with the electric rough in and the plumbing. 

October 25, 2013
Exciting times ! This week the carpenter started his part of our house. In 5 days, 3 of which he worked alone, he managed to get the lolli columns set, the floor supports in, and the decking on for the first floor ! He will be building the front and back of the house including putting in windows and doors, the side walls

and putting on the roof. He thinks he can have it enclosed to the weather in 5 weeks which is perfect as we are hopeful that the plumber and electrician can get the rough in done mid Nov.

decking was finished today, Oct 25. He starts on the sides next week.

These are the doors taken apart to use as supports.  

this shows how we reinforce the doors. The piece on the pallet above will become the support around the door.

test fitted the window, like a glove !

this was our project today. we made the support for the wallboard along the curved wall of the kitchen.
Met with the electrician. She's good to go as soon as we have the walls all up and we're enclosed. Hoping for mid Oct.

Sept 7th
Slow going, lots more cutting and welding lately.

There were so many boxes that I thought we needed some curves so we cut this half circle opening in the kitchen and the same in the library side walls. Reinforced the openings with 2" steel square tube.

The end was cut out of the kitchen and reinforced with 2" square tube as well. The gap between the upper and lower containers will have a flat piece of 3/8" steel that will close the gap and add additional strength. 

As we cut off the doors, we are cutting them up and reusing the support pieces to reinforce some of the cuts. The rest will go to be recycled.

The end wall of the kitchen was framed with 2X6 's for the window which we had to lift with 2 comealongs into place. Boy are they heavy ! 

We cut regular sized doors in the end of sons room, bathroom and hope to have the rest of them cut this weekend. We scored a second oak spiral staircase on Craigslist that will go up to our bedroom and we found another similar one back in August that will go up to our daughters room. 

Roof trusses ordered and will be delivered Oct 10th. It will be a hip room. Carpenter is getting estimates on the deck, front and back and side sections so hope to have him started soon. Should be buttoned up by end of Oct. 

August 15, 2013

Today the cellar floor was poured.

4" of concrete over plastic liner. We already had the footings done so no rebar needed. Will get the welder back to finish that and we can start the carpentry work building the front and back.

August 8,2013

Rain continues to impede progress. Yesterday the welder was able to attach one piece of the 3/16" steel that covers the corner holes and gap between the first and second floor containers on the outside. After we insulate between them, we will seal the inside gap as well. Securing the corner welds although if they held up being lifted into place, doubt they will go anywhere at this point.

Secured the plates to the footings with expansion bolts so now ready to pour the cellar floor. That should be done early next week.

Welder wants us to wait til he is done welding before we start the decking between the containers. Worried that sparks might set something on fire.

Stacking !

August 1, 2013

Today was a big day ! We had the welder on site and the crane to put the containers in place on the foundation.

The welder attached the plate to the top of the square pole that would be welded to the container at the inside corner. The base 12" square 3/4" steel plate was then welded to the bottom of each pole.

The crane arrived at 8am

lifting the welder equipment the easy way.

The first container was lifted.

The first one went into place rather easily as did the second one. They were spot welded to each corner plate on the foundation and attached to the square pole. 

Stacking the third one proved to be more of a challenge. They had to sit directly on top of each other and even with ropes attached and the expertise of the crane guy, it took an hour to set it.

Perfect !

Here is where we became wicked smaaaht ! The welder decided to make sure they were even and easier to set without him welding 8ft up a ladder. We set the first floor container down in the cellar hole, stacked the second  floor container on top. He welded them together and the crane lifted both at the same time into place. Saved us so much time. So the 5th & 6th and 7th and 8th containers were set in record time.

They are set ! Next step is to have the foundation floor poured. We will then start the construction of the middle atrium decking, the front and back and roof. Stay tuned.

it is starting to feel real !

July 28, 2013

We have had 1 attempt to stack the containers and the rain in Maine is killing us ! This Thursday I am hopeful this will be the day. In the meantime, we have been preparing the inside of the containers by studding the walls.

They will be attached permanently once the containers are set and level.  We have also purchased the square pole that will hold the inner corner of each container, the steel plate that will sit on the footing. They are being welded together and then will be welded in place as the containers are set into place. 

Stayed tuned for pix showing the containers being raised !

Slow but sure wins the race....??

It is now July 17,2012

We have the foundation in and it seems like slow progress, it was a month waiting for the cement to dry but we are ready now. We had to have the poles cut to hold the inner corner not held by the foundation wall. They are 3/16" steel 4X4's. There will be a 12X12"  3/4" base plate that will sit on the footings. A 3/16" plate will be welded to the corners for a good weld.

The crane arrives on July 26th to life the containers onto the foundation. The welder will be on hand to weld the corners to the container and do some of the cuts including taking 2 cuts out of the side of the library and the kitchen and to remove the end doors. I really wanted to keep them on the second floor but since they are on the outside of the container, they will interfere with the floor. Will have to find a use for them.

note, due to weather, the crane cancelled for the 26th and we are now scheduled for August 1. Keep your fingers crossed all. !!

the beginning....

We are downsizing and going from a huge Victorian home with a 3 story barn to a shipping container home. Why shipping containers you may ask ? We wanted no mortgage, a reasonably priced house, something that was unique, and earth friendly- reused and recycled. This is our adventure 2013. Enjoy and ask questions along the way if you'd like. 

Jan 2013

Jan 9 2013.

The containers arrive and let me tell you that was quite the challenge for the guys from Page St. Our property is on a dirt road, a good one but still dirt. It has just enough of an incline to make the trucks spin tires as they drove up. There is also, much to their dismay also a bit of an incline into the property. "They were there so they would be delivered" the guy said as he sat stuck crosswise in the road. I was fascinated watching as they inchwormed the trucks wheels to move the load and get traction to climb the hill. The first 2 (there were 2 20 footers on each truck) were placed after about an hour of maneuvering. I said placed as I had the nerve to also ask that they be placed away from where we would ultimately dig the cellar hole. "We don't place these, lady....we drop them off and are on our way" Goodnatured guys so they, indeed, did place them. At least the first 4. It was winter and getting dark at around 4pm when the first 4 were on site. I figured that would be it for the day but they came back, got stuck in the ditch, and delivered the other 4 in the dark ! 

It is really happening, it is really happening ! 

Now the last 2 years in Maine have been very mild with little snow so our intention was to get the cellar hole in over the winter and be ready to start construction in the spring. Best laid plans.... everytime we had a few nice days we'd think we were good to start and BAM (a little Emeril humor) we'd get another snow storm. 

So we drew our plans, revised our plans and drew some more until we came up with our design. 

There will be a full basement under this, not the usual as they are either on a slab or piers in most of what we've seen but we needed the storage. We had a Feng Shui expert come out to the site and let us know where the house should be placed so as not to place the house where we would sleep above a fault in the earth or water. We had a dug well put in and the septic designed. 

The plan has 4 containers set in each corner and 4 more stacked above those. There is a 24ft atrium that will be in the center open the full 16ft. The house is sitting so that the back is due south with lots of  windows on the atrium walls to utilize passive solar. The main floor containers will house the kitchen, a guest room, my son's room, a library, and a  3/4 bath with laundry. There is an 8ft space between the containers on either side to accommodate the stairs going up to each side. Below the stairs will be a guest powder room on one side and stairs to the basement on the other. Upstairs on one side one container houses the master bedroom, another adjoining houses the master bath and closet. A separate stairway goes up to the other side which houses my daugher's room, her bath and closet. Our design is similar to the Kalkin house in northern Maine but not as large and less containers. 

Minor water and to ensure a dry basement, a french drain was installed. Just why is it called a french drain, you ask ? sounds exotic doesn't it ? However French drains were invented in Concord, Massachusetts and named after their inventor, the judge, farmer and Harvard graduate Henry Flagg French, who wrote a book on farm drainage that was published in 1859.

The footings were poured adding 3 additional to hold the containers at each inside corner. 

Gravel was then added so that the french drain would work properly.

Now for some reason, my husband thought what he had paid for at the town was the OK to do the foundation work so we went merrily along until the stop work....duh duh duh....The permit was for the septic ! Honest mistake so we stopped everything until the town sees a stamp from an engineer that the way the containers will be attached to the foundation and that, indeed, the foundation can hold the containers, etc etc. 

The forms have been up for a week awaiting the plans form the engineer. He said all looked good in that there was rebar in the cellar walls for extra strength, our plan is to sink a steel plate 1/2" thick with two rebar hooks that will go thru the center hole and down into the wall concrete at each outside corner. Then each inside corner (the one that is not supported by the cellar walls) will have a pole from the footing to the floor bottom of the atrium. For extra support, there will also be another pole in the center of each long wall of each container to the footing as well. Not necessary, but feels right. 

June 6, 2013

We got the building permit ! 

We had to hire an engineer to draw how the corners would be anchored in the cement. Each plate will have 2 18" j hooks sunk into the concrete.  Weather permitting we should pour the basement walls early next week. Stay tuned.

June 10,2013

We are having the walls to the cellar poured today. They are reinforcing at each corner of the container with rebar the height of the walls and the J hooks will be set that will weld the containers to the wall.  

Here is the picture of the J hooks and the plates that will be in each outside corner of the containers.

Lots and lots of concrete...