Hi Campers!

I have a few ISBU houses being built, RIGHT NOW. Although my house is mired in political poo-poo (I’m tempted to send one of those LooWatts to Jackson, MS…) I’m assisting some other ISBU fans as they build their Shipping Container homes.

If you look at my email (Man, I wish somebody would so I wouldn’t have to, sometimes! Some of you guys are vicious!)  the hardest part about building an alternative home, is figuring out how the parts interconnect. And it seems as the readership numbers go up (we’re over 50,000 now), the email increases exponentially. Here pretty soon, I’m gonna have to start posting “FAQS.”

The first one will be; “Yes, Ronin really is a Big Fat Bald-headed Jerk.“

I am too “big!” I’s over 6 feet tall, I is.  But I ain’t really “fat.” I’s “ROUND.” There’s a difference… 2 letters…  And, I’m not “bald.” I shave my head. There’s a difference, see?

Lately, I’ve been getting the same questions, over and over again (And will ya stop askin? It’s anatomically impossible! Sheesh!) , so I’m gonna do this;

I thought I’d take a few moments to share some photographs with you that actually spell out (a) how you put a container on a piling, and (b) how you can support an elevated roof.

Note: These photographs came out of a Houston, TX build.

Note this note: It ain’t one of mine.

Why did I use somebody elses’s build photo’s?

Well, most of MY current builds are placed on pilings 10′ in the air. I’ve got a (2) ISBU “SuperDeluxe Swamp Shed” in an actual  swamp meadow. 10 feet up.Seems the “Mother-In-Law” was afraid of heights, and couldn’t climb stairs! Hey! Why didn’t I think of that!

I’ve got a Indian family building a “several ISBU lodge…” again… you guessed it… 10′ up in the air. (Rotten Building Codes. Those Bastards!) But, the family likes the idea. They’ll see palefaces coming a mile away. And when Josh visits, it’s “DEATH FROM ABOVE!“

So, watch your head, because those juice containers and fruit cocktail cans hurt like hell when they bounce off your skull. You’ve been warned!

I’ve got a (2) container “Tree House” going in, actually suspended between massive trees and a cliff face. I’m not kidding! We ended up “pre-fabbing” the boxes, so that they can be welded together, and then… they’ll be hauling the house up into the trees like Robinson Freakin Crusoe!  All the water, power, and sewer lines will run down from the bottom of the house into “fake” tree trunks, and then out in the right directions.

(The “tree trunks” are actually carefully “disguised” support pilings.)

It’s a “tree house!” Hello? Where did you think it was gonna be? In a cave? I can’t wait for this one to get finished! The photos will make you crazy! When the guy told me what he wanted to do, I thought he was crazy… or an artist. And yep, sure enough, he’s a crazy artist.

It’s kinda hard to get good photo’s with a good degree of detail, when you’re about “a block away” lookin up!

But, I’ve got a (2) container home being built into a hillside in NC, and another one, that’s going to be built out in the boonies , over there in “Davy Crockett” land. You know the place… We don’t say the name out loud…  Their egos are big enough already!  Ssshhhhhsh!

Funny thing that… He’s literally out in the middle of nowhere, probably within spitting distance of “another country,” and he STILL has a HOA (Home Owners Association) trying to tell him what to do. But, I figure that after he hangs with “ole Ronin” for a while, I’ll inspire him to go all “Alamo on their asses” and chase them back under the rocks they crawled out from under!

Ronin no like HOA’s!

HOA make Ronin Maaaaaad!

Actually, Texas is starting to grow on me. Why? Because an architect I really admire, who is leading the way in the “WORLD of ISBUs” is  PETER DEMARIA. He  earned a master’s degree in architecture from the University of Texas (probably with a minor in “Bowhunting,” or the “History of Ted Nugent,” or something like that, but… )

He’s now is the founding principal of the California-based firm, DeMaria Design Associates Inc., and they are receiving rave reviews across the country for their Redondo Beach residence, a single-family custom home utilizing recycled cargo containers.

“This project is the torch bearer for a new, more affordable method of design and construction — Architecture as a Product,” Peter  writes.

FYI: HOA’s still suck…

So, where was I? Oh yeah…

I thought it made sense to show you how to build a Corten Castle, on the ground. Okay… a few inches OFF the ground. After all, unless you live on the Gulf Coast, or you’re a nut (Sorry Pete, but… you ARE a nut.) …  it’s probably how you’ll do it, anyway.

And… I thought I’d show you how other people are addressing  ISBU problems, and then… I’ll show you how I’d do it. There’s not a thing wrong with the way this builder did this. In fact, it looks like it was a fun build. The opportunity for use of lots of recycled stuff was just running rampant!

The photos are pretty self explanatory, but note how small in diameter the pilings are, to hold this ISBU house up off the ground. It looks like they used coffee cans for piling forms!

Now… we’re gonna want to increase the diameter of the pilings (sono tubes filled with steel-reinforced concrete) in most projects, to insure that you can actually get underneath the containers in order to spray closed cell foam (insulation) on their lil steel bottoms, and to keep your house up outta the rain, snow and dreck…

Nothing to it! No footings, no rebar sticking up to poke yer eye out, nada!

And a roof is easy, too! In fact, it looks too easy, huh?

It looks odd, but a roof is as simple as a welded extension, a bracket, and a few 2×8’s.

And, if you look at the cuts, you can also see how easily a plasma cutter slices thru the corten steel, to open the boxes up.

And now… Geraldo Rivera will open the mysterious vault formerly belonging to Al Capone… Hey, What’s Michael Jackson’s monkey doing in here? BAD Bubbles!

See how they firred out the inside of the container, so they could attach sheetrock?

Additionally, the”fabricated” 2×8 ceiling joists just sit in a “modified” bracket, on the top of a 2″ box steel “extension” welded right to the frame of the container.  What’s a “fabricated” beam?

Take (2) 2×8’s and a hunk of plywood, and glue them all together. (Plywood goes in the middle.) Now, drive screws into them until your screwgun pukes! What ya got? Instant beams! For Cheap!

This allows you to put a conventional roof on your container house, just like the neighbors. Okay, so it looks like a third world jail! It ain’t done yet! Sheesh!

However, if you’ve read my posts, you know that I prefer to use SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels), for several reasons. These reasons included the fact that a SIP roof is already insulated, and strong, strong, strong. Plus, in short spans (under 24′), they can support themselves. Huh?

Well… because SIPs “will interlock” so you don’t need any side bracing or connections.

Now, for you “conventional people out there… in the case of a more traditional roof, I’d add a connector that ties each bracket support to the next in a “cage.” That “cage” will make the roof structure more rigid.

In the SIPs roof example, your SIP roof  (made out of interlocking SIP panels) will basically sit right on top of the walls, and get nailed, glued, and then strapped into place.

Here’s some more assorted views of containers being turned into “Corten Casas!”

Here we see that intrepid explorer Marlin Perkins look for his assistant, who’s just been swallowed by an Anaconda… wait… that’s not it.

I wonder what’s gonna go there? Hmmm? Probably a clothesline.

Ever put an M-80 in a mailbox? … Actually, that box is getting ready to become a bedroom!

This is where I hide from my wife… Shhhhhsh! Note the two doorways. The skinny one is for… um…er… my wife. Yeah, that’s it!

Now, I’ll start using photos from a few of MY builds, to show you how WE do it. Because I know that it’s hard to visualize a description of how these boxes get assembled into a home, especially when reading one of MY posts. Hey, ya want Tolstoy… go to the damned library!

I hope that these photos of a current build, help.

Now excuse me while I go look for a piece of property with a few big trees. I got me an idea… and a Mother-In-Law!:)

Oh Happiest of Happy Days!

And I’m not talking about that “Fonzi/Potsy/Heeeeeeeey!” stuff neither!

Today is THE day, around the “Ronin Roost!”

It’s the day we get to demonstrate our um… er… “glee” at the living in America! You know, that place where we all complain about everything under the sun, while people in the third world complain about things like clean water, epidemic diseases, and criminal despots acting like tyrants!

We forget that here in America, we actually have it pretty good… Even if those rotten bastards in Jackson don’t like the idea of my building a house out of Shipping Containers!

So, today… just for 24 hours mind you… you can cast all your cares aside, push all your frustration onto the back burner, and then…

Go out there and blow some %^*$#@!! UP!

Oh yeah… I forgot the “legal stuff…

Happy 4th of July!

FYI: Twisting up a sparkler, and then using it to “brand” your little sister is a bad idea, no matter WHAT family you live in. Trust me on this… I got grounded for the whole summer! Oy!

Last time, we talked about how Corten Steel Containers, used by the shipping industry, have revolutionized building and construction…

Today, we’re going to look at the many different ways these wonderful boxes have been used, to achieve success in areas other than delivering Chinese TV’s to WalMart!

Here’s some of the uses, to date:

Storage Boxes

- safe, vandal proof
- Products
- Instant warehouse
- Construction supplies
- Farm equipment
- Security storage
- Home storage sheds

PreFab Construction

- pre-modified units
- Construction offices
- Work shops, home
- Work shops, business
- Sales offices
- Laboratories
- Shower modules
- Restrooms & Toilets
- Kitchens
- Canteens
- Business Kiosks
- Classrooms
- Refrigerators / Freezers
- Emergency Housing
- Emergency Office
- Computer Data Centers
– Garages
– Recreation Vehicles

Modular Construction Blocks

- multiple container units
– Housing, traditional architecture

– Housing, low income
- Apartments
- Condominiums
- Campus housing
- Mountain homes
- Trendy homes
- Office buildings
- Storage units
- Multi-car garages
- Commercial U-Store type storage units
- Emergency Shelters

Benefits of ISBU construction

– Strongest building construction on the planet
- Earthquake proof
- Fire proof
- Tornado / Hurricane proof
- Strong non-corrosion Corten steel
- Extreme security
- Recyclable – Green construction and modifications
- Saves trees
- Unibody construction
- Ideal for multiple floors and levels
- Fast construction
- Exceeds U.S. Building Codes
- Easily adapted to Prefab automation
- Easily adapted to Custom homes
- Economically covered with traditional stucco, vinyl siding, woods, or brick

Gives you something to think about, doesn’t it?

Stay tuned, because we’re going to do an “in-depth” exploration of the potential of ISBU’s, and then… we’re going to start building homes. Play your cards right, and one of them may end up being yours!

When you consider the effect of the global economy and how it’s gone kerplunk in the last couple of years, the first thing that comes to mind is a swift reassessment of our personal situations.

How does/will this affect me?  Am I going to lose my job when I least expect it?  Will I be ok to pay the mortgage and keep a roof over my / my family’s head?

Questions such as these put me in a thoughtful mood.  Not just about the here and now, although that is important of course.  More importantly, considering and planning how what we do now can prepare us a little for the unknowns in 5, 10, 20 (or if you’re really young) 50 years.

Naturally there is no crystal ball when it comes to the future so it’s all down to you.  Where do you think the world will be in 10 or 20 years from now?

With the earth’s resources being squandered at an alarming rate, these are important questions.  Before making large financial decisions such as the size of a mortgage for your home and where you’ll live, the type of energy resources you’ll need, ask yourself are you likely to weather another global financial storm like the one we’re currently going through?

Taking the time to make your choices with a clear head, a view to the possibilities and your realistic ability to cope with an ever-changing world can help you to make decisions that, hopefully, will not cripple you to the extent of financial strain or worse.

For the little people, like you and me, who have a job or a business and no self-replenishing fortune to fall back on, a house is one of the largest investments we’ll make in our life.

Small and tiny houses caught my attention at the beginning of the global financial crisis for this reason.  Naturally, I’m only one person of many, many people worldwide who have awoken to the excellent alternative housing option that small housing presents.

The thought behind it all is quite simple.

◊  Replacing a whopping great mortgage with a smaller one saves you money immediately.  It saves you interest and it saves you on the principal that you owe because buying/building a small house uses less building materials.

◊  A smaller domain opens up a world of smaller utility bills and alternative energy sources, solar, wind-powered, bio-diesel and such-like.

◊  The very minute you start thinking small and you ‘get’ why you are doing it, your mind turns to other ways to practice frugal living and saving your money for experiences you want to have, rather than things you thought you needed.

You see why Small Houses have caught on?  

Here at RenaissanceRonin, we’ve talked a lot about how you design your home, using alternative materials. After all, it’s what we’re doing, as we build our home out of shipping containers (ISBU’s), and recycled aircraft hangar components. We’re not doing this to be fashionable, or “particularly GREEN,” or even to make a name for ourselves. We just need a durable, sustainable home, that will provide for our needs, within our budget.

(Hey, if you’d been paying attention to the words in the posts, instead of all those pretty pictures, you’d know that! Right?)

Speaking of “pretty pictures.” No progress on the “My use of images makes WordPress puke” situation. I’m still working on a fix. The pictures will return, I promise. Hey, if for no other reason than they fill up the page, and I don’t have to write as much!

After all, it’s not just about saving money, it’s about creating a space to live in, that will provide for your needs.

And, that implies a lot of responsibility. Moral Responsibility.

No, I’m not talking about trying to make sure that you please the Baptists down the street! I’m talking about looking at every side of home design, while you busily fill those wishbook pages that will lead you to your design.

Again… I have nothing against Baptists. I’m just surrounded by them, and we like to “brother-lovingly” poke each other in the eye… Call it “theological differences…”  I don’t know WHY they keep telling me that “I’m going to HELL.”

Your responsibility for protecting and sheltering your family has to be weighed against more than fire, or a building horror like a collapse, or a catastrophic natural event. There is a huge body of research that defines the intimate relationship between homes and human behavior.  After all, you’re creating an environment that your tribe will live within, right?

But how do you do this? It’s hard enough trying to figure out which stick goes into what slot, without having somebody suggest that you have to go find a “house psychiatrist” to help you plan out your space. I mean, I’ve heard of “horse whisperers,” and “dog whisperers,” and even “gossip-mongers…” But, I’ve never heard of a “house whisperer.” Hey! That might make a cool reality show on cable, huh?

“Well sir, your home says that traipsing around the house in your tighty-whiteys with your “crack” hangin out like some overweight plumber, makes it’s windows shiver… So, just stop it, huh?”

Think about things like “sanitary surfaces, and safety.” Where you actually live has a lot to do with which materials you use. If you live in a place where there is a lot of humidity and mold, you probably don’t want porous surfaces all over the place that you’ll have to maintain. If you live in a hot environment, you probably don’t want cinder-block construction, or low ceiling heights that will trap the heat down into your “living zones.” Think about railings on staircases, and stair tread height/depth, and access to important rooms like the bathroom!

I was watching a cable show today about “beautiful houses.” And, although some of them were just fabulous, I was reminded that some of us tend to think of our homes as “beautiful objects” and not really places for human interaction and participation. It’s really not surprising that we see so many photographs in the media of beautiful spaces that don’t have people in them. The spaces that are created just don’t compliment humans.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t really want to live in a museum, or an aquarium. I want to live in a calm, soothing environment that takes care of me, with as little input as possible. After all, I have TV to watch and frosty cold beverages to consume!

(Preferably in a soundproof room that my wife doesn’t know about, okay? She can conjure up a “honey-do list” that would make Bob Vila or those “This Old House” guys commit suicide in about three seconds flat!)

Here’s the deal. Good home design begins with great discussions. Talk to your family about their wants and their goals for your new house. Think about ways to streamline the maintenance, using good design as a fulcrum. Think about ways to eliminate obstacles and hazards. You can still have a great looking home, that looks like people actually live in it! You just have to think it through!

You’ve got to figure out what works, and more importantly, what doesn’t. And that will add a whole page of questions to your design list. If you don’t heed them, there isn’t any way you’re going to improve your design.

And, those unanswered questions will be a failure to your family (and their comfort and safety), later.

Enough for now, I just heard my wife, and I haven’t finished cleaning up the huge mess that “the kid” made! How does he DO that? Oy Vey! 

If I only had a soundproof room… :p

Stay tuned!

]]> http://renaissanceronin.wordpress.com/2009/06/06/using-isbus-to-build-instant-homes/ Sat, 06 Jun 2009 07:21:17 +0000 renaissanceronin http://renaissanceronin.wordpress.com/2009/06/06/using-isbus-to-build-instant-homes/

As many of you know, my family is fighting it’s way through the powers that be, trying to gain enough momentum to get a house erected that will keep us safe  and protected from the elements.

I suppose it would be easier to just give in to pressure, and build a house out of sticks, or even blocks. But, we’ve never been ones to follow everybody else around like “lost sheep,” and we’re not afraid to stick our necks out if we think it’s for the “greater good.”

You see, many people just can’t get “housing loans.” The economy and the housing shortage have made it almost impossible for many families in America to do anything but try to meet the rent each month, knowing that at the end of the year, they’ll have nothing to show for it but the satisfaction of knowing that they’ve paid their rental unit’s mortgage for the owners.

There has to be another road, and frankly, we’re looking for it.

Most of you know that I’m a big advocate of using Shipping Containers  (ISBU’s) as structure, just like a kid uses those plastic  building blocks. These steel boxes are incredibly durable, they’re plentiful, and given careful planning, they can be warm and cozy shelters in even the most severe weather conditions.

I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the concept of “modular construction” lately. The easiest way to build anything, is to break it down into smaller parts, and build it out of sub-assemblies. So, just think of these boxes as components, and then think about how you can “pre-fabricate” them, before you use a crane (or other muscle) to set them into place on your foundation.

And that foundation doesn’t have to be real complicated, either. Containers can be set on pilings to get them up off the ground. Pouring those support pilings using cardboard tubes,  concrete and rebar can be pretty inexpensive, compared to massive grading efforts, and complicated footings.

(2) 40′ High Cube ISBU’s can be turned into two nice sized bedrooms with a shared bathroom, quite easily. Just lay them side by side, and take the center sections out. You’ve got decent room runs, and a nice 9′ ceiling height, with ease. The containers will get welded together along the center seam (top, sides, and bottom) and you’ll have some bearing walls in the middle, to help support the roof load, so don’t worry about the span, for now.

If you were to take (2) of these bedroom assemblies, and set them a little bit apart on 24″ pilings placed about 10′ on center…

And by spanning the “gap” between them with 16′ floor joists to connect the sides together, you’re essentially creating a house with a crawlspace underneath it. Guess how you’re gonna insulate the underside of that house? You’re gonna crawl under there and spray it with the same close-celled foam that most of the commercial industry has been using for years. At r7 per inch, it isn’t going to take much of it, to insure that your floor stays warm.

Plus, you’re gonna get a nice “stepped” entry deck both front and rear, to access the house and the back yard.

Think about ways you can build these “sub-assemblies,” and then place them together, using a roof to span the gap between them. Think about the angles that they can be “splayed” in, to create “great rooms” with a narrower, more cozy room at the rear.

Or, just take (2) of these sub-assemblies, and lay them parallel to each other, about 16 feet apart. Guess what? You’ve just built a 1,920 square foot four bedroom/ 2 bath  house, for pennies on the dollar. The gap between them can be filled in with conventional floor joists, and the ceiling, built out of SIP’s (Structural Insulated Panels) will give you enough warmth to get you through the coldest of winters.

And here’s the fun part. You can go from a basically vacant lot, to that almost 2,000 square foot house, in a week. (Wanna freak out the neighbors? Wait until they go on vacation to build. When they leave, it’ll be a vacant lot, and when they return… It’ll be a 2,000 square foot Corten Monument, complete with a landscaped front yard!)

Sure, you can  spend about 3 months getting the “pre-fabbed” parts assembled, but once you’ve got them the way you want them, that crane will make short work of them. And because your “pre-fabbed” assemblies are built out of units 8′ wide, they can be easily trucked to your site on a flatbed trailer. I’ve delivered my “doctored boxes” to the jobsite using a big Dodge pickup (a 1 ton diesel duelie) and a flatbed, several times.

So, you can do the “fitting out” part anywhere you like. No tractor trailer required, no muss, no fuss. And best of all, no massive, heart stopping shipping and delivery bills!

That center “bowling alley” you’ve “floorjoisted” into existence will house your living room, kitchen and dining room. Remember that 40′ can go a long way.  Most people would kill for a 20′ x 16′ Living/Family Room.  Put your kitchen in the center, and your dining room right behind it, and you end up with some pretty decent spaces, with all your plumbing in one “corridor” right through the middle of the house.

Or, here’s my favorite configuration; Move your kitchen all the way to the rear of the great room, in a big “L-Shape” with an island. Now, you have a Living Room/Dining Room combination that flows like the Nile, and a bright and airy kitchen to work in, too! Plus, you’re right there by the back doors, and that terrific deck looking out at the neighbor’s brats taunting your dog!

Another benefit to using shipping containers as components is that you’re already “weathered in.” No matter how wet or windy it gets outside, you’re inside, safe and warm as you build.

Granted, this is just a very brief overview of a small ISBU house project, but I can tell you from experience that you can build it yourself, using basic hand-tools, on weekends, and summer vacations. How do I know this? Because I’ve done it myself (with some help, of course), more than once.

The home that my family is presently planning to build follows this same “concept plan.” Now whether it gets built in Mississippi, or someplace else, it’s a house constructed out of pre-fabbed “ISBU wings,” connected by a small “aircraft hangar” to form a larger version of what I’ve just described. It’s similar to some of the container homes that you’ve seen on the Internet, with a few “Jew-Fu”  tricks thrown in, just to make the Planning and Zoning guys crazy…

And no… we’re not gonna leave much of the containers exposed to the elements. Our insulation is going on the OUTSIDE of the house, and then it will be covered by wood siding. We’re gonna leave a spot or two visible, so that people will be able to see it’s “origins,” but it’ll be tasteful, and more an “art statement” than an “in your face” jab.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll start laying it out for you, so you can see just how simple this construction process can be, if you use good design and good components.

Stay tuned.

FYI: For some reason beyond my understanding, I’m having trouble with WordPress.  It’s not letting me attach images to my posts, without crashing my computer. So, as soon as I figure out what ’s wrong, and get the problem remedied I’ll attach drawings, photos and diagrams to this series of posts, so that you can actually “see” how it goes together to form a house.  I’ll post a “fixed” statement as soon as possible.

Okay, so it’s that time of year again!

I’m sitting at my desk, toiling and sweating over a new set of plans for our “Shipping Container House,” and my wife asks me what I want for “Fathers Day…” So, after about 35 seconds of thought (and a pretty cool “daydream” that I can’t repeat here because it’s “a family show,” albeit “dysfunctional” after all… )  I just rattled off the same old list that I’ve been recycling in my brain, seemingly forever… since I didn’t get them last year!

I want these things, in no particular order;

Now, most Dad’s would ask for “world peace” (like that’s EVER gonna happen) a healthy kid (if this kid doesn’t stop eating soon, Mississippi will collapse in on the empty cavity that he creates), a bright sunny day spent with my family (have you MET my family? I’d rather spend the day with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s family in a sandstorm), and a happy home (that doesn’t resemble a penitentiary or an insane asylum).

I can see it now;

“Special News Flash! Mississippi, experiencing a cavernous emptying that reminds us of the chaotic mass migration out of the Gulf Coast during Hurricane Katrina, fell in on itself today, only to be reclaimed by the Gulf Of Mexico. The roar of the tidal flow back into the swampland that is… um… was Mississippi was only rivaled by the ear-shattering belch that emanated from somewhere close to the hole’s epicenter, located near Biloxi.”

And I bet they’ll blame ME for that, too!

But… back to reality… I haven’t got a home. If you’ve been paying attention, you already know that, right?

You have been paying attention, right?

HELLO? Anybody there? Did I lose you already?

Okay, that’s it. No more pretty pictures for you to ogle over, until you start reading the words!

Here’s what I want for Father’s Day;

I want chores. Lot’s of chores. You know, stuff like “will you just wash the [expletive deleted] windows? We haven’t seen the driveway since December!”

I want a yard filled with crabgrass, weeds, and the neighbor’s dogs poop.

I wanna replace broken windows that the rotten kids down the street broke, because they think that being Jewish means I’m some kind of “cult member.”

FYI: Despite rumblings on the Internet, I am NOT a cult member. I’m just “charming and charismatic.”

I want a pool filter plugged to the top with debris, old socks, and girls bathing suits. (Don’t ask!)

I want to unplug toilets because my son has learned the phrases; “Bye-bye!” and “All Gone!” And… he’s learned how to use them in the same sentence!:)

I want to mourn my cell phone and my wristwatch, that my son has just “buried at sea,” with a tiny-voiced little chorus of “London bridge is going down, with daddy’s cell phone…” WHOOSH!

I want to toil away in 90 degree heat, risking heat stroke and death, to hang off a ladder unclogging gutters.

I want to “mow the minefield,” being careful to avoid the munitions and obstacles. You know, like my son’s “Hot Wheels,” the neighbor’s dogs contribution to my yard’s fertilization, and the Claymores that we so carefully placed, to slow down the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Amway/Mary Kay Salesmen that beat a path to your door…

And before you start, I have nothing against Jehovah’s Witnesses. Anybody who takes time out of their weekend to deliver newsletters and pamphlets about Jimi Hendrix is okay in my book…

That IS what “The Watchtower” is all about, right?

But Amway and Mary Kay salesmen… um…er… persons… Now, there oughta be a special place in hell for those nuts! Whenever they show up here, I ask them if they have any special “designer” creams for bedsores and hemorrhoids, that’s edible.

Why? Because we all know that “healing starts from within.” I learned that watching a recent Obama speech.

And… “I’d prefer Berry flavored, thank you very much…”

I want to work tirelessly on a weekend (or perhaps even several, if I survive it), to use power tools that no idiot should have ever placed within my reach, to build my son a treehouse, so that he can climb up there and scream “Death from ABOVE!!!” while he hurls empty snack containers and empty fruit juice cartons at us.

I’m thinking that you get the gist of this post. I want a HOME. A real live, built outta steel house that will keep us warm/cool and dry, and keep the nuts from getting in and messing up the furniture.

I want a place that my son can play in as he grows up in this country, that will allow him to be healthy and safe and provide for his needs. I want a place where my wife can recover from her illness and look forward to each new day, instead of feeling the stress I radiate while “I fight City Hall,” trying to get us to a safe place.

Hell, right about now, I’d settle for “40 acres and a mule.” At least it’d be a start in the right direction.

I gotta make a new plan.

Stay tuned.

As you know, my family is building our own house out of shipping containers (ISBU’s), if the idiots in Jackson  will just get the hell out of the way.  But, you probably already know that, right?

It’s a long hard fight, because we’re not building a “traditional house out of straw, or sticks, or even bricks…”

And it seems that the “Big Bad Wolf” (aka: the local authorities and the knuckleheads at the State Capital) are trying to “huff and puff and blow our house down” faster than we can get it built up.

Will that finally stop us? No. We’ll just get a bigger can of “Wolf Repellent” and administer doses liberally, until we accomplish our goals. Now “Wolf repellent” comes in several different varieties, but so far, the one that seems to be the most effective is the “strutting all the facts out in public and then using them as a hammer” brand. Liberal sprinklings of “veiled threats to use the media and your voting record” seem to help as well, as supplements. So, the fight continues.

The sad thing is that the path we’ve chosen (albeit different from most) still puts a family in an affordable, durable house, that is sustainable and efficient. And for the life of me, I can’t get the powers that be, to recognize that fact.

It’s frustrating to the point of “tears and medication” at times, but if we’re going to help other families like ours get back into homes, we have to prove it can be done, in spite of what sometimes seems like overwhelming odds. So, we get up each morning, say our prayers, and look to the new day, to see what develops.

And, that brings me to the topic today.

Once you’ve determined that you’re going to build your own home, how do you actually do it?

Now, I’m not talking about putting “stick (A) into slot (B)” and then repeating that until you have a house. I’m talking about how you actually afford to have people in your employ, to assist you in building your dream home.

As the economy crumbles, and as more and more people end up on the unemployment line, I’m curious as to whether some of the assistance money programmed into the “stimulus package” can actually help you build that house.

Sure, most of the money is aimed at Big Business. But, some of it will manage to trickle down to us “little guys” at the bottom of the feed chain. And it might even do it in the form of Tax Incentives and Tax Credits, if we do it right.

This stream of thought started when I picked up a copy of the American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009. It expands tax credits for hiring new workers. You know, guys and gals from groups like the disabled, people on public assistance, and even (gasp!) veterans.

I know what you’re thinking. It’s a pretty narrow stream, huh? But despite what you’ve heard, Jews can swim… We can even walk on water… Well, some of us can.

Okay, okay… Here’s the gist of my rant today; Those tax credits are only for businesses, right? Well, what if, while acting as your own General Contractor, you actually established a business that employed your help? There’s a really thin line painted here, that looks like it might enable “the common man” to basically start a company that just supplied “independent contractor” labor to be supervised by licensed tradesmen, and in doing so, be entitled to this tax credit.

Now, you want your guys and gals to be independent contractors, for several reasons. First, independent contractors aren’t subject to payroll taxes. Second, you don’t have to include (or even establish for that matter) fringe benefit programs like health insurance or retirement plans.

Can you see where I’m going with this?

Here’s the guts of it;

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) will actually benefit “labor employers” that hire people from 9 targeted “groups,” with a tax credit equal to 40% of qualified first-year wages. This includes different amounts for qualified vets or teen summer hires. The only real hitch seems to be that they must work at least 120 hours for the wages to qualify.

I’m curious as to whether or not you can find a way to make this work for  you, as a homebuilder.  I’m going to investigate this further, and see if I can find a way to put some of those “Stimulus Dollars” in your pocket.

And I’m going to take a hard look at other ways to become eligible for those Stimulus dollars, as we build our Corten Castle. After all, if Wall Street and the car companies can benefit from federal handouts, I’m pretty sure that as a taxpayer, I should be entitled too. It’s my kids (and yours) who will be paying off this monumental debt.

Stay tuned.

Okay, so I took a few days off…

It’s been “pretty difficult” around here lately (in fact, on a one to ten, it’s been an “eight”). The “Mommy” is slowly recovering (“Mommy” recently had a stroke), and Joshua, astutely sensing a momentary change in the balance of power, has taken the opportunity to wage a full frontal assault, and try to make the “Daddy” crazy…um… er… crazier. This is a pretty simple task lately, as Daddy has had his hands full… Oy Vey, have I had my hands full…

Beyond that, due to difficulties beyond my control my appearance at a “meeting of the mind” (singular) in Jackson, was accomplished “by notarized document/statement, read aloud by some unfortunate lackey who will have to bear the scars of having my words rattle around in their brain until the cows come home.”

I say “mind,” because after participating in several of these “Jacksonian jousts,” I’m convinced that there is only one sane person in “Jackson Authority,” and they just pass the brain around, at random.

I’m told that my statement was either well received, or thrown in a well (I’m not sure which), as the phone line that connected us was garbled.

It was just basically the same old “Ronin Rant.”

“Get off your dead asses, and do your jobs! Families need homes. YOU need constituents.  The STATE needs to generate tax dollars HONESTLY! Families without homes don’t pay property taxes, and they sure don’t vote in your favor, come election day! We’ll remember that you didn’t give a damn, and then… we won’t either. I promise. Capish?”

For those of you keeping track, this was just another gyration, as the politicians in Jackson strive to drag this whole set of events out as long as possible, so that the people they are answering to either (a) drop dead from exhaustion, or (b) become so senile that they forget why they’re so pissed off.

The issue is whether or not to actually “release” the grant parcels to the families that qualified for them, MONTHS ago. I suspect that the truth of the matter is that they’re still trying to figure out how to make more money off the “re-urbanization” program. This program isn’t costing Mississippi a dime, folks. Not one penny! You see, the Fed has compensated Mississippi for the “land” that is being parceled out, but like most politicians, when the miscreants in Jackson smell money, they do just about everything they can to figure out how they can get their grubby little paws on more of it.

I’d remind them that “there isn’t anything honorable or even remotely responsible in standing between families that need homes, and the property that will make it possible.”

It’s ridiculous really. They complain that their tax bases are dying slowly on the vine and that people are leaving Mississippi for “greener pastures.” Then, they actually demonstrate WHY people are leaving, yet they fail to recognize it. Talk about “being detached and living in a fantasy.”

Attention, self-serving politicians; We will not forget, or go away. (In fact, some of us CAN’T, or we would have… as we’re really sick and tired of your greediness and irresponsibility.) Do your jobs, serve your constituents “honorably and responsibly,” or come next election, I promise you that you’ll be looking for work. (Good luck with that, by the way… as you idiots also killed off most of the jobs!) People like me are going to hold you accountable for your lack of action, and we’ll be more than happy to remind voters what miserable bastards you were, when we actually needed you to do your jobs, for once. I’m taking careful notes, and keeping a list of names. And, I have no problem being one of those who help fan the winds of change.

For example: The Internet is a powerful stick, and I’ll make sure that I beat you on the head with it, for all to see. Think about it for a minute, huh? I’m an “ex-military father/husband, with a dying wife and a baby child, who lost our (completely paid for) home to a greedy insurance company (who bought and paid for) a bunch of greedy politicians who just didn’t give a crap about anything but THEIR own power-mongering, “foreign-soil” junkets (and I’m not talking about ALABAMA), and excessive lifestyles.”

You really don’t want that, do you? Let me assure you… You REALLY don’t want that. I can spell “RECALL.” And, I know what it means, too.

That said, let’s talk about something more pleasant, huh?

Lately, I’ve been trying to figure out how to get a home built, using containers as the primary structure. Unless you’re living under a rock, you already know that.

And as my own build is hopelessly mired in “red tape,” I’m currently involved in helping other families build their ISBU homes Some surprising developments have given me hope that soon, despite the procrastination of Jackson’s “finest,” we’ll be building our own “Corten Castle” soon. It may NOT be in Mississippi, but it’s going to get built.

We’ll talk more about that later.

Anyway, I’ve been asked a series of questions lately, that I found so intriguing, I’m going to post them here, and see if I can get a few of you to comment. And, to be accurate, lately the most interesting inquiries aren’t so much “questions,” as “ponderings,” about the combination of structures, essentially combining different types of alternative construction together, to form “habitats.” I’m frankly enjoying this, because it means that some of you guys and gals are truly thinking out of the box, while trying to use one.

Here’s what I’m talking about.

Lately, I’ve been quietly working on a new ISBU project in New Mexico. The family involved isn’t building “in crisis,” or anything like that. They’re actually dedicating their own funds to this build, “simply to prove it can be done.” The home will be a vacation retreat, but it’s large enough that they could live there full time, if they choose to, later on. If I had to categorize it, I’d call it a “bug-out” build. It’s a place to run to, if things get stupid, or you just need to get out of town. I can completely relate to this mindset.

They’re using (3) 40′ HQ ISBUs to build a 24′x40′ box. It’s multi-level, with one ISBU level on what is essentially an elevated and insulated slab, that will hold all the mechanical and service elements of the home. The kitchen, dining room, bathroom, and mechanical room for the A/C and Hot water Heater is in the boxes. Also included in this level are the garage (2 car) and a small workshop. This entire level will be “earth-bermed,” in a manner that will make it similar to the “earthships” popular in the area. A greenhouse will occupy most of the south facing exterior.

Try as I might, the people building just aren’t interested in solar anything, including hot water, geothermal A/C or photovoltaics. Whaaa?

Okay, so there’s ONE solar panel, and it’s mounted on a pump system on a water tank.

Wait, it gets better! You know WHY they aren’t interested in using a bucket full of those “green” elements? It’s because they have their own “fast running” creek/stream/river, that never dries up or freezes over, and the guy building the home is an electrical engineer who has developed a hydroelectric turbine that will fit into a pipe. Big deal, right? Wrong. HUGE damned deal!!!

It’s only a 12” pipe!

And, this little beauty of a turbine will produce enough power to run just about anything he wants to plug in, forever. And to prove it, he’s gonna make it the SOLE source of power, for his home.

(The singular solar panel is used to power a pump that will help him move water to another parcel for irrigation of a “survival” garden. It was pre-existing.)

His “power-pipe system” runs out of the river, and then back into it.

A singular power source from water pressure. Talk about “guts!” If I tried to do that, I’d wake up dead in the morning, with my wife laughing over my carcass!

So, As I learn more about this little gem of a powerplant, I’ll fill you in, too! Suffice to say, I want one! I can picture this placed between cisterns filled by a well (which is operated by solar power). I have a few really big pieces of culvert pipe that are just begging to be used in a “power by water” experiment. If you filled a rather large primary tank, and then used an outlet pipe to fill a secondary one (and placed one of these little powerplants in that outlet pipe between them…) you’d get hydroelectric power from the water pressure that flowed thru it…

I’m not sure it’d work, because you’d have to keep that first tank filled to get enough pressure (in a constant flow), but I can see it in my head. However, my wife reminds me that “I see a lot of things in my head, most of them unrepeatable, unprintable, or felonious.”

Okay, I admit it. I get all caught up in this “grant property polka” currently going on in Jackson, and I want to go “postal.” Deal with it.

Here’s where his build is REALLY different. He’s gonna build his bedrooms and common areas into a dome built ON TOP of the containers. The dome will be 24′ feet in diameter and about 20′ high. It will be built entirely of SIP’s (Structural Insulated Panels) and glass. A winding “freeform” staircase will allow access from level to level, with an ”open overlap loft” plan that will allow you to stand on the main level and look up, to see the top of the dome.

This isn’t such a bad idea. He gets a stable base to build on, lots of room for his “hard stuff” (plumbing, electromechanical requirements, etc…) and really bright and airy creative spaces for his comfort zones.

What other ways can you think of to combine different type of alternative homes together, to form a “super” alternative home?

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]]> http://renaissanceronin.wordpress.com/2009/05/23/thank-you/ Sat, 23 May 2009 13:00:50 +0000 renaissanceronin http://renaissanceronin.wordpress.com/2009/05/23/thank-you/

Memorial Day, which was originally called “Decoration Day,” is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service.

But where did it come from?

Although dozens of cities claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day, my favorite attribution is the evidence that organized women’s groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, “Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping” by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication;

“To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead”

(Source: Duke University’s Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920)

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5th, 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in General Order No. 11. It was first observed on May 30th, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

In 1915, inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields,” Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

But it saddens me that when you ask people what they’re going to do on Memorial Day lately, it seems like it’s just turned into another opportunity for “Beer and BBQ,” or an automobile “Blow-out” at the local car lot.

The traditional observance of Memorial day has decayed over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and even the traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, and even neglected.

Thankfully, where I live (in this part of the South), this is not the case. At the Biloxi National Cemetery, it reminds me of growing up in Orange County, CA (a farming community when I was young), it almost looks like hundreds of fieldworkers picking produce, as legions of citizens place flags and flowers on the graves that cover the vast repository of our fallen. But this attending to graves, albeit touching, isn’t quite accurate either.

You see, most people don’t remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. And, some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.

Memorial Day is specifically placed, a day to honor those paid the ultimate price and gave all, in the service of our country.

But what may be needed to return the solemn, and even sacred, spirit back to Memorial Day is for a return to its traditional day of observance. Many feel that when Congress made the day into a three-day weekend in with the National Holiday Act of 1971, it made it all the easier for people to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day. As the VFW stated in its 2002 Memorial Day address:

“Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public’s nonchalant observance of Memorial Day.”

“To all that have fallen…
Mothers, Fathers, Sister and Brothers…
We grieve as you are sorely missed.
Until we are all reunited,
May you rest peacefully in G_d’s arms.”

G_d bless you all! Amen.

Greetings and salutations, fellow campers!

Welcome to “Mr Ronin’s Neighborhood!”

Now, as you know… my family is building a home out of recycled boxes. Won’t you be my neighbor?

NO!??

Hey, it’s not like it’s refrigerator boxes, or TV boxes, or even those cool boxes that your washer and dryer come in… Although those are in abundant supply… when they get wet, they’re useless. And, we have a household that is prone to “wet spots.” So… “Middle-aged Mommy” and I have a small tyrant, and he’s still in diapers… so it’s not him.

I suppose it’s me… at least that’s what my wife says. I suspect she’s the one peeing on the carpet, because we don’t have a dog (and I stopped “excessive” drinking years ago), but she claims I do “odd things” in my sleep.

I know that’s a lie, because since the boy was spawned, I haven’t gotten any sleep… But whatever. So we needed something sturdier than cardboard, that was also “liquid and weather resistant.”

So… we’re building a home out of shipping containers.

Oh stop it! We are TOO!

I’ve been talking about it for a while now, slowly plotting and scheming, while the powers that be try to stop me at every gyration. But, slowly we’re gaining what looks like ground (but may just be “sleep deprived delusion”)   and soon our family will join the ranks of “home-owning” families, ours living firmly in our Corten Castle surrounded by neighbors brandishing burning brands and pitchforks.

What? You don’t have those kind of neighbors? Well, we must have gotten lucky…

I get email. Man, do I get email. Now some of it is humorous;

“Are you out of your [bleeeepin, bleepetty, bleep!] mind? Your [bleepitty-bleep] wife should take that kid and haul [bleepitty-bleeep-bleep-bleep!]  away from you. You’re a [[bleepitty-bleepin'] idiot!”

But fear not… I  respond kindly, because, after all, she is my mother…

Some of it is rather “opinionated;”

“Why you… you… you’re a narcissistic prick, you are!”

But, I don’t pay much attention, because catering to fools just wastes time, and just ends up playing to their obvious needs for attention. (Plus,  I actually enjoy the fact that  I give some of these blog-lurking poltroons an aneurysm!)

(Besides that, my wife calls me much more creative and entertaining names. In fact, the neighbor kids all sit at her feet in awe, when she goes on a tirade! It gives them phrases to stop THEIR parent’s hearts with!)

Some of it is just “rather exploitive;”

“I have a container. Can you show me how to turn it into a 2,000 square foot house? And, I’d appreciate it if you could come over and show me how to cut the windows and doors out. I’m not very handy with tools. Here’s my address…”

(I really got that message.) Here was my comprehensive and rather lengthy reply;

“NO.”

But some of the email is people looking for answers, trying to figure out how to craft their own Corten monument. Here’s a few examples, in a post I’m going to call;

“Mr Ronin’s Neighborhood.”

(For those of you paying attention, I’d rather you ask these questions in the comment section of the blog, so that other people can have the opportunity to see them, and the answers, as I make them up, seemingly out of thin air. Okay? I mean really, if I had “all the answers” would I be stuck in Mississippi? Hmmm?)

Here’s our first question;

Dear mr. ronin,

in contriving to build one of these houses (plotting against the evil that is my local  government) i was wondering several points that no one seems to publish.

1) how do you bond 2 containers together?

2) if you bury them how do you make permanently water tight?

3) since i have a wife, i must have sheet rock; therefore, how do you attach it to the metal?

4) what is the best way to cut the container for doorways and open areas?

thank you,
“MB”
concord, nc

Hi “MB,”

Here’s the short version of answers to your questions;

1) Hmmmmm… “Bonding containers together…” let me see… um… Flowers and a box of candy do nicely…

Wait… that’s not it… Ummmm… Weld them together. Use the existing locks (that are built in) and then use welding rod to secure them, by welding the frame members to each other.

ONLY do this if your positioning is permanent, and you have no intention of ever moving them.

2)  “Water-tight coffins in the sand…” Sounds like a country western tune… DO NOT BURY ISBU’s!

Although ISBUs are strong, the strength is in the FRAME. The skin is only designed to keep cargo in. People call them “Corten Coffins,” probably because  they buried them, and watched them buckle and collapse.

You CAN only bury ISBU’s if you reinforce the skin! The most practical way that we’ve found is to cover the shell with lightweight concrete. We’ve done this several times, with great results. Remember to insulate.

3) “My wife wants sheet-rock.”

Funny, my wife insists on shoes, not sheet rock.

But I get your drift. The easiest way to install sheet rock is to fir out the inside of your container using 1x’s. This can be accomplished many ways. Use industrial strength adhesive, or drill a few holes and use screws, Attach sheetrock to the firring strips. You can also shoot some spray-on foam into the cavities behind the sheetrock, that way.

4)  “Slicing an ISBU like pie… or… Peek-a-boo ISBU.”

The easiest way to cut openings in the steel skin of an ISBU is to use a plasma cutter.

You’ll make cuts as simple as “cutting thru butter.” If you can’t get your hands on a plasma cutter, use a circular saw with a metal cutting blade. But, it’s gonna be noisy. Take your time, go slow, and you’ll get precise cuts.

Ready? Round Two;

This one is from one of my most favorite people, but I’m going to disguise her name, so that people don’t realize that she associates with the likes of me…

She hangs out here;

So much for anonimity, huh?

Hey Alex!

I was writing to see if you could please answer a question for me.  “A” and I are beginning to look at land for our shipping container home, and we’re trying to gauge how much we can spend on land vs. how much we’ll have to spend on our home.  We’re thinking either Western Washington state or Western Michigan (because the wind there is fantastic, and it’s really beautiful!).  Our goal is to spend as much on land as we can, because neither of us want close neighbors.

We’re planning on eventually going completely off-grid, but I’m not sure we’ll be able to do that right from the beginning.  “A” has plans to build his own wind turbine, and depending on where we buy land, we might pop in a few solar panels as well.

We’re also going to do a compost toilet.

My main question is, how much does it normally cost to have the land prepped and a foundation poured?  I’ve seen dramatically different figures online, and am at a loss on how to estimate that.  Our house is only going to have a max of 4 40 ft. containers.

We’re also going to try and do the majority of the work (after the containers are laid down and the electric work done) ourselves.  I’ve started investigating do it yourself homebuilding, and think we might have a shot. : ) At least we could frame the inside, lay flooring, do cabinets and that sort of thing.  I’m sure we’ll have to hire out the spray foam insulation part.

Anyway, thanks so much for your help!

“H”

Hi “H,”

Like you, our goal is to have enough land to provide a buffer. Now, there’s two schools of thought on this;

My wife says that the house should be at least far enough away from the street… to avoid getting hit by hurled bricks and rocks.

I say that it should be situated is a position that allows enough lawn to provide for adequate minefields and booby-traps… because nobody likes “trapping boobies” more than me. Hey… some people collect deer heads…

Seriously (if one could ever actually take ME seriously), if things go the way I think they might, any extra space you have will be vital to your survival. I’m truly hoping and praying that President Obama can fix things, but I’m very doubtful at this point that most of the middle and lower class will survive intact.

Regardless of whether or not you use the wind (If I could “channel my hot air,” I could probably power up half this side of the Mississippi, according to my wife) you’ll want solar power to at least augment hot water and assist with heating (if you go “radiant in floor” heat).

With the grants currently available for PV’s (photovoltaic panels), it’s almost crazy not to use them. I’m preparing a post (with the help of my local Congressman) to provide some insight into how to actually qualify for the “alternative power supplemental” grants, that are being funded by that “great black hole” that is the Stimulus package. They’re written to be implemented by “corporations and cities,” but there  is a loophole that will allow you to “create” your own “power co-op”, and qualify.

And, it doesn’t include a “hard” connection to the grid, just the ability to do so, if the “power pimps” decide that they need your juice. (And if they do? Well, you build a “phantom” kill switch, to shut them off. It’s easy. All you need is a PC, and some Java script.)

Land clearing costs vary and there’s no set price. It depends on where you are, how much has to be done, the equipment involved, etc…

I suggest that you look at it from a different angle. Consider putting the boxes on pilings.Use sono tubes to construct 12″-18″  (or even 24″) rebar reinforced pilings, and set your ISBUs on top of those.  You’ll get a few pilings per yard of concrete, unless your frost line is near the center of the earth!

By doing this, the amount of “clearance” gets dramatically smaller. Instead of heavy site prep, all you’re doing is a rough grade, and then shooting pilings in. It’ll also serve to raise your house up above the snow and mud.

You can get fancy with decks, or just steps, to get up to entryways.

Are you going 1 story, or two? If you stack containers, you’ll have a smaller footprint, and thus, fewer pilings.

I’ve got a “(3) ISBU first – (2) ISBU second” plan I really like. And, it gets you a deck on the second floor, for a greenhouse up away from the critters that are as hungry as you are!

And consider that most building codes won’t allow you to use a “composting toilet” as a primary.

Okay, last one for now…

Hi,

You’re prob really busy but I was wondering if you have experience in building container homes in the Caribbean and if you ever wrote anything about it?

We (my husband and I) are really interested in building a container home, mainly for the simple reason that it is cheaper than building regular homes, especially here on Sint Maarten where building materials make building crazy expensive.

The land we have is on a slight slope and we are looking to build with about 6 40ft containers.

In a u form and on one side make it double with 2 containers on top of that and a slanted roof. well that is the initial idea… we’re still thinking about that.

could you give us some pointers on how to build in a tropical climate with the occasional hurricane and flooding? do we build on a concrete slab, on little walls (Bob Villa video)  how about treating the underside of the container??? how to build hurricaneproof??????

well…. that are only a few of the questions

People here only use containers for emergency housing and not for permanent housing.

I would really appreciate a reply.

Thanking you in advance,
“E”

Hi “E,”

After Hurricane Hugo, which I weathered out on a 50′ sailboat in  St. Thomas Harbor ( luckily NOT Christiansted, St. Croix which was our “first choice…” IT got pounded!) , in the US Virgin Islands (Oy Vey, what WERE we thinking?) we ended up doing disaster cleanup as part of our penance…

Now, we’d gone to the US Virgin Islands looking for virgins (we had matured to “marrying age” and were looking for suitable spouse potential), but that’s another story.

BTW: Did you know that there aren’t many virgins on the virgin Islands? Talk about false advertising…

We wrote the next big ad campaign for the USVI:

“Whaaa? No Virgins HERE!”

Anyway, while we were there, we helped construct three ISBU residences there in the next year, (2) on St Thomas, and (1) on St Johns Island.

Each used (3) 40′ containers, however the container home on St. Johns stacked one on top of two.

We were lucky in that hundreds of containers were rushed to the Virgin Islands, full of “disaster recovery supplies” so we had no trouble getting our hands on a few of them to “re-use.”

All three used pilings spaced 10 feet apart, to carry the load, instead of a traditional footed foundation. As I recall, we used 24″ tubes to shoot concrete and steel into, and the end result was rock-solid boxes, that sat about 4 feet off the ground.

Because of flooding and gale-force winds, avoid using any kind of traditional foundation that might “up-lift.”

Regardless of what people tell you, don’t build your container on top of “little walls.” It may look “cool,” but they wash out under load, like hurricane driven waves. If you do that, your container will become a boat, and they’ll be fishing you out of the drink, somewhere between Venezuela and South Africa.

Definitely raise your containers up off the ground so that you can access the underside, and use spray-foam insulation to insulate your bottom. Make sure that you leave openings or your waste outlets will get plugged up. Nobody likes a plugged up waste outlet.

(Okay, that was lame… Just make sure you can access your plumbing, in case you ever need to work on it, later.)

“Hurricane-proof?”

Surely you jest. No such animal. You can take great strides to making your container home more resistant to heavy weather, but forget anything anyone ever told you about “hurricane proof” construction. People who say that are liars. The only thing I’ve ever seen that comes remotely close to that are those multi-million dollar “Concrete Domes” that they build on the beaches in Florida. They’re hardy beasts, and I envy their owners, but you can’t start one of those builds with an ISBU.

Consider using SSMR (Standing Seam Metal Roofing) to top off your Island Residence. Properly strapped in place, it has more chance of surviving a heavy storm intact, without coming off and littering the landscape with debris. People who use tile or regular roofing materials are just building “projectile” roofs waiting to kill someone… when a hurricane rears it’s ugly mug…

Okay, that’s it for today.

I’ve got diapers to change, and hate-mail to sort thru…

Ronin

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Recently, I was contacted by “The Divine Miss M’s” designer (you remember HER, right?)…

Michael Mardis (of Workshop308.com) asked me to post pictures of ISBU houses I’ve participated in building, because he wanted to know “what I thought an ISBU house should look like…”

Now, I suspect that he’s pissed that I “took issue” with one of his clients, or he might have thought that I had problems with his design of her house. Who knows? Maybe he’s just curious…

Nothing I ever said would lead you to believe that I was “slighting” him, but hey, I’m game.

(The emphasis  here [color, et all] is mine, added to make reading the blog easier.) Like that could actually happen!

Here’s what I told him;

Are you under the impression that I have issues with the design of the house?

The issues I have (and always had), is the negativity perceived by authorities who were influenced by the actions of the owner, due to the “rampant publicity and theatrics.”

And there is NO set way for an ISBU home to “look.” The beauty of an  ISBU house is that it can look like “anything.” It’s a box, for cryin’ out loud!

Side it, brick it, veneer it, stucco it, or leave it “industrial,” it’s just a steel starting point to house a family.

Gable roof, shed roof, Cape Cod,  Salt Box, or Clerestory, you name  it… You can wrap a Corten box any way you want.

Now, my personal house is hopelessly mired in Mississippi Politics, and we’re fighting it out at the legislature level again… but…

I’ve posted photos (and drawings) of old projects, and I have three more solidly in development now.  Stay tuned, and you can watch,  just like everybody else.

And as to “what I think a container house should look like”; I’ll point  out that all three of “mine” (in the role of “consultant,” as I’m helping the owners”) currently under development are different (animals of a different color).

One is a clerestory roofed (SIPs) hardieplank “single story with loft” assemblage of boxes.

One is a three story multiple “stack” design (24×40 on each floor) and  it gets glass and stucco. It’ll look “Spanish Modern.”

The third is a 2 story contemporary (24×40 – main, 16×40 – second) that get’s brick and siding.

(Note to readers: There is a fourth, that uses 53′ monster boxes, but we’re still all caught up in the multiple wants/needs…  “OMG, what do we do now? mode…  So, we won’t count that one… yet.)

Again, I have no issues with design (”M’s” House), it’s owner impact I’m concerned with. Agree or disagree, if people come away from a project carrying a grudge, it makes it harder for the next guy.

All I want is to see families in homes. Period. Anyone that chooses to side against me, is going to have their hands full. In part, that’s why I’m speaking to politicians in Jackson so often.

In fact, I’m headed back to Jackson the week of the 18th (yep, once more… they moved the meeting date) to go “bare knuckles” with the “backwater bozos” again.  It’s about releasing the land that was acquired by grant, to allow the build to begin, for those of you following along.

And, he asked me to check out another container build in Kansas City, MO, being completed by the Glassberg family.

So, I did. And here’s the result of THAT query;

Michael,

Thanks for your input. And, I checked out the Kansas City build:

I don’t expect you to read all this, I’m sure you’re too busy, but here goes;

About the Glassberg Container House in Kansas City, MO;

Overall, I’m siding with most of the comments. There are valid points  being made.

As to the house, by itself,  here’s the deal;

Although the Glassberg house is a “designer house,” (more on that later) it’s a “stack and pack,” and that’s not bad. I actually like the more “industrial” look of ISBU’s, but it’s hard to shoehorn that look into an existing neighborhood, sometimes.

FYI to my readers: As the result of a “salvage gift,” I’m currently playing with the idea of using 10′ sections of salvaged highway drainage culvert as “pillars” to “float” ISBUs on top of, up out of the flood plain. They’re big enough inside to allow the installation of spiral staircases from grade, and (accessed) at grade they can also be used as “storage vaults.” It’s possible that we’ll tie them together with masonry or concrete walls, to form an enclosed garage/shop.

The Glassberg’s state a price of $115 a foot to build ($300k budget for 2,600 sq ft), and that’s not bad for a custom “designer” home, but I’ll point out that you can build a container house (or even a conventional stick house) with much less money. This $300k build is well beyond the reach of the majority of families looking at ISBUs for construction projects.

2,600 square feet. Hmmm… Not exactly a “zero-carbon footprint” but I’m the last person to harp on somebody else’s need for space. I just say build as responsibly and as sustainably as you can.

Designing the containers as modules, so that you could disassemble the house and move it again is a concept I preach to potential ISBU builders. I have one in NC right now, where the ability to move it again later is a confirmed part of the integral design.

Like many of the comments… It grieves me to see that she actually went to China three different times to supervise the construction of her  “designer” containers, when there are plenty of them sitting right here, waiting for new owners.

I suspect that she spent enough airfare to buy several containers (and possibly an extra one or two), if she’d bought ISBUs here. The average business class fare to China ran about $1,800 bucks in her travel timeframe (if I’m understanding the article correctly)… times three…  divided by 40’s…

I’m wondering where ELSE the actual differences in their construction lies (aside from height), compared to “standard” ISBUs… They may be built to “stronger spec’s” for example. I’m sure they had their reasons, but from our  more “grass roots” perspective here on “RR,” we can’t duplicate it.

I’ve got a few (3) 53′ boxes sitting here that are almost 9′2″ (110 inches) tall on the inside.

(2) of these are headed to an Indian family on a reservation near here for a “clerestory” SIP roof build. We’ll frame in a “spacer” between the containers, out of scrap steel from an aircraft hanger demo.”

Almost 1,700 sq ft, plus huge 16′x24′ “sleeping lofts” on both ends…

(2) 8′x16′ (approx) upstairs decks off lofts, separated by an 8′x21′ (approx) greenhouse. Clerestory windows over. We’ll see over 2,400 sq ft of living space.

Oh yeah, the house sits on a masonry main floor box (32′x32′  approx. of garages and shop) cantilevered off each end), to get it up out of the flood plain.

(BTW: As to “carbon footprint,” it’s a multi-generation family of 10, plus relatives 4 months a year.)

And this build will come in just under $75 a foot (not counting sleeping lofts, or glazing for the greenhouse). We have a $125,000 budget.

And there are thousands of 53′ boxes here in the States, sitting idle. They ARE available, if you dig thru channels to find them.

(I prefer the 40 HQ’s… these behemoths were a “gift.”)

Although I love the idea of  the G;assberg’s 12′ ceilings, they’re not really ISBUs any longer. It’s like saying that the Verbus Systems boxes that Travelodge built that hotel out of are ISBU’s.  Although they are containers, they’re 12′ wide. Hardly shippable, stackable, or even usable in conventional shipping. They’re only good for one thing. Building. I don’t count them or their use, as real “Container Projects” except in “theory.”

They (Travelodge) could’ve just as easily designed rooms using (2) 8′rs… They had their reasons, Verbus used that build as part of “proof of concept” and gave them a huge discount…

The Glassberg “green roof” is something I incorporate every time I can. If for no other reason, most of these builds seem to be near or off grid, and it gets the garden up and away from the critters. It’s also a great place for a greenhouse.

It doesn’t add a ton of insulation value, as dirt isn’t that great for r-value, unless you have several feet of it used as “isolation.”

I love how they left the influence of the tree. “Nature play,” and whimsy rule, when it comes to these homes. They can be quite charming.

The press impression that the Glassberg house is “one of the few container houses in the United States” just drives home my point about “media ignorance.” There are hundreds, if not a thousand. At one point (back in the late 1990’s), I had a listing of over 400.

I (sure) can’t fault their (the Glassberg’s) philosophy about the impact that ISBUs could have. I’ve long been an advocate for FEMA use of ISBUs to build emergency shelter. They could build them in factories, just like travel trailers. The “tech” is already there. And, when not needed as “Disaster Shelter,” they’d stack back up for storage, just like they do now at shipping ports. Plus, they’d be secure, and last forever…

The Glassberg’s house will use eco-friendly technologies, including sugar beet foam insulation, geothermal heating and cooling, bamboo flooring, tankless water heaters and LED lighting.

First… LED lighting is great, but it’s still way too expensive for most people to embrace. I’m waiting for that day too, because it will be a huge boon to people living “off-grid.” I’m envious. Truly!

Bamboo flooring? Probably after market, too. But, did you know that standard containers can be found with bamboo flooring already in them? Bamboo is good, though. I can’t complain about the use of that.

Sugar beet foam insulation? Makes a “green” statement, I suppose, but too expensive, not commonly available yet, and out of most individual’s price ranges.  I wonder how “dense” it gets, and how insects and critters like it? I’m seeing a lot of conflicting reports from manufacturers. I’d use rigid PolyIso or spray foam (closed cell).

While not “green” in the traditional sense, it’s an affordable, reliable and durable alternative, that gives “green” (energy savings) benefits over batts of fiberglass.

Geothermal heating and cooling is something I already incorporate into my designs. It just makes sense.

Tankless water heaters? Nope! It’s too hard on PV arrays! I opt for high-efficiency solar hot water systems. I also “warm” my slabs to get radiant heat that way. But, remember, most of my builds are “near or off grid.”

I didn’t see anything about water retention, or grey water usage, or… ah… never mind.

“A Kansas City Art Institute student is designing rain-barrel benches.”

I wonder if that’s “rain Barrels that become benches,” or “benches that act as rain barrels?” Hmmm… Give’s me an idea!

Anyway,

For what it’s worth (probly’ about .25 cents) that’s my take on this project. I envy the Glassberg’s and their new “designer” abode, and I hope that it serves them (and the terrific community that embraced them) well, for decades to come!   I’m sure that we’ll see it on Cable TV DIY and Home & Gardens type networks! It’s a good looking beast. 

There you have it. Another “Ronin Says” look at an ongoing “Project of Merit!”

Stay tuned!

Photo Credits for Glassberg house: ALLISON LONG! I think that she’s a staff photographer for KansasCity.com. If not, I’ll be more than happy to issue a “correction.”

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Okay,

I’m hesitant to do this, because I know it’s gonna spawn some crazy conversations, but here goes…

Evidently, an architectural group known as “Bellemo & Cat Architects” decided that they’d build a container house of their own. Now, seeing as how they didn’t want the house to be a “blight on the landscape,” they pulled off most of the Corten steel cladding, and replaced it with translucent panels.

If that wasn’t enough, they then “silkscreened” the panels, to look like giant blades of grass.

The central idea for the project was to create a container for living and working that while still engaging with all the site issues of the industrial neighborhood. To use the architect’s words;

“… enabling us to take a thread from the first cocoon we spun for ourselves in Wye River and weave it into the fabric of this next home for ourselves.”

Gimme a second here, to “Google” the Wye River.

Ah, that explains it… Crazy Australians! I’ll  just use their quote (frankly because I’m at a loss for words… imagine that!);

“The uniqueness of this container home is it’s printed skin (with graphic garden). The skin covered the house, and became a natural outdoor element. Beside its attractive appearance, the translucent skins become resource of natural light into house and also protects the privacy of the owners.”

Okay. I bet there’s a ton of storage in those stair units! Good, good…

The building is wrapped on three sides in a translucent printed skin, the third side allows for Northern glazing.

I’m wondering where they built it at, because now, it’s just an uninsulated box. Oh yeah… Australia. Wouldn’t that be cool? No worries about freezing your butt off, or sweating to death!

But, I’m really not diggin’ the street view, it hardly promotes anything but;

“Ah man, I gotta mow the house again! The grass is twenty feet high!” LOL!

Looks like Esher started building plywood stairs! Wouldn’t THAT piss off your carpenter!

This actually isn’t bad. It’s like a little “urban oasis in the middle of the industrial district.” I could see this working…

And this could work, unless you had kids. I’m having a heart attack just looking at it! Can you imagine?

“Lookey Daddy… I can Flyyyyy!”

“The printed image is our graphic garden experienced from both the inside and the outside, our urban jungle and as it is made from a photograph of a sculpture of our own it continues a series of works, a personal line of investigation.”

All kidding aside, it’s a neat idea. I know that I threw a few rocks, but it’s probably just envy, in that they can build a box that ends up so bright and open, without worrying about heavy weather or energy usage for a lot of air conditioning use…

On the Ronin Scale from 1-10, 10 being “pretty damned cool…”

I give it an “8.” It’s a snappy concept, and you can dance to it…

But I’ve gotta wonder; “How does that Cat hold the mouse? Who taught it to do CAD? Is there any corroborating proof on YouTube of “feline design?” Hey, Im just askin’, ‘cuz I know that you were thinking it too!

You were, right?

Stay tuned…

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]]> http://renaissanceronin.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/happy-cinco-de-mayo/ Tue, 05 May 2009 13:00:02 +0000 renaissanceronin http://renaissanceronin.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/happy-cinco-de-mayo/

I’m reminded today of the “Battle of Puebla” where 4,500 untrained Mexican commoners courageously defeated 6,500 Mercenaries, Indians and French soldiers, to voice their opposition of oppression.

That history lesson seems particularly fitting, as America tosses and turns in it’s bed, waiting to see what each new day brings. The economy is in shambles, mortgages are falling into foreclosure faster than a fat kid on a happy meal, and the national debt is climbing faster than an F-18 Fighter Jet at an air show.

I can relate to those Mexican commoners! Being the builder of an ISBU home puts you in situations where you face about the same odds!

There’s an awful lot of people lined up to tell you that you’re gonna fail. But you know what? The “Big Guy” upstairs gave us middle fingers for a reason.  So, I say;

“Trim your fingernails (because I’m sure that your momma taught you that “neatness counts!”), and then… apply that finger liberally! Make sure that they know you mean business!

Building that home is your war, a campaign that is going to be full of battles with forces seemingly stacked against you. But, if you plan carefully, act responsibly, and exercise due diligence, you’ll have them running like a “Frenchman” all the way back to  the edge of your property lines!

¡Páseme otra cerveza fría, y apresúrese para arriba sobre ella!

And to all those valiant Mexican warriors who gave their all in the name of freedom… This one’s for you! Salute!

Joshua! Gimme that back! You Rotten kid!

Stay tuned!

No children were intoxicated during the recording of this message! (Unless you count “Benadryl.”) A “Stunt child” was  used instead of “actual” rotten kid. Drink your milk! Don’t run with scissors! Be Hip! Don’t double-dip!

Recently, I ran a post about a lady in Missouri that is building her container house. I’d spoken with her designer and provided him with a copy of the post I intended to publish, out of respect for “a fellow tradesman.”

But, lately, I’m still getting email from people asking me about what’s going on, and why I got so pissed off. And from the look at the comments, it appears that the circus is trying to pitch a tent in MY yard, and THAT is not gonna happen!

The lady in question posted a “response” to my post (on her blog), after somebody emailed my commentary to her. And that just seems to have stirred things up a bit more.

Here’s the deal. I’ve asked my readers NOT to to air their views on her build (if they were negative) because of the “bad press” it lends to the cause. It’s that simple.

The point of all of these ISBU blogs is to promote PROGRESS, and not create CONTROVERSY. There’s already enough of that, housed most squarely in the jugheaded fascists that run most local Planning and Zoning departments. Becoming a sideshow barker at your buildsite just gives them more fuel. Why give them more ammunition to use against us?

Remember that all readers see is what is on the page, in black and white. And that’s where their opinions are drawn from. The public just sees the “antics” and the “media circus” end results. But, it’s the antics that they’ll remember, trust me.

My blog is a “niche” blog. I cover ISBU construction almost exclusively, as an alternative for people who apparently are in the same position as Miss “M” from Missouri. I have considerable experience here. I’ve personally built, or participated in the construction of almost a 100 of these “Corten Castles,” in the last three+ decades, spread out over several continents.

Anybody out there who has an equal number of ISBU projects is welcome to chime in. If not, then shut up and just read, for once.

I didn’t “go out of my way to single out “M”.” An almost endless stream of email made me address her situation. In fact, I’ve got to tell you that the post I originally intended to publish was much more  strongly worded.

Using ISBU’s is controversial. Because of the topic, I don’t get hundreds of thousands of hits, I get readers looking specifically for a “new” path to home ownership.  And of the 35,000+ readers we “entertain” (hundreds daily) only a handful will actually build.

Not everyone who walks into an architect or designer’s office actually builds a project, but they all still have opinions, made after first impressions.

I can tell you that as a result of my blog, I’ve witnessed over 20 ISBU projects that are either in design phase or development with construction professionals. And, I’m sending leads to architectural firms weekly, on prospective ISBU projects. So, some of the readers are building.

I’m currently consulting into a few of those builds, myself. I know the homes are getting built, because I’m seeing it firsthand.

My goal is simply to make ISBU construction more palatable. Even the idea of using a shipping container to build a structure is a “comedy act waiting to happen” when you approach planning and zoning, in most locales.

Why? Well, it’s because the predominant press about container houses (if you believe cable TV, or the printed press) is that the people that are building them are paying exorbitant rates (hundreds of dollars a square foot), to be “fashionably green.”

The houses showcased are usually framed around a client who expects adoration for his “green environmental stance.” To think less, is naive. The phrase “attention whore” fits.

I’d personally be excited about the current circus of “ISBU coverage” if it came off as being more “credible.” But, that means that the owner of the project has to actually realize their impact on the whole, instead of just basking in the “ME” spotlight. It’s not about ONE ISBU home, it’s about all of them to come.  As builders apparently giving birth to a new construction “baby”, we have a responsibility to see it safely off and standing on it’s own.

I toned down the post a LOT (something that I NEVER do) even though I was pretty pissed off,  to prevent “M” from having her feelings hurt. (I have a mother too…) I’m positive that she means well.

But, I’m known for calling them like I see them. Reread that disclaimer up there on the right. I’m sure the “middle finger” clause is in there…

I think I can speak for most of you when I say that most of my readership just wants to have a roof at the end of the day to hunker down under. The “celebrity” that has been recently rammed down our throats isn’t why most of my readers are wanting that ISBU in their yard.

I conducted a poll a while back, where I asked readers WHY they wanted to build an ISBU home. Know what the number ONE reason was? They wanted to live away from everyone else, secure in their home, with a defensible buffer. Self-sufficiency was number TWO. Being “Green and Sustainable” was number SIX.

Being “fashionable or “acclaimed” didn’t even make the top ten.

In fact, due to the lack of understanding by P&Z Nazis, you won’t see ISBU homes in your average neighborhood anytime soon.

Anyone who says otherwise is living on a different planet than most of America.

Sure, I’m guessing that the publicity is cool, at first. But, unless you have a huge need to have your ego massaged over and over again, it’s gotta get old after a while. And actually inviting people to come scrutinize your build is just absurd. Not only will it give your insurance agent a heart-attack, it’ll disrupt your workflow, and cause your workers distractions that will translate in elevated construction costs for you.

Entertaining the minions takes time. Dealing with “looky-lo’s” takes even longer. Having your worksite interrupted by people wanting answers, is expensive.  I urge all my people to close their worksites to the public until the job is complete. Cite “insurance matters,” or whatever, but keep them off the site. I don’t want the sanctity of my site violated by mini-vans filled with “Ma and Pa Kettle” getting in the way.

Then do one of two things;

(A) After the C/O, run one or two “press events,” if necessary, and invite the Realtors, et all… in… or;

(B) Point ALL inquiries back to the Architect or the Design/Builder. Let them handle the press, and deal with the minions.  Inspections by appointment only. The people responsible for the build are the best ones to deal with it’s “public face…” on THEIR time.  Otherwise, the client goes off and reinterprets the build, which only creates more confusion later.

(Which I often compare to asking a “sales rep” how something complicated actually “works…”)

Either way… After that, it’s; “Get the [expletive deleted] off my lawn. Period.”

Here’s something else that you might consider;

Most builds of this type finish higher (appraise higher) than they actually cost, if the team in control has any brains.  Making a big roar about your new house will bite you on the butt when it comes time for the tax appraiser to come in and place a value on it.

Whaaaa?

If that “really cool job”  is out there for everybody to talk about, and your worksite is surrounded by camera crews… you’re probably gonna get hit with a high appraisal. And that means you’ll be wasting a lot of time in front of your county commission, trying to talk sense into them, and bring it back down to reasonable levels. After all, you’re still going to pay property taxes, right? And as a the home owner, you’re the one who’ll be facing the town council, all by your onesies…

As to “first impressions…”

Although I encourage people to look to the positive, sometimes the scale appears to be “out of balance.” That’s not jealousy. It’s fear that another’s actions (implied or otherwise) may either prohibit you from doing what you want, or impact the way you wish to accomplish it in.

I was recently told, by “M’s” designer that;

“I think people who do not have experience in building see a budget of $150,000 and think that her “container house” will be extravagant. What people don’t realize is the cost of getting a site ready for a house which includes clearing the land, foundations, drilling a well, installing a septic system, getting electricity to the site. The actual amount of money being used to build and make the home livable is greatly reduced when you add the expense of all these things.”

That may be the experience that he suffers under, but readers of this blog don’t fall into that category at all. I go to great lengths to talk about how much has to be spent, to build a successful project. And, nearly every one of my projects are “off-grid,” or “near off-grid.” We understand what has to happen.

That’s the beauty of a “niche” blog, compared to a blog like “Treehugger.com.” You might SEE a Shipping Container house there, but on MY blog, we talk about how you actually DO it. And then… we put our money where our mouths are, and we produce.

He went on to say;

“I could try defend all the negative things people are saying but it’s not worth it. None of these people will ever get to meet her and that’s a shame. My wish for people is that they would take all the time and energy being used in criticizing and trying to bring others down and put that energy into a project. I think the world would be  a better place for everyone and those people would be much happier.”

My wish is that people see successful projects (without any “circus acts” or drama to act as a distraction, or an inhibitor to the next guy trying to build) and see it as another stone in the foundation of the “ISBU Home” future. But, I stopped trying to “dictate the actions” of others a long time ago. That weapon is firmly resting on the mantle, now. I don’t have enough hair remaining to pull out in frustration!

I want a house for every family, world peace, basic medical care for everyone, and an end to hunger, but I might as well go outside and spit into the wind… 

In conclusion, “M’s” designer told me that;

“There’s only a small percentage of people who are going to buy into living in a container house or working in a container office.  The container should be used as a model to explore the possibilities of using less and more efficient materials and systems to build.”

While it’s possible that used to be true in America, it’s not true globally at all, and it never has been. I’ve been participating in ISBU builds for decades, both here, and offshore. Out there across “the big water” people see them for exactly what they are; “high speed steel frames” that you build housing into.  And, as America goes through growing pains, it’s changing the way we look at housing too, if my email is any indication. I see hundreds of families looking for affordable housing that takes advantage of millions of steel boxes just laying around collecting dust. I hear from twenty families a week (A WEEK) who want me to help them build a home out of these boxes, so that they can be safe and comfortable. That means that the tide is turning.

More and more people are trying to figure out how to find affordable housing, as times get harder and harder. When I was doing this in the 70’s, we were “just those damned hippies.” Now, in the 21st century, all of a sudden, “we’re visionaries.” There are a million dormant containers parked on America’s shores. If we can find a way to soothe the “but Grandpa didn’t do it that way” ills, more people will find a home.

The same could be said for Rammed earth homes, straw-bale construction, “Little Houses,” and even Earthships, I suppose, but my way happens to be the one that I see work the most effectively, in many different environments.

It’s also my hope that the Stimulus Bill may actually have money in it for families to build with. It would put a lot of Americans back to work, and provide homes at the same time. I’m working with Congressman Taylor to figure out whether that potential exists.

I’m not trying to single out “some poor old lady,  because it’s an easy post. I have TONs of material. Hit the archives, folks. I have well over a hundred posts in the last year alone, and all of them have lots of content. “I don’t think that “M” is dancing like a “Trained Circus Bear” to drum up publicity for herself, and I’m not saying that she built this home simply to get the spotlight.

I’m just asking her to consider using that new fame a little bit more responsibly, to help other people trying to do what she’s done. It’s as simple as that.

But in the end, it’s her “pig in a prom dress,” and she can wear it any way she wants. This is, after all…

America!

And “M”…

I wish you all the success in the world, where your ISBU home in concerned. Just make sure it’s a success, huh? Contrary to what you might think, we’re pullin’ for ya!

• SHOW ME (and everybody else) that your project was more than just the media hype and “cable TV chicanery” that hungry reporters have seemingly turned it into
  

• SHOW ME that you’re in your home, happy, secure, safe, and full of resolve about what a great job you did! And then…

• SHOW ME that you’re gonna live a long happy life in that new home of yours!
  

So, that’s my last word on “the divine Miss M…” she’s on her own, in capable hands, and ‘Nuff said…

Stay tuned!

]]> http://isbu2you.wordpress.com/2009/05/04/why-are-isbus-all-the-rage/ Mon, 04 May 2009 02:05:49 +0000 isbu4you http://isbu2you.wordpress.com/2009/05/04/why-are-isbus-all-the-rage/

Why Use an ISBU?

I mean… when you tell people that you’re going to build a building with a shipping container, they look at you like you’ve lost your mind!

What Are The Reasons People Are Using ISBU Shipping Containers For Building Construction?

Are ISBUs Cheap and Plentiful?

In the beginning, the greatest interest in ISBU Shipping Container homes and construction seemed to be the need to utilize the  hundreds of thousands of surplus Shipping Containers sitting in U.S. and other ports abroad. By 2005 there were an estimated 700,000 of them sitting in U.S. ports alone, most of this due to the exploding growth of imports from China.

Another  reason for all the international interest was the seemingly low cost of construction, in comparison to other (more traditional) types of construction. “Little houses” were all the rage!  “Downsizing” wasn’t just for corporations anymore! Owning that “small” home or apartment seemed to gather a lot of interest.

By the end of 2007 the “surplus” stocks at U.S. ports were reportedly down about 25% and according to readers and Members of groups like the ISBU Association, the biggest interest now was the incredible strength and versatility of an ISBU, not the surplus or low cost. There are suggestions that this was actually just a statistical attempt to drive pricing. It makes you think, doesn’t it?

However, it’s 2009… and current reports show over 1,000,000 surplus shipping containers sitting on the ground, collecting dust, and blocking out the sunlight. So much for “a slowly depleted commodity.”

ISBU Shipping Container Homes Are Here To Stay?

After nearly 3 years of  publicity, hype and interest, it seems ISBU construction isn’t a Fad but an incredible growing trend. …not because of the U.S. and global economy, but because ISBU modules are strong, easy to use, and versatile–almost like stacking Legos blocks. You remember Legos, right? Every child had them! They were those magical interconnecting plastic blocks that allowed you to build everything from pretend houses, to a space station!

Although some corporations like  Travelodge build frames and then insert the ISBU’s 8 or more levels high…

Other builders have been very successful just stacking them up, just as the ocean shipping companies do, one on top of the other, to form unitized buildings…

Unibody Construction

I suppose it was Detroit that popularized the term “unibody.” Although unibody construction is the strongest and most common body architecture in automobiles, SUV’s, yachts, and airplanes today, you may not realize that connecting multiple ISBU shipping containers together is also a form of unibody construction. In fact, by connecting multiple ISBU modules together, whether multiple one-level, or multiple ten-level, you have created the ultimate unibody construction unit with far more strength than the already, super stronger container alone. The strength comes from all the connection points combining to form a “solid” assembly.

An ISBU, all by itself, is one tough customer, but imagine the incredible strength you can get when 2, 4, 6, or 100 of them are connected top, bottom, and sides. Even with fairly extreme modification and wall cut outs, the strength of multiple ISBU’s is far greater than any conventional home or building. The total ISBU shipping container structure becomes a single “honeycomb” unit, like a giant colony of corten steel!

The Uses for ISBU Construction are Absolutely Endless…

Over the next few days, we’ll look at how these boxes are being used, to benefit mankind, in ways beyond just hauling freight!

Stay tuned!

Once upon a time…

As you no doubt know by now, my family is building a new home out of shipping containers, and other cast-off stuff. (I suppose the first clue was that blue box up there in the banner, huh?)

It’s a tale told with turmoil, torment, treachery, and even some triumphs, and we’re not through yet!  Along the way, we’ve picked up a few stragglers, and even managed to help some folks start building their homes, and get their feet planted firmly on the ground again. THAT is what this blog is all about. We want to help all of you, every single one! Why? Because we’re givers!

Actually, it’s probably because misery loves company, and it’s kinda lonely sometimes!  I mean, really… If we’re laughing at you, we’re not crying at “us!”

And trust me when I tell you that sometimes we’re not laughing “with” you, we are indeed laughing “at” you. You know who you are!

I received an email from a contractor that saw a little blurb I did, about building a “Roman Crane” out of a 20′ shipping container, a flatbed trailer, a couple of scrap hydraulic cylinders, and some scrap steel beams that we’d gotten from an aircraft hangar demolition.

Well, I dug out the original drawings, and even the detail photographs, and sent them off to him with a hearty “Good Luck… You’re gonna need it.”

Now, this contractor expressed his gratitude, and he swore up and down that he’d make it right by me, somehow. But, I just took it as “lip service” because we all know that contractors can’t be trusted!

I know this for a fact ‘cuz I used to be one!

Oh just stop it… I’m kidding. I like contractors just fine… But you have to marinate them a really long time… LOL!

Anyway, last week, I get a call from this guy;

“Remember me? Well, we followed your plans, to the “T!” And, it actually worked great! It worked so good that we got another contract, and we’ve inherited a service yard to work from, out by the Space Center!

Say, I’ve got 17 sections of concrete sewer pipe here, left over from a DOT highway build, I think. They’ve been here for a few years now. And, I bet you could use them for something, if you put your mind to it. After all, you’re a really smart guy!

Ya want ‘em? You can store them here until you need them, and we’ll even help you load them. I mean, it’s not like we don’t have a crane now!”

Now, the wheels immediately started spinning.

I recalled that I’d seen them used before in novel ways. In fact, I’ve even showed them to you once before. I was kinda caught in a “Deja Vu” moment there, on the phone… Wait… here’s another one, now!

I give you… The Das Park Hotel

Here’s some hotel rooms built from giant concrete sewage pipe segments!

Although this is a one-of-the-kind hotel, it has been designed from the outset to use worldwide standard concrete drainage or sewage pipe sections – so you could well see more of them in the future.

The idea of Andreas Strauss in 2004, the first rooms were provided in Linz. Now in nearby Ottensheim, rooms are accessed by a digital keypad, whose code is provided by the self service website upon booking acceptance.

The beauty of these pipes is that their concrete utilitarian look needs little alteration to make them habitable – a coat of varnish is all that is necessary.

The tubes have also have received wall paintings by the Austrian artist Thomas Latzel Ochoa to make them seem a little more user friendly.

Each tube weighs more than you can possibly imagine! In fact, they tip the scales at over  20,000 pounds…  So although some might be tempted to rock or vandalize them, they are incredibly robust and need little maintenance, provided you can keep those pesky miscreants with spray cans away from them.  But… that’s what dogs are for, I suppose.

More advanced lock and electronic keypad systems had to be fitted in 2007,  (to keep unauthorized users out) but the original concept is working very well.

Like cave hotels, Das Park Hotel is fairly cool in the summer, and perhaps still warm in winter, although at the moment the hotel is only open from May to October.

Rooms: Three double-room pipes

Once inside the pipes, the facilities are pretty basic, but they do have everything you’ll need to get a good nights sleep -  a double bed,  a lamp, a power strip so you can plug in that alarm clock,  a couple of blankets and even light cotton sleeping bags are provided.

But, if you’re one of those guys who has  to pee in the wee hours, you’re gonna have to hike for it. The toilet and (cold) showers are a couple of minutes walk away, with details provided on booking. Ignore the guy hiding in the bushes with the big knife and the hockey mask, he’s just waiting for his turn in the pipe!

The price is right, and we’re not talking about Drew Carey or Bob Barker here! Rooms are based on a donation basis only. There is no set pricing. Nada! Zip! Bupkiss!

Located in a lovely spot next to the Danube in Ottensheim municipal camping area the tubes have had a several seasons of use but are still clean and functional.

Hello? Concrete! After all, you can just hose them out, or even sandblast them from year to year, to get them ready for the next season!

The travel blurb says: “While there are many restaurants in the town square 15 minutes walk away, we particularly recommend the El Danubio campsite bar and it’s host Sergio, who will prepare excellent rib and fried potato dinners a minutes walk from your room. Details of places for breakfast, drinks and bathroom facilities are provided in the joining instructions.”

“Joining Instructions?” Ah… to stay in the pipe, you give  “a donation,” but to eat or pee, you have to join a “special club.” I see…” Hmmmm…

The campsite has beach volleyball courts, a kiddie paddling pool and nearby spots for swimming in the Danube.

Who could ask for more?

Well, from what I can see, the only things that they’re missing are a small Photovoltaic panel to power that lamp and the alarm clock, and maybe a nice little solar hot water heater system, to allow a little bathroom to get tucked in there! You know, like the ones they put into boats! They’re more like little closets, but they do the job! If you did that… (FEMA? Are you paying attention?) these could build dandy little emergency camps!  No formaldehyde here, folks!

You could put your relatives in there, and then slam that door shut! Hey it’s not like they’ve starve… You could drop food in, thru that skylight hole in the top!

Okay, maybe not. But it’s a fun thought…

But  you could put them in an RV park, or wilderness park even… The pipes, not the relatives… It gives one pause to think… I wonder if there is any “Stimulus Package money for projects like this? I mean, it’s green, and it’s housing, and it’s recycled…

Dear President Obama,

Like Martin Luther King… “I have a dream.”

Okay, it’s not as noble as Martin Luther’s but it’s a dream, none the less! Okay, it’s a “Pipe Dream!” Gimme a break, huh? What did you expect? I’m just a regular “Bubba!” I don’t “habla” Political Doublespeak… I don’t “sprechen Senatorial smack!” I don’t even comprehend “Congressional Stupidity.”

I was just thinkin’ since you’re givin all that money away (apparently to anybody with an empty wheelbarrow), that I could sure use some of it to build a place for my “in-laws” to stay when they decide to punish… um…er… visit me.

Now I promise I’ll “build green,” and even recycle. No trees will be harmed, and no fat cats will get one penny of this project “bailout.”  The only boost that they’ll get out of me…  is my bootprint on their behind.

Thank you for considering my request!

Respectfully… for now…

Ronin

PS. Hillary? Are you kidding? What were you thinking?

CC: Lawyers – so they can start preparing my defense…

BCC: Psychiatrist

I’ve got all kinds of ideas. This could get really interesting! And the bonus is that it’s gonna drive the Planning and Zoning guy absolutely nuts! LOL!

Stay tuned!

Do You Enjoy Our Articles and Features? Are you interested in helping a family that is helping others get back on THEIR feet? We could sure use the help, honest! Please Consider Making a Small, Secure Donation! Use our Paypal button!

Say hello to;

The All Terrain Cabin (ATC)

A bunch of Canadians, tired of being shown up by us “innovative Container types” decided that they’d “one-up” us by slapping together a cabin, and putting it on the road, for everybody to see…

Little did they know  that they were playing right into our hands! You see, it’s exposure that we’re after! We want people to see us (but not “exposed,” because that’s against the law)!!

So, probably fueled by that horrid Canadian Beer, they bent over their drafting boards, and came up with this beauty of a cabin! Now, I’m guessing that they came up with it “lickety-split,” because everybody knows that Canadian beer isn’t all that good, and it goes right through you like “a bullet through butter!”

Seriously, a few “bright bulbs” in Canada decided to show us how it’s done, and I must say that they did a fine job!  They’ve brought together good design, some great technology, and even some imagination and wrapped it in a “Corten Cocoon.” And now, it’s on the road, for everybody to see and experience!

In spite of being taxed by that terrible Molson stuff (how in the world do you drink that swill? Blaaaaech!) they designed a small cabin, using a standard ISBU shipping container as the basis, and then they brought the “Canadian Flair” to it. Now Canadian Flair isn’t a WWE wrestler, it’s a combination of all great things Canadian, squeezed into a very small package. Hmmm… That reminds me of a tiny little lass from Toronto I used to date, back when I still had hair on my head. I wonder what she’s up to? I’d call her, except for that pesky restraining order…

The result is a a really efficient cabin, full of style and smarts! The cabin, although quite small, is perfect for a for a family of four (and even your dog) to live or vacation in, “off the grid” in what can only be described as ” Corten comfort and contemporary style.”  Remember, it’s a shipping container. Delivery is as easy as you could imagine it might be! Just roll that lil beauty onto a train, truck, ship, airplane or helicopter (if it’s on steroids), and off it’ll go, to the destination of your choice. And, in travel mode, it’s all folded up and indistinguishable from any ordinary shipping container. So, you could move it every year! Talk about a “time-share” that keeps on giving!  This year; “The Rockies!” Next Year; “Tahiti!”  Yeah, Baby!

Once it arrives “home,”  it unfolds rapidly to 480 glorious square feet  of completely self-contained, sophisticated living space with all the comforts of your home in the city!

If you want to live softly, smartly, and stylishly on this rock of ours, this may just be the way! But, it’s just an evil April Fools Joke, I’m afraid. You can’t have one. Why? Because there’s only one ATC in the whole world and there are only so many places it will visit. They have no intention of building them for us to live in! Oh the horror! Why? Oh Why?

See? I told you you had to watch out for those darned Canadians, they’re SNEAKY and they’ll break your heart!! I expected something like this out of Paul Stankey, but to have it perpetrated  by our neighbors to the north? That’s just wrong!

Stay Tuned!

Renaissance Ronin is a blog dedicated to helping you help yourself. We’re going to teach you everything you ever wanted to know about building a home out of recycled materials. A home that will save you money, provide you with comfort and security, and provide for your needs, for decades to come. If you appreciate what we’re doing here, hit the Paypal button up there on the right, and lend us a hand!  We really need your help!

WELCOME TO ISBU2YOU!

My Home is an Inter-modal Steel Building Unit!

And yours could be, too! Follow along with us, while we examine this phenomenon and figure out the best way to help you build that home you’ve always wanted!

Leave it to lawyers to screw up our “scheduled opening day,” but you have to follow the rules, and the world doesn’t seem to work without forms filed in triplicate. But all of that is water under the bridge now, and we’re here. And THAT is what matters!

By now, you’d have to be blind, deaf, and dumb not to know what a shipping container is. These wonderful steel boxes (Shown below being jockeyed about by lifts designed especially for them) are tasked with hauling freight to every point on the planet, most piled several high on the decks of behemoth ships, and offtimes seen stacked two high on railway cars.

The containers, called inter-modal steel building units (ISBUs) in the trades, are familiar to almost everyone. Even inland hundreds of miles from a shoreline, they can be seen riding the rails, piled onto flatbed railroad cars or hauled on dollies behind tractor-trailers on interstate highways. They are regularly seen on television, as they are featured in stock film footage on the news channels, illustrating every story about port security.

These are indestructible beauties, manufactured of heavy-gauge Corten steel, designed to be water-proof, fire resistant, impervious to bugs and built to hold cargo securely on the pitching deck of a ship in the harshest of environments!

Looked at as exactly what they are, an ISBU is a steel frame, with skin on it, not unlike a skyscraper or commercial building that you see in almost every neighborhood. It’s for that very reason that so many architects are busy working on plans and building techniques to make shipping container building attractive and functional.

But ISBU homes do not have to be square and flat-roofed – the only limit is your imagination, and the depth of your wallet. Some of them are finished with trussed roofs and interior and exterior finishes that make them look very much like any other conventional building in your city/town/village/hamlet/suburb…

ISBUs are manufactured in several sizes. You can get them from 10′ – 53′ long. 20′ x 8′ x 8′ and 40′ x 8′ x 8′ are currently the most prevalent sizes in use today. But, I recommend using a container called an High Cube (HQ), because this container is taller than it’s peers. In fact, it’s over 9′ tall (at 9′6” approx). This means that the structure you build will have taller ceilings. Or, laid on it’s side, you get more square footage out of this HQ unit. (almost 30 square feet, to be exact!)

For example, take (4) 40′ ISBUs placed side by side with the side walls of the inner two containers removed, andwhat have you got? Well, you have  an open space that measures 40′ x 32′ – and that translates to 1,280 square feet of living space.

The containers are manufactured to be stacked, and like I’ve already mentioned, you can stack them as many as nine high without compromising their structural integrity. This means that using them to create multistory dwellings in no problem. Be it a second, third, fourth, or fifth floor, ISBUs are there to help you achieve your goal!

Stay with us as we look at the advantages and address the challenges of the ISBU as a structural unit. Learning how it works and how to configure it, will allow you to build that home you’ve been dreaming of, for less than the price of a comparable traditionally built home…

Now, we’re NOT going to talk about the “fantasy houses” that you see on sites like Treehugger (although we REALLY admire those guys!), and we’re not going to talk about “Impossible to build” renders of homes that will never get built. We’re not going to talk about using ISBUs to build McMansions.

What we ARE going to talk about (in great detail) is building a single family home using ISBUs, in most cases utilizing a budget of approximately $100,000 (US). We’re aiming at helping you create a home for your family, a home you can not only afford, but an efficient home that will take care of you, as you take care of those you love.

See you next time!

I told you a while back that I was gonna start exposing you to the guys who are moving ISBU technology forward.

We started off with Paul Stankey, who built a cabin in the woods, to replace a dilapidated trailer that had long since seen it’s time.

Paul’s Holyoke Cabin is just the tip of the iceberg, where ISBU’s are concerned. Using (2) ISBU’s, he built a cabin that will stand the test of time, and exhibit (for anyone crazy enough to hop his fences to take a closer look) a sustainable, reliable, efficient structure that is certain to spawn lots of family stories and pride, for many, many years!

This time, we’re gonna talk about Luis de Garrido, an architect whose projects inspire awe and imagination, whimsy and wonder…

Professor Garrido travels the world teaching his sustainable building concepts and bio-climatic, zero energy concepts at colleges, universities and Sustainable Building conferences.

Luis de Garrido has earned many, many accolades, and a lot of respect from his peers, internationally, Most recently, the “ISBU Association” has chosen prominent architect, designer and educator Luis de Garrido, PhD. for his sustainable Bio-climatic architecture, educational symposiums and the innovative use of ISBU shipping container modules in his award winning architectural designs.

In my opinion, it’s an award that is long overdue.

Professor Garrido was only one of several nominees for the “2008 Architect of The Year Award.”

Many other architects and firms were considered;

Here’s the “short list;”

• Shigeru Ban,
• Adam Kalkin,
• Peter De Maria,
• Buro Happold Engineering,
• TempoHousing,
• Greg La Vardera,
• Lotek,
• Hybrid Seattle, and the
• Lawrence Group staff.

We’ve talked about Adam Kalkin, Lotek, and one of my personal favorites, Peter De Maria, here on the pages of  “RR” as well.

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The ISBU Association advisory board spent months evaluating the nominees since August 2008, based on their work;  their accomplishments, their use of ISBU modules in architecture, and their overall use of sustainable concepts, materials and original thinking.

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Professor Garrido quickly became a front runner in the selection process, not only for his use of recycled ISBU shipping containers but also his visionary Bio-climatic concepts, designs and sustainable educational curriculum which is becoming widely accepted globally.

*

Luis de Garrido is a prime example of what the ISBU enthusiasts and builders have hoped for; Professor Garrido is much more than a sustainable architect, he’s a true innovator of usable concepts and teaching concepts.

*

You can expect that his successful example with sustainable architecture, Bio-climatic design and affiliation with our organization will serve to inspire and stimulate the use of ISBU shipping containers and help promote the interest in quickly emerging ISBU technologies.

*

Without exaggeration, Luis de Garrido nearly stands alone in his qualifications for the 2008 Architect of the Year Award.  His reputation and body of work speak for themselves, in many languages! He has numerous achievements, awards and appointments in Spain, Europe, and Latin America and in the U.S. has also won two awards from UCLA. Presently he is director of the ANAVIF Organization in Spain and also visiting Professor at MIT where he has taught since 2002.

Among other things, he is presently building the first “bio-climatic” commercial building in Panama City, Panama. It is 55 levels of natural refrigeration; the first of it’s kind in the world. The Bio-climatic concept can easily be constructed using ISBU modules rather than conventional building materials.

The standard strength of an ISBU module makes it ideal for use either horizontally or vertically as seen in the photos. For most architects an ISBU is alluring for the creating of “green roofs”, solar heating and solar panels.

Below is the famous R4 Bio-house which made it’s debut in May of 2007 at Construmat, the world’s largest building Expo. It was featured in the new Sustainable Construction Pavilion at Construmat and gained international attention by architects globally.

The R4 Bio-house is a mainframe of 6 recycled ISBU modules (shipping containers) and is 100% sustainable.

All residential housing and commercial building designs by Luis de Garrido include his trademark Bio-climatic architecture and air movement details.

Bio-climatic concept: Summer cooling with nature's energy

Bio-climatic concept: Winter heating with nature's energy.

Six ISBU (shipping containers) provide the base structure of the fully sustainable
home and "green roofs.

This R4 Bio House is only one of many residential and commercial designs using his Bio-climatic technology.

The same bio concept is being used with his new I-Sleep Hotel design created for the Zaragoza Best Western group which began construction this Fall in Spain.

Professor Garrido teaches his Bio-climatic concept to architects, designers and builders globally. He is also a visiting Professor at the famed MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in Boston since 2004.

And you can bet that MIT is damned glad to have him! Can you imagine the passion and inspiration he instills in those young minds?

Stay tuned!

And please remember that we’re trying desperately to save this blog. As my wife’s illness worsens, the budget gets tighter and tighter. If you like what you read, and it helps you find your path, please consider hitting the Paypal button, and donatining a few bucks to the cause, okay? We really want to keep this blog going!

Founded in 1998 and based in Asheville, NC, Kleiworks is an international, grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching natural building methods.  Assisting  individuals and local communities, the organization helps to create sustainable living spaces, while ensuring that the work is passed on.

The world is rapidly changing around us.

This blog’s followers know that I’m building a home out of shipping containers, for my family. I’m doing this very slowly, and out of necessity, because Hurricane Katrina showed us a side of our insurance company that we never wanted to see. The insurance company we dealt with decided that it was easier to string thousands of us along, than settle our claims.  And we’re still in court, to this day.

Fast forward to today. In light of the housing crisis, the mortgage crisis, the Stimulus Bill (and the imposed crisis it presents), rampant unemployment,  and the decaying state of the economy in general, Americans are facing times that may rival the Great Depression, if we aren’t very lucky, and real careful.

People are nervous, and more and more people end up without jobs, homes, and hope…

How can we make a difference, when things are so hard for us too?

Many of my readers know that I’ve frequently emphasized the theme of charity in my blog posts.

Quite recently, ole’ Ronin hit a logjam, and we didn’t have what we needed to satisfy our bills. The utility people don’t care if you have a tax check headed your way, they only care that you pay them on demand, or else. Period.There aren’t polite words to describe our frustration at them.

My wife is hooked up to several machines here at home, to help her get thru the days, and to let her doctors monitor her status “over the internet.” But, if we have no power, we’re dead. And, so is she. But, the power company doesn’t care. They just want their money. Sure, they could enlist us in “some program,” but they aren’t taking “new client” interviews for a few more months, because demand is so high.

Sure, they could list us on a “Medical Alert” program, but that only tells them that in case of a black-out” we  need power fast. It has nothing to do with falling behind on your power bill.

I’ve had to hustle, interview, and almost cry in anguish, to no avail. Except, for the help of friends that look over my shoulder, and help where they can. To them (I’m not going to embarrass them by naming names) I am truly and profoundly grateful.

I have a deadline coming up for the power bill, and I’m praying we make it. If not, well… everything will go as black as this text. We’ll see, in a few days.

So, it’s obvious that my family isn’t rolling in anything but our own stress. But be that as it may, I want to share with you a method that we’ve found, so that we’re still able to help the neighbors. We’ve found a painless way to do it, and it’s a way that makes a big difference.

What we’ve been doing is including several dollars worth of canned goods each time we go to the store. We also frequent the “day old” section of the bakery, and then freeze the loaves of bread. That food, carefully packed away, has fed a lot of families, and we didn’t even feel it leave.

We live in the Hurricane Belt. It’s a wild land, full of monsoon rains, catastrophic flooding, and utter chaos. So, for these times, it’s important to stock up on stuff like extra flour, cornmeal, rice, beans, sugar, powdered milk, and even (gasp!) peanut butter!

Let’s face it… The way that things are going, it’s become vitally important to keep far more food on hand than you expect your family can actually consume. Your first priority is to your immediate family. That’s pretty obvious. But if you’re one of “the faithful,” or you just have a good heart, it’s important to me sure that you’re well stocked, as things start getting tighter. If all that you have on hand is barely enough to supply your own family or “community,” you won’t be in any position to help anybody else.

Like many others, I was raised to believe that charity isn’t an option, it’s a  responsibility. I feel very strongly about this.  Whether you’re a Jew or a Christian, whether you read the Torah or the Bible, G_d made it clear that we are supposed to help others in need. If nothing else, it’s one of the ways that societies stay connected.

I was raised to believe that you should hold 10% of your wealth in reserve, to help others. It’s called “the the tradition of tithing, which has its roots in the Old Testament law. I’m referring to a law called  “Tzedaka.” This “law” says that you should provide for your immediate family first. After that, look to your extended family…  and then if you still have it… reach out to your local community.

Now I’m not going to preach except to say this;

G_d’s gifts to me are “unearned.”

I didn’t do anything exceptional. He cares for me, even though I’m a “screw-up,” who sometimes can’t take care of his own family. I can’t tell you how hard it is to speak that. But sadly, it’s true.

So, I’m going to do anything that I can, to help anybody that I can, because it’s the right thing to do.  We know what it’s like to be homeless, hungry, and without clean clothes. We’ve been there. We know what it’s like to be able to pay the rent, or the pharmacy, but not both.  I cannot tell you how many times I’ve hit my knees, in tears, only to have Him help me get past whatever obstacle my family faced, over and over again.

There are people all around us that need help. There are those that are less fortunate and those that currently lack the foresight (or the means) to stock up for bad times.

The best charity is help that comes without strings. It’s one thing to get a “help check” from your “In-Laws.” But the strings are as strong as braided steel cables. The act of charity is supposed to be transparent, anonymous.  You don’t have to draw attention to yourself, or make a big deal out of it.

“It’s the right thing to do. Think nothing of it… Bye-bye!” goes a long way.

If you want to (and you have them), including uplifting spiritual material is  a good idea too. When you’re struggling, the words on those pages can yield great comfort. Take it from me. My Rabbi would be quite pleases with the amount of time I spend in my “soul-searching and studies.”

Think of how many lives you could influence in a positive way,  just by pulling food out of your storage pantry to help a struggling family!

God’s bounty is a gift to be shared. Consider yourself an ambassador of goodwill, and then… help out where you can. You’re not doing it for yourself, you’re doing it because “it’s the right thing to do.”

I’ve heard lots of “food storage” formula’s… but there’s the one that works best for us;

“Look at your food supply as a hearty one year supply for your family. Then reconsider it as a carefully measured out six month supply for three families, or even a ‘cautiously doled out’ three month supply for six families.”

And what if you find yourself in a disaster, with no hope in sight? I can only suggest that you do what I do and pray about it. And then… give until it hurts.

Stay tuned!

If you like what you’re reading, and you can spare it, we need help keeping this blog afloat. I hate to ask, but between health care and medications, we’re scraping beyond the  bottom of the budget barrel and something has to give soon.  Hitting that Paypal button up there with a fews bucks would go a long way! Thanks!

You know…

I get contacted a lot by families that want to build an affordable home. Most of these families are living just like my family is, from paycheck to paycheck. These aren’t people trying to be “fashionable,” or people trying to buy a container full of “green envy.” They are people who are looking for a way out, that gives them a way in… to a home of their own.

They aren’t trying to draw attention to themselves, so that they can brag about their house being showcased on some cable TV show, or blabbered about on CNN or Good Morning America, like they were some kind of “American Folk Heroes.” They’re not your typical “attention whores.”  They’re just “average Joes,” trying to house their families.

And that brings me to the topic of this post;

Don’t believe everything you read.

Recently, a family approached me and told me that they were thinking about building an ISBU home, but the blogs they were reading were full of drama and angst. At first, I immediately started to apologize for messing with their vibe, because they were talking about ME!

Then, they recounted a story to me about a woman who was building her ISBU home in Missouri. This family actually got grief from the local planning and Zoning Nazi’s, because they were aware of this “other” ISBU  house, and “didn’t want their town turned into a circus by liberal lunatics and whining idiots!”

Hey, THAT sentiment I’m used to. It’s hard to be different.

But they were actually talking about a lady in Missouri who is building a container house “out in the country” on the James River.  She’s doing what I’m doing, in that she’s recording the build for posterity. Unlike me, (whether she planned it that way or not) it appears that she’s become a poster child for “Look at me!” I’m so cool! I’m better than you. I’m the center of the world!” if you believe the dozens of emails that I have received about her, and her project.

Now, I’ve communicated with the architectural firm that designed the home. They tell me that;

“”M” is probably one of the greatest people you could hope to ever meet. I wish I had the time to sit here a write everything down that is great about her but I don’t.  We have become very good friends with her over the last couple years. We have spent a lot of time working to get her into the house of her dreams because like your readers she doesn’t have a lot of money. We tried to design a house using conventional means but we were unable to get it within the budget.”

The designer, Michael Mardis,  goes on to say that;

“The shipping containers were our idea, knowing that it would save money and allow us to get all the features we were all hoping for.”

I spend enough time defending myself (I’m not quite sure “why?” I “seem” like such a nice guy!), so it’s odd that I find myself defending someone else, but here goes…

I’ve been aware of this build, for a while. It’s real cool that she’s getting media attention. It’s real cool that she’s spreading the word. If you feel like she’s acting out, you may be misreading what she’s trying to convey to you.  She ISN’T the “Countess of Containers!”

It’s not only zealots, idiots, and “deadbeats, drop-outs, or people with no life,” who build alternative homes. Some of those ISBU dwellers are just “enthusiastic old ladies caught up in the emotion of their build.”  I suspect this is the case, here.

I get LOTS of feedback on her. I’m not quite sure why, because I’m not associated with her at all, except in the “ISBU” commonality.

As a Jew in Mississippi, I get asked all the time if I know “so-and-so” who lives in NY, because they are Jews, too. Sure, all Jews know each other. We get introduced at birth, and we all exchange Hanukkah cards!

As a builder/designer/plasma cutting toadie of shipping container homes in America “and parts unknown,” I get asked if I know this lady. Again… you do the math…

I don’t KNOW her. I’ve never spoken to her. All I know about her, I learned just like you, by reading her blog, or from my communication with her designer. I’m sure that she’s a nice lady. I suspect that if you’re “set off” by her blog, you’re just seeing that she’s just a tad “overzealous.”

SO… STOP SENDING ME EMAIL ABOUT HER!

Here’s the gist of it;

Building a shipping container house is less about throwing money at an architect, designer,  or  contractor, and more about understanding that your life is changing. It’s less about “complaining about the right sofa,” and more about learning to live a simpler, more comfortable life, free of the drama that comes with “keeping up with the Joneses.”

Once you’ve figured THAT out, those conversations with that architect will become much more rewarding. An architects job is to design “space.” If you understand what “spaces” you need, their job get’s easier, and their creativity gets wings to soar with!

It’s important that you understand what you’re building, if you’re trying to change your lifestyle. That comprehension will help you build the bridges you require, to have that life you seek. So I urge you to swing that hammer or fire up that screw gun, at every opportunity. Get concrete on your shoes! Become intimate with a caulking gun! Don’t just pay someone else to do it, actually participate!

Living in an ISBU home, doesn’t make you “the new messiah.” It just makes you smart, and environmental, and capable of seeing life from inside the confines of your steel home.

Understand that when people say things like;

“Yessirree! Sign up NOW for a tour of a shipping container house in progress. Touch it! Stand inside! Look out the windows! Jump up and down! Close your eyes and imagine where this vessel has been! (or maybe not) Close your eyes again and imagine that this will be a real house someday soon! Self-guided tours are always welcome….day or night…..or make arrangements for an informative PCO/D (plasma cutter operator/designer) guide to show you around and tell you hair-raising stories of sparks and grass fires and a transient support team nearby. And all of this is just a step away…..downtown….in the Queen City of the Ozarks…..Main Street, U.S.A. …”

They aren’t necessarily trying to be “Carnival Barkers.”  Heck, when I read that, I immediately thought of Emerson, Lake and Palmer… “Welcome now my friends, to the show that never ends…”

I suspect that she’s just  caught up in the build, and excited about her new home. It’s not necessarily that she’s “overcompensating” for something… like the middle-aged guy who sells the Mini-Van and buys a Corvette…

There’s more to this “ISBU stuff”  than just paying someone else to do it for you. It’s the beginning of an adventure;

• You’re probably going to “downsize” and get rid of stuff you’ve been hanging onto for years.
• You’re probably going to learn what you can live without.
• You’re probably going to become more organized.
• You’re probably going to become more “accountable” for the things you do daily.
• You’re probably going to plant a garden.

And, you’ll be the better for it.

As for “Marti…” I’m betting that she’s  the perfect candidate for a life lived out in the country, in her “steel box.”

She’s probably just an enthusiastic old lady, who is really passionate about her “new life.” She’s doing something “good.” And she’s proud of it. She’s realizing a dream!

Perhaps you read her blog, and see “circus antics.” But, I’d offer up that she’s the just trying to “spread the word,” just like the rest of us. She could be “mellower,” or tone it down, but that would be YOU, not her. She’s debuting “her new prom dress,” and she’s entitled to do it any way that she wants. It’s HER blog. If you don’t like it, don’t read it!

Where have you heard that before?

If you’re not sure… read MY disclaimer, up there on the right side of this page!

There’s a lesson here for all of us…

You know, something like; “If you find yourself visiting the Land of Oz… Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.”

FYI: Even in my blog, the disclaimer contains the “if you don’t like it here… leave” inclusion.

BUT… I really wish that she’d stop complaining abut DWELL magazine. It’s one of the few publications that gives press time to “Alternatives to McMansions.” Sure, it’s a little artsy. You have to appeal to a broad market, in order to get enough subscribers to keep a publication running. DWELL is full of ideas! Just strip out the “glitz and expensive glamour stuff” and you have the “nuts and bolts!”

I heartily endorse DWELL Magazine. So there!

‘Nuff said.

Stay Tuned!

addendum: I just saw (on “M’s” blog) that she actually loves DWELL magazine! So, that proves it! She’s not “CRAZY,” she’s just “exuberant!” Go get ‘em, girl!

And please remember that we’re trying desperately to save this blog. As my wife’s illness worsens, the budget gets tighter and tighter. If you like what you read, and it helps you find your path, please consider hitting the Paypal button, and donatining a few bucks to the cause, okay? We really want to keep this blog going!

In our quest to save you time, and more importantly resources…

I recently stumbled  across two very cool tools for calculating the potential energy savings for implementing wind power and/or solar energy.

Isn’t this a cool idea?

The first one is called; “In My Back Yard“  from those wild and crazy guys and gals at the NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory).  This tool actually allows you to calculate your potential energy savings through the use of solar (photovoltaics) and wind power.  The savings is based on where your property is located and the information you specify;

• the windmill(s) to be used (type, height, etc.) or…
• the information for the solar panels (size, slope of roof, orientation, etc.).

Like some other people I polled, the output for the wind power is a little difficult to decipher, but the solar power information is very easy to understand and provides data on incentives available for purchasing the technology.

As for the payback, the NREL tool seems to compare the cost of the system with the utility rate you’re paying.  However, it isn’t completely accurate, as it doesn’t seem to account that adding the solar panels or a wind turbine should increase the value of your home, in the first place.

But I said (2) tools, right? Well, here’s the second one. RoofRay calculates savings for using  solar power.  The information is inputted in the same manner as on the NREL website.

Both are somewhat intuitive in their interface, and they provide a great ballpark number for figuring out what you could potentially expect in energy savings based on the values you enter.

This is great for anyone thinking about purchasing one of these systems! And, as an added bonus, they enable a better understanding of the value associated with these systems.  And for those of us who can’t resist picking up a pencil, they also provide a great design tool for us to use, to better maximize the orientation of our buildings, in order to better utilize solar panels and windmills.

There’s more where that came from…

Stay tuned!

And please remember that we’re trying desperately to save this blog. As my wife’s illness worsens, the budget gets tighter and tighter. If you like what you read, and it helps you find your path, please consider hitting the Paypal button, and donatining a few bucks to the cause, okay? We really want to keep this blog going!

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times…

Our country imports more than it exports! “Lions, and Tigers, and Bears! Oh My!”

It’s called a “trade deficit.” But one byproduct of this development is the metal mountains of empty shipping containers piling up at  shipping ports and transport centers. And it’s not just here, either! These containers are becoming a blight on the landscape, blocking out the sun, and ruining the “environment” of the locals!

What to do with them all?

Fear not! There are groups of innovative architects, engineers, and alternative housing visionaries who have THE answer!

How about an inexpensive home? Or maybe an Art studio in your backyard? Or how about a self-contained weekend get-away? Do you need a medical clinic in a remote area? And I bet somebody could use some FEMA type relief-housing after a natural disaster that actually makes sense!

Hey, howabouts a cozy “Corten cabin” in the backyard for when the “In-Laws” come to visit? I mean, that way… they’d have their own space and they wouldn’t feel like they were intruding on you… Yeah, right!

And you could slip out in the middle of the night, all “ninja-like…” slap a padlock on those wonderfully sturdy doors, and ship that puppy off to China! I’d tell ya the rest of the “plan,” but my wife is watching me type…

Lots of people all around the planet are building prefab, ecologically intelligent structures from empty cargo containers. And this may come as a shock to some of you… but they’ve been doing it for decades.

A 40 foot container can cost you anywhere from $800 to $2000, plus a shipping fee to your building sight. That’s kind of crazy sounding, huh? You have to pay a shipping fee, to get a shipping container. Well, just like you learned in high school Science class; “There ain’t no free lunch!”

There are several companies and organizations  in America now, like [ISBU2YOU] that will actually outfit the container with doors, windows, insulation, HVAC, and all the amenities your little heart desires, from utilitarian (like building in composting toilets), to upscale (like installing solar and PV arrays).

Let’s face it, you either like ISBUs, or you hate them. I personally think that they get a bad rap, but that’s just me. Using the containers as housing is a  fascinating concept to some, and an  “industrial waste – eye sore” to others…

But whatever your view, you have to admit that our concept of the world is changing fast. “McMansions” are out, and “Microhouses” are “IN!” And, GREEN is all the rage! It’s time to re-utilize the junk we’ve spent decades creating, and reconfigure the way we think, so we can reevaluate “our right to the disposable lifestyles” that we’ve been living, before it’s too late!

Now may be the perfect time. For the first time in “real” history, the Government is actually looking for alternatives to housing. It’s quite possible that there are “Stimulus Bill” dollars available to build a home out of recycled shipping containers. We’re going through the bill line by line, looking for places where we might find some assistance.  The way I see it, if we can bail out AIG, it’s time we bailed out families. American Families. You know, the people who actually built America in the first place!

Look, houses aren’t the only things you can build out of these wonderful boxes. Containers make perfect low cost structures for clinics in remote or impoverished areas. A building such as this might mean the difference in a non-profit having the money to start medical services or letting people suffer and die. Facility expenses can be a huge burden when calculating the money needed to get a project off the ground.

A pal of mine, Paul Stankey has built a terrific “Holyoke Cabin” in Minnesota. It’s a “small scale beauty,” a masterpiece full of natural light and industrial-urban attitude out in the woods. It just takes creativity to create a sense of intrigue by capitalizing on the aspects of building with metal containers! Plus, it’s cheap, and the materials are readily available!

Although Paul used “little boxes,” all the structural load in an 8-by-40-by-9 1/2-foot container is carried by the corner castings, steel columns at each of the four corners. This means that doors and windows can occur anywhere else in  the structure. Whole walls can be cut out and replaced with glass, and interior walls can be anywhere or nowhere.

You can build in walls that slide out (just like in an RV) to make your ISBU cabin even bigger! And when it’s time to go home, you just push the sliders in, lock the container doors, and off you trot! And, Your cabin is secure!

Plus, as an added bonus… The boxes can be stacked like giant Lego blocks, cantilevered into space to create intriguing overhangs and practical decks, or cut apart and reassembled into new configurations. Talk about versatile!

So why aren’t you building one? Hmmm?

Even a “modest” box makes a splendid cabin!

Help is available. There’s a new group setting up shop in late April, called “ISBU2YOU” that’s going to start turning out cabins you can truck anywhere, set down, and then, pick up and move to greener pastures, if you decide to! Think of it as an “Armor Plated RV.”

I call ‘em “Bubba Boxes.”

They’ve promised me that they’re going to get a detail package ready, so that you can learn how to live in the woods (or anywhere else for that matter) in style, while your friends and neighbors go broke spending a lifetime paying for mortgages, second homes, and hotel bills! ! They’ll give you all the details on how they’ll fab a container cabin for you, and ship it out to your site!

Now I actually know these guys, and I’ve seen the stuff that they’ve built, “far afield” in disaster relief efforts. It’s amazing what you can do, with a little bit of creative energy, and a plasma cutter!

For the price of a new full-sized car, you could be in a nice warm container-cabin, without a huge mortgage! Think of the possibilities! Add a water line, and an electrical cord, and voila!

You’re in heaven!

Stay tuned!

And please remember that we’re trying desperately to save this blog. As my wife’s illness worsens, the budget gets tighter and tighter. If you like what you read, and it helps you find your path, please consider hitting the Paypal button, and donatining a few bucks to the cause, okay? We really want to keep this blog going!