School me on shipping container storage.

[bananahamuck]

Muy garages are full,  and i have crap ,, that is in fact crap so doesn't need 1000% protection ,, just protection from elements. So i'm looking into two or three , 40 foot steel shipping containers.  

 

What i need to know is,,  do they really sweat and drip inside ?? Does anyone have one,, or a close friend have one ,, that they have been using for a few years already ?? .. Would like people in the northern "wetter" climates to respond as i don't live in a dry climate by any stretch of the imagination. 

 Should i get a refer model as it is insulated ??  I heard those are more maintenance than standard steel unit,  because of the way they are built 

 

I have plans to put trusses over them and make roof  in future but don't want to HAVE TO do that immediately,, as sometimes life gets in the way. and don't want my shit to become ,,, well,,  shit

 

 

 

[datzenmike]

To sweat, the inside air must be humid and the walls cold enough to precipitate the moisture. Run a small de-humidifier or a heater. In the winter I have a large cookie sheet with a 1" layer of ordinary table salt on it in my, parked for the winter, car. Once or twice a month put the tray in the oven and bake the moisture out and put back in the car. Works like a charm because no mold grows on the inside like it used to.

[hobbes_the_cat]

My parents use a non-insulated shipping container to store their horse feed and other farm stuff. It stays dry inside and there is never a worry about the food getting moldy or damp. It’s on the Kitsap Penninsula so the same climate as you south sound guys. 

They’re nice storage and most have hardwood floors too. 

 

[tr8er]

I literally live in a tropical rainforest.  I had a shipping container in my yard for ten years or so.  Never had a drip issue.  Also always had a 20X40 tarp structure over it.  My reason was to prevent certain rust and crazy heat mid day.  The tarp structure was cheap and very nice to have dry area adjacent to your storage.  If your area is like mine, the air would choke laughing at a tray of salt.  But if you do, use Epsom salt.  Cheaper/better.  The shipping container is secure, but building a simple wood/tin roof storage shed is much more affordable.  So weigh your options.  

 

Two containers with 12’ between them and trusses over the gap is a killer end game solution though.  If that is where you are headed, do it.  Drive through 40’ garage with secure storage on both sides!  

[thisismatt]

My bro on law dropped one at my mom's 12 years ago give or take. Uses it for storage and a paint spray booth. Never a problem with moisture, but we are a much drier climate.

[bananahamuck]

3 hours ago, tr8er said:

I literally live in a tropical rainforest.  I had a shipping container in my yard for ten years or so.  Never had a drip issue.  Also always had a 20X40 tarp structure over it.  My reason was to prevent certain rust and crazy heat mid day.  The tarp structure was cheap and very nice to have dry area adjacent to your storage.  If your area is like mine, the air would choke laughing at a tray of salt.  But if you do, use Epsom salt.  Cheaper/better.  The shipping container is secure, but building a simple wood/tin roof storage shed is much more affordable.  So weigh your options.  

 

Two containers with 12’ between them and trusses over the gap is a killer end game solution though.  If that is where you are headed, do it.  Drive through 40’ garage with secure storage on both sides!  

 

Yes that's almost exactly what i was going to do, (eventually) , a roof and gravel between them for a extra spot to pile stuff that can take more weather..  Main problem i see with a stick built or pole barn type shed is,,  our county taxes you on them.. But a container being a non permanent structure,  is exempt.

 

DATmike,, I thought about a fan or fans but they are going to be at least 180 feet away from house so don't wanna have to run wires out there and check on them ,, needs to be set and forget 

 

Thanks for the answers. have tons of projects that need to be done in garage that is so full my tiny 411 barely fits. 

 

[bananahamuck]

4 hours ago, hobbes_the_cat said:

My parents use a non-insulated shipping container to store their horse feed and other farm stuff. It stays dry inside and there is never a worry about the food getting moldy or damp. It’s on the Kitsap Penninsula so the same climate as you south sound guys. 

They’re nice storage and most have hardwood floors too. 

 

 

Yeah we do ,,  and i figured being thick steel  keeps the rodents out which can quickly become a problem with seats and things like that.  It's mostly junk but it's junk i would have to hunt down and buy again if i needed it. 

[hobbes_the_cat]

Yeah if it’s in decent shape it should seal up nice and tight. When they are on ships at sea they see some pretty serious weather so they’re built to be water tight. Rodents will have a hard time getting in. 

[thisismatt]

They seal up well.  Rodents cannot get in if the doors are shut properly.

[Draker]

I saw some videos on youtube and they did sweat and drip. That was northeast weather.. so not the same climate. I don't have any  first hand experience though. I'd store my junk in one.

[hang_510]

My step dad has 2. He builds model planes in them.

The larger has leaked(seams) from there being near the beach. Has a wood floor and he added ventilation (those spinning steel globe balls) and that worked perfect for the smaller. He's had them on the same gravel for 30+years. no rodent issues in the site. One on the 3 cabinets from the Dukes of Hazzard set I just got had the steel floor rotted out. The other 2 are perfect.

 

 

[bananahamuck]

Globe balls 

 

 

 

 

. 

[bananahamuck]

19 hours ago, Draker said:

I saw some videos on youtube and they did sweat and drip. That was northeast weather.. so not the same climate. I don't have any  first hand experience though. I'd store my junk in one.

 

I know i read stuff like that also but ,, the local Fred Meyers is doing remodel and brought in like 20 of the damn things in nearby lot since winter..  and it's hard to believe they would be using them if there was chance of products being water logged.. 

 

Was looking at pre-built she sheds ,( 14' x 21' ), but most use that press board siding and that shit disintegrates in a very short period of time.  And ground would have to be much leveler that i want to pay to have done. Plus steel container won't burn down if neighbors brush fire ever gets out of hand.

Edited July 5, 2019 by bananahamuck

[jagman]

When I lived in NJ a friend needed a place to put his sawmill.  He used two long containers for sides spaced about 30 feet apart placed on railroad ties and two more on top of those to make a square.  He framed between them at the top and put up a side "porch" with stairs to access the top ones.  The property zoning did not allow permanent buildings so by doing it this way He had a covered mill and storage for his tooling and planked lumber.  He never complained about moisture in the storage units but he did use the top ones for drying the lumber so he had put vents in those.  If I needed an enclosed shop and one or more were available at a reasonable price I would use them.

[Ranman72]

I have a 20 foot it is certified 1 use water weather tight 

when it is closed up tight it sweats 

when the door is left slightly unsealed it doesn't

I have been told if you put one of those roof spinning turbine vents on them and have cross flow so one on each end they wont sweat when closed tightly 

I close the door all the way just leave it slightly unsealed and it fixed the sweat problem  

Edited July 6, 2019 by Ranman72

[bananahamuck]

On 7/5/2019 at 9:47 PM, Ranman72 said:

I have a 20 foot it is certified 1 use water weather tight 

when it is closed up tight it sweats 

when the door is left slightly unsealed it doesn't

I have been told if you put one of those roof spinning turbine vents on them and have cross flow so one on each end they wont sweat when closed tightly 

I close the door all the way just leave it slightly unsealed and it fixed the sweat problem  

 

 

What kinda weather you guys usually get? Hot in day cold at night like in the desert ??  Do you think that might be what causes it at your place??  

 

 

. We get so many mice and raccoons and opossums,,, and of course rain ,,  i would be scared to leave it open even in hot summertime. 

 

.

[Ranman72]

On 7/25/2019 at 6:06 PM, bananahamuck said:

 

 

What kinda weather you guys usually get? Hot in day cold at night like in the desert ??  Do you think that might be what causes it at your place??  

 

 

. We get so many mice and raccoons and opossums,,, and of course rain ,,  i would be scared to leave it open even in hot summertime. 

 

.

we get hot days cooler nights in the summer ,sometimes warm all night 

rain and sun in the winter 

I think it is like a hot box with no vent and causes it to sweat 

[Eric]

if you don't put wet stuff in it and it is closed properly it will stay dry. i've use containers for storage and they have vent holes with allow for ventilation of course but moist cannot get in.

 

[Greywolf]

On 7/4/2019 at 3:08 AM, bananahamuck said:

 

Yes that's almost exactly what i was going to do, (eventually) , a roof and gravel between them for a extra spot to pile stuff that can take more weather..  Main problem i see with a stick built or pole barn type shed is,,  our county taxes you on them.. But a container being a non permanent structure,  is exempt.

 

DATmike,, I thought about a fan or fans but they are going to be at least 180 feet away from house so don't wanna have to run wires out there and check on them ,, needs to be set and forget 

 

Thanks for the answers. have tons of projects that need to be done in garage that is so full my tiny 411 barely fits. 

 

Solar panels enough to run fans should be reasonable.

[Ranman72]

7 hours ago, Eric said:

if you don't put wet stuff in it and it is closed properly it will stay dry. i've use containers for storage and they have vent holes with allow for ventilation of course but moist cannot get in.

 

I dont know what to say I put dry stuff in and closed the doors completely and it sweat dropps from the roof 

and it wasn't leaks 

but this was just my experiance 

our container at work does not seem to sweat but it is not  sealed as tight as mine 

[datzenmike]

Humidity is ok if the temperature is warm enough to hold it in suspension in the air. If it cools off at night it will sweat on the cold(er) inner surface. Likewise if the container gets warmed up during the day it will in effect 'bake' the moisture from anything inside which again at night will sweat on the cooler insides. Proper venting will let this humid air out so it can't.

[ratpatrol66]

Do this...

 

[Eric]

These were on my container: https://dutch.alibaba.com/product-detail/marine-container-hood-ventilation-320513646.html  vents so fresh air could get in, damp could get out and moist couldn't come in.

Edited July 28, 2019 by Eric

[woton121]

I have a bunch of these on my lot. They are a bit older, so who knows what was shipped in them. One of the containers had a pin hole in the roof, and when i parked my Z in there for the winter, I didn't see it and I guess moisture got inside because when i pulled it out in the spring any unpainted part was rusted, there was also a bit of mold on the inside of the car. I was super bummed as I had many hours of work into it. The roof of the container also had mold on it. 

In my area (the Bay Area) these do sweat, I think its due to moist air and then heat in the daytime.

So FWIW I would clean it out before use, open the doors as much as possible and keep it on blocks or some other way to elevate it and allow air to pass under.

Now to get after that rust!

 

[bananahamuck]

I bought the orangest god damn container they had .