Thread: lining a container

Probably better to put a false roof with batterns to create an air gap and maybe walls the same if they are exposed to the sun rather than letting the metal box cop the sun and then trying to stop it radiating the result inside

We used Foilboard at work for lining shipping crates when sending furniture interstate/overseas.

I helped my neighbour turn a old shipping container into a man cave a couple of years ago. Yes, timber batterns glued on the inside using no-nails worked fine. The walls and ceiling were then covered in 3mm thick textured ply from the big green shed with those plastic channel joiners; ok not real pretty but nothing to crack or creak or groan with the metal expanding. We framed in the door end to allow us to fit a window and screen door.

We also put a skillion roof on the top, framed from construction pine and covered in corro. This gives you the ability to add guttering and a small rain tank for your grapes!

Shipping containers have been modified for many purposes including telecommunications equipment shelters with "passive cooling". I have designed a few modifications for such purposes which have proved very successful in remote outback locations and island communities.

Best to place "solar cladding" on the outside to prevent heat transmission into the container by creating a simple 50mm min "air gap blanket" similar to the thermos flask principle - however not completely sealed. Still air is a pretty good thermal insulator.

Fairly simple process to attach top hat, C or Z purlin sections to the container then clad with fibre cement cladding for walls. Place sections vertical or horizontal to suit cladding manufacturers fixing recommendations. Use raked purlins for a roof with fall. In southern latitudes (i.e. south of Tropic of Capricorn in a domestic setting only the northern and western walls require cladding if you want to save money. Council may get narky and want engineer certified drawings, esp for high wind regions and definitely in residential areas.

Internally, 12mm non structural ply screwed and glued direct to the container walls provides a simple cladding that light shelving etc can be attached directly to the lining. For higher load applications use top hat sections or timber battens to "fur out" the walls then attach your choice of lining.

Another simple but very effective low cost cooling enhancement is a low power DC fan or "whirly bird" fitted high up to one end (fixed wall) with screened vents placed low down in the opposite (door end). This creates a simple cross air flow that can be shuttered off in winter and opened in summer.

Some of the shipping container mobs like Royal Wolf have a range of modified containers for pop up retail and workshop applications - check out their offerings and be inspired by their ideas. https://www.royalwolf.com.au/event-and-retail/

If you have to buy a container for the job check the floor carefully as the get damaged by running forklifts in and out of them. I have seen more than one fork go through a floor and we used to check before loading every time. Stop the sun from directly hitting it and have a look in Youtube, there are some very clever uses of containers out there for purposes like yours and a lot show fitting out etc.

have the container, she used it for several years as storage, sold it to friends now bought back again...bonus window fitted sort of

valuable info thanks gents

Originally Posted by Mobyturns

Shipping containers have been modified for many purposes including telecommunications equipment shelters with "passive cooling". I have designed a few modifications for such purposes which have proved very successful in remote outback locations and island communities.

Best to place "solar cladding" on the outside to prevent heat transmission into the container by creating a simple 50mm min "air gap blanket" similar to the thermos flask principle - however not completely sealed. Still air is a pretty good thermal insulator.

so what do you mean as solar cladding? what material.

Ametalin SilverWrap™ MD Breather 1350mm x 60m Wall Insulation (Bunnings)
Ametalin SilverWrap™ Breather is 97 percent reflective and is an excellent barrier to radiant heat, enhancing the energy performance and thermal comfort of a building. It is suitable for use as a wall wrap in all regions of Australia in residential, commercial and office buildings, including cyclone and bushfire prone zones.

whats your thoughts??

I think Mobyturns is suggesting that you create a cover for the container roof and walls that creates a 50mm breathing air gap between the cover and the walls/roof. If you can keep the sun off the outside of the container any heat transmission will be dramatically reduced. The Ametalin products you have linked to are not suitable for this purpose, but any material that is rigid and weather resilient will do the job. In other words have a a look around for something cheap and locally available, even old roofing iron will do. To help control heat transmission within the container some type of bulk insulation between the walls and the lining will help.

50mm battens all round including the roof, covering of choice painted white or silver and adequate air gaps to promote air flow. Solar fans which ventilate the internal space of the container would work well if there was enough allowance made for air to get in. Cheap roofing painted silver from a used building supplier would be the best and I suspect the cheapest for the cladding.

Originally Posted by aldav

I think Mobyturns is suggesting that you create a cover for the container roof and walls that creates a 50mm breathing air gap between the cover and the walls/roof. If you can keep the sun off the outside of the container any heat transmission will be dramatically reduced. The Ametalin products you have linked to are not suitable for this purpose, but any material that is rigid and weather resilient will do the job. In other words have a a look around for something cheap and locally available, even old roofing iron will do. To help control heat transmission within the container some type of bulk insulation between the walls and the lining will help.

even if I glued this to inside walls, after all the staple/fix this to house frames then clad over it with brick/timber whatever

That stuff works best with an air gap so I suspect it will be doing very little if you glue it to the inside of the container walls. The outside shading and bulk insulation to the inside will work well. You only need to use R1.5 batts or 40mm or 50mm styrofoam so 50mm battens would work fine. You could then line with cheap plywood or plasterboard.

Lot's of ideas here.....https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...ping+container

Keep in mind that the main reason containers get insulated on the inside is because they cannot change the exterior for freighting purposes
If you have the luxury of not having that constraint you are crazy not to do your insulating from the exterior. Once that steel metal box heats up you are on the back foot all the way to trying to reduce it on the inside not to mention how much space you will loose trying to create an insulated cavity
All these thin insulation products are not as good or cost effective as bulk insulation either
The cheapest, easiest and most effective method is to put a metal roof on batterns over the container