The Best Types of Shipping Container Insulation

5-Methods-to-Insulate-Your-Shipping-Container-Home-Blog-Cover

Updated On: June 21, 2022

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Insulation is the material that separates you and your comfortable room of conditioned air from the extreme temperatures outdoors.  When thinking through how to insulate a shipping container, there are quite a few options with their own pros and cons.

You likely need insulation for your shipping container home, but what kind of insulation is best?  The answer can vary depending on your situation and goals.

In this Article

This article will answer all your questions about shipping container insulation. Storage container homes are popular these days, but you need to know what it takes to truly turn them into a living space.

We will first examine the most relevant considerations in choosing a type of insulation, then we will examine the insulation types you can choose from, and we will conclude with some insulation alternatives.

You may have heard that polyurethane spray foam insulation is the only variety worth considering for shipping containers. As you’ll find out below, that’s not always the case.

Our goal with this article is to give you a comprehensive guide to not only understanding insulation generally but also how to choose the type of insulation that is most relevant to your needs. This can include factors such as the size of the container, geography, and climate, as well as insulation-specific attributes like price, quality, and more.

While we wait on building codes to catch up to and fully incorporate shipping container construction, we have best practices we can use now. The advice we share in this article is based on practical considerations as well as integrating scientific theory.

With that said, let’s start with a discussion of controlling factors and the various types of home insulation.

What is Insulation?

If you had an open-air porch or patio that is hot in the summer, would you air-condition it?  Not without enclosing it by building walls first, of course! 

You want to keep the conditioned air (air that has been intentionally cooled or warmed, depending on the season) separate from the outside air. Otherwise, you’re air conditioning the neighborhood (something you may have heard from your parents when you left the front door open!)

If you built the walls around your porch out of newspaper or plastic food wrap, they wouldn’t be very effective at regulating the temperate (even though they would keep the air separated).  Why not?

A thin wall isn’t able to prevent the transfer of heat from the warm side to the cool side very effectively.  While the actual air can’t move through the wall, the heat contained in the air CAN move through the wall material.  So even though the air is seperated, your energy efficiency would be quite low. We’d recommend checking out our article on heat transfer in container homes before you go any further if you’re not clear on any of the concepts so far!

Therefore, insulation is a material specifically designed to prevent heat energy from moving through the walls (and ceiling, and floor) of your shipping container home.  It generally works by trapping air or other gasses in a complex matrix of tiny cells or passages. 

Compared to solids and liquids, gases conduct thermal energy poorly, making them excellent insulators.  By confining the gases to millions of tiny cells, you reduce the role convection plays within the gas, further increasing the material’s insulating properties.

In most cases when we talk about thermal insulation, we’re specifically talking about conductive (and to a lesser extent, convective) heat flow.  The resistance to this heat flow is measured using an “R-value”, which coincidentally is how insulation is rated (higher is better). Heat flow via radiation does come into play as well as discussed below.

An important note for our readers that use the metric system (SI units): The R-values expressed in this article, elsewhere on our website, and in most American publications are based on English or inch-pound units. To convert to an SI R-value, you need to multiply by 0.1761101838. Read this Wikipedia article for more information on the unit conversion.

Why do you need container home insulation?

When insulating a shipping container, you’re separating the conditioned airspace from the outdoors.  It’s the same thing you’d normally do with almost all enclosed structures that have climate control. As explained before, insulating material helps keep the heat from the warmer side from moving to the cooler side. This increases the energy efficiency of your container home by lowering the amount of energy needed to regulate the internal temperature.

Unlike some more traditional types of residential construction, shipping container homes have the added issue of an exterior that is completely made of steel.  Given how great steel is at conducting thermal energy, it is especially ineffective at keeping your airspace at a different temperature than the air outside.  Therefore, insulation is often needed more for shipping container homes than for other construction types.

And let’s not forget that the steel of a container home can absorb a tremendous amount of radiant energy from the summer sun, actually getting hotter than the ambient air. Simply stated, unmodified shipping containers are great at keeping outside air from getting inside. However, they perform poorly at keeping heat from moving through their walls.

Nevertheless, just because container homes are bad at preventing heat transfer doesn’t automatically mean you need insulation.  The other factor to consider is the climate.

How climate affects your insulation decision

If you are lucky enough (or easy-going enough!) to live in a location with a climate that is suitable for you to live in without additional cooling or heating, you may not need insulation material for your shipping container.  Areas like southern California and parts of the Mediterranean feature what many consider to be an ideal climate. 

With that said, some people still need heating and air conditioning in these climates…and thus should strongly consider insulation.  Whether you will need climate control for your shipping container home or not depends on your personal preferences for what is ‘comfortable’. With additions of fans in warm climates and warm clothes in colder ones, you may be able to endure the normal temperatures without any added insulating material.

If you don’t live in such a location, then we strongly recommend you insulate your storage containers, but you don’t HAVE to.  You’d need to weigh the costs of insulating (a one-time cost) versus the ongoing heating and cooling costs to run your air conditioner and/or heater. 

You might also need a larger air conditioner or heater than you otherwise would if you had insulated your container.  Over time, any money saved from not insulating quickly disappears as you pay more and more for energy to keep the climate in your shipping container tolerable.

To summarize, unless you live in the best possible climate, you are likely going to need to insulate your cargo container. And if you choose to forgo insulation, there’s a real chance you will regret it due to all the extra money you will need to be spending on heating and cooling. You will definitely appreciate the benefits of an insulated shipping container far more often than not.

One note of caution: If you don’t insulate your container, not only will your home be harder to heat and cool, it may also be susceptible to water condensation, which can lead to an assortment of problems like corrosion and mold.  Our article on condensation discusses this in-depth and is a must-read for all prospective shipping container homeowners.

Where to place your container insulation

Most building types have multiple layers of materials in their walls. The surface you see inside is not the same material as what’s outside. In between are several layers of materials that provide structure, fire resistance, weatherproofing, thermal insulation, vapor barrier, etc. 

With shipping container homes, the container itself is one such layer. And you have to make a decision on where the container skin will be located in the overall wall system.

The most conventional answer is to place insulation within the interior walls, inside the shipping container. These stud walls are added to most designs anyway as a place to run plumbing and electrical service, as well as an attachment point for drywall or other interior surfaces. It only makes sense to add insulation in the cavities between the studs. Then you can more or less leave the outside of the container as-is if you want. 

However, for some people, exterior insulation is a better fit. In this case, you place insulation outside of the container and then cover that insulation with some type of weather-resistant sheathing. This provides the benefit of increased interior space and a more controlled exterior appearance for those who want to shield or hide the shipping containers themselves.

Factors to consider when choosing shipping container insulation

Deciding on the best insulation for your home is less straightforward than you think.  Each type has pros and cons that may or may not be especially relevant to the specific conditions of your shipping containers. 

We’ll do our best to provide a high-level discussion of some of these criteria as we go through each type of insulation.  However, know that there can be some variability depending on region and manufacturer, so always do your own research.

Main factors to consider when evaluating your insulation options include:

  • Overall Performance: Performance characteristics are affected by things like material, entrapped gas, open vs closed cell structure, etc.
    • R-value: How well the material prevents transmission of heat energy for a given thickness
    • Air Leakage: How well the insulation prevents air from flowing through it (which as already discussed, is a separate but related issue from blocking heat transfer)
    • Vapor Permeability: How well the insulation prevents vapor from migrating through it and staying in it
  • Cost: Factor in both material costs and labor/equipment costs depending on if you’re doing it yourself or hiring a contractor.  Remember if you’re doing it yourself, ease of installation and required tools are worth considering.
  • Eco-friendliness: Many people are attracted to shipping container homes because they want to build and live in a sustainable, environmentally friendly manner.  These materials vary quite a bit in the ecological impacts of their manufacture and installation

Types of Shipping Container Insulation

There are five broad categories of insulation we’re going to discuss here, grouped by the physical form they take which is closely related to how they are applied.  Much like peanut butter and peanuts might fit into two different categories of food (or applesauce and apples, or… we’ll just stop there!) some insulation materials may actually fit into more than one category below if it can be purchased and applied in different ways (we’re looking at you, polyurethane foam and cellulose).   

The most important part of recognizing the differences between materials and determining how they affect your personal circumstances so you can choose the best type of insulation for your situation. With that said, let’s jump into the different options!

Non-traditional Insulation

This category of insulation is made up of materials that somewhat unconventional, often are chosen at least in part for their eco-friendliness, and are usually considered ‘cheap’ insulation.  Their performance makes them less suitable for most owners given their low R-value per inch unless the eco-friendliness is your highest consideration and you’re willing to sacrifice interior room for it.

While these are certainly economical forms of insulation, their practicality is not generally very high. They might be suitable for more moderate climates, where the temperature fluctuations aren’t as extreme.  

  • Straw Bale: Much like the straw bale you might use to feed a horse, but instead stacked like blocks.  Due to the size of straw bales, this would only work for insulation on the exterior of the container
  • Hempcrete: A material similar to concrete but with less strength, and made out of hemp.

Blanket Insulation

Coming in the form of insulation batts (pre-cut lengths to fit typical wall heights) and rolls (long rolled-up pieces that must be cut to length during installation), blanket insulation is somewhat “fluffy”, compressible, and not self-supporting.  It’s much like the blanket you might use to keep warm in your house on a winter evening, except thicker and made of different materials.  In almost all cases, blanket insulation makes use of long fibers mashed into a small space, effectively making it open-celled.

Blanket insulation is intended to be fastened in the cavities between studs and uses those studs for structural rigidity since it will just fall over into a pile without support.  It is one of the cheapest options and is very easy to install, typically only requiring a stapler to fasten to studs.

Varieties of blanket insulation include:

  • Fiberglass Insulation: Made from superheated sand or recycled glass that is spun into thin fibers.  In western countries, this is the most common type of cheap wall insulation.
  • Slag Wool, Mineral Wool, and Rock Wool Insulation: Similar to fiberglass, but made from minerals/ceramics, or from ‘slag’, a byproduct of metal production
  • Sheep Wool Insulation: Just like it sounds, insulation made from the sheared wool of sheep
  • Cotton or Denim Insulation: Made from cotton, often with a blue-ish color as much of it is sourced from recycled denim or blue jeans.  Pricier, but with a very high percentage of recycled contents

Blanket insulation is quite permeable to water vapor, which in traditional construction can be mitigated with a vapor retarder.  However, as we discussed in our condensation article, vapor retarders are usually not good choices for container homes because the outer metal skin is already a vapor barrier itself, and by adding a second barrier, you can end up trapping water vapor in the wall cavities.

Some of the fibers used to make blanket insulation, most noticeably fiberglass, can be irritating to eyes, skin, and respiratory systems.  Proper PPE (personal protective equipment) such as a dust mask, gloves, and safety glasses is necessary before handling these materials.  Consult the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) or other instructions on the product packaging for proper handling procedures.

Loose-Fill Insulation

This type of insulation is based on applying small macroscopic (easily viewable with the naked eye) chunks of insulating media into a wall cavity.  These insulators generally require complete wall cavity containment prior to application, otherwise, you’ll just have a pile on your floor.

  • Cellulose Insulation: Made from recycled paper products that are shredded, then blown in by machine
  • Loose-Fill Fiberglass Insulation: Similar to fiberglass batts, but less dense and not tightly bound so that it can be blown in by machine
  • Vermiculite Insulation and Perlite Insulation: Minerals that have been heated and expanded like popcorn, making a sort of natural foam pellet that can be added to wall cavities

Given their vapor permeability, loose-fill insulation materials aren’t really recommended for containers.

Expanded Foam Insulation

Expanded foam is manufactured offsite into large boards and insulation panels that are pre-sized for typical wall heights.  Unlike blanket insulation, these insulation panels are self-supporting.  Holes for things like doors and windows are made on-site by cutting.  Just like with spray foam insulation, the gas in closed cell expanded foam variants can sometimes escape the cells and cause a reduced R-value over time.

Expanded foam is DIY-friendly and can be attached to studs or even glued right to the container.  It can be pretty quick to install unless you have a lot of cuts to make.  Some varieties are molded to match the corrugations of a shipping container wall.  If not, you’ll have large air gaps in these corrugated areas.

Expanded foam insulation in most cases has the highest R-value per inch of all insulating materials discussed in this article.

  • Open Cell Polyurethane Foam Insulation (oc PU Foam): Open-cell foam cells are not as dense and are filled with air, which gives the insulation a spongy texture and a lower R-value.
  • Closed Cell Polyurethane Foam Insulation (cc PU Foam): The ‘blowing agent’ fills the tiny microscopic cells with a gas other than air that has better heat conduction properties, increasing the R-value of the foam
  • Extruded Polystyrene Foam Insulation (EPS): Composed of small plastic beads that are fused together into a closed cell foam.  It’s the white foam you’re familiar seeing in the form of things like coffee cups, and it’s what the shipping container insulation kits from companies like InSoFast are made of.
  • Expanded Polystyrene Foam Insulation (XPS): Begins as a molten material that is pressed out of a form into closed cell foam sheets. While the name is similar to EPS, it’s quite a bit different.
  • Polyisocyanurate (Polyiso): Similar to polyurethane, but with more rigidity

Spray Insulation

Spray insulation can be made out of several materials that are all applied by spraying or pumping out a liquid mixture that then hardens into a solid.  Due to how it is applied and adheres to itself, spray insulation is continuous and expands into nooks, crannies, and cracks. This forms a barrier that resists air movement as well as the transference of heat.

Spray foam insulation expands upon application then hardens, which helps further with sealing. However, it does require trimming as the expansion will push the foam past the face of your studs.

  • Open-Cell Spray Polyurethane Foam (ocSPF): The less desirable type of polyurethane spray foam insulation, as it has a lower R-value per inch due to the allowance of air movement between cells. 
  • Closed-Cell Spray Polyurethane Foam (ccSPF): The most common shipping container insulation, and what we recommend for the majority of owners.  This type of spray foam insulation provides one of the highest R-values per inch and forms a nice vapor retarder.  There is some concern with off-gassing after spray application, so be sure to check with your manufacturer about cure times and how long to wait before occupancy. The gas in these closed-cell variants can sometimes escape the cells and cause a reduced R-value over several years.

A separate but related option is non-expanding sprayed-in insulation.  Unlike the spray foam insulation types above, it doesn’t chemically expand upon application, but it does move around to fill up the cavity completely.

  • Damp-Spray Cellulose Insulation: Made from recycled paper products that are shredded.  As opposed to the normal blown-in application, a special rig can be used that adds water or adhesives at the point of application (called damp-spraying), which binds the cellulose together and enables it to be applied to open-sided wall cavities.
  • Cementitious Foam Insulation: An extremely light mixture of water, air, and natural minerals that resembles concrete when cured, but shaving cream when first applied, and can be a bit crumbly after curing if you aren’t careful with it. However, thanks to its ingredients, cementitious foam is eco-friendly, non-toxic, and non-flammable despite lagging behind spray foam insulation in R-value.

As you can see, the options available are quite extensive. Choosing the best insulation for you really requires a proper understanding of your own decision making factors, like budget, climate, design, and personal tolerance to hot and cold.

If you are in doubt, take a look at what people in your geographic area are already doing. It’s often easier and cheaper to use materials that are already common for your region. A conversation with a local construction contractor to get site-specific recommendations and advice may also be useful.

Refrigerated Shipping Containers

The majority of this article comes from the position of adding insulation to a traditional shipping container.  However, there is another option: purchasing an insulated shipping container that was used to carry cold products like flowers and produce. There are a lot of pros and cons to this option, but it can be a good choice if you can find these containers at a reasonable price.

Other Thermal Energy Control Ideas That Aren’t Really “Insulation”

Green Roof

A green or living roof is a rooftop garden of sorts made with various grasses and other plants.  Soil and plants aren’t great insulators, but they can help to block solar radiation if you live in a warm climate.  A green roof, therefore, isn’t really a replacement for more traditional forms of insulation, but a supplement to it.

green-roof-example
A great example of a green roof on a backyard container home (Source: Poteet Architects)

An additional benefit of green roofs is that they look cool!  From the sky, your container home will look like just another patch of ground. And while it’s not a great option for insulation it’s still an environmentally conscious choice and does add an element of protection.

Reflective/Radiant Barriers

While the other types of insulation mentioned above work to slow the transmission of heat energy via conduction (and to a lesser degree convection), we still have radiation to think about.  As you know from our article on heat transfer in shipping container homes, radiation is the least understood form of heat transfer, but it’s still incredibly important in shipping container homes.

Unless you’re open to draping your container with a mylar space blanket like the ones commonly carried by hikers, getting a radiant barrier is likely going to involve a coating of some sort.  Be careful to notice the difference between paint and coatings that are specifically designed to reflect and emit radiation energy. 

Coatings are specially formulated to reflect the invisible infrared light of thermal energy, and though they may look similar to paint, they work much differently.  Our article on cool roof coatings explains this much more in-depth.

Passive Heating and Cooling Design

Another option is designing your home in such a way that it minimized the amount of energy needed to heat and cool it.  There are a variety of techniques that attempt to achieve this, which are beyond the scope of this article.  Examples include Trombe Walls, Solar Chimneys, and others.  The effectiveness of these techniques varies dramatically based on your climate.

While these passive methods can be effective in more temperate climates, they often won’t be enough on their own.  For instance, the coolest you’ll ever feel in a passive-designed container is if you were standing outside in the shade with a breeze blowing.  If even that is too hot, a passive design isn’t going to be enough.

Making a Decision

As you might have gathered, a common theme running throughout this article is the vast number of options available when it comes to shipping container home insulation. But always remember that insulation is just one part of a broader plan and building design.

You need to consider container home insulation in the context of your overall needs and architectural ideas. It has to be a consideration from day one, as it affects almost every later decision. It also needs to fit into your overall budget and account for factors such as climate, ease or difficulty of installation, size of the build, personal preference, and more.

We want to make sure you are satisfied with your shipping container home. As they say, happiness is reality minus your expectations.

By understanding the realities of financial resources and physics, plus managing your expectations surrounding things like interior comfort, you’ll end up with a project you love! So start early and develop a clear vision for your shipping container construction dream.

Take an appropriate amount of time to plan for the shipping container home that is best for you, and use our other articles and eBook to supplement any questions or concerns you may have as you continue on your journey. 

Summary

You have quite a few insulation options at your disposal, and what you choose is driven by factors like your climate, design, and budget.  All choices have their pros and cons, but now you have a better understanding of what those are.

One thing to keep in mind is that you don’t necessarily have to use a certain type of insulation exclusively. For instance, you could use closed-cell polyurethane spray foam insulation for the container walls and roof, and then use rock wool blankets underneath the container to keep the cost down.

You can even combine insulation in the same area. For example, you could use rock wool underneath the container and then spray an inch of closed-cell polyurethane foam over the rock wool to create an airtight seal.  Whatever you do, make sure you understand the implications of condensation if you’re in a climate where it is a concern.

For more related information, check out our articles on how to keep your container cool and how to keep your container warm.

Let us know below what you think of the various insulation options available to shipping container home builders.

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Check out more great articles:

Shipping Container Dimensions and Sizes

Understanding shipping container dimensions is a prerequisite to using them for storage or even combining them into a creative container home. The multitude of shapes

132 Responses

  1. Hello, are there any alternatives to the “Insofast” preformed insulation.
    I am wanting to insulate my 40′ HC but I dont want to lose any interior space and this looks like a great solution but its pricey and I am hoping there are other companies that make something similar.

    1. We don’t know of any other companies making a similar product to InSoFast. Theoretically, you could contact a company that does hot-wire foam cutting and have them make foam panels to match the corrugations of containers. However, if your main concern is interior space, you may want to consider external insulation.

  2. Extremely grateful for such a comprehensive article. I have a 20ft ISO that is used to keep classic motorbikes in. I live in Southern England (North European climate) so damp through the winter and changeable weather conditions throughout the year is a constant concern. The container currently has no insulation all so I am keen to rectify this with some form of internal solution. I am leaning towards EPS because it seems relatively easy to install but would like to ask if this is the best option, given the location and use.

    1. Thanks for reading it! You need to be clear on the problem you’re trying to solve…if it’s just condensation/dampness, insulation may not be the best solution. Insulation merely slows down the rate of heat transfer and depending on things the diurnal temperature differences in your area, this may not be the cheapest or even the most effective solution. Something like a small dehumidifier, better ventilation, or even a large desiccant pack could be more ideal. It depends somewhat on your use-case…are you often in and out, do you need the temperature to be different than the outside, etc. If you haven’t already read it, this article may be helpful: https://www.discovercontainers.com/container-condensation-prevention/

      1. Sincere thanks for the guidance, which has saved me unnecessary expense on buying the potentially wrong items. I will now look to desiccant packs / de-humidification, although as there is no power locally, it may have to be solar powered. Thanks again.

    1. If you’re going to go to the trouble of insulating both the inside and outside, you have to ask yourself if a container is really the right starting point. With everything else being equal, it’s probably easier to insulate the outside of the container, because you aren’t constricting your interior space and risk of condensation is greatly reduced. However, the attraction to containers for a lot of people is the external appearance and external durability, which you diminish when you cover it with insulation.

      1. did you consider to insulate only using air flow between the container metal and the internal wall (wood, OSB board, composite….) leave a 5-7 cm gap between walls and make air flow with a small cooler running 24hs. … in summer should take air the ground (under the container)

        1. This wouldn’t really be ‘insulation’. You’d essentially be moving warm, outside air against the inside wall with no insulation. Yes, insulation works by using materials that have a lot of retained air in them, but that’s not the same as having a cavity with forced-air convection. The retained air in insulative materials works because the natural convection is constrained to just the tiny bubbles of air in the material. No (or very minimal) outside air is entering the system.

  3. Hello, I am considering building a workshop out of a storage container and live in central Canada. Our weather varies from very cold to very hot throughout the seasons. My plan is to insulate externally on the walls and ceiling. How would you recommend insulating the floor? Could you provide external and internal recommendations? Thank you in advance!

    1. Denise,

      If you want to insulate “inside” the container, using EPS foam sheets on top of the container’s factory plywood floor is a good option. You can then cover the foam with another layer of plywood subfloor, then a finish floor of your choosing. Check out our interview with Bill and Becky in Ohio to see an example: https://www.discovercontainers.com/diy-container-home-ohio/

      To insulate “outside” the container, a DIY spray foam solution applied from below would work well. We mention one choice in this article under tool #2: https://www.discovercontainers.com/tools-needed-to-build-a-shipping-container-home/

      Beware of thermal bridges as you think about your insulation design…metal that protrudes through the insulative envelope can lead to heat loss and a potential site for condensation. If you haven’t already, we’d recommend checking out our heat transfer and condensation articles, below:
      https://www.discovercontainers.com/container-condensation-prevention/
      https://www.discovercontainers.com/essential-knowledge-about-heat-transfer-in-shipping-container-buildings/

  4. So much information that I lost a little. I intend to make a container house with 5 or 6 40 ‘containers. I live in Germany and my biggest concern is condensation, could you tell me what materials and appliances I have to use to not have problems with condensation? thanks

  5. Hi,
    You have quite innovative ideas for the container homes. Will you please guide me how to sustain in dry heat in higher temperatures? e.g. 45 degrees

    1. Insulation will help keep the heat absorbed by the container skin from migrating into the interior, but shade (or exterior cladding) will help keep the container skin from heating up in the first place.

  6. Hi!
    I would like to know what is the risk of people living inside of a container for residential use with furniture and other inflammable materials compared to other type of houses in case of a fire inside the container?
    What kind of protection against fire is needed as compared to other type of houses?
    Thanks in advance for your comments!

    1. To some degree, that depends on your design. However, in general, the main difference is obviously that the container walls won’t burn. In most ways that is good…the container is unlikely to capsize in on you unless the fire is hot enough to weaken the steel. The amount of wall and window penetrations will determine how much smoke is able to get out of the container and how much air is able to get in. One of the three legs of the fire triangle is oxygen, so for the fire to continue to burn it would continually need additional oxygen. In a house with poor ventilation, would the occupants suffer from smoke inhalation before the fire was starved of oxygen? Probably, though we can’t say for sure. An additional consideration is the heat radiated from the metal walls. Once heated by the fire, the walls might have a multiplicative effect as they radiated heat back inwards toward the occupants. As far as protection, sprinklers are certainly an option, though if you’re primarily concerned about personal safety (over protection of goods), then designing with plenty of egress points in compliance with applicable fire codes is probably the most effective thing to do. You could be out of the house much faster than sprinklers or another system could put out the fire.

  7. We have a shipping container home in NZ, currently just a container on piles! We plan to install a green roof and exterior insulation/cladding to maintain interior space. I can see that yo have mentioned Hempcrete and wonder whether you are referring to bricks or whether it can be daubed on/ Stuccoed on? Unsure of the correct word for it! Or if there is another material you would recommend for a stucco Great article, thank you

    1. Having a container on site with a foundation is a big step! We certainly aren’t experts on hempcrete, but as we understand it, it can be found in block form, though it isn’t widely available. More common is applying it wet. You’d likely want to have some wooden slats and wire fabric to back it so it will have something to bond with. It also seems prudent to give it a top coat of plaster or similar as it doesn’t handle repeated water exposure well.

      1. Hi everyone!, I have a different concern- will the lime in hempcrete not damage the container, doesn’t it make it rot? We are dreamin about a container home and insulating it with hempcrete from the outside, but I’m a bit worried whether it can actually be done without the hempcrete causing damage and coming into some sort of reaction with the steel…Please tell me I’m totally overreacting and i’ve not connected all the dots correctly!☺️ (Should’ve had pay more attention at chemistry classes ?) Thanks a million!

        1. Honestly, that’s a bit outside of our knowledge base. There are a few points to consider though. First, we wouldn’t recommend putting hempcrete or anything else for that matter up against bare steel. The steel should be painted/coated…and so your discussion about the reaction of lime is in regards to this coating, not the steel. More than likely, a high-quality coating will have no problem with proximity to lime. Second, remember that the lime is an ingredient in the hempcrete reaction…but we aren’t clear on what takes place in that chemical reaction. In other words, the question isn’t really ‘is lime reactive with steel’, because lime is an input of the reaction, not an output. Now, are the resulting products of the reaction that produce the overall product Hempcrete are reactive to steel? We just don’t know…perhaps someone in the hempcrete world has more information on this. But per our first point, it really doesn’t matter, because raw steel shouldn’t be touching the hempcrete anyway.

          Hope that helps!

  8. i live in southern Illinois, I want to insulate a 40′ long 9″ high shipping container. It is painted green and has plywood floors. I will be placing it short ends north and south. west side will be next to a building. south side is a very large tree. I will be placing it on a gravel foundation and on concrete blocks
    I want to store party supplies, cups, plates etc, Christmas ornaments, cake baking supplies pans etc. all in rubbermaid tupperware.
    what would be the best way to insulate. I would prefer to insulate the outside to safe space on inside.

    1. Donna, it sounds like given the placement of the container, it will have some shade with is good. Based on your stated usage, it sounds like the container will be unoccupied and only used for storing supplies. If that’s the case, it’s unlikely that you’ll have HVAC in it we’re assuming. Given that, you need to think about if insulation is really necessary at all. Insulation slows the transfer of heat, but it doesn’t stop it. Without HVAC, the container will eventually assume close to the outdoor temperature (or even exceed it, if it’s hot). So, you need to think about what you’re storing, and if the contents can handle those temperatures. If so, there is no need to bother with insulation. If you’re considering about things melting or freezing, insulation alone may not be enough. If you’d like to discuss your specific situation further, send us an email via the ‘Contact Us’ page and we’d be happy to help!

  9. Very well written article. Unfortunately, I’m not planning to. Build a container home in the near future.

  10. Am looking to buy two containers to build my home but am worry insulating since am a asmatic prr

    1. We’re not sure how the different types of insulation affect asthma. Perhaps looking at the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) provided by manufacturers will help you know if a certain material may affect you.

  11. Hi there,

    I’m doing a project on containers used as living space and I am stacking them so that a few of them will have a green roof, and a green roof terrace. What type of insulation do I need since the summer temperature is highest 40 degrees Celsius and winter temperature lowest -20 degrees Celsius,

    Thank you in advance

    1. It’s not necessarily “what type” of insulation, but “how much”. If you’re going to be insulating on the INSIDE of the container, every additional inch of insulation takes from your ceiling height. If you’re using a high-cube container, you have some extra leeway. No one ever had too much insulation, but you can get to a point where you’ll never recover the additional money spent on insulation with the energy saved. For a ceiling, a good number to target is somewhere in the R-25 to R-50 range. However, if you’re putting a green roof on top of the insulation, that serves as a bit on insulation itself. How effective it is depends on how thick the soil is, what types of plants you use, etc. One important note is that the roof of a container is not really built to support the weight of a green roof from the factory, so you’ll need to substantially reinforce it structurally.

  12. Hi.
    I intend to build a container house but in my project i’d use an exterior insulation. Which of these mentioned above are appropriate to be installed on the outside of the walls. An then what kind of material can I apply over it to make the finish?
    Thanks in advance

    1. If you’re going to insulate the exterior of your container, you have a lot more options. Space isn’t a concern, so even a material that has a low R-value per inch is ok…just add more of it. And assuming you leave the interior of your container with exposed metal walls, interior condensation isn’t much of a concern (read our article on condensation if you haven’t already). A lot insulation types don’t do well if they get wet, so you do need to make sure your cladding over the insulation is appropriate. As far as what type of cladding to use, that depends on what look you’re going for. Common choices are corrugated metal, wood siding, and stucco.

      1. Hi there, I am curious to know more about external insulation, and how this might work for or against condensation on the OUTside of a container – or other metal structure (as in my case, a bus). Are there any articles you’d recommend looking at? I imagine that in a case where you might have exterior insulation, and interior insulation or linings, that ensuring rust is kept out of your steel structure is imperative. Any ideas on this?

        1. Our container condensation article (https://www.discovercontainers.com/container-condensation-prevention/) talks about this some, but in general, insulating the OUTSIDE brings the metal of the container/bus surface INSIDE the temperature controlled envelope, which will help prevent condensation (assuming you live in climate where condensation is a major concern to begin with). Remember, condensations occurs when/where high humidity air encounters a cold surface.

  13. Hi, I’m also from kerala. kerala’s climate is 6 months rainy and 6 months summer. So how to protect the container from rust, what kind of treatment and protection we need to give? And let me know which kind of cheap insulation we can use to resist heat. And let me know any health issues living in shipping containers?

  14. Hi,
    We are living in South India (hot,dry place) and have been thinking about buying a container home. We would like to have mud walls in the interior. Could you please explain the process of making the mud wall in the container home? Thank you

    1. Mud walls are not prevalent in the west and we have little experience with them. Since dirt/mud/earth is not a good insulator, we wouldn’t recommend them. However, if you just want them for aesthetic or other reasons, it seems you would need something similar to ‘masonry ties’ or ‘wall ties’ that you would weld, glue, or epoxy to the container’s corrugated skin and would be embedded in your mud wall.

  15. What insulator material do you recommend that is good in insulating sound. Sort of soundproofing a shipping container house.

    1. It somewhat depends on what you mean. If you want to remove echoes, then sound absorbing foam or blankest like they use is recording studios can be put on all interior surfaces. If you want to keep outside noise from coming inside (or vice versa), rigid walls with a lot of mass will make it much harder for wall surfaces to vibrate/reverberate. For instance, if you’re using interior walls, using multiple layers of sheetrock on top of each other can achieve this. You can do some Googling to find out more on both ideas.

      Things get further complicated when you open up the can of worms regarding “what specific frequencies of sound are you concerned with”, as materials perform differently at different frequencies. For questions like that, we’d recommend speaking with an acoustic insulation specialist.

  16. Container build as a home- I want to be able to hang artwork and so will assume the need for internal framing and drywall, but, about how many inches loss to each wall should I assume?
    Any tips for how much wall thickness to assume for plumbing to sinks and w/d?

    This is the best article I’ve found so far, Thanks!

    1. Most people that do internal framing on their container use 2×4 studs at most. That’s a nominal 3.5″ thickness, plus 1/2″ for the drywall or other wall covering, so about 4″ of thickness for each of the walls. This is also enough room to run drains, vents, and water lines for your plumbing.

  17. Why on earth haven’t you mentioned vapour barriers? I really hope people are doing their homework and not relying on this article.

    Do you understand how important they are?

    1. Perhaps you skimmed the article and missed it? Vapor barriers are mentioned multiple times in this article and others on the site. We agree, they are important in a lot of cases!

  18. Does anybody know How much insulation is needed for a 40′ 9’×8′? Traditional insulation (fiber glass) not spray foam.

    1. If you mean thickness, more is always better, but that is somewhat driven by your climate. If you mean surface area, you can calculate that easily: The side walls and ends are 864 SF (2*40*9+2*8*9), the ceiling is 320 SF (40*8), and if you choose to insulate the floor, which we recommend, it is also 320 SF.

  19. Hey Tom,
    What is the square feet area can be covered with a combination of DOW Forth Pak 600 A and B while each cane weigh about 20kg

    1. The 600 in the product name means the product is nominally rated for 600 board feet of coverage. Board feet is probably not a common measurement for you unless you work in the lumber industry, but it is a unit that is 12″ by 12″ by 1″. You should be able to convert it into whatever unit you need with Google’s unit converter, like this: https://www.google.com/search?q=600+board+feet+in+gallons

  20. hey, so I spray the roof of my container, then install my woodburning space heater. Will the foam catch fire?? Could I cover the foam with aluminium sheet to stop the foam catching fire? cheers, AL.

    1. Yes, the foam can catch fire if placed close to an open flame. However, you should have your space heater set off a bit from the wall, and all open flames should be contained. In addition, in almost all cases, the interior insulation is covered with a type of interior finish. That can be gypsum board, wood paneling, or even aluminum sheet as you mentioned.

  21. Utterly appalling article:
    1. Almost NO mention of condensation control!!!!! Are you kidding? Inextricably linked to insulation and essential to discuss in such an article.
    2. ‘Panel’ (or foam insulation as it’s commonly called, as opposed to ‘spray foam’) insulation doesn’t require stud to install. It can be directly fixed to the container sides with adhesive or mechanically.
    3. “if you are in a very dry, hot, climate, you certainly won’t need much insulation” – If you live in a hot dry climate insulation is as essential as in a cold one regardless of whether you cool it, and even more so if you do To not insulate is to waste energy.

    1. Thanks for the feedback.
      1) We’re working on a follow-on article that talks specifically about condensation and humidity and will link to it in this article when it is posted. You make a good point though: condensation in any metal structure with climate control needs to be planned for.
      2) Technically you’re correct, foam panel insulation doesn’t absolutely require studs for installation. However, mechanically fastening it is difficult, and adhesively fastening it makes it almost impossible to remove if you ever do have a condensation or moisture intrusion problem as you alluded to above.
      3) Perhaps we didn’t communicate this as effectively as we could have. The point was that insulation/vapor barrier as a condensation control measure is arguably slightly less important in a hot/dry environment if your budget is extremely tight. Otherwise, we recommend thoroughly insulating your container for basically all environments.
      Summary: We really appreciate your thoughts here, and we’re working over the next few month on going through and updating a lot of our articles to both be more clear, comprehensive, and also reflect the latest in best practices. Your comments are very helpful!

  22. Hey,
    I am conducting a university project about container affordable container housing.
    I wonder to ask if it is possible to use a combination of Insulation Panels and Insulation Foam?

  23. Hi Tom!
    I’d like to get in touch. I’m interested in building a shipping container house in Ireland, where the climate is in the most cold and humid. I’d to get some further information about the possible insulation and cost.

    1. HI Ruth,
      I post this mail 3 years after your question and I am wondering if you ever built a container home in Ireland?
      I would like to have one in Hungary. It is very rare here and I have to look into the local regulations (which is overwhelming in Hungary). But a few years now I am really interested in this building project and I just found a great lot overlooking Lake Balaton.

      I’d appreciate any info!
      Thanks a lot,
      Livia

  24. Thanks for this post

    we are finishing our shopping container. the walls and ceiling already have insulation panels however we are finding the floor is cold. we have already laid a wooden floor. are there any products that we could spray underneath the unit? or any other ideas?
    many thanks!
    nick

    1. Congratulations on starting your build! Although the plywood floors of a container are over an inch thick, plus whatever additional flooring you place on top of them, ultimately these materials have very low insulation value. In climates where this is noticeable, insulating underneath the container is definitely a good idea (although a little tough if you’ve already placed the container and don’t have a large crawlspace. Spray foam is a good choice between it can fit in and around the steel structural members holding up the flooring. Oftentimes it’s better to let a contractor handle foam insulation, but if you’re only doing the bottom, it could be an achievable DIY project. We discuss this a bit in Tool #2 in this post: https://www.discovercontainers.com/2017/07/tools-needed-to-build-a-shipping-container-home/

      We’d love to see the finished product! Reach out via our Contact Us page at the top when you’re ready to show it off!

  25. Hello my name is bineesh i am verry intrested to make a container home. But is it suitable for indian climate i am in kerala state..?

    1. Bineesh, container homes can be used in all sorts of climates. The import thing is ensuring you have adequate insulation on the floor, ceiling, and walls to separate the conditioned air from the outside air. Also, providing shade via cladding, a secondary roof structure, or plant life helps reduce the radiation heat transfer to the metal so the cooling is easier.

  26. I live in the south, and we have a very hot-and very humid- climate. What do you think the best kind of insulation would be? Our winters are obviously far more mild, so I’m mostly worried about keeping it cool.

    1. In north queensland we used a raised fake roof that allows wind to pass under it and over the real roof as the same time. The sun hits the fake roof and not the real one – pretty much everyone has it this way…. And it works too

  27. Hi,

    I live in Tasmania where temperatures can range from 0-30 degrees celcius.

    I would like to insulate my container from the exterior only, can I use traditional insulation or will that allow for condensation and mould or do I need to use spray insulation?

  28. Hello! I recently bought the How to build your container home book and i loved it. Im planning to make a project with 3 shipping containers. I live in Puerto Rico and the climate is very humid and sunny with temperatures in summer that can reach 95 degrees Fahrenheit normally. I was reading you recommend foam insullation for heat climate. Is this the best option in my case, to keep heat, humidity and moisture out of the containers ? Thanks for your help!

    1. Hi Angel,

      Thank you for deciding to purchase the book. If you send us an email, we will discuss this with you.

  29. I have built a 12×20 shed roof addition on to a 20′ container and have removed most of the abutting container wall. As the walls and ceiling of the addition have bat insulation, I am wondering if spray foam insulation on the interior ONLY of the container will be sufficient to keep condensation away. This structure will be used as a workshop in temps between -10 C to 30 C. I am not very concerned with heat loss as I will be heating w/ wood which is abundant in my area. I would prefer to not spray foam the exterior only as a cost cutting measure.

  30. Hi Tom,

    I lived in a tropical country. Which insulation would be best and cost efficient?

    Thanks!

    1. Kirsten Dirksen has many good YouTube videos and at least one is about building with refrigerated shipping containers. Good stuff.

  31. Hello Tom,
    Thank you very much for such a fantastic info on Container homes 🙂
    We would love to build a container home on a land which has solid bedrock with little soil to work with.The land is relatively flat with a very gradual slope.
    One of my question is regarding the insulation, specifically closed cell foam. We live in a climate of winter -10 to -40 Celsius and lots of frost and defrost as the temperature can fluctuate from one day to next 15 degrees C depends on the windchill factor. Summers can be humid and +30 C at times.
    In this environment from your article it seems the best choice is closed cell foam insulation. For walls we need R 30 and for roof we need R 50 to pass the codes. We are hoping to put this insulation on the exterior walls and roof to not sacrifice the interior space. Do we need to make wood stud structure to spray this foam on the container or can it be done without the structure. If every inch of foam will give us about R7 we would need insulation of about 4 inch on the walls and about 7 inch on the roof.
    In the picture above it seems no frame was made before spraying the exterior walls with green foam. I am confused as I thought the foam insulation can be sprayed directly to the metal with as much thickness as it needs.
    Please help.

    Sincerely,
    Ziba

    1. Hi Ziba,

      To be honest, it really depends on the type of spray foam insulation used.

      Please get in touch with us via email and we can help you with this.

    2. Hi. I live in similar weather enviroment sa you do. I would like to ask you if you Could share with me your information and experience with insulation for your container home as Well as ideas how to create the best space from what containers offers. Thank you very much. Juraj Slovakia.

  32. Hello
    I am trying to build a beach house (El Salvador). Do I need to apply any treatment for corrosion to the container before I insulate?
    Thank you for your advices,

    Lorena

    1. Hi Lorena,

      In short yes. You can either clad the container or apply a corrosion protection paint.

  33. Hi tom
    I live in Ottawa Ontario canada, the swings of temperature are from plus 40 to minus 30
    You have any advice on how to insulate or the best way to insulate for these extremes in the climate?
    thanks a lot

    Andy

  34. Hi Tom,
    I am interested in building container home in the tropics of Queensland Australia. I am keen on using spray foam insulation but do not know where to buy commercial size quantities. Also I am assuming you only need to spray external walls of containers and roof. Another question I have is how do you fix battens for frame work. Are they screwed through the container wall or a they glued in place.

    Kind regards Steve

    1. Hi Steve,

      Actually, you can insulate either the internal or external walls. You can also insulate the underside of the containers as well as the roof. Depending on how many containers you have, it often can be more economical to hire a professional contractor to do the spray foam compared to using multiple DIY kits.

      In terms of fixing studs/battens, you can screw, glue or use angle plates and weld them in place, though we normally try to recommend external penetrations which points us away from screws.

  35. Hi, thanks for all your research and sharing. ive also read through all the comments and havent found info on this issue. when you say spray foam, im in southern Ontario.. so from -20ish to 40’s Celsius. its used as a workshop, party room, tool and other storage. i have a certified wood burning stove to install, and more venting when spring hits. it is a bare 40′ 9’6 height container. Question can i only apply foam insulation on the exterior (without condensation issues) thanks again

    1. Hi Derek,

      Yes you can use spray foam externally instead of internally. If you do go the external route, you will need to clad it with something after the foam has set.

  36. My wife and I want to use a shipping container for food storage along with other essentials that maybe needed in an emergency situation. We live in the Pacific Northwest in the High Desert.. My question is do you need any ventilation using it as storage. Being that we are storing dry food stuffs we have to keep it fairly cool. Less than 100 degrees F I would think. I am far from being an expert. This is my first attempt at this. I do however have a lot of construction experience and was planning on gluing blue insulation board to the inside of the container then plywood over that. Not sure what to do on the floor other than polyurethane sprayed. This I have used in the past building houses and it is a great product. Just have to be careful, it sticks to everything. Thanks for any assistance that you maybe able to give me…

    1. Hi Eric,

      Thank you for getting in touch. We don’t have much experience with food storage. Obviously, it depends on what type of foods you’re storing (dry goods, canned goods, etc.) and what their specific requirements are for temperature. We’re assuming you aren’t storing fresh goods, as that presents a separate set of challenges. Our first thought is using a refrigerated container. They are already insulated and made for storing food among other things. They don’t have any issues with toxins or off-gassing that could potentially affect your food if not treated or encapsulated.

  37. Hi Tom!

    Fantastic article! I’ve done a lot of research about container homes in preparation for building my own, and recently I contacted a company for a consult and I was advised that the best method was to buy an already insulated (reefer) container. I was told that it was more expensive than the regular containers but still far cheaper, effective and time and material friendly than insulating a regular container. I honestly hadn’t even considered this possibility and can’t really find any information from anyone who’s done it so I was wondering what your thoughts were.

    1. Hi Amber,

      Thank you for getting in touch.

      Honestly, I haven’t heard of anyone using a reefer container.

      The main issue I imagine with using a reefer is when you cut through the container you will need to also cut through the insulation and it will be difficult to reseal.

  38. Hi,

    I have just built a studio office at my workshop using a 20 foot container, and it was an easy enough build. I have finished it in a traditional way , as I’m not too keen on a construction that finishes the job, “still looking like a shipping container”

  39. Hi Tom

    I’m am looking to create a prototype container home very shortly. I am stuck on what insulation to use. It will be in tempture of around 30c to 34c. I was hoping to use 50 to 75mm wool isulation. There also will be air conditioning. There is a tight budget but I need to get this correct first time around

    Please help

  40. Hi Tom,

    Thank you so much for sharing. I have a damaged container so I plan on putting a slant roof on it to hide the bulge. I’m in Virginia and it is either steamy hot or freezing cold. After the foam do you just put up the wood siding? I was going to use T1_11. This is going to be a kennel for my dogs. I want a safe haven for them when we have storms and we have a small container we are going to do the same for us. I’m putting windows AC, heat and TV in it but leaving walls as they are. They will have 5×10 kennels in it with chairs. They will be loven it! Thanks again

    1. Hi Beverly,

      You certainly have some lucky dogs getting their own space!

      Yes, you will want to frame the roof, insulate and then finally panel it.

      Please let us know how it goes, we’d love to see it when it’s finished.

  41. Hi Tom!
    I am looking into designing my shipping container home, and I was wondering how thick the insulation should be. I live in Florida, so it has to withstand temperatures up to 95 degrees F and down to almost 35. I have the budget for spray foam, and I am okay using it, but if there is another option that is thinner or as thin that’s just as well
    Thanks so much!
    Sabrina

    1. Hi Sabrina,

      Thank you for getting in touch.

      We’ve sent you an email to discuss this further.

    2. Sabrina,

      Since there’s no dates on these blog questions, I don’t know when you sent this, but did you ever build your home? And if so, what insulation did you go with? My wife and I are moving to Northeast Florida to care for her parents and plan on building one.

  42. I just wanted to share how I insulated a 20′ container that I use as an insulated bedroom addition at a cabin high (11,000′) in the rocky mtns. It’s an extreme area that gets a lot of rain and more than 10′ of snow in the winter. First I glued 2″ rigid foam insulation to all of the interior surfaces except the door (floor, walls, roof). I then put 2×4 framing inside of the foam panels. The studs were screwed to the floor at the bottom, then an overhead 2×4 held the tops apart. This internal frame holds the foam firmly in place and provided space for roll insulation between the 2×4’s on the walls and ceiling which were then finished w moisture resistent drywall panels. The floor foam was covered w plywood and laminate flooring. A sliding glass door was installed inside of the container doors. This has worked extremely well and is very quiet as well – just subtracts a bit of interior volume, That’s worth it for me in this situation!

    1. Hi TuckerSnoCat
      What type of adhesive did you use to glue your rigid foam insulation panels to the interior of your container? I have a reefer container that we are using for winter storage of plants and I would like to reduce our energy costs.
      Thank you,
      Gail Redberg

  43. Hi
    I would love to have a shipping container home in New York City. Possibly upstate New York, however I am confused about purchasing land and the codes. Do you know of any direct links that could help me find out if it would be legal and okay to have a shipping container home on two to three acres of land. I have decided to use a mix of insulates because sometimes its very wet and then very dry. Global warming alot of people say is a farce but I have been here ten years. What would you reccommend as insulates I also like the multiple small windows idea too.
    Sincerely
    Ivana

    1. Hi Ivana,

      We’ve seen a few container homes built in upstate New York. We’ve sent you an email with some more information.

  44. Hi Tom,

    What would the height and width internal dimensions be of a shipping container after insulation, specifically spray foam? I’m trying to design a rooms for a hostel but can’t do it without knowing what those dimensions would be. Is there a typical amount of inches off a wall the foam insulation would take off?

    Thank you!

    1. Hi Geoff,

      For the height, it depends if you use a high cube or normal container. And for spray foam insulation, how thick it is applied is your choice. Most people use standard 2″x4″ studs (that are actually 3.5″ wide), then sheath with drywall or other wall covering that’s nominally 0.5″ thick. The spray foam is applied to fully fill the cavity in the wall, making it 3.5″ thick as well (ignoring the extra thickness provided by the corrugated areas). So you’re looking at 4″ width on each side, so 8″ total. The ceiling could be 4″ or more if you decide to have additional insulation. Also, if you want to use things like can lights, having a thicker ceiling can give you room for options like that as well.

  45. Hello,

    I live in Canada where it can go from 40 degrees Celcius in the summer to -40 degrees Celcius in the winter. I am assuming that a spray foam insulation would be better, but since I know nothing about construction I wanted your opinion.

    Thank you!

    1. Hi Elizabeth,

      Certainly, if budget is no issue we always recommend closed cell spray foam insulation.

  46. I read an article (in Dwell, I believe) in which a shipping container was insulated with a sprayed on ceramic coating that also served as paint. Are you familiar with this product an if so how does it compare with spray foam?

    1. Hi Bret,

      It’s really incorrect to compare any sub-millimeter thick coating, regardless of what it’s made of, with insulation. The coatings you’re referring may offer a benefit with regards to solar radiation but are basically useless for insulating against heat from the air, which is typically what we’re talking about we the word insulation is used. We’d recommend you read through our article on heat transfer: https://www.discovercontainers.com/essential-knowledge-about-heat-transfer-in-shipping-container-buildings/

    2. Hi, the spray on ceramic “insulating” coating was proved to be a fraud. You can research it but one person even has an uninhabitable house because his house isn’t insulated.

  47. Hi there I have a 40 foot conex box and I want to put insulation panels on the inside of the container.but the liquid nail glue is not stick to the container. Can u help to how to set the glue in the container

    1. Hi Matthew,

      Most people typically use studs inside the container to both hold the insulation and also provide a place to fasten the interior wall surface. If you simply glue the insulation to the container walls with no studs, we’re not sure how you would hold up your interior wall surfaces. However, if you have a solution to that problem, then there should be some glue or epoxy product that would bond to both materials, you just need to read the fine print to see what surfaces the product will and will not work with.

  48. Hi,

    I am living in Malaysia, and have been thinking about owning a container home for me and my family for years now. Since Malaysia is close to the equator, it has a relatively hot and humid climate, with rainfalls on 1-2 days per week on average. Budget is quite tight, since shipping containers themselves are not easily obtainable here. What will be the best insulation method for this? Thanks.

    1. Hi Zack,

      Thank you for getting in touch.

      Without being familiar with your exact climate it’s hard to say without visiting, however most container homes in tropical environments are insulated using spray foam insulation.

  49. In your description of foam insulation you refer to the moisture protection it provides; but when discussing faced fiberglass insulation you don’t mention a need for moisture protection. Do you recommend applying a special water proof paint to the outside, and/or vapor barrier on the inside of the faced batt insulation?

    1. Hi Janet,

      Great question. In the faced batts you’re referring do, both kraft (paper) facing and foil facing serve as a vapor retarder. However, we feel that a vapor retarder placed in front of vapor permeable insulation, when used inside a vapor impermeable container, is usually a bad idea. For more discussion about why, check out our two-part article on container condensation here: https://www.discovercontainers.com/container-condensation-science/

  50. I also live in Colorado and wonder what the best insulation solution would be for the full expression of seasons here with the extremes being: -5 in winter and 105 in summer. Though it is generally dry here, we have had an unusual couple of years, including the big flood of 2012.
    Thanks for your help.
    P.S. We would be interested in any of the above options.

    1. Hi Heather,

      Closed cell spray foam is the best solution for insulation in almost all cases. If you’re planning to insulate the exterior of your container instead of the interior (as is more common), that opens up some other options as you aren’t as tight on space. Given that Colorado has a significant cold season, interior condensation is an important concern that your insulation is helping to address. We’d recommend you take a look at our two-part article on container condensation for more detailed information: https://www.discovercontainers.com/container-condensation-science/

    1. Strawbales are a great building material, has problems when facing the corrugations of a shipping container. The straw is exposed to 2 enemies at the gaps. Room for pests to abide and attack the straw, and oxygen chimneys that would make it highly flammable. Placed next to a smooth wall is better but still not as good as being able to finish both faces with a clay plaster.

  51. Hi! I live in Guatemala. 6 weeks ago my husband passed away and our dream was to built a wooden house on top of 2 shipping containers. I still want to fulfil that dream. So we have the shipping containers in place, which will be used for our projects but ….I am looking for a floor design to put the wooden house on. Is there a special way to do this? There is a company in Guatemala city that will prefab a house for me but I am concerned about the floor. The containers are 16 feet apart. My husband had drawing a blueprint but I want to make sure it is safe. There will also be a green space on one end for a garden…containers are not cheap here and companies only want to rent/lease them.
    Also we would like to insulate them…what do you think of the tinfoil insulation…that I can get here….Thank you for any advice you can give me.

    1. Hi Judy,

      We’re very sorry to hear about this, but delighted you still want to pursue your dream!

      I’ve seen this done before and I think they framed the top of the containers and then built off of that…

      I haven’t heard of tinfoil insulation unfortunately, is there anywhere I can read more about it?

  52. I’ve got an insulation conundrum for you… I live in Colorado and was thinking about a mountain cabin container home. But I want an insulation scheme that takes into consideration not just summer/winter use, but also wildfire.
    Current thought is to build a 6′ gravel buffer around the container, but what can I do to prevent internal or external insulation breaking down into a flammable/explosive puddle?
    Cheers!

    1. Hi Fred!

      If by gravel buffer, you mean that you want to place gravel on the ground around the periphery of the container to keep ground-based fuel sources such as bushes and grass from growing, that’s not a bad idea, although we think the buffer should be much larger than six feet. If you’re at the place often, simple maintenance with a weedeater or similar should give a similar outcome with less ground disturbance and cost. As far as insulation, most insulation is approved to withstand certain temperatures, so you’ll just need to research some different varieties. We’re pretty sure that in this case, spray foam probably isn’t your best choice. We have read that some varieties of mineral/ceramic wool insulation have very high temperature resistance, so that may be a good place to start your search.

    2. Hi There,
      There’s no such thing as insulation from any kind of fire.
      Put it this way: If the entire forest is burning around you, then A. you won’t be able to breath, you’ll asphyxiate due to the smoke inhalation.
      That’s why, during a wild fire, you abandon your home.
      Good luck to you.

      1. Assuming your not planning on sheltering in place, but concerned about your property stored in the container, rigid rock wool panels should be sufficient. They can be glued up like foam, but will withstand much higher temps befor they melt. If you are hopping to shelter in place, please reconsider, though an aluminium shipping container will reflect over 90 percent of the radiant heat and their are ceramic insulations rated for 3500 F ( even a steel container will melt first) you still are faced with smoke, and though a good HEPA filter system will extract most of the harmful particles in wood smoke you are still gambling with your life.

    3. Fred,

      I would try running some sort of geothermal/radiant cooling in the walls, its a closed loop system that can dissipate the heat, I realize you’ll need and internal power source for the water pump or a stationary bike and stamina…..

    4. Hey Fred:
      I also live in Colorado, and have considered using shipping containers. My choice is to use an Earth berm around three sides and the roof, like an Earth Shelter, set into aSouth facing slope. The Earth will protect your home on all sides but the front. I’ve seen container homes, where the front facade side of the container is turned into a drop down deck that can be raised back up and sealed. I like that idea for when I’m not around for a few days or more. Most wildfires burn through in minutes, if there’s not much fuel (dead trees, limbs and brush) I think my idea is all I need to protect my home in the event of a wildfire.