How to Insulate a Shipping Container Home

Last Updated: October 9, 2022

Insulating any house is a necessary component to any living environment, however, when applying to a steel, cargo-container home, things may get a little tricky.

Steps

1
Consider the different possibilities for insulating your shipping container home. Some of the possibilities include:
- Spray-on insulation
- Roll-on insulation
- Some type of ecological insulation, such as egg cartons, etc.
2
Don't use traditional methods unless they're corrosion-proof or won't promote condensation. Most homes, in the traditional fashion, are insulated on the interior with fiberglass or wool. If you apply this concept to container homes, the end result may be corrosion or too much condensation on the inside of the walls due to too much water or vapors.

Advertisement
3
Prefer spray-on type insulation. Polyurethane foam works best in combination with ceramic insulation paint. The paint is obvious for the exterior of the shipping container, while the foam is for the interior.
- The paint contains a special gas that contains inside bubbles, which gives it a high thermal efficiency. The spray-on foam is available in both “open-cell” and “closed-cell”. The difference is in the price tag, density, strength, R-factor and in waterproofing.

Community Q&A

Question

How do you ensure the spray-on foam is nicely or evenly applied on the walls?

Community Answer

Spray-on insulation typically uses is applied via a gun attached to a pump and an air tank. It's sprayed on fine, then swells. They shave it down afterward to either the depth of a furring wall, or shave it down so it's flush with the valleys in the corrugation.
Question

What Type of insulation do you recommend for Patagonia, Argentina? Dry and cold with snow in winter.

Community Answer

Mineral wool. It lasts forever without losing any of its performance, and is naturally fireproof, waterproof and bug-proof. You'd want the rigid board immediately behind the exterior siding inside the wall to block convection, and batts to fill in the rest of the framing depth. Ceilings are where you'd pile it as deep as you can without compressing it; hot air rises, so you want to trap the heat for as long as you reasonably can.
Question

What is the best insulation in a cold mountain climate at elevations above 6000 feet, relatively dry climate?

Community Answer

If you have the space, then mineral wool is the best. If space is a concern, then it'll have to be Styrofoam or other rigid foam panel with a 1/2" dead-air gap somewhere.

Warnings

Make sure to have plenty of ventilation for breathing.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 59 Not Helpful 18
Protect breathing with mask and be sure to cover eyes with goggles.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 53 Not Helpful 17
Stay hydrated with plenty of water: It can get hot inside the container.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 48 Not Helpful 22
Prepare to get dirty.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 43 Not Helpful 21