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Thread: Anyone build an Underground holiday home?

  1. #1
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    Anyone build an Underground holiday home?

    We have a vacant block of land and a caravan for holidays, and now we are thinking of having something more permanent. Not a full size house, just a small holiday home.

    The problems we have are:
    Security - it is not used for 6-8 months a year
    Insulation - most of the holiday homes/portable dwellings require significant cooling/heating

    Then I came across shipping container homes, some of which are partly underground and thought that looked a viable solution as we have a slightly sloping block.

    [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0oFJ2jbkDI[/ame]

    Anybody got any any experience/words of warning about putting you dwelling underground?

    ps we are not preppers and not worried about war breaking out and bombs dropping on us.

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    Anyone build an Underground holiday home? Hitler.

    Sorry, I have nothing serious to say.
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    Just get a property in Coober Pedy😇

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    One clown per thread is ample, thank-you.
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    That looks like a great idea if you do it right, but I thought of a few things off the top of my head that might need sorting.

    Shipping containers are stackable but the side walls and roof aren't that strong - I've seen quite a few damaged ones. You would need to address this or it might cave in on you without reinforcing. Also, being a metal box buried in the earth, you will need to make sure corrosion isn't an issue - how long do you plan on using it?

    Seal it properly so water doesn't leak inside (especially if you are leaving it unused for a while) and then you will need to ventilate it too. Another thought, if you are living in a metal box, be careful with any wiring you are putting in. A short circuit anywhere and your house may be 'live' to the touch.

    I'm sure others will chime in with more ideas. Maybe look online to see who has done similar and pick the best features of each - preppers, military or mining usage too? There is bound to be stacks of info out there.

    Good luck with it and let us know what you decide!


    Cripesamighty

  6. #6
    Roverlord off road spares is offline AT REST
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    If your going the shipping container route, then make sure before you accept delivery that it is cleared of illegal immigrants. Oops, sorry wrong country.
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  7. #7
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    They are used quite a bit in the Top End (above ground) as they are solid and can be tied down in a cyclone area.

    The Commonwealth Govt installed them in various communities for their 'Business Managers' as part of the Intervention in 2007. However many of their units were imported from China and had nasty plastics in them. So source one from one of the reputable firms that deal in shipping containers.

    Obviously underground you will need to consider flow of fresh air (which is also the case in Coober Pedy). Remember that they are only 2.2 metres wide internally so you would need to have two welded together to get a decent width room.

    However with the steel shutters that they have on the windows (and that includes the swing out air conditioners cut into the walls) mean that they are quite secure and so you could consider sitting it above ground from a security point of view.
    Cheers, Dale
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    Biggest problem with any underground home will be building approval! This will almost certainly depend on where you are planning to build.

    Having said that, using a shipping container(s) may well make sense. Drainage will be a major design issue, as will ensuring that the structure is watertight.

    John
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    This guy built one.

    [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO25JYAaJC0"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO25JYAaJC0[/ame]

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    Corrosion is an issue in sea containers,simply because they spend their life at sea on the deck.
    Choose carefully when buying.
    Also consider the issue of pesticide contamination due to fumigation treatments over its life.
    Personally I like your idea.
    Andrew
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