Containers of various types are reusable containers designed for the carriage of goods by rail, road or sea. It is often manufactured as a swap body for a long-range truck. Depending on their direct purpose, containers are divided into universal and special. The main problem that arises during their preparation for operation is proper insulation in order to preserve the transported goods or create comfortable living conditions.
Container device
Before insulating the container inside, you will need to familiarize yourself with the features of its design. According to the drawings provided in the design documentation for the product, the frame consists of the following main elements:
- top and bottom frame bases;
- a set of racks (corner, middle and for doors);
- a set of wall boards;
- outer cladding.
The lower frame is manufactured as a welded unit consisting of 2 longitudinal and transverse channels. The front beam in the area of the doorway is additionally reinforced with a metal strip. The welded upper frame consists of 2 longitudinal and 4 transverse beams, the joints of which are reinforced with gussets. Above and from the sides, the frame of the container is sheathed with sheets of steel 1.5 mm thick, along which the insulation itself is mounted.
Marine analog device
The design of products of this class is not much different from the usual one. Its basis is the same strong steel frame, welded from longitudinal and transverse channels. The top of the container is made in the form of transverse and longitudinal beams. Along the entire perimeter, the frame is sheathed with steel sheets, which have good anti-corrosion properties and have a corrugated profile. In the production of sea containers for 20, 40, 45 feet, high quality alloy steel sheet is used. Its thickness is 1.5-2.0 mm, which guarantees a strong and rigid structure.
Required materials and tools
To organize and implement the insulation of the sea container from the inside, you will need to prepare:
- insulation material of the selected type (expanded polystyrene, for example);
- wooden bar 5x5 cm and dowels;
- scotch tape, primer and plastic wrap;
- polyurethane foam, paint and sealant.
In addition, it is necessary to purchase plasterboard sheets, as well as chipboard or fiberboard blanks.
From large tools, you will need a grinder, an electric drill and a screwdriver. In addition, you need to prepare the following toolkit:
- screwdrivers;
- yardstick;
- a device for applying polyurethane foam and sealant;
- dowels;
- brush, hammer, sharp knife and building level.
You will also need a pencil or colored marker for marking.
When working, you should use protective equipment for the skin of the hands and face - a respiratory mask, gloves and goggles.
How to insulate the ceiling and walls
One of the best materials that can be used to insulate surfaces with a wavy structure is polyurethane foam, which well hides even large irregularities.The attractiveness of this insulation is explained by its following advantages:
- ease of installation of the material;
- environmental friendliness;
- tightness to the walls (without the formation of cracks);
- reliable thermal insulation.
The use of materials of this class reduces convective flows and practically eliminates the possibility of condensation formation. In addition, extruded polystyrene foam is used to insulate the sea container for living. This material is not inferior in its performance to polyurethane foam, differing from it only in price.
It is possible to insulate a container for housing with ordinary mineral wool, but its use is limited in conditions of high humidity (in sea containers, for example). In the presence of moisture vapor, this insulation material quickly becomes saturated and begins to rot over time.
The order of work
The procedure for converting an ordinary steel box into a warm container includes several stages. Before insulating a container for permanent residence, it will be necessary to carry out preparatory measures. In advance, you should decide on the method of isolation (outside or inside).
Preparatory stage
The essence of the preparation is to carefully examine the container for the presence of traces of dirt and rust on its surfaces. The former are simply washed off with water, and traces of corrosion are cleaned up if possible in any convenient way. Usually, a grinder with a metal brush attachment is used for this. They remove traces of rust from the outside and from the inside, after which they proceed to covering the metal with a layer of protective primer.
After the soil has dried (after about 2 hours), you can proceed to painting the surfaces, which allows you to reliably protect the metal from moisture and destruction. A second layer is applied over the dried paint. Upon completion of these procedures, they proceed to the main insulation operations.
Stages of internal work
Insulation of the container from the inside is possible when the loss of part of the volume of the internal space does not matter. The work carried out in this case is divided into two stages: finishing of the side surfaces and thermal insulation of the ceiling. When they are carried out, the walls should be insulated first. To do this, a wooden crate is attached to them, consisting of bars of a suitable size. Then, in the intervals between them, the plates of the selected heat insulator (expanded polystyrene, for example) are placed. To enhance the effect of isolation from cold air masses, it is additionally pasted over with a layer of penofol.
The ceilings are insulated in the same way as the walls, after which everything is sheathed with plasterboard sheets.
If it is planned to install a furnace inside the structure, it should be borne in mind that expanded polystyrene and polyurethane foam do not tolerate high temperatures. Therefore, the zones of their contact with heated surfaces will need to be insulated with glass wool gaskets.
Insulation of floors
To insulate the floor in a residential container, you need to carry out the following work:
- A dense polyethylene film is laid on the base, providing full vapor insulation.
- A heat-insulating layer formed on the basis of foam, for example, is arranged on top.
- Before laying it, a frame is made of beams (lag), laid across the container with a step equal to about 60-70 cm.
- To fasten the bars, a set of self-tapping screws is used, screwed into each board in at least 3-4 places.
- The insulation is placed in the intervals between the logs in such a way that it fills them to the entire height of the timber and is distributed as tightly as possible.
- The remaining gaps must be sealed with polyurethane foam.
From above, the material is covered with multi-layer moisture-resistant plywood 10 mm thick, which protects the heat insulator from deformation and damage.
Before arranging the skirting boards, all gaps around the perimeter of the floor base are treated with a sealant or foam.
Features of external insulation
Thermal insulation of a house from the outside of containers is in demand in situations where it is important to preserve their internal volume without any changes. For outdoor work, foam polystyrene is usually used, which protects the metal well from corrosion, or thick sheets of foam. In the second case, for fastening the material, special hardware ("umbrellas") will be required, when using which there is a threat of the formation of cold bridges. This lack of material must be taken into account when insulating, for which the risk zones are additionally treated with liquid heat insulators or are sealed with foam.
