Jackson and “Jacked Up.”

Okay, so I took a few days off…

It’s been “pretty difficult” around here lately (in fact, on a one to ten, it’s been an “eight”). The “Mommy” is slowly recovering (“Mommy” recently had a stroke), and Joshua, astutely sensing a momentary change in the balance of power, has taken the opportunity to wage a full frontal assault, and try to make the “Daddy” crazy…um… er… crazier. This is a pretty simple task lately, as Daddy has had his hands full… Oy Vey, have I had my hands full…

Beyond that, due to difficulties beyond my control my appearance at a “meeting of the mind” (singular) in Jackson, was accomplished “by notarized document/statement, read aloud by some unfortunate lackey who will have to bear the scars of having my words rattle around in their brain until the cows come home.”

I say “mind,” because after participating in several of these “Jacksonian jousts,” I’m convinced that there is only one sane person in “Jackson Authority,” and they just pass the brain around, at random.

I’m told that my statement was either well received, or thrown in a well (I’m not sure which), as the phone line that connected us was garbled.

It was just basically the same old “Ronin Rant.”

“Get off your dead asses, and do your jobs! Families need homes. YOU need constituents.  The STATE needs to generate tax dollars HONESTLY! Families without homes don’t pay property taxes, and they sure don’t vote in your favor, come election day! We’ll remember that you didn’t give a damn, and then… we won’t either. I promise. Capish?”

For those of you keeping track, this was just another gyration, as the politicians in Jackson strive to drag this whole set of events out as long as possible, so that the people they are answering to either (a) drop dead from exhaustion, or (b) become so senile that they forget why they’re so pissed off.

The issue is whether or not to actually “release” the grant parcels to the families that qualified for them, MONTHS ago. I suspect that the truth of the matter is that they’re still trying to figure out how to make more money off the “re-urbanization” program. This program isn’t costing Mississippi a dime, folks. Not one penny! You see, the Fed has compensated Mississippi for the “land” that is being parceled out, but like most politicians, when the miscreants in Jackson smell money, they do just about everything they can to figure out how they can get their grubby little paws on more of it.

I’d remind them that “there isn’t anything honorable or even remotely responsible in standing between families that need homes, and the property that will make it possible.”

It’s ridiculous really. They complain that their tax bases are dying slowly on the vine and that people are leaving Mississippi for “greener pastures.” Then, they actually demonstrate WHY people are leaving, yet they fail to recognize it. Talk about “being detached and living in a fantasy.”

Attention, self-serving politicians; We will not forget, or go away. (In fact, some of us CAN’T, or we would have… as we’re really sick and tired of your greediness and irresponsibility.) Do your jobs, serve your constituents “honorably and responsibly,” or come next election, I promise you that you’ll be looking for work. (Good luck with that, by the way… as you idiots also killed off most of the jobs!) People like me are going to hold you accountable for your lack of action, and we’ll be more than happy to remind voters what miserable bastards you were, when we actually needed you to do your jobs, for once. I’m taking careful notes, and keeping a list of names. And, I have no problem being one of those who help fan the winds of change.

For example: The Internet is a powerful stick, and I’ll make sure that I beat you on the head with it, for all to see. Think about it for a minute, huh? I’m an “ex-military father/husband, with a dying wife and a baby child, who lost our (completely paid for) home to a greedy insurance company (who bought and paid for) a bunch of greedy politicians who just didn’t give a crap about anything but THEIR own power-mongering, “foreign-soil” junkets (and I’m not talking about ALABAMA), and excessive lifestyles.”

You really don’t want that, do you? Let me assure you… You REALLY don’t want that. I can spell “RECALL.” And, I know what it means, too.

That said, let’s talk about something more pleasant, huh?

Lately, I’ve been trying to figure out how to get a home built, using containers as the primary structure. Unless you’re living under a rock, you already know that.

And as my own build is hopelessly mired in “red tape,” I’m currently involved in helping other families build their ISBU homes Some surprising developments have given me hope that soon, despite the procrastination of Jackson’s “finest,” we’ll be building our own “Corten Castle” soon. It may NOT be in Mississippi, but it’s going to get built.

We’ll talk more about that later.

Anyway, I’ve been asked a series of questions lately, that I found so intriguing, I’m going to post them here, and see if I can get a few of you to comment. And, to be accurate, lately the most interesting inquiries aren’t so much “questions,” as “ponderings,” about the combination of structures, essentially combining different types of alternative construction together, to form “habitats.” I’m frankly enjoying this, because it means that some of you guys and gals are truly thinking out of the box, while trying to use one.

Here’s what I’m talking about.

Lately, I’ve been quietly working on a new ISBU project in New Mexico. The family involved isn’t building “in crisis,” or anything like that. They’re actually dedicating their own funds to this build, “simply to prove it can be done.” The home will be a vacation retreat, but it’s large enough that they could live there full time, if they choose to, later on. If I had to categorize it, I’d call it a “bug-out” build. It’s a place to run to, if things get stupid, or you just need to get out of town. I can completely relate to this mindset.

They’re using (3) 40′ HQ ISBUs to build a 24′x40′ box. It’s multi-level, with one ISBU level on what is essentially an elevated and insulated slab, that will hold all the mechanical and service elements of the home. The kitchen, dining room, bathroom, and mechanical room for the A/C and Hot water Heater is in the boxes. Also included in this level are the garage (2 car) and a small workshop. This entire level will be “earth-bermed,” in a manner that will make it similar to the “earthships” popular in the area. A greenhouse will occupy most of the south facing exterior.

Try as I might, the people building just aren’t interested in solar anything, including hot water, geothermal A/C or photovoltaics. Whaaa?

Okay, so there’s ONE solar panel, and it’s mounted on a pump system on a water tank.

Wait, it gets better! You know WHY they aren’t interested in using a bucket full of those “green” elements? It’s because they have their own “fast running” creek/stream/river, that never dries up or freezes over, and the guy building the home is an electrical engineer who has developed a hydroelectric turbine that will fit into a pipe. Big deal, right? Wrong. HUGE damned deal!!!

It’s only a 12” pipe!

And, this little beauty of a turbine will produce enough power to run just about anything he wants to plug in, forever. And to prove it, he’s gonna make it the SOLE source of power, for his home.

(The singular solar panel is used to power a pump that will help him move water to another parcel for irrigation of a “survival” garden. It was pre-existing.)

His “power-pipe system” runs out of the river, and then back into it.

A singular power source from water pressure. Talk about “guts!” If I tried to do that, I’d wake up dead in the morning, with my wife laughing over my carcass!

So, As I learn more about this little gem of a powerplant, I’ll fill you in, too! Suffice to say, I want one! I can picture this placed between cisterns filled by a well (which is operated by solar power). I have a few really big pieces of culvert pipe that are just begging to be used in a “power by water” experiment. If you filled a rather large primary tank, and then used an outlet pipe to fill a secondary one (and placed one of these little powerplants in that outlet pipe between them…) you’d get hydroelectric power from the water pressure that flowed thru it…

I’m not sure it’d work, because you’d have to keep that first tank filled to get enough pressure (in a constant flow), but I can see it in my head. However, my wife reminds me that “I see a lot of things in my head, most of them unrepeatable, unprintable, or felonious.”

Okay, I admit it. I get all caught up in this “grant property polka” currently going on in Jackson, and I want to go “postal.” Deal with it.

Here’s where his build is REALLY different. He’s gonna build his bedrooms and common areas into a dome built ON TOP of the containers. The dome will be 24′ feet in diameter and about 20′ high. It will be built entirely of SIP’s (Structural Insulated Panels) and glass. A winding “freeform” staircase will allow access from level to level, with an ”open overlap loft” plan that will allow you to stand on the main level and look up, to see the top of the dome.

This isn’t such a bad idea. He gets a stable base to build on, lots of room for his “hard stuff” (plumbing, electromechanical requirements, etc…) and really bright and airy creative spaces for his comfort zones.

What other ways can you think of to combine different type of alternative homes together, to form a “super” alternative home?

Do You Enjoy Our Articles and Features? Are you interested in helping a family that is helping others get back on THEIR feet? We could sure use the help, honest! Please Consider Making a Small, Secure Donation! Use our Paypal button!

Thank You.

Memorial Day, which was originally called “Decoration Day,” is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service.

But where did it come from?

Although dozens of cities claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day, my favorite attribution is the evidence that organized women’s groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, “Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping” by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication;

“To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead”

(Source: Duke University’s Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920)

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5th, 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in General Order No. 11. It was first observed on May 30th, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

In 1915, inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields,” Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

But it saddens me that when you ask people what they’re going to do on Memorial Day lately, it seems like it’s just turned into another opportunity for “Beer and BBQ,” or an automobile “Blow-out” at the local car lot.

The traditional observance of Memorial day has decayed over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and even the traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, and even neglected.

Thankfully, where I live (in this part of the South), this is not the case. At the Biloxi National Cemetery, it reminds me of growing up in Orange County, CA (a farming community when I was young), it almost looks like hundreds of fieldworkers picking produce, as legions of citizens place flags and flowers on the graves that cover the vast repository of our fallen. But this attending to graves, albeit touching, isn’t quite accurate either.

You see, most people don’t remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. And, some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.

Memorial Day is specifically placed, a day to honor those paid the ultimate price and gave all, in the service of our country.

But what may be needed to return the solemn, and even sacred, spirit back to Memorial Day is for a return to its traditional day of observance. Many feel that when Congress made the day into a three-day weekend in with the National Holiday Act of 1971, it made it all the easier for people to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day. As the VFW stated in its 2002 Memorial Day address:

“Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public’s nonchalant observance of Memorial Day.”

“To all that have fallen…
Mothers, Fathers, Sister and Brothers…
We grieve as you are sorely missed.
Until we are all reunited,
May you rest peacefully in G_d’s arms.”

G_d bless you all! Amen.

Mr. Ronin’s Neighborhood

Greetings and salutations, fellow campers!

Welcome to “Mr Ronin’s Neighborhood!”

Now, as you know… my family is building a home out of recycled boxes. Won’t you be my neighbor?

NO!??

Hey, it’s not like it’s refrigerator boxes, or TV boxes, or even those cool boxes that your washer and dryer come in… Although those are in abundant supply… when they get wet, they’re useless. And, we have a household that is prone to “wet spots.” So… “Middle-aged Mommy” and I have a small tyrant, and he’s still in diapers… so it’s not him.

I suppose it’s me… at least that’s what my wife says. I suspect she’s the one peeing on the carpet, because we don’t have a dog (and I stopped “excessive” drinking years ago), but she claims I do “odd things” in my sleep.

I know that’s a lie, because since the boy was spawned, I haven’t gotten any sleep… But whatever. So we needed something sturdier than cardboard, that was also “liquid and weather resistant.”

So… we’re building a home out of shipping containers.

Oh stop it! We are TOO!

I’ve been talking about it for a while now, slowly plotting and scheming, while the powers that be try to stop me at every gyration. But, slowly we’re gaining what looks like ground (but may just be “sleep deprived delusion”)   and soon our family will join the ranks of “home-owning” families, ours living firmly in our Corten Castle surrounded by neighbors brandishing burning brands and pitchforks.

What? You don’t have those kind of neighbors? Well, we must have gotten lucky…

I get email. Man, do I get email. Now some of it is humorous;

“Are you out of your [bleeeepin, bleepetty, bleep!] mind? Your [bleepitty-bleep] wife should take that kid and haul [bleepitty-bleeep-bleep-bleep!]  away from you. You’re a [[bleepitty-bleepin'] idiot!”

But fear not… I  respond kindly, because, after all, she is my mother…

Some of it is rather “opinionated;”

“Why you… you… you’re a narcissistic prick, you are!”

But, I don’t pay much attention, because catering to fools just wastes time, and just ends up playing to their obvious needs for attention. (Plus,  I actually enjoy the fact that  I give some of these blog-lurking poltroons an aneurysm!)

(Besides that, my wife calls me much more creative and entertaining names. In fact, the neighbor kids all sit at her feet in awe, when she goes on a tirade! It gives them phrases to stop THEIR parent’s hearts with!)

Some of it is just “rather exploitive;”

“I have a container. Can you show me how to turn it into a 2,000 square foot house? And, I’d appreciate it if you could come over and show me how to cut the windows and doors out. I’m not very handy with tools. Here’s my address…”

(I really got that message.) Here was my comprehensive and rather lengthy reply;

“NO.”

But some of the email is people looking for answers, trying to figure out how to craft their own Corten monument. Here’s a few examples, in a post I’m going to call;

(For those of you paying attention, I’d rather you ask these questions in the comment section of the blog, so that other people can have the opportunity to see them, and the answers, as I make them up, seemingly out of thin air. Okay? I mean really, if I had “all the answers” would I be stuck in Mississippi? Hmmm?)

Here’s our first question;

Dear mr. ronin,

in contriving to build one of these houses (plotting against the evil that is my local  government) i was wondering several points that no one seems to publish.

1) how do you bond 2 containers together?

2) if you bury them how do you make permanently water tight?

3) since i have a wife, i must have sheet rock; therefore, how do you attach it to the metal?

4) what is the best way to cut the container for doorways and open areas?

thank you,
“MB”
concord, nc

Hi “MB,”

Here’s the short version of answers to your questions;

1) Hmmmmm… “Bonding containers together…” let me see… um… Flowers and a box of candy do nicely…

Wait… that’s not it… Ummmm… Weld them together. Use the existing locks (that are built in) and then use welding rod to secure them, by welding the frame members to each other.

ONLY do this if your positioning is permanent, and you have no intention of ever moving them.

2)  “Water-tight coffins in the sand…” Sounds like a country western tune… DO NOT BURY ISBU’s!

Although ISBUs are strong, the strength is in the FRAME. The skin is only designed to keep cargo in. People call them “Corten Coffins,” probably because  they buried them, and watched them buckle and collapse.

You CAN only bury ISBU’s if you reinforce the skin! The most practical way that we’ve found is to cover the shell with lightweight concrete. We’ve done this several times, with great results. Remember to insulate.

3) “My wife wants sheet-rock.”

Funny, my wife insists on shoes, not sheet rock.

But I get your drift. The easiest way to install sheet rock is to fir out the inside of your container using 1x’s. This can be accomplished many ways. Use industrial strength adhesive, or drill a few holes and use screws, Attach sheetrock to the firring strips. You can also shoot some spray-on foam into the cavities behind the sheetrock, that way.

4)  “Slicing an ISBU like pie… or… Peek-a-boo ISBU.”

The easiest way to cut openings in the steel skin of an ISBU is to use a plasma cutter.

You’ll make cuts as simple as “cutting thru butter.” If you can’t get your hands on a plasma cutter, use a circular saw with a metal cutting blade. But, it’s gonna be noisy. Take your time, go slow, and you’ll get precise cuts.

Ready? Round Two;

This one is from one of my most favorite people, but I’m going to disguise her name, so that people don’t realize that she associates with the likes of me…

She hangs out here;

So much for anonimity, huh?

Hey Alex!

I was writing to see if you could please answer a question for me.  “A” and I are beginning to look at land for our shipping container home, and we’re trying to gauge how much we can spend on land vs. how much we’ll have to spend on our home.  We’re thinking either Western Washington state or Western Michigan (because the wind there is fantastic, and it’s really beautiful!).  Our goal is to spend as much on land as we can, because neither of us want close neighbors.

We’re planning on eventually going completely off-grid, but I’m not sure we’ll be able to do that right from the beginning.  “A” has plans to build his own wind turbine, and depending on where we buy land, we might pop in a few solar panels as well.

We’re also going to do a compost toilet.

My main question is, how much does it normally cost to have the land prepped and a foundation poured?  I’ve seen dramatically different figures online, and am at a loss on how to estimate that.  Our house is only going to have a max of 4 40 ft. containers.

We’re also going to try and do the majority of the work (after the containers are laid down and the electric work done) ourselves.  I’ve started investigating do it yourself homebuilding, and think we might have a shot. : ) At least we could frame the inside, lay flooring, do cabinets and that sort of thing.  I’m sure we’ll have to hire out the spray foam insulation part.

Anyway, thanks so much for your help!

“H”

Hi “H,”

Like you, our goal is to have enough land to provide a buffer. Now, there’s two schools of thought on this;

My wife says that the house should be at least far enough away from the street… to avoid getting hit by hurled bricks and rocks.

I say that it should be situated is a position that allows enough lawn to provide for adequate minefields and booby-traps… because nobody likes “trapping boobies” more than me. Hey… some people collect deer heads…

Seriously (if one could ever actually take ME seriously), if things go the way I think they might, any extra space you have will be vital to your survival. I’m truly hoping and praying that President Obama can fix things, but I’m very doubtful at this point that most of the middle and lower class will survive intact.

Regardless of whether or not you use the wind (If I could “channel my hot air,” I could probably power up half this side of the Mississippi, according to my wife) you’ll want solar power to at least augment hot water and assist with heating (if you go “radiant in floor” heat).

With the grants currently available for PV’s (photovoltaic panels), it’s almost crazy not to use them. I’m preparing a post (with the help of my local Congressman) to provide some insight into how to actually qualify for the “alternative power supplemental” grants, that are being funded by that “great black hole” that is the Stimulus package. They’re written to be implemented by “corporations and cities,” but there  is a loophole that will allow you to “create” your own “power co-op”, and qualify.

And, it doesn’t include a “hard” connection to the grid, just the ability to do so, if the “power pimps” decide that they need your juice. (And if they do? Well, you build a “phantom” kill switch, to shut them off. It’s easy. All you need is a PC, and some Java script.)

Land clearing costs vary and there’s no set price. It depends on where you are, how much has to be done, the equipment involved, etc…

I suggest that you look at it from a different angle. Consider putting the boxes on pilings.Use sono tubes to construct 12″-18″  (or even 24″) rebar reinforced pilings, and set your ISBUs on top of those.  You’ll get a few pilings per yard of concrete, unless your frost line is near the center of the earth!

By doing this, the amount of “clearance” gets dramatically smaller. Instead of heavy site prep, all you’re doing is a rough grade, and then shooting pilings in. It’ll also serve to raise your house up above the snow and mud.

You can get fancy with decks, or just steps, to get up to entryways.

Are you going 1 story, or two? If you stack containers, you’ll have a smaller footprint, and thus, fewer pilings.

I’ve got a “(3) ISBU first – (2) ISBU second” plan I really like. And, it gets you a deck on the second floor, for a greenhouse up away from the critters that are as hungry as you are!

And consider that most building codes won’t allow you to use a “composting toilet” as a primary.

Okay, last one for now…

Hi,

You’re prob really busy but I was wondering if you have experience in building container homes in the Caribbean and if you ever wrote anything about it?

We (my husband and I) are really interested in building a container home, mainly for the simple reason that it is cheaper than building regular homes, especially here on Sint Maarten where building materials make building crazy expensive.

The land we have is on a slight slope and we are looking to build with about 6 40ft containers.

In a u form and on one side make it double with 2 containers on top of that and a slanted roof. well that is the initial idea… we’re still thinking about that.

could you give us some pointers on how to build in a tropical climate with the occasional hurricane and flooding? do we build on a concrete slab, on little walls (Bob Villa video)  how about treating the underside of the container??? how to build hurricaneproof??????

well…. that are only a few of the questions

People here only use containers for emergency housing and not for permanent housing.

I would really appreciate a reply.

Thanking you in advance,
“E”

Hi “E,”

After Hurricane Hugo, which I weathered out on a 50′ sailboat in  St. Thomas Harbor ( luckily NOT Christiansted, St. Croix which was our “first choice…” IT got pounded!) , in the US Virgin Islands (Oy Vey, what WERE we thinking?) we ended up doing disaster cleanup as part of our penance…

Now, we’d gone to the US Virgin Islands looking for virgins (we had matured to “marrying age” and were looking for suitable spouse potential), but that’s another story.

BTW: Did you know that there aren’t many virgins on the virgin Islands? Talk about false advertising…

We wrote the next big ad campaign for the USVI:

“Whaaa? No Virgins HERE!”

Anyway, while we were there, we helped construct three ISBU residences there in the next year, (2) on St Thomas, and (1) on St Johns Island.

Each used (3) 40′ containers, however the container home on St. Johns stacked one on top of two.

We were lucky in that hundreds of containers were rushed to the Virgin Islands, full of “disaster recovery supplies” so we had no trouble getting our hands on a few of them to “re-use.”

All three used pilings spaced 10 feet apart, to carry the load, instead of a traditional footed foundation. As I recall, we used 24″ tubes to shoot concrete and steel into, and the end result was rock-solid boxes, that sat about 4 feet off the ground.

Because of flooding and gale-force winds, avoid using any kind of traditional foundation that might “up-lift.”

Regardless of what people tell you, don’t build your container on top of “little walls.” It may look “cool,” but they wash out under load, like hurricane driven waves. If you do that, your container will become a boat, and they’ll be fishing you out of the drink, somewhere between Venezuela and South Africa.

Definitely raise your containers up off the ground so that you can access the underside, and use spray-foam insulation to insulate your bottom. Make sure that you leave openings or your waste outlets will get plugged up. Nobody likes a plugged up waste outlet.

(Okay, that was lame… Just make sure you can access your plumbing, in case you ever need to work on it, later.)

“Hurricane-proof?”

Surely you jest. No such animal. You can take great strides to making your container home more resistant to heavy weather, but forget anything anyone ever told you about “hurricane proof” construction. People who say that are liars. The only thing I’ve ever seen that comes remotely close to that are those multi-million dollar “Concrete Domes” that they build on the beaches in Florida. They’re hardy beasts, and I envy their owners, but you can’t start one of those builds with an ISBU.

Consider using SSMR (Standing Seam Metal Roofing) to top off your Island Residence. Properly strapped in place, it has more chance of surviving a heavy storm intact, without coming off and littering the landscape with debris. People who use tile or regular roofing materials are just building “projectile” roofs waiting to kill someone… when a hurricane rears it’s ugly mug…

Okay, that’s it for today.

I’ve got diapers to change, and hate-mail to sort thru…

Ronin

Do You Enjoy Our Articles and Features? Are you interested in helping a family that is helping others get back on THEIR feet? We could sure use the help, honest! Please Consider Making a Small, Secure Donation! Use our Paypal button!

Assume The Position!

Look, when I started this blog, I told you that  I would take a position, and then…

The shouting matches would probably begin. Take a look around you.  America is in real trouble, and even with all the talk and banter about how screwed up things are, nothing is really getting done to fix things.

So, I’m just going to say it;

“What we need are better leaders and more capable and enabled discussions.”

And that’s what this blog is about.

You’ve seen some of the “slings and arrows” debates in the comment areas. A good example is when I commented on “M’s” container build in Missouri. I wasn’t attacking “M.” Anybody who thinks that is an idiot. I actually defended “M,” even though I was opposed to some of her actions…

I’m going to start writing some of these posts in Crayon, I swear I am…

Man, what a  brushfire that started… Good thing Corten containers are fire resistant!

Another is the proposed use of new “high-tech” Ceramic Insulative Coatings, to insulate that container project of yours…  that turn out to be anything but “high-tech”…  Talk about running headfirst into a big wall!

But the point of posting sometimes, is to stimulate “debate.” You can duel in the comment sections. You can voice opposing views. You can offer up thoughtful, insightful and even conflicting takes on situations. You can even stoop to name-calling and chair tossing if you want to.

In the end, it’s entertaining (sometimes) and informative (sometimes.) And, it’s worth the risk, I think. Sometimes education comes with a few lumps thrown in, to help you remember. Sometimes. Hey, every post can’t be a “winner.”

Personal blogs are about “private people making public opinions.” Duh! After all, the Internet is the “biggest” public you could possibly hope for. Never has mankind has the ability to say so much, to so many, so easily.

Every once in a while, I take a position that offends. Let’s face it, sometimes somebody has to step up and say: “That’s enough.” There are many reasons for it. Perhaps it’s because most people are too timid to point out the difference between right and wrong. And, I’m not afraid to do it. I learned a long time ago that in order to be seen, first you have to stand up.

Imagine if journalism or education consisted of more than a collage of conflicting talking heads, playing to cameras or crowded lyceums. Imagine the difference it would make if more of the media broke from the bizarre straitjacket of “liberal balance,” which equates fairness with putting all disputants on equal footing, regardless of  how deceitful, immoral, or moronic they may be.

I guess I’m just getting older and less tolerant of “idiots.” There’s a market for news that weighs counterclaims and assesses truth value, based on (gasp!) “truth value.”  But for some reason, it just hasn’t kept up with demand. I find it depressing that tuning into Cable TV News broadcasts only leaves me feeling empty and violated, and even lied to. I find it ironic that I have to tune into Cable Comedy Networks, to get a good read on what’s happening in America. It’s no wonder that guys like Jon Stewart and Lewis Black have such loyal audiences: their point of view is rooted in the reality-based — not the ideology-based — world. They deal in “facts.”  And they say things that everybody is usually already thinking, unless they’re “brain-dead.”

In the end, communication is about leadership and discrimination of the facts, and not the race, creed, color, age, or even gender of the viewpoint holder.

Feel free to send me hate-mail. Hell, if nothing else, it’s entertaining. And, it means I hit a nerve, and that’s the point. I WANT to make you think.

And BTW: Don’t bother sending me email or posting comments “telling me WHAT to post.” This is MY boat.  On your blog, you do whatever you want. On my blog, I’m doing what I need to do, by design and even a concept plan (which apparently, I sometimes stray from). You know who you are.

You’re all most welcome here, even though I’ll warn you once again that although “the sights and sounds” can be breathtaking and awe-inspiring, sometimes the menu still sucks.

If you don’t like it, I welcome you to jump ship. Watching the sharks is entertaining, too…

Another Container Home hits the street!

Recently, I was contacted by “The Divine Miss M’s” designer (you remember HER, right?)…

Michael Mardis (of Workshop308.com) asked me to post pictures of ISBU houses I’ve participated in building, because he wanted to know “what I thought an ISBU house should look like…”

Now, I suspect that he’s pissed that I “took issue” with one of his clients, or he might have thought that I had problems with his design of her house. Who knows? Maybe he’s just curious…

Nothing I ever said would lead you to believe that I was “slighting” him, but hey, I’m game.

(The emphasis  here [color, et all] is mine, added to make reading the blog easier.) Like that could actually happen!

Here’s what I told him;

Are you under the impression that I have issues with the design of the house?

The issues I have (and always had), is the negativity perceived by authorities who were influenced by the actions of the owner, due to the “rampant publicity and theatrics.”

And there is NO set way for an ISBU home to “look.” The beauty of an  ISBU house is that it can look like “anything.” It’s a box, for cryin’ out loud!

Side it, brick it, veneer it, stucco it, or leave it “industrial,” it’s just a steel starting point to house a family.

Gable roof, shed roof, Cape Cod,  Salt Box, or Clerestory, you name  it… You can wrap a Corten box any way you want.

Now, my personal house is hopelessly mired in Mississippi Politics, and we’re fighting it out at the legislature level again… but…

I’ve posted photos (and drawings) of old projects, and I have three more solidly in development now.  Stay tuned, and you can watch,  just like everybody else.

And as to “what I think a container house should look like”; I’ll point  out that all three of “mine” (in the role of “consultant,” as I’m helping the owners”) currently under development are different (animals of a different color).

One is a clerestory roofed (SIPs) hardieplank “single story with loft” assemblage of boxes.

One is a three story multiple “stack” design (24×40 on each floor) and  it gets glass and stucco. It’ll look “Spanish Modern.”

The third is a 2 story contemporary (24×40 – main, 16×40 – second) that get’s brick and siding.

(Note to readers: There is a fourth, that uses 53′ monster boxes, but we’re still all caught up in the multiple wants/needs…  “OMG, what do we do now? mode…  So, we won’t count that one… yet.)

Again, I have no issues with design (“M’s” House), it’s owner impact I’m concerned with. Agree or disagree, if people come away from a project carrying a grudge, it makes it harder for the next guy.

All I want is to see families in homes. Period. Anyone that chooses to side against me, is going to have their hands full. In part, that’s why I’m speaking to politicians in Jackson so often.

In fact, I’m headed back to Jackson the week of the 18th (yep, once more… they moved the meeting date) to go “bare knuckles” with the “backwater bozos” again.  It’s about releasing the land that was acquired by grant, to allow the build to begin, for those of you following along.

And, he asked me to check out another container build in Kansas City, MO, being completed by the Glassberg family.

So, I did. And here’s the result of THAT query;

Michael,

Thanks for your input. And, I checked out the Kansas City build:

I don’t expect you to read all this, I’m sure you’re too busy, but here goes;

About the Glassberg Container House in Kansas City, MO;

Overall, I’m siding with most of the comments. There are valid points  being made.

As to the house, by itself,  here’s the deal;

Although the Glassberg house is a “designer house,” (more on that later) it’s a “stack and pack,” and that’s not bad. I actually like the more “industrial” look of ISBU’s, but it’s hard to shoehorn that look into an existing neighborhood, sometimes.

FYI to my readers: As the result of a “salvage gift,” I’m currently playing with the idea of using 10′ sections of salvaged highway drainage culvert as “pillars” to “float” ISBUs on top of, up out of the flood plain. They’re big enough inside to allow the installation of spiral staircases from grade, and (accessed) at grade they can also be used as “storage vaults.” It’s possible that we’ll tie them together with masonry or concrete walls, to form an enclosed garage/shop.

The Glassberg’s state a price of $115 a foot to build ($300k budget for 2,600 sq ft), and that’s not bad for a custom “designer” home, but I’ll point out that you can build a container house (or even a conventional stick house) with much less money. This $300k build is well beyond the reach of the majority of families looking at ISBUs for construction projects.

2,600 square feet. Hmmm… Not exactly a “zero-carbon footprint” but I’m the last person to harp on somebody else’s need for space. I just say build as responsibly and as sustainably as you can.

Designing the containers as modules, so that you could disassemble the house and move it again is a concept I preach to potential ISBU builders. I have one in NC right now, where the ability to move it again later is a confirmed part of the integral design.

Like many of the comments… It grieves me to see that she actually went to China three different times to supervise the construction of her  “designer” containers, when there are plenty of them sitting right here, waiting for new owners.

I suspect that she spent enough airfare to buy several containers (and possibly an extra one or two), if she’d bought ISBUs here. The average business class fare to China ran about $1,800 bucks in her travel timeframe (if I’m understanding the article correctly)… times three…  divided by 40′s…

I’m wondering where ELSE the actual differences in their construction lies (aside from height), compared to “standard” ISBUs… They may be built to “stronger spec’s” for example. I’m sure they had their reasons, but from our  more “grass roots” perspective here on “RR,” we can’t duplicate it.

I’ve got a few (3) 53′ boxes sitting here that are almost 9’2″ (110 inches) tall on the inside.

(2) of these are headed to an Indian family on a reservation near here for a “clerestory” SIP roof build. We’ll frame in a “spacer” between the containers, out of scrap steel from an aircraft hanger demo.”

Almost 1,700 sq ft, plus huge 16′x24′ “sleeping lofts” on both ends…

(2) 8′x16′ (approx) upstairs decks off lofts, separated by an 8′x21′ (approx) greenhouse. Clerestory windows over. We’ll see over 2,400 sq ft of living space.

Oh yeah, the house sits on a masonry main floor box (32′x32′  approx. of garages and shop) cantilevered off each end), to get it up out of the flood plain.

(BTW: As to “carbon footprint,” it’s a multi-generation family of 10, plus relatives 4 months a year.)

And this build will come in just under $75 a foot (not counting sleeping lofts, or glazing for the greenhouse). We have a $125,000 budget.

And there are thousands of 53′ boxes here in the States, sitting idle. They ARE available, if you dig thru channels to find them.

(I prefer the 40 HQ’s… these behemoths were a “gift.”)

Although I love the idea of  the G;assberg’s 12′ ceilings, they’re not really ISBUs any longer. It’s like saying that the Verbus Systems boxes that Travelodge built that hotel out of are ISBU’s.  Although they are containers, they’re 12′ wide. Hardly shippable, stackable, or even usable in conventional shipping. They’re only good for one thing. Building. I don’t count them or their use, as real “Container Projects” except in “theory.”

They (Travelodge) could’ve just as easily designed rooms using (2) 8′rs… They had their reasons, Verbus used that build as part of “proof of concept” and gave them a huge discount…

The Glassberg “green roof” is something I incorporate every time I can. If for no other reason, most of these builds seem to be near or off grid, and it gets the garden up and away from the critters. It’s also a great place for a greenhouse.

It doesn’t add a ton of insulation value, as dirt isn’t that great for r-value, unless you have several feet of it used as “isolation.”

I love how they left the influence of the tree. “Nature play,” and whimsy rule, when it comes to these homes. They can be quite charming.

The press impression that the Glassberg house is “one of the few container houses in the United States” just drives home my point about “media ignorance.” There are hundreds, if not a thousand. At one point (back in the late 1990′s), I had a listing of over 400.

I (sure) can’t fault their (the Glassberg’s) philosophy about the impact that ISBUs could have. I’ve long been an advocate for FEMA use of ISBUs to build emergency shelter. They could build them in factories, just like travel trailers. The “tech” is already there. And, when not needed as “Disaster Shelter,” they’d stack back up for storage, just like they do now at shipping ports. Plus, they’d be secure, and last forever…

The Glassberg’s house will use eco-friendly technologies, including sugar beet foam insulation, geothermal heating and cooling, bamboo flooring, tankless water heaters and LED lighting.

First… LED lighting is great, but it’s still way too expensive for most people to embrace. I’m waiting for that day too, because it will be a huge boon to people living “off-grid.” I’m envious. Truly!

Bamboo flooring? Probably after market, too. But, did you know that standard containers can be found with bamboo flooring already in them? Bamboo is good, though. I can’t complain about the use of that.

Sugar beet foam insulation? Makes a “green” statement, I suppose, but too expensive, not commonly available yet, and out of most individual’s price ranges.  I wonder how “dense” it gets, and how insects and critters like it? I’m seeing a lot of conflicting reports from manufacturers. I’d use rigid PolyIso or spray foam (closed cell).

While not “green” in the traditional sense, it’s an affordable, reliable and durable alternative, that gives “green” (energy savings) benefits over batts of fiberglass.

Geothermal heating and cooling is something I already incorporate into my designs. It just makes sense.

Tankless water heaters? Nope! It’s too hard on PV arrays! I opt for high-efficiency solar hot water systems. I also “warm” my slabs to get radiant heat that way. But, remember, most of my builds are “near or off grid.”

I didn’t see anything about water retention, or grey water usage, or… ah… never mind.

“A Kansas City Art Institute student is designing rain-barrel benches.”

I wonder if that’s “rain Barrels that become benches,” or “benches that act as rain barrels?” Hmmm… Give’s me an idea!

Anyway,

For what it’s worth (probly’ about .25 cents) that’s my take on this project. I envy the Glassberg’s and their new “designer” abode, and I hope that it serves them (and the terrific community that embraced them) well, for decades to come!   I’m sure that we’ll see it on Cable TV DIY and Home & Gardens type networks! It’s a good looking beast. 

There you have it. Another “Ronin Says” look at an ongoing “Project of Merit!”

Stay tuned!

Photo Credits for Glassberg house: ALLISON LONG! I think that she’s a staff photographer for KansasCity.com. If not, I’ll be more than happy to issue a “correction.”

Do You Enjoy Our Articles and Features? Are you interested in helping a family that is helping others get back on THEIR feet? We could sure use the help, honest! Please Consider Making a Small, Secure Donation! Use our Paypal button!

“Peek-a-boo” ISBU!

Okay,

I’m hesitant to do this, because I know it’s gonna spawn some crazy conversations, but here goes…

Evidently, an architectural group known as “Bellemo & Cat Architects” decided that they’d build a container house of their own. Now, seeing as how they didn’t want the house to be a “blight on the landscape,” they pulled off most of the Corten steel cladding, and replaced it with translucent panels.

If that wasn’t enough, they then “silkscreened” the panels, to look like giant blades of grass.

The central idea for the project was to create a container for living and working that while still engaging with all the site issues of the industrial neighborhood. To use the architect’s words;

“… enabling us to take a thread from the first cocoon we spun for ourselves in Wye River and weave it into the fabric of this next home for ourselves.”

Gimme a second here, to “Google” the Wye River.

Ah, that explains it… Crazy Australians! I’ll  just use their quote (frankly because I’m at a loss for words… imagine that!);

“The uniqueness of this container home is it’s printed skin (with graphic garden). The skin covered the house, and became a natural outdoor element. Beside its attractive appearance, the translucent skins become resource of natural light into house and also protects the privacy of the owners.”

Okay. I bet there’s a ton of storage in those stair units! Good, good…

The building is wrapped on three sides in a translucent printed skin, the third side allows for Northern glazing.

I’m wondering where they built it at, because now, it’s just an uninsulated box. Oh yeah… Australia. Wouldn’t that be cool? No worries about freezing your butt off, or sweating to death!

But, I’m really not diggin’ the street view, it hardly promotes anything but;

“Ah man, I gotta mow the house again! The grass is twenty feet high!” LOL!

Looks like Esher started building plywood stairs! Wouldn’t THAT piss off your carpenter!

This actually isn’t bad. It’s like a little “urban oasis in the middle of the industrial district.” I could see this working…

And this could work, unless you had kids. I’m having a heart attack just looking at it! Can you imagine?

“Lookey Daddy… I can Flyyyyy!”

“The printed image is our graphic garden experienced from both the inside and the outside, our urban jungle and as it is made from a photograph of a sculpture of our own it continues a series of works, a personal line of investigation.”

All kidding aside, it’s a neat idea. I know that I threw a few rocks, but it’s probably just envy, in that they can build a box that ends up so bright and open, without worrying about heavy weather or energy usage for a lot of air conditioning use…

On the Ronin Scale from 1-10, 10 being “pretty damned cool…”

I give it an “8.” It’s a snappy concept, and you can dance to it…

But I’ve gotta wonder; “How does that Cat hold the mouse? Who taught it to do CAD? Is there any corroborating proof on YouTube of “feline design?” Hey, Im just askin’, ‘cuz I know that you were thinking it too!

You were, right?

Stay tuned…

Do You Enjoy Our Articles and Features? Are you interested in helping a family that is helping others get back on THEIR feet? We could sure use the help, honest! Please Consider Making a Small, Secure Donation! Use our Paypal button!

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

I’m reminded today of the “Battle of Puebla” where 4,500 untrained Mexican commoners courageously defeated 6,500 Mercenaries, Indians and French soldiers, to voice their opposition of oppression.

That history lesson seems particularly fitting, as America tosses and turns in it’s bed, waiting to see what each new day brings. The economy is in shambles, mortgages are falling into foreclosure faster than a fat kid on a happy meal, and the national debt is climbing faster than an F-18 Fighter Jet at an air show.

I can relate to those Mexican commoners! Being the builder of an ISBU home puts you in situations where you face about the same odds!

There’s an awful lot of people lined up to tell you that you’re gonna fail. But you know what? The “Big Guy” upstairs gave us middle fingers for a reason.  So, I say;

“Trim your fingernails (because I’m sure that your momma taught you that “neatness counts!”), and then… apply that finger liberally! Make sure that they know you mean business!

Building that home is your war, a campaign that is going to be full of battles with forces seemingly stacked against you. But, if you plan carefully, act responsibly, and exercise due diligence, you’ll have them running like a “Frenchman” all the way back to  the edge of your property lines!

¡Páseme otra cerveza fría, y apresúrese para arriba sobre ella!

And to all those valiant Mexican warriors who gave their all in the name of freedom… This one’s for you! Salute!

Joshua! Gimme that back! You Rotten kid!

Stay tuned!

No children were intoxicated during the recording of this message! (Unless you count “Benadryl.”) A “Stunt child” was  used instead of “actual” rotten kid. Drink your milk! Don’t run with scissors! Be Hip! Don’t double-dip!

Isn’t Missouri the “Show Me State”?

Recently, I ran a post about a lady in Missouri that is building her container house. I’d spoken with her designer and provided him with a copy of the post I intended to publish, out of respect for “a fellow tradesman.”

But, lately, I’m still getting email from people asking me about what’s going on, and why I got so pissed off. And from the look at the comments, it appears that the circus is trying to pitch a tent in MY yard, and THAT is not gonna happen!

The lady in question posted a “response” to my post (on her blog), after somebody emailed my commentary to her. And that just seems to have stirred things up a bit more.

Here’s the deal. I’ve asked my readers NOT to to air their views on her build (if they were negative) because of the “bad press” it lends to the cause. It’s that simple.

The point of all of these ISBU blogs is to promote PROGRESS, and not create CONTROVERSY. There’s already enough of that, housed most squarely in the jugheaded fascists that run most local Planning and Zoning departments. Becoming a sideshow barker at your buildsite just gives them more fuel. Why give them more ammunition to use against us?

Remember that all readers see is what is on the page, in black and white. And that’s where their opinions are drawn from. The public just sees the “antics” and the “media circus” end results. But, it’s the antics that they’ll remember, trust me.

My blog is a “niche” blog. I cover ISBU construction almost exclusively, as an alternative for people who apparently are in the same position as Miss “M” from Missouri. I have considerable experience here. I’ve personally built, or participated in the construction of almost a 100 of these “Corten Castles,” in the last three+ decades, spread out over several continents.

Anybody out there who has an equal number of ISBU projects is welcome to chime in. If not, then shut up and just read, for once.

I didn’t “go out of my way to single out “M”.” An almost endless stream of email made me address her situation. In fact, I’ve got to tell you that the post I originally intended to publish was much more  strongly worded.

Using ISBU’s is controversial. Because of the topic, I don’t get hundreds of thousands of hits, I get readers looking specifically for a “new” path to home ownership.  And of the 35,000+ readers we “entertain” (hundreds daily) only a handful will actually build.

Not everyone who walks into an architect or designer’s office actually builds a project, but they all still have opinions, made after first impressions.

I can tell you that as a result of my blog, I’ve witnessed over 20 ISBU projects that are either in design phase or development with construction professionals. And, I’m sending leads to architectural firms weekly, on prospective ISBU projects. So, some of the readers are building.

I’m currently consulting into a few of those builds, myself. I know the homes are getting built, because I’m seeing it firsthand.

My goal is simply to make ISBU construction more palatable. Even the idea of using a shipping container to build a structure is a “comedy act waiting to happen” when you approach planning and zoning, in most locales.

Why? Well, it’s because the predominant press about container houses (if you believe cable TV, or the printed press) is that the people that are building them are paying exorbitant rates (hundreds of dollars a square foot), to be “fashionably green.”

The houses showcased are usually framed around a client who expects adoration for his “green environmental stance.” To think less, is naive. The phrase “attention whore” fits.

I’d personally be excited about the current circus of “ISBU coverage” if it came off as being more “credible.” But, that means that the owner of the project has to actually realize their impact on the whole, instead of just basking in the “ME” spotlight. It’s not about ONE ISBU home, it’s about all of them to come.  As builders apparently giving birth to a new construction “baby”, we have a responsibility to see it safely off and standing on it’s own.

I toned down the post a LOT (something that I NEVER do) even though I was pretty pissed off,  to prevent “M” from having her feelings hurt. (I have a mother too…) I’m positive that she means well.

But, I’m known for calling them like I see them. Reread that disclaimer up there on the right. I’m sure the “middle finger” clause is in there…

I think I can speak for most of you when I say that most of my readership just wants to have a roof at the end of the day to hunker down under. The “celebrity” that has been recently rammed down our throats isn’t why most of my readers are wanting that ISBU in their yard.

I conducted a poll a while back, where I asked readers WHY they wanted to build an ISBU home. Know what the number ONE reason was? They wanted to live away from everyone else, secure in their home, with a defensible buffer. Self-sufficiency was number TWO. Being “Green and Sustainable” was number SIX.

Being “fashionable or “acclaimed” didn’t even make the top ten.

In fact, due to the lack of understanding by P&Z Nazis, you won’t see ISBU homes in your average neighborhood anytime soon.

Anyone who says otherwise is living on a different planet than most of America.

Sure, I’m guessing that the publicity is cool, at first. But, unless you have a huge need to have your ego massaged over and over again, it’s gotta get old after a while. And actually inviting people to come scrutinize your build is just absurd. Not only will it give your insurance agent a heart-attack, it’ll disrupt your workflow, and cause your workers distractions that will translate in elevated construction costs for you.

Entertaining the minions takes time. Dealing with “looky-lo’s” takes even longer. Having your worksite interrupted by people wanting answers, is expensive.  I urge all my people to close their worksites to the public until the job is complete. Cite “insurance matters,” or whatever, but keep them off the site. I don’t want the sanctity of my site violated by mini-vans filled with “Ma and Pa Kettle” getting in the way.

Then do one of two things;

(A) After the C/O, run one or two “press events,” if necessary, and invite the Realtors, et all… in… or;

(B) Point ALL inquiries back to the Architect or the Design/Builder. Let them handle the press, and deal with the minions.  Inspections by appointment only. The people responsible for the build are the best ones to deal with it’s “public face…” on THEIR time.  Otherwise, the client goes off and reinterprets the build, which only creates more confusion later.

(Which I often compare to asking a “sales rep” how something complicated actually “works…”)

Either way… After that, it’s; “Get the [expletive deleted] off my lawn. Period.”

Here’s something else that you might consider;

Most builds of this type finish higher (appraise higher) than they actually cost, if the team in control has any brains.  Making a big roar about your new house will bite you on the butt when it comes time for the tax appraiser to come in and place a value on it.

Whaaaa?

If that “really cool job”  is out there for everybody to talk about, and your worksite is surrounded by camera crews… you’re probably gonna get hit with a high appraisal. And that means you’ll be wasting a lot of time in front of your county commission, trying to talk sense into them, and bring it back down to reasonable levels. After all, you’re still going to pay property taxes, right? And as a the home owner, you’re the one who’ll be facing the town council, all by your onesies…

As to “first impressions…”

Although I encourage people to look to the positive, sometimes the scale appears to be “out of balance.” That’s not jealousy. It’s fear that another’s actions (implied or otherwise) may either prohibit you from doing what you want, or impact the way you wish to accomplish it in.

I was recently told, by “M’s” designer that;

“I think people who do not have experience in building see a budget of $150,000 and think that her “container house” will be extravagant. What people don’t realize is the cost of getting a site ready for a house which includes clearing the land, foundations, drilling a well, installing a septic system, getting electricity to the site. The actual amount of money being used to build and make the home livable is greatly reduced when you add the expense of all these things.”

That may be the experience that he suffers under, but readers of this blog don’t fall into that category at all. I go to great lengths to talk about how much has to be spent, to build a successful project. And, nearly every one of my projects are “off-grid,” or “near off-grid.” We understand what has to happen.

That’s the beauty of a “niche” blog, compared to a blog like “Treehugger.com.” You might SEE a Shipping Container house there, but on MY blog, we talk about how you actually DO it. And then… we put our money where our mouths are, and we produce.

He went on to say;

“I could try defend all the negative things people are saying but it’s not worth it. None of these people will ever get to meet her and that’s a shame. My wish for people is that they would take all the time and energy being used in criticizing and trying to bring others down and put that energy into a project. I think the world would be  a better place for everyone and those people would be much happier.”

My wish is that people see successful projects (without any “circus acts” or drama to act as a distraction, or an inhibitor to the next guy trying to build) and see it as another stone in the foundation of the “ISBU Home” future. But, I stopped trying to “dictate the actions” of others a long time ago. That weapon is firmly resting on the mantle, now. I don’t have enough hair remaining to pull out in frustration!

I want a house for every family, world peace, basic medical care for everyone, and an end to hunger, but I might as well go outside and spit into the wind… 

In conclusion, “M’s” designer told me that;

“There’s only a small percentage of people who are going to buy into living in a container house or working in a container office.  The container should be used as a model to explore the possibilities of using less and more efficient materials and systems to build.”

While it’s possible that used to be true in America, it’s not true globally at all, and it never has been. I’ve been participating in ISBU builds for decades, both here, and offshore. Out there across “the big water” people see them for exactly what they are; “high speed steel frames” that you build housing into.  And, as America goes through growing pains, it’s changing the way we look at housing too, if my email is any indication. I see hundreds of families looking for affordable housing that takes advantage of millions of steel boxes just laying around collecting dust. I hear from twenty families a week (A WEEK) who want me to help them build a home out of these boxes, so that they can be safe and comfortable. That means that the tide is turning.

More and more people are trying to figure out how to find affordable housing, as times get harder and harder. When I was doing this in the 70′s, we were “just those damned hippies.” Now, in the 21st century, all of a sudden, “we’re visionaries.” There are a million dormant containers parked on America’s shores. If we can find a way to soothe the “but Grandpa didn’t do it that way” ills, more people will find a home.

The same could be said for Rammed earth homes, straw-bale construction, “Little Houses,” and even Earthships, I suppose, but my way happens to be the one that I see work the most effectively, in many different environments.

It’s also my hope that the Stimulus Bill may actually have money in it for families to build with. It would put a lot of Americans back to work, and provide homes at the same time. I’m working with Congressman Taylor to figure out whether that potential exists.

I’m not trying to single out “some poor old lady,  because it’s an easy post. I have TONs of material. Hit the archives, folks. I have well over a hundred posts in the last year alone, and all of them have lots of content. “I don’t think that “M” is dancing like a “Trained Circus Bear” to drum up publicity for herself, and I’m not saying that she built this home simply to get the spotlight.

I’m just asking her to consider using that new fame a little bit more responsibly, to help other people trying to do what she’s done. It’s as simple as that.

But in the end, it’s her “pig in a prom dress,” and she can wear it any way she wants. This is, after all…

America!

And “M”…

I wish you all the success in the world, where your ISBU home in concerned. Just make sure it’s a success, huh? Contrary to what you might think, we’re pullin’ for ya!

• SHOW ME (and everybody else) that your project was more than just the media hype and “cable TV chicanery” that hungry reporters have seemingly turned it into
  

• SHOW ME that you’re in your home, happy, secure, safe, and full of resolve about what a great job you did! And then…

• SHOW ME that you’re gonna live a long happy life in that new home of yours!
  

So, that’s my last word on “the divine Miss M…” she’s on her own, in capable hands, and ‘Nuff said…

Stay tuned!

Pipe Dreams

Once upon a time…

As you no doubt know by now, my family is building a new home out of shipping containers, and other cast-off stuff. (I suppose the first clue was that blue box up there in the banner, huh?)

It’s a tale told with turmoil, torment, treachery, and even some triumphs, and we’re not through yet!  Along the way, we’ve picked up a few stragglers, and even managed to help some folks start building their homes, and get their feet planted firmly on the ground again. THAT is what this blog is all about. We want to help all of you, every single one! Why? Because we’re givers!

Actually, it’s probably because misery loves company, and it’s kinda lonely sometimes!  I mean, really… If we’re laughing at you, we’re not crying at “us!”

And trust me when I tell you that sometimes we’re not laughing “with” you, we are indeed laughing “at” you. You know who you are!

I received an email from a contractor that saw a little blurb I did, about building a “Roman Crane” out of a 20′ shipping container, a flatbed trailer, a couple of scrap hydraulic cylinders, and some scrap steel beams that we’d gotten from an aircraft hangar demolition.

Well, I dug out the original drawings, and even the detail photographs, and sent them off to him with a hearty “Good Luck… You’re gonna need it.”

Now, this contractor expressed his gratitude, and he swore up and down that he’d make it right by me, somehow. But, I just took it as “lip service” because we all know that contractors can’t be trusted!

I know this for a fact ‘cuz I used to be one!

Oh just stop it… I’m kidding. I like contractors just fine… But you have to marinate them a really long time… LOL!

Anyway, last week, I get a call from this guy;

“Remember me? Well, we followed your plans, to the “T!” And, it actually worked great! It worked so good that we got another contract, and we’ve inherited a service yard to work from, out by the Space Center!

Say, I’ve got 17 sections of concrete sewer pipe here, left over from a DOT highway build, I think. They’ve been here for a few years now. And, I bet you could use them for something, if you put your mind to it. After all, you’re a really smart guy!

Ya want ‘em? You can store them here until you need them, and we’ll even help you load them. I mean, it’s not like we don’t have a crane now!”

Now, the wheels immediately started spinning.

I recalled that I’d seen them used before in novel ways. In fact, I’ve even showed them to you once before. I was kinda caught in a “Deja Vu” moment there, on the phone… Wait… here’s another one, now!

I give you… The Das Park Hotel

Here’s some hotel rooms built from giant concrete sewage pipe segments!

Although this is a one-of-the-kind hotel, it has been designed from the outset to use worldwide standard concrete drainage or sewage pipe sections – so you could well see more of them in the future.

The idea of Andreas Strauss in 2004, the first rooms were provided in Linz. Now in nearby Ottensheim, rooms are accessed by a digital keypad, whose code is provided by the self service website upon booking acceptance.

The beauty of these pipes is that their concrete utilitarian look needs little alteration to make them habitable – a coat of varnish is all that is necessary.

The tubes have also have received wall paintings by the Austrian artist Thomas Latzel Ochoa to make them seem a little more user friendly.

Each tube weighs more than you can possibly imagine! In fact, they tip the scales at over  20,000 pounds…  So although some might be tempted to rock or vandalize them, they are incredibly robust and need little maintenance, provided you can keep those pesky miscreants with spray cans away from them.  But… that’s what dogs are for, I suppose.

More advanced lock and electronic keypad systems had to be fitted in 2007,  (to keep unauthorized users out) but the original concept is working very well.

Like cave hotels, Das Park Hotel is fairly cool in the summer, and perhaps still warm in winter, although at the moment the hotel is only open from May to October.

Rooms: Three double-room pipes

Once inside the pipes, the facilities are pretty basic, but they do have everything you’ll need to get a good nights sleep -  a double bed,  a lamp, a power strip so you can plug in that alarm clock,  a couple of blankets and even light cotton sleeping bags are provided.

But, if you’re one of those guys who has  to pee in the wee hours, you’re gonna have to hike for it. The toilet and (cold) showers are a couple of minutes walk away, with details provided on booking. Ignore the guy hiding in the bushes with the big knife and the hockey mask, he’s just waiting for his turn in the pipe!

The price is right, and we’re not talking about Drew Carey or Bob Barker here! Rooms are based on a donation basis only. There is no set pricing. Nada! Zip! Bupkiss!

Located in a lovely spot next to the Danube in Ottensheim municipal camping area the tubes have had a several seasons of use but are still clean and functional.

Hello? Concrete! After all, you can just hose them out, or even sandblast them from year to year, to get them ready for the next season!

The travel blurb says: “While there are many restaurants in the town square 15 minutes walk away, we particularly recommend the El Danubio campsite bar and it’s host Sergio, who will prepare excellent rib and fried potato dinners a minutes walk from your room. Details of places for breakfast, drinks and bathroom facilities are provided in the joining instructions.”

“Joining Instructions?” Ah… to stay in the pipe, you give  “a donation,” but to eat or pee, you have to join a “special club.” I see…” Hmmmm…

The campsite has beach volleyball courts, a kiddie paddling pool and nearby spots for swimming in the Danube.

Who could ask for more?

Well, from what I can see, the only things that they’re missing are a small Photovoltaic panel to power that lamp and the alarm clock, and maybe a nice little solar hot water heater system, to allow a little bathroom to get tucked in there! You know, like the ones they put into boats! They’re more like little closets, but they do the job! If you did that… (FEMA? Are you paying attention?) these could build dandy little emergency camps!  No formaldehyde here, folks!

You could put your relatives in there, and then slam that door shut! Hey it’s not like they’ve starve… You could drop food in, thru that skylight hole in the top!

Okay, maybe not. But it’s a fun thought…

But  you could put them in an RV park, or wilderness park even… The pipes, not the relatives… It gives one pause to think… I wonder if there is any “Stimulus Package money for projects like this? I mean, it’s green, and it’s housing, and it’s recycled…

Dear President Obama,

Like Martin Luther King… “I have a dream.”

Okay, it’s not as noble as Martin Luther’s but it’s a dream, none the less! Okay, it’s a “Pipe Dream!” Gimme a break, huh? What did you expect? I’m just a regular “Bubba!” I don’t “habla” Political Doublespeak… I don’t “sprechen Senatorial smack!” I don’t even comprehend “Congressional Stupidity.”

I was just thinkin’ since you’re givin all that money away (apparently to anybody with an empty wheelbarrow), that I could sure use some of it to build a place for my “in-laws” to stay when they decide to punish… um…er… visit me.

Now I promise I’ll “build green,” and even recycle. No trees will be harmed, and no fat cats will get one penny of this project “bailout.”  The only boost that they’ll get out of me…  is my bootprint on their behind.

Thank you for considering my request!

Respectfully… for now…

Ronin

PS. Hillary? Are you kidding? What were you thinking?

CC: Lawyers – so they can start preparing my defense…

BCC: Psychiatrist

I’ve got all kinds of ideas. This could get really interesting! And the bonus is that it’s gonna drive the Planning and Zoning guy absolutely nuts! LOL!

Stay tuned!

Do You Enjoy Our Articles and Features? Are you interested in helping a family that is helping others get back on THEIR feet? We could sure use the help, honest! Please Consider Making a Small, Secure Donation! Use our Paypal button!