Crawl Space Mold and Storage structures

Most cargo containers are $800-1000 at the docks at most for a decent

40' unit. Every bit more is simply the middle mens piece of the pie.

Im wondering if you have a truck broker in your area who might be able to get a load inside of a (your) cargo container headed in your direction,which means he gets to keep any profits and you get free transportation to your residence?

Personally..since winter time is on the horizon...Id have to say that a metal storage shed (if the cargo container is off the table) is probably your best bet..a 10x10 or 10x12..but that being said...often times you can find those sheds at the local Home Despot etc etc..a damaged shed for far far less money than one would think. Scratches, dinged panels etc.

On the third hand...how much can you build one using minimal 2x4s and chip board? All you need is a "shelter" able to withstand the coming winter? Or long term storage? If simply a winter cover...then a layer of pallets and 2-3 layers of blue tarps properly laid on top of each other should get you through the winter.

and have you considered looking for a older 18 wheeler trailer that might be purchased cheaply? Many of the older ones can be had for $500 or less. However..they do sit rather high on the tires and jack..so it may be higher than you can utilize. The jack and tires can be removed along with the axle...but..you really need a crane or big forklift to do it.

Gunner

I am the Sword of my Family and the Shield of my Nation. If sent, I will crush everything you have built, burn everything you love, and kill every one of you. (Hebrew quote)

I've got a 20 footer, and it really does make a decent storage shed.

Check out the prefab steel carports . Just had one set up yesterday , under 800 bucks - but I didn't get the ends closed or sides all the way down . Probably another grand for completely enclosed . But I've got a 12 X 21 X

9' (at the ridge) space that can be disassembled and moved if I want to . Can be set up on bare level ground or on a slab . Carports and more ( is who I got mine from . Call 877-275-7048 and ask for Sera . Tell her Mr Coombs "mostly BS" in Memphis Tn. sent ya .

A friend of mine in LoCal had a little printing press set up in his

20-footer. It was just fine once he got the little 5,000btu a/c wall unit installed.

They cost $4,500 around here, the ripoffs.

-- Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed. -- Storm Jameson

I bought an old 18 wheeler trailer for $700 delivered. Took five RR ties and a pile of dirt to ramp up to the back. Main advantage of this is easy to sell for same price when you're done.

At least in this part of the country shipping containers are rare.

karl

There ya go!

Gunner

I am the Sword of my Family and the Shield of my Nation. If sent, I will crush everything you have built, burn everything you love, and kill every one of you. (Hebrew quote)

You might be able to find a large semi trailer for next to nothing, basically the cost to move it. I bought one for $300 a few years ago. Another, smaller option would be to buy a box from an old box truck. The roll-up doors are usually rough, but workable.

The local Mayflower Van Lines moving company has a pile of 8' * 8' *

8' plywood boxes for $80. They are knocked down, and will fit in the bed of a full sized pickup truck.

To remove the floor, I need some storage space to get stuff out of the house. I found a camper shell that fits my F-350 for $25, sounds like I may be able to use the truck for some storage area. Also looking for a bargain camper shell for the Ford Ranger, a little cheap storage space plus maybe better gas mileage sounds like a winner.

I'm looking for ideas for some more storage area that's cheap. I guess my cheapest idea is to buy one of the $300-$400 metal buildings and possibly build it on a wood floor with skids like a mini-storage building. I could just rent but I need storage space anyways, most of what we will move out of the house won't be coming back in.

I got pricing on shipping containers, the delivered price of an

8X8X40 container is $3050, or $100 more for a tall one. That is a reasonable option but I would prefer not to spend $3k right now because of the money I'll be spending on the renovation.

Any ideas for the most economical storage structures? Steel Vs. Wood cost per sq. ft. ?

Thanks!

RogerN

Hey Roger,

Not of any help to you exactly, but about a week ago I went to an on-site auction about 20 miles from here that started at 9:30 AM. Towards the very end of the auction, 14 hours later at (11:30PM), a "mobile home" as a pretty decent 36 foot construction-office-use trailer on good rubber went for $25 (YES!!!...TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS!!!) plus the standard fees and taxes brought it to about $32.50, albeit Canadian. Even so, that's only about $31.50 US. Hell of a deal. Wish I'd had room for it !!!

As it seems that you haven't fallen through the floor yet, maybe take some time to look at a few of the suggestions and auctions near you before you commit your bucks.

A bit expensive, but I rented a good 53 foot highway trailer with all my shop stuff in it before I moved here 7 years ago. Took me a month to load it, and 4 months parked in the yard here while I got a shop built, and un-loaded it. Something like $250 a month plus $60 per hour for delivery and pick-up, so total was over $1500, but worth it.

Take care. Good Luck.

Brian Lawson, Bothwell, Ontario.

The quotes I got was $450 for shipping truck load and on one truck load I could get up to 2ea of the 20 footers for $2200 each, the 40' was $2600, and a 40' 8'W X 9' high is $2700. The worst thing about the big ones is I don't think they can put it where I prefer without using a crane or big forklift. It's possible I could get it on the ground and pay a neighbor farmer to move it with a big tractor.

Right now I'm not at the best point for spending money, I have some stuff around here that I plan to sell but need to do a little work on first. Perhaps I should load the truck and take a few loads to a rental storage unit for a few months, but I hate to make monthly rental payments when I could make the same payment to buy something. It's looking like for the immediate need, a small metal storage shed for $300 or so might be the best alternative, or even the plastic tarp carport deals. I had one of those metal frame carports once before and it was great until we had a bad wind storm, should have tied it down with mobile home anchors.

RogerN

I don't think I paid anywhere near that for mine. I'm thinking it was around 2 pressure washed and painted. My dad bought one earlier this year. I could ask him what he paid. He just bought his as it was.

That's about right in the metro NY/NJ area, a drive down the NJ Turnpike will tell you why:-) I imagine it must be a lot higher for places that are not near major shipping destinations.

Consider the quality of the space, too. Storage that's not tight storage becomes a way to convert stored items into mouse-nests (or structures around which mouse-nests are built with imported materials) and future cleanup problems, etc....

If you have the time, the cheapest good solution (IME) is to level up some PT skids and build a wooden shed on them, using OSB and framing. Or several sheds, depending on what you want to do with them later (ie, sheds set in a square that you could later add rafters and more roof to to have a shop, etc...)

Metal buildings such as the carport mentioned or quonset-hut "barns" are "cheapest" but can be costly by the time you make them as useable as a wood building is as built (insulated so they don't drip, etc). If termites are a problem, may be better than wood.

If not restricted by zoning and not in a heavy snow area where unheated ones collapse when it snows, for truly temporary use a greenhouse (steel hoops, doubled, inflated plastic cover may actually be cheaper than the steel buildings, and has great light during daytime.

A "kit garage" may fit in here somewhere - pour a slab and slap it up.

If (and they don't seem to be given the price you mention) containers are cheap, they can make sense - but they are also rather narrow for getting things not right at the back, or you waste a lot of their internal space on a path so you can. As others have mentioned, if you don't find cheap containers, look for cheap tractor-trailer trailers - same difference except they have wheels attached, not as an add on.

Every time I think about turning down (several times) 20 and 40' containers for $100 (once includind delivery!), I wince and curse that I didn't opt for at least one of them.

Sest lavvy, wot?

-- Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed. -- Storm Jameson

That's a great idea. Around here they go for free, matter of fact some people even pay you to come get their old mobile homes. A local guy takes them apart all the time for scrap and never pays a dime.

Oh, bleach and low humidity for the mold.

SW

I had a friend - moved and out of touch - that had two Ocean units delivered and lifted with a rented crane onto the pre-laid concrete foundations that once they were mounted, they were good to roll a loaded 2 wheeler loaded with product.

He used one for raw product and the other of finished product. The shop was water proof and a simple walk in.

He was the type to have cannon barrel (almost) lathes for big jobs. Mostly diameter not length.

Martin

Martin H. Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net "Our Republic and the Press will Rise or Fall Together": Joseph Pulitzer TSRA: Endowed; NRA LOH & Patron Member, Golden Eagle, Patriot's Medal. NRA Second Amendment Task Force Originator & Charter Founder IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member.

How much is a 20' trailer rental? They can be put on a standard flatbed trailer and pulled off with a chain. They are tough and you are not going to bend or break ones back pulling the trailer out from under it.

Got a friend with a flatbed trailer? Backhoe trailer pulls a 20 footer just fine. Bring chain or better yet, buy $40 worth of 2" flat straps from Home Despot.

Figure the cheapest way you can get a box on your property. 18 wheeler trailer, Seatrain container (conex) etc etc and then compare it with your labor for boxing shit up and hauling it off to paid storage for 6 months.

Sometimes biting the bullet or doing as I do..finding work arounds..is far better than digging out the wallet. As someone mentioned..an older

18wheeler trailer can often be resold for nearly what you paid for it..and they would be a quick, fast and easy resolution for your storage needs . Im a BIG believer in cargo containers for storage around the homestead. Cheaper than building a storage building too if you do some outside the box thinking

Gunner

I am the Sword of my Family and the Shield of my Nation. If sent, I will crush everything you have built, burn everything you love, and kill every one of you. (Hebrew quote)