The Challenge
Shipping containers are brilliant structural building blocks, but they come with a real insulation problem. Steel conducts heat and cold very efficiently, which is the last thing you want in a home. Without the right insulation, a container home becomes a tin oven in summer and an icebox in winter. Moisture is the other concern. Steel sweats, and condensation on the interior walls is a genuine risk without a proper vapour barrier in place.
David and Joyce wanted a warm, comfortable family home, not just an interesting one. Getting the insulation right was critical to making that happen.
The Solution
NZ Foam’s closed-cell spray polyurethane foam was chosen to insulate the interior of the containers. This is the same technology originally developed by NASA for the space shuttle programme, used to keep rocket fuel tanks at extreme temperatures. When you need insulation that truly performs, this is where it starts.
Spray foam was the right fit for this project for a few key reasons. It expands on application to completely fill and seal the inside of each container, leaving no gaps for cold air or moisture to get through. The closed-cell structure acts as a vapour barrier, preventing condensation from forming on the steel walls. It also adds rigidity to the container walls and will never sag, slump or lose performance over the life of the building, unlike traditional insulation products.
The Result
Two years after the show aired, David summed it up well: “The interior is actually a very dry environment. Power bills are very low for a large house.”
That says it all. A home built from raw steel containers, fully insulated with spray foam, performing exactly as it should. The open-plan layout the family envisioned from day one is everything they hoped for, and their kids are still riding bikes from one end of the house to the other.
It is a great example of what spray foam insulation makes possible in non-traditional builds. Container homes, architectural projects, unconventional structures of all kinds, the performance is the same. Warm, comfortable and built to last.