Architect w/ container home design experience

[kalakoa]

How theft proof are they

"Not very."

[Vic]

lol I should have read the rest of the thread before asking

Cant wait to live in Puna!

[MarkP]

Not very theft proof but literally better than anything else.

[Rob Tucker]

I remember an instance where a property owner installed steel gate posts and a heavy chain at the property entry.

The thieves stole the heavy chain.

[Luke Duke]

John, I am sorry that my question brought such mean spirited comments to you. You did not deserve such treatment.

[terracore]

"How theft proof are they".

We locked ours with one of these: http://equipmentlock.com/hdcdl_home.asp thinking it would be better than a padlock.

The thieves used bolt cutters to snip the four corners which weakened the geometry enough that they were able to attach a chain to a vehicle and the lock and pull it, bending enough they were able to get it off.

The neighbors also had their container broken into. They had a similar lock, though slightly less heavy duty. They also had the doors secured with fancy expensive padlocks made with a special hardened steel that resists bolt cutters, so the thieves just snipped the container hardware the locks were affixed to.

Our container was mostly full of junk, because we had already moved here to a different property and removed everything we wanted to keep. The most valuable things they made off with were a $15 machete and a case of water. The most expensive thing we lost was the lock on the container.

In order to get to our container they had to cut a snip-resistant lock on our gate.

I spoke to the neighbor who was trying to find "a better way to secure" their container and I warned them against it, if you make it TOO hard to get inside they will just cut through the side of the container with a grinder. They decided to have somebody live on their property instead and haven't had any problems since.

Oddly enough the only lock the thieves couldn't circumvent was a bicycle cable style lock that was securing the neighbor's gate, so they pushed the set-in-concrete post over with their vehicle.

In container yards with 8' chain link fence topped with razor wire, security lights, and roving security patrols they park the containers with the doors facing each other so at the minimum a forklift has to be operated to access the contents... and stuff still gets stolen.

ETA: I saw a video of The Worlds Strongest Padlock, quite the theft deterrent beast and at several hundred dollars no small investment... being snipped with a battery-powered (was Makita style coloring but not sure of manufacturer) rebar cutter.

Explosives bunkers and your finer vehicle gates have the locks up inside of hardened steel tubes that make it really hard to install or remove the lock, but also you can't get to the lock with any type of cutter or blow torch. They have retro kits for shipping containers that can be installed but then you're back to square one with them making their own door with a grinder.

[mitchie777]

You're welcome to view my home in HAwaiian Beaches. 4 containers, 1,640sq ft. Contact me at mitchie777@mac.com

Mitchell C Hale

[TJRETO]

quote:

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Originally posted by Luke Duke

Thank you Tada and Terracore.

My interest in a container home is two-fold. First, I want a vacation home on the Big Island and my spouse loves the idea of a container home. It's a compromise of sorts. Second, I want a house that can be locked down when we are on the mainland. I could be wrong, but it seems like an all metal structure might allow for this.

We are currently selling a house and when that is done I will call JM3.

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[TJRETO]

If it is security you want, get good neighbors. Battery powered drills and saws are very powerful nowadays and WILL cut thru the metal like a stick of butter. I know you don't want to hear this but its true. Locks and such only work with honest people. If you do decide on a container, I would get a "high cube" which is 9" high so as you may put ceiling fans in. I have looked into putting one on our lot in HPP, but my wife is not fond of them. If I did have one, I would elevate it to allow access for maintenance and repairs, and put a nice big overhanging roof over it so as to keep the rust @ bay. I would also use brand new containers ALL of the EXACT same type. Good luck waiting for county permit. I would also STay on the propery if alot of high value material is delivered @ once as there is alot of thieving going on. In a few years I know we will being coping with these potential problems when we move. PS I know I am late in reply but usually not the plugged in type. Hope these tidbits help YINZ

[Luke Duke]

As a result of these posts and other resources, I think I got the idea of a container home out of my system. I am back to thinking about an IFC or AAC house. I recall a couple of years back someone posting that such a home, turnkey, might run ~$150/sf. That would include permits, good finishes, and design. With inflation, what are we talking about for 2017?