I’ll do it when they ain’t looking…

As we work and toil on projects spanning from “Coast to Coast” and beyond…

I’m going to take a minute to address something that’s come up a few times in the last 45 days.

So, off to the mail bag!

A “reader turned builder” says:

You’ll be pleased to know that our ISBU Fabrication and construction of our first 20′ High Cube “module” is underway.

However, I have a question;

We’ve elected to use sheetrock in the interior of the home. In part it’s because processing and priming OSB to use as interior sheathing is a real bear of you don’t have the patience for all those thin coats.

(Editors Note: Using OSB – Oriented Strand Board (or even plywood – like Birch, for example) instead of sheetrock does bring several benefits to home builders working with a really tight budget. But, it’s not without it’s “perils”.

Priming and painting OSB requires that you prepare it with thin coats of paint applied in direct sunlight to prevent the furry “blooming” you get as the OSB absorbs the moisture in the paint.

While some “debate” the use of this material, I find that it’s usually the people who have never even tried it that speak out the loudest.)

But I digress;

Our subcontractor wants to move our frame spacing to 24″ (from the 16″ on center that you specified) to save on material and labor.

He says that we can still use the same sheetrock (it’s already sitting here rarin’ to go!) to clad the interior, after he’s framed it out. 

Is this true, or should we be concerned?

Signed,

Babes in the Woods…

**

Dear Babes,

Your Framing Subcontractor is DEAD WRONG.

In days past, it was considered “traditional and conventional” to frame out homes using 16″ stud spacing.

It doesn’t matter if you’re building a “conventional home”, and ISBU Home, an Earthbag homes, or a Straw Bale home… this part of construction is all pretty much the same.

Once your stud framing was completed, your sheetrock guys showed up with a truck full of 1/2″ gypsum board (sheetrock) and completed your interiors in the traditional “screw/tape/mud/sand” process.

And if the crew knew what they were doing, it went pretty smoothly. There IS an art to hanging sheetrock.

However, in “the days we face”, where contractors are milking every job they can for maximum profit (usually not because they’re greedy, but because the industry is taking a pounding thanks to the economy) some compromises are starting to show up regularly.

One of the “new framing schemes”  is to move your studs out to 24″ OC (on center) and then sheetrock over them.

Fewer studs means a big savings in time and materials. If thought thru, this “reduced stud technique” will work structurally.

BUT… if you do that, you CANNOT use 1/2″ sheetrock to “span your gaps”.

That 24″ is a LONG way for 1/2″ sheetrock to span safely. Your wall performance is going to suffer dramatically.

When you increase the distance between the studs, you need to increase the thickness of the sheetrock to “gain back” what you just gave up.

That means that you need 5/8″ thick sheetrock now.

5/8″ sheetrock is over 50% stronger than 1/2″ sheetrock. That means that it won’t sag, flex, or fail due to pushing a material beyond it’s limits.

You already have your sheetrock sitting there. Unless he’s planning on replacing all your sheetrock with thicker material…

… tell your framing sub to shut up and keep framing… according to the plans he was given.

Otherwise, the sheetrock crew that will come in behind him will discover the pit he dug for them and he’ll probably get a few drywall screws embedded in his head.

If that doesn’t work, call me and I’ll straighten him out.

Note: No subcontractors were injured in the creation of this post.

However, one of them might be kinda pissed off, now that he has to to his job the way it was drawn.

I’m Dreaming of Soil and Steel!

Lately, I’m getting more and more distressed emails from families that are worried that the US is headed for the proverbial cliff.

As the media in America bombards us with images of “Doom and Gloom”, many American families are thinking about “The Great Depression” that many of their loved ones barely survived.

Many of these families believe that we are destined to repeat that difficult time, as America struggles under the weight of it’s own spending and stumbling created by what some see as a bureaucratic leadership crisis.

Here’s just one example of the email I’m getting; 

Dear Ronin,

More and more (as the “global village” gets smaller and smaller) we start seeing HOW others really live.

Information that used to take years to trickle out now moves at the speed of light!

As the stone foundation that used to be the economy in America gets pummeled into sand, some of us are starting to think more and more about what it’s like to live in “distressed areas during distressed times”.

Many of our families lack a safe home. The gap grows larger each day… as that canyon that separates us from a banking or lending institution that will even talk to us about a mortgage gets so wide that not even Robby Knievel can jump it on a Jet Bike…

AND if you can get a mortgage, do you really want one, in times where housing values are fluctuating up and down like a roller-coaster ride? It’s like playing Russian Roulette with a fully loaded revolver!

So, I ask you;

Are ISBUs really an answer? Really?

Signed,

Raindrops keep falling on my head

*

Dear “Soaking wet”,

Bill Gates (like him or hate him, he’s a smart guy) once said:

“Is the rich world aware of how four billion of the six billion live? If we were aware, we would want to help out, we’d want to get involved.”

America USED to be part of that “Rich World”.

But now… we (those “empty suits” in DC) can’t even seem to agree on a balanced budget (or even a debt ceiling) as America slips farther and farther into a debt picture that will chain our children and grandchildren for generations, while the “powers that be finger-point and saber-rattle” until the next elections.

Am I a bit jaded? Yes.

Look, it’s not the “rich” that will suffer. It’s the middle and lower class Americans who will bear the brunt of this economic calamity. At some point, the dam will burst and we’re all going to drown… in a sea of debt.

Face it, I’m sad to have to say that America is becoming a “second rate” nation. And we can’t blame anyone but ourselves.  And as that hole gets deeper, we as FAMILIES have to start thinking about ways to fill it back in, before it’s so deep that we can’t climb out.

One of the most important issues for a family is SUSTAINABLE SHELTER.

ISBUs, just like ANY alternative housing solution, are dependent on many things. Here are just a few of the things you must consider;

You need;

• Good solid design
• “Sustainability” programmed in from day one
• Reasonable materials costs
• Possession of the skillsets required to execute the designs successfully
• The ability to adapt to the sustainable lifestyle that these homes will foster
• The drive and dedication to complete the tasks successfully that will lead you to your goal.

But, back to singing the praises of ISBUs;

I left my cell phone in one of these... argh!

The strength of the ISBU is in it’s CORTEN STEEL shell and it’s ability to be used as a building block…

…a building “module”. It’s just a steel building block, like those Legos that you kids play with.

It’s weakness is in it’s requirement for a high performance insulation system to shelter it from heat gain and heat loss.

It’s METAL. Without insulation, it’s just like that oven you have in your kitchen.

That insulation program gets expensive, depending on the direction that you go.

Anyone that reads this blog (or my books) knows that I like SPF (Closed Cell Spray Foam) or Rigid PolyIso insulation boards.

Just spray and play! It's easy!

These types of insulation don’t rot, settle, decay or degrade like other common kinds of insulation do. You don’t need to be a “rocket scientist” to install them. In fact, it’s a pretty fast operation to insulate a container using these materials.

And once you put them into place, they stay there, working diligently…

… well, I’m hearing “Until He-double ‘L’ Freezes Over”… in the back of my head…

… but you won’t care, because your family will still be warm and comfortable.

While both of these foam insulation types perform terrifically, admittedly neither option is “cheap”.

You will have to “pay the piper” and then sit back as the insulation pays itself off in energy savings over time. This is called ROI (return on investment).

Say it with me:

R-O-I is G-O-O-D.

However…

That’s why all those schemes to “house the world’s poor” using a single ISBU Container won’t work. You simply can’t make a single High Cube Container cost-effective enough to house enough people  (unless you build GROUP homes using multiple containers).

For example – You don’t use one 20′ box (framed out and insulated on the inside) and expect it to house an entire  family – longterm.

No matter what you do to it, it’s just going to be “an expensive closet”.

By the time you acquire the ISBU container, transport it to the site, drop it onto your prepared foundation,  replace the existing flooring, frame and insulate it, and then provide electrical wiring and plumbing – you have no budget left to actually turn it into someone’s HOME.

On a “Cost per square foot” basis, it just doesn’t make any sense.

Sure, if you have $10,000 a pop to throw at these “homes”, you could do it. But who will pay for them?

CERTAINLY Not the future inhabitants! You might as well make that price tag a million dollars. It’s beyond the reach of most of these families.

We found that out the hard way, in Haiti.

And beyond expensive… it’s time consuming, it requires a “well-funded factory” (complete with tools, inventory, supply chains and logistical support – not to mention trained workers) and more importantly, it’s just folly, plain and simple.

The only way “that” type of program will work is if you establish additional community structures that house “common” kitchens, bathrooms, showers and laundry areas, to be shared by an entire villages inhabitants.

NOW you have something that is scalable, robust and easy to replicate. You can use the single ISBUs as secure SLEEPING and family areas without the requirement for dedicated bathroom or cooking spaces.

And, it’ll work cost-effectively when amortized out among the entire population.

Plus, it promotes social interaction and exchanges between the villagers, further bonding them together.

This model is already being used globally. Why reinvent the wheel?

But what if you really DO want a “stand-alone” solution?

Here at RR we’re working on a series of low-cost HYBRID homes that combine alternative building principles in their construction.

The idea is that you draw the strengths from your components while negating their weaknesses, by combining them with other elements that “fill that gap”.

The Corganix Home uses a solid steel ISBU core, to provide a “spine” to build off of, using earthbags and SIPs.

We’ve been talking about “The Corganix Project” for over a year now.

It’s been a long, hard struggle to make all the pieces fit together.

And, I can tell you that some of the biggest experts in Alternative housing and Alternative Home Systems are involved in it’s development.

What guys? Well… guys like Dr. Owen Geiger – who in my view (a view harbored by many others, I might add…) is “THE Earthbag Genius”.

About Corganix, Owen says:

“Outstanding design. The concept of combining earthbags and containers is a great idea. Hybrid designs like this that incorporate various ideas are often the most appropriate. And like I mentioned to you before, there’s no wasted space in this design, everything works perfectly.”

[Just to be clear, this is Alex’s design. He’s just been bouncing ideas off me.]

Editor’s Note: Just to be CLEARER – Without Owen Geiger’s help, this hybrid home would NOT be achievable. The man is the Earthbag GAWD – and only with his assistance and shared wisdom is this even possible.

This ISBU CORE contains the bathroom, the kitchen, a dining area (and even a ‘hidden’ double bed).

Yes, you could actually eat and sleep (and “other” stuff) in it, from day one. Shsssssh! It’s a secret!

And, yes… sleeping in it during construction would violate most U.S. Building Codes to do so, but…

Shipped with it are palletized poly bags (and even some of the basic earthbag tools that you’ll need) that will be filled with soil to create additional space AROUND the ISBU. And, we’ll even include rebar so that you can fortify those earthen walls that you create, further.

Think of it as “a monster of a weather resistant home in a kit”. And you USE “the box”  it’s shipped to you in, as part of your home construction.

The ISBU CORE will be shipped to you from an established RMF – a Regional Manufacturing Facility. We already have facilities in:

1. the Pacific Northwest,
2. the Midwest and,
3. the East Coast…

… lined up.  We’re in negotiations with a Texas facility now, to handle the “Dirty – Dirty…”

(Hey, it’s what they call the South now… I didn’t make it up…)

Once your “premanufactured” ISBU CORE arrives, you just do the “Christmas Came early – Happy Dance” and then simply drop that box onto your prepared foundation and make your connections to power and water.

People scream about a large chunk of their building budget being spent on “big ticket” guys like plumbers and electricians. Well…

Your plumber and electrician are going to be there for about an hour. MAX. Then, wave bye-bye to them as they get into their trucks. Once they’ve made the initial hook-ups, they’re no longer needed, at this stage. It’s ALL in the box.

Then, day by day, you start filling and stacking earthbags on both sides to form larger rooms. If you’re smart enough to add some of that rebar to your earthbag wall system, you end up with a steel reinforced wall that will thumb it’s nose at Mother Nature, every chance it gets.

(Will it be “hurricane PROOF?” NO. Anyone who says they are building “Hurricane Proof” housing is probably lying to you. BUT, I can tell you that this home will be FAR more “weather resistant” than the “stick or brick” home you’re probably sitting in now.)

And, it’ll go up fast.

With a couple of helpers (within about a week!) you can SEE the difference all that sweat and blood made, as your home starts to materialize, almost organically. A competent team can “grow” a wall segment a day, easy.

Hence the name; “CORGANIX”  — CORE – Organics… Get it?

Top those earthbags with an easy to construct concrete bond beam, and…

Once your walls are in place, you add the roof.

NOTE: You’re also going to add hurricane straps to further anchor that new roof to your walls. Easy-peasy!

And much like the roof systems I put on ISBU homes, (if I have anything to say about it) you’re going to use SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels).

A Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) is just an “insulation sandwich”. It’s a panel construction system consisting of foam (there are three basic types) insulation that gets laminated between sheets of structural sheathing – usually OSB (Oriented Strand Board).

Each SIP panel connects to the next, usually using wood splines, to create strong, durable, quickly erected roof systems. And, better still, it does it with common tools and common sense.

This “foam sandwich” panel forms a simple and amazingly strong insulated panel for building roofs, walls and floors for ISBU homes or even (gasp!) ISBU commercial buildings.

The strength of the SIP is in it’s ability to provide a fast, high-performance roof with very little labor involved. Depending on the roof profile, you won’t even need trusses or rafters, as the roof will carry itself.

A couple of guys can lift the average SIP panel and put it into position all by themselves.

Translation: You can roof a home like this in ONE DAY, easily.

Apply a durable roof surface over a waterproof membrane and you have a roof that will last for decades without any additional “honey-do” labor required.

Can you say SSMR (Standing Seam Metal Roofing)?

Combine SIPs with SSMR and you get an almost “bullet-proof” roof system that will go up fast and last for years. And, you can get almost any color you want! You don’t even have to paint it!

Um… before you ask – No, it WON’T clean out the gutters for you. You’ll still have to do that yourself.

Is there another, less expensive way to build a sturdy, weather resistant roof system?

Yes.

And if you follow this series, we’ll show you how to do it.

We already know that insulating ISBUs gets expensive. SO what if we reduce the area that requires insulation, by surrounding that box with something else?

Those  earthbag walls are simply going to create SPACE. Connected to the steel ISBU (and all it’s pre-existing electrical and plumbing) those Earth WALLS will insulate the structure for you.

And this solution is cheap! All it costs you is “SOIL and Sweat”…

(… and a few relatives and neighbors that you “suckered into toting that barge and lifting that bale”… no offense intended – with a reward of a cool beverage and some great BBQ at the end of the day!)

But… is all this REALLY affordable?

Yes. You can build a 500+ square foot Corganix home of your own – complete and ready to move into…

… for less than the average price of that car parked in your driveway.

That’s right… less than about $25,000 USD…

… in MOST parts of the US – providing that you use the “Three R’s” (Recycle, Repurpose and Reuse) and do a lot of the work yourself.

So, I urge you to think about making a list of the spaces you NEED and then I want you to measure them against a list of what you WANT. You may find that one list influences the other.

Then, start learning about HOW these homes work.

Because if you don’t understand it… you probably can’t build it. Capish?

A good start is Owen’s GREAT book on building earthbag walls.

To learn more about ISBU Housing you can get a copy of my book “Introduction to Container Homes and Buildings” (Just click the blue book in the upper right sidebar), email me or stay tuned.

And watch out for my NEW book – “The Nuts and Bolts of ISBU Buildings“... It’s coming SOON!

’till next time…

Image Credits: Money – Uncle Sam via Google Images

ISBU Pile – Google Images

Earthbag Building Guide – via Earthbag Building

Hide and Seek for Grown-Ups…

As I sit here at the CAD station merrily working on another “Steel Sanctuary”…

I’ve gotten a few emails from families lately that want to build using ISBUs…

That’s nothing new.

I get hundreds of emails from families that want to use ISBUs.

But these guys… these guys… want to hide all that glorious Corten Steel from the neighbors. And what’s worse (I’m spitting and tossing salt over my shoulder as I type this…) they want to insulate on the INSIDE of the boxes.

Okay, so I can’t reach thru the monitor and smack them… at least not yet… I’ll get Al Gore right on it… after all, he “invented the internet”… right?

One family suggested that perhaps they could use cargo pallets to “conceal the boxes”…

Okay, stranger things have happened.

IF you could find enough pallets, you could do something like this:

And, if that’s not enough…

If you really look at it, you can see HOW you could actually conceal all that Corten Goodness from those with an unsophisticated palate by implementing a scheme like this.

But could you live with yourself? Really?

I suspect that you’d go into Corten withdrawals and within no time, you’d be out there scratching at those pallets, trying to re-establish your connection with that box that gave it’s life protecting your family.

Shame on you…

Image Credits go to : Inhabitat.com

SIPs Plus Steel = Corten Goodness! :)

As rivers rise and workloads increase, I’m reaching into the mail bag again;

Recently, I was asked (again) about my choice of roof systems for an ISBU Home.

In fact, I get asked this question about 20 times a week.

It’s usually a two parter;

1. Do I REALLY NEED a roof? and then…
2. If so… what roof do you recommend?

YES, Virginia… YOU NEED A ROOF!

Even ARCHITECTS ask me this question. There are those who feel like the weather-resistant corten steel ISBU roof is suitable.

They’re WRONG.

First, in spite of what some may say;

That pretty corrugated steel up over your head ISN’T structural. It’s just part of the envelope built to hold boxes and keep them from flying out. Walmart wants their TVs in one piece… so their own dock handlers can break them!

Not really… I’m sure Walmart frowns on ” TV Bowling”… 

Put a couple of big guys up there on your ISBU “roof” and then tell them to jump up and down. Standing anywhere but underneath them… watch what happens to that steel.  I promise you that you’ll quickly see what I mean. You’ll end up with an ISBU top that looks like it barely survived a rocket attack.

It’s for this same reason that YOU CANNOT BURY AN ISBU CONTAINER without extensive modifications. The corrugated steel alone just isn’t going to do the job. Trust me on this one.

There are much better materials for use in accomplishing the “Peek-A-Boo” goal.

Okay, now that we’ve established that… again… but I’m not bitter because it seems no one is listening to me… mumble, grumble, snort…

If I can build a roof any way that I want to… It’s going to be SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels) based every single time.

Yes, you can build an entire house out of them… but it’s kinda pricey!

A SIP is just an insulation sandwich, made of OSB (Oriented Strand Board) and EPS,  XPS or Polyurethane  foam.

EPS foam SIPs will get you about r3.8 per inch on average.

XPS foam SIPs will bump you up to about r5 per inch of thickness.

Polyurethane is the big winner here (and the most expensive, granted) with r values in the high 6′s per inch of panel thickness.

Whatever flavor you choose them in… smash them all together and you have the base for the perfect roof system. It’s light, it’s strong and it’s easy to work with.

And you can get SIPs to cover virtually any roof you need to build, whether you’re in the Mohave Desert or Manitoba…

It’s all about “R values”…

SIP R-Values

R-value is defined as a measure of the capacity of a material – such as insulation – to resist heat flow. More is better. Increasing values indicates a greater insulative capacity.

The higher the R-value of a material, the greater its insulating capacity.

SIPs R-values range from approx. R-16 to R-57…

… depending upon the type of foam core and its thickness. Most industrial R-value testing is conducted at a mean temperature of 75 degrees.

And with SIPs – what you get – is what you KEEP.

SIPs don’t degrade, decay or rot. The OSB used as a sheath on both sides of that wonderful foam core doesn’t de-laminate like conventional plywood.

Note: You CAN MELT them, however.

SIPs will start to get “gooey” at sustained temperatures over 165 degrees. So, it’s important to note that you need an air gap between your SIP panel and that SSMR. That metal is like a hot skillet… and that foam is the egg it’ll be frying if you’re not careful.

Design accordingly.

And because they are rigid by their very nature (unlike fiberglass batt insulation),  the foam core in a SIP doesn’t sag, shift, settle or compress, or otherwise compromise the integrity of the original R-value rating.

R-Values for SIPs

EPS SIPs Thickness R-value 4-1/2″ 16 6-1/2″ 23 8-1/4″ 30 10-1/4″ 38 12-1/4″ 45

Polyurethane SIPs

Thickness	R-value
4-1/2″	26
5-1/2″	33
6-1/2″	40

XPS SIPs
Thickness	R-value
4-1/2″	19
6-1/2″	29
8-1/4″	37
10-1/4″	47
12-1/4″	57

Here’s where it gets good;

SIPs are basically “pop and drop”. Two guys can easily handle a 4×8 SIP panel. Even when dealing with really thick panels (like 12 inch ones), you’re averaging a little over a hundred thirty pounds per panel.

Want more SIP goodness?

Depending on how long your roof run is and how you use them… SIPs will support themselves without trusses or framing.  That saves materials and labor.

Top that with a waterproof membrane and a little air gap and then slap a Standing Seam Metal Roof on it… and you have a roof system that is rarin’ to go, even when the weather is rarin’ right down on you.

Are there other roof systems that will work?

Of course there are. However, if you want a system that’s easy to apply, really energy efficient, really low maintenance and achievable by your “idiot brother in law and his drunk friends”… this IS the way to go…

Or better still, hire a pro crew and let them do all the work. Contractors are starving for work right now. You may just find that they can accomplish your goals for less than you could. And, they’ll get the job done faster, safer and with less worry about falling off the roof and cracking your skull.

Until later…

Be safe.

War Wagon Wanted

Preferably “ALIVE” as we already have a dead one…

Radical Architecture CAME from dealing with crisis, hardships and hopelessness.

It was fueled and fertilized by those who said that we had to do things THEIR way, even when their way made no sense.

So, we started thinking “out of the box” and we started “pushing the boundaries”.

Along the way we encountered many like minded souls, people who knew that if they were going to succeed in facing the challenges of the time, they were going to have to do most of the work by themselves, using sweat and not paperwork shuffled about by bureaucrats.

These are OUR people, members of OUR tribe, hard working people who know that good things come to those who EARN them by investing in their own futures…

Many of you know that beyond helping families build their homes, we’re also doing all we can to help families in need. The tornadoes and river floodings have been brutal and our abilities are being taxed to the limits.

Well, one of the vehicles that we’ve been using to accomplish those goals has died a grim death (the motor has died beyond reasonable resurrection) and mechanics tell us that it simply isn’t worth repairing.

The weight of the loaded trailer being towed behind simply overwhelmed it and it finally died of old age…

So, we need a reasonably priced 4 door SUV or 4 door pickup truck, to be used as basic transportation and to haul goods and services up north.

It will be used to transport goods, provide assistance and transport people – primarily special needs people -  to aid (hospitals and aid centers), carry volunteers, supplies and anything else we can carry to crisis centers and construction/salvage centers.

Please note that I’m not talking “NEW”. I’m talking about a vehicle several years old, in good running condition and very reasonably priced.

Note: I’m not asking anyone to GIVE/Donate/Loan us a SUV or truck. While that would be cool, it’s not realistic. We’re simply looking for a reasonably affordable vehicle.

We’re not looking for “show ponies”, we’re looking for utility vehicles. As long as it is safe, runs reliably and has a decent interior, we’re good to go.

We’re paying for this vehicle out of our own pockets, so price is really an issue here.  If you have a vehicle that meets this description and are willing to let go of it inexpensively, well… you know what to do.

Anyone who has been reading this blog knows that for years, we’ve been helping as many people as we can. We want to continue that, in spite of the obstacles.

So, if any of you know of such an animal or have something suitable that you’d like to part with, please contact us ASAP.

Thanks.

You want to see The Nuts and Bolts of ISBU Building? Okay!

Introducing:

The Nuts and Bolts of ISBU Buildings!

Okay, after the release of my book - “Introduction to Container Homes and buildings” I received a ton of great reviews;

• Steve Spence from Green-trust.org says; “Alex Klein has been converting steel shipping containers into homes and shelters for quite a while. He’s got a great ebook on how to build your own home for about $40 / sq. ft. Info on insulating, combining units, roofing, and finishing. It’s great stuff. We have read it it and recommend it. It’s a great deal…”

• Jeanne from Punta Gorda, FL says; “I love your book. I can’t wait to have the opportunity to build my own “escape”.”

• Aaron T. from Atlanta, GA says; “I’ve just ordered your book and was totally gripped from cover to cover! What a great intro to a topic I’ve been interested in for as long as I can remember. I managed to finish reading the entire thing in an afternoon.”

• JJ from Sacramento, CA says; “I would love to build one of these dwellings for myself and have been very intrigued with the container models over “bricks & sticks” types of tiny houses.  Am so glad you are doing this and hope to see these models catch on in the US.  The possibilities are endless!”

• John U. from Quaker Hill, CT says; “Thanks Al. It’s a good read. It gives me hope.”

• Ryan R. from Milwaukee, WI says; First, got your book….LOVE IT! Worth every penny and more…hoping it will be the ground work for what will one day be my modest dream of making and living in my own house.  Looking forward to the full blown version…

• Vic C from Woodlands TX says;    “One very helpful source has been a fellow by the name of Alex Klein, the author of the blog “The Life and Times of a “Renaissance Ronin “.  Alex has literally written the book on container construction;
  

Introduction to Container Homes and Buildings…

Vic goes on to say; “… this e-book is a no-brainer purchase for anyone even remotely interested in building with Corten Steel boxes.”

Vic is the owner of Epic Software Group – and the driving force behind the design and construction of Epic Software’s  Creative Co-op Studios built using ISBUs!

• Craig M. from Florence, Ontario says; “Alex’s book “Introduction to Container Homes & Buildings” gave me the motivation to design something that I could do myself right now.  I really like how the book illustrates how putting hard work into planning can save the perspective home owner a sizable whack of cash on what we will end up spending on a dwelling. Quite an impressive book.”

• Robert C from Hemet, CA says; “Ronin, after seeing all the “almost impossible to afford or build” ISBU projects on some Architectural Sites, I’d almost given up! Your great book reaffirmed for me that I can build an ISBU  home out of Corten Steel for my family that will rival anything in my neighborhood and I can get rid of my banker and his outrageous mortgage at the same time. Bless You! You Sir… have a new disciple! Hoo Yah!”

• Doris L from Reno NV says; “Alex, Thank you for your great book! I’m not a builder, or even a technical person, I’m just a single mom. My dad bought your book for me. And your book taught me more about ISBUs in one evening (pouring through your terrific book from start to finish), than I’d learned going from “ISBU expert site to expert site” on the Internet in months. And you did it in plain English! I want an ISBU Home and I want you to help me build it! (I grew up on Dad’s farm, I can even weld!) And, now my dad wants an ISBU Home too! Thank You!”

And I have over a hundred more just like these in my “atta-boy!” folder…

Thanks for the praise and you’re all welcome! I am so pleased that I was able to  share the “Steel Insanity” with you!

The cool thing about writing this book is that I know it is going to plant seeds that are going to change lives of families GLOBALLY.

Many of you know that we’re working on “The ISBU Bible“…

It’s a book that will follow several different kinds of structural builds, using ISBUs, sometimes combined with other types of alternative materials.

Can you say “Earthbags and Strawbales?”

Can you say “CEBs” (Compressed Earth Bricks)?

I knew you could.

The ISBU Bible  will follow each build from “Pre-design” all the way through to completion, in a step by step – “Here’s what we did”.

It’s a work in progress and frankly I think it’s going to help standardize and educate the ISBU Building environment. And more importantly, it’s going to make it much easier for you to build your own ISBU Home.

Like most instructional books of this nature, “The ISBU Bible” is going to be more expensive. There are already literally hundreds of hours invested in this book as we get it ready for distribution. We anticipate that it’s going to be in the $85 to $100 dollar range, by the time we get it completed.

In the meantime – we’re all watching the horrors of the housing crisis, the hardships of the economy and the rampant unemployment that is taking its toll on our families.

Worst of all – We’re watching as the “Middle Class” slowly disappears.

And, we’re all seeing inflation slowly creep into the picture, to muddy the waters even further.

As a result of these factors, some of our “highlighted” builds are slowing, as we try to assist everyone that we can and so that families can try to catch their breath.

Things are getting bumpy out there!

We’re watching tornadoes and rivers slowly tear the South apart.

Due to the earthquakes in New Zealand, the Tsunami and Earthquake in Japan, the tornadoes in Alabama and Mississippi, the flooding of the Mississippi River, and now the tornadoes that tore Joplin, Missouri and the Oklahoma City, OK area apart) we’re spending much of our time trying to bring aid and comfort to families in need.

Many of them have lost everything, including hope.

We seek to restore that hope.

We are literally buried under the landslide of requests asking, pleading… for aid.

We are now working to help hundreds of families that need assistance.

And that means that we need to raise funds to help them.

I’ve decided to release a new book that will talk about HOW you actually connect ISBUs together into that Corten Castle that you crave!

1. We’ll talk about tool, materials and common sense applications.
2. We’ll talk about how to save time and money.
3. We’ll talk about “PRODUCTIVITY!”

“The Nuts and Bolts of ISBU Buildings“

…will cover the fabrication of an ISBU. It will illustrate HOW you actually transform an ISBU (a shipping container) into a Corten Steel clad home.

“The Nuts and Bolts of ISBU Building” WILL be released as an E-Book, in the same distribution manner as “Introduction to Container Homes and Buildings” is currently available.

That means that after the release date – you will have the book literally minutes after you make your purchase.

Books like this are time intensive, because they require the generation of CAD drawings and first rate photography.

So, this instructional manual on ISBU Building is going to be a little more expensive than “Introduction to Container Homes and Buildings“. However, we’re going to keep it affordable – aimed directly at the families that need it!

I assure you that it will be worth it!

But wait, there’s MORE:

As an added bonus – you’ll also be able to obtain all the detail drawings as CAD files and “sizable” detail illustrations – to import into your own plans, using most popular CAD software and word processing applications.

Keeping with our goal of keeping these instructional books affordable, we’re going to allow readers to reserve copies in advance at a sizable discount.

We’re going to start shipping in 60 days.

If you reserve your copy NOW, it’s only going to cost you $18.95.

AND it will include a 20% discount on the CAD drawings themselves, should you decide to purchase them.

You really want to think about this.

A lot of time and effort goes into producing these details. You don’t want to have to draw out each one yourself, or worse, pay someone else to do it. That cost would easily exceed the price of the book AND the CAD Disk.

Remember, these detail drawings will clearly spell out exactly HOW you will connect and fabricate your ISBUs as you create your Corten Castle.

And, they’re going to be the details that Planning and Zoning  officials (and any builders or contractors) want to see to prove that you KNOW how to build your ISBU home.

When we RELEASE “The Nuts and Bolts of ISBU Buildings” to the general public -  it’s going to be priced at $24.95, with the CAD Drawings Package becoming available for $49.95.

They’ll pay “full boat” with no donation credit.

You WILL be able to order the book and CAD files separately.

The SPECIAL RESERVE  prices are:

$18.95  – You’ll get “The Nuts and Bolts of ISBU Buildings” or…

$39.95  – for the CAD/Illustration and Drawings alone.

That’s a savings of $6.00 / $10.00  over the release price.

You can also RESERVE a COMBINED PACKAGE NOW.

$49.95 – The entire package – “The Nuts and Bolts of ISBU Buildings” AND the CAD DRAWINGS Package!

Note that you’ll save even more by ordering both of these together.

That’s a savings of almost $25.00 over the release price!

This IS a limited time offer. Seriously. It’s limited. L-I-M-I-T-E-D.

You’re helping families that desperately need it, and in return we want to help you too!

Seriously, in the same spirit as “Introduction to Container Homes and Buildings” -

ALL of the proceeds of “The Nuts and Bolts of ISBU Buildings” will go to helping families both build and rebuild their homes.

Get the information that you need NOW and help us help families in need at the same time!!

Reserve your copy of:

“The Nuts and Bolts of ISBU Buildings” now!

The button is on the top right side of the page. You can’t miss it!

As we help you, we help others. Thank you for helping THEM.

Welcome back my friends… to the show that never ends…

Please allow me to introduce myself;

I’m the “King of Corten”.

Wait, that’s not it…

I’m “a voice in the wilderness”, “a pariah in the re-purposed palace”, “a monk from the mountains”, “a soothsayer of Steel”, “that #%$@! being chased out of town by an unruly mob with burning brands and pitchforks”…

Look, I ain’t saying that “I’m too cool for school”. In fact, I don’t hang out in the coolest bars, party with movie stars, stand in club lines trying to look cool enough to bluff the doorman, or taint my brain with “bathtub chemistry”.

(Unless you count home-brewed beer!)

I’ve been called a “Rock Star of Radical Architecture.”

(Okay, so it was a drunk housing rep at a trade show, but he said it! People heard him and everything!)

I design and build homes that some call “unorthodox”…

But, I say they’re “near-sighted”. I call them affordable, sustainable, energy efficient homes and I help families build them in some of the most obscure places one can possibly imagine.

I’m not kidding. I’m talking about almost all the continents (NO Builds on Antarctica yet!) and enough countries to fill up your passport pages a few times. And I quite often build then out of materials that most people would toss in a dumpster.

In fact, I’ve even USED the dumpster as building material a few times.

In MY world, you’ll see everything from cast off steel boxes to bags filled with dirt.

Sometimes we even combine the two, to built impenetrable family fortresses!

My heroes aren’t guys like Batman.

They’re guys like Malcolm Wells (may he rest in peace), Owen Geiger , Michael Janzen, Laren Corie, and a few other “nomadic nobles” who seek “peace thru sustainable housing”… in spite of it’s apparent “political incorrectness”.

I’ve figured out long ago that the experts in “frontier  housing ” don’t live in glass skyscrapers harbored in big cities…

… they live in “the wilds” using their hands and hearts instead of pencils or CAD Pucks.

BTW: I’m not an “overnight success” unless “overnight” takes over thirty freakin’ years.

Nor am I a “building virgin” looking to “reinvent myself in troubled times”… I have literally hundreds of builds under my belt.

At least that’s what I tell my wife that bulge is…

I collect Harleys and old guitars, I’d probably have longer hair if I had hair at all (high humidity = shaved head) and I definitely prefer denim and cotton  to silk and polyester.

I collect wristwatches but I COVET tools. You can tell a lot about a man by his tools.

I write another blog, “The Life and Times of a Renaissance Ronin“, that preaches the gospel of using ISBUs (repurposed shipping containers) to build some of the most comfortable and sustainable housing on the planet.

My newest book – “Introductions to Container Homes and Buildings” is a journey…

… into “Alternative Building Practices, using recycled and repurposed materials”. Yes, I’m talking about Shipping Container Housing.

And now, I’m gonna start revealing the tips that contractors and architects have been using since building began… to help you save money, build stronger, and build safer.

In this “kick-off edition of Radical Architecture” I’m gonna talk about   “Architectural Foundations.”

In fact, the recent conversations we’ve been having about pilings and slabs on my other blog led me to this. Okay, it was “kicking and screaming” but still, here  am…

We talk about HOW to connect our homes to the ground. But, we don’t talk enough about WHY we should do it. Bear with me here, I’m going someplace…

Recently, a guy in Washington D.C. asked me WHY we should change.-

“After all, we’ve been doing it like this for over two hundred years, and it works just fine.”

He’s a well-known politician, with a big seat. I’m not talking about the size of his butt.  “Big Seat” as in he’s on a BIG committee.

I almost want to tear what’s left of my hair out.

• The Economy is in ruins – despite the white-washing by the media.
• Unemployment – (the real rate – you know – the one that factors in stuff like “lost jobs” – corporate realignments and restructures,  “left jobs”- jobs that will never return, people no longer in the workforce, people who work part time but WANT to work full time) is like… 16% conservatively. Even the experts admit it.
• Fuel prices are rising.
• Hyper Inflation is headed right at us and will hit us with both barrels.
• Education is suffering at levels that actually make me afraid of what and how my children will be taught.
• There are still large bodies of people with NO health care at all. Don’t even get me started on this.

And still, the guys and gals in Washington D.C. – breathing all that lobbyist fueled Olympian air (no doubt) still don’t get it.

At least, it doesn’t “feel” like they get it.

The country is paralyzed from the top to the bottom, from Washington DC to your own Town Hall.

And the affliction is easy to define:

“You cannot spend what you do not earn.”

Hello? It’s a lesson nobody ever taught Congress, apparently.

And look, don’t bail yet. This isn’t a “political rant. I’m getting tired of BOTH sides of the aisle. I’m heading this into a talk about sustainable housing, so just hang on.

Like any project, you just have to lay a solid foundation. Okay?

While we rot from top to bottom, we’re rotting from the inside out toward the edges? Yep. I said it.

Trying to figure out what I’m talking about?

I’m talking about waste production, misuse of materials, inefficient power systems, you name it.

At LEAST 45 percent of the world’s pollution comes from the way we build and maintain our buildings.

Anyone with a pulse can see that there has to be a  “common sense” based solution, one aimed at improving the way we do things.

And it all starts at HOME.

Why?

Because there are more homes built than any other kind of structure on the planet.

IMHO: You have to begin your home planning with the idea that you’re going to look from the beginning to the end of a structure’s life.

You need to design a home that will cradle you and provide room and comfort for all the “little cradles” to come. That means that you need comfortable housing that use less energy, require less maintenance, built from affordable materials that are recycled, re-used or re-purposed to suit your NEED.

And you need to consider how your home’s materials will be re-used when YOUR home no longer serves it’s purpose.

“Radical Architecture”, huh?

The idea is to close the loop on waste production. I want you to think about ways to insure that everything you use will cycle all the way thru, until ultimately, it’s just “gone”.

Zero Waste.

Take what you need and then use it ALL.

In nature, things live, die and then… fade away to become the building blocks for things to follow.

WE NEED TO DO THAT.

So I ask you this;

“Why can we NOT simply redefine the way we do things?”

“Why can’t changing HOW we do things change our way of life for the  better?”

Because the guys in those big chairs perched high on Mount Olympus haven’t figured out a way to profit from it, that’s why.

People will scream that it “just isn’t fair.”

I know they will. I’m one of them.

This IS about fairness. If you attended Civics Class in High School, you know that the forefathers thought that we may have been “designed” equal, but we certainly weren’t “born” that way.

It’s time to remind people that being “born with privilege” IS a privilege.

It’s time to level the playing field.

ALL families deserve to have a home.

I’ve said it before, in fact so many times I should be wearing it as a freakin’ tattoo.

But what does this actually translate into?

Here’s what I think has to happen;

Keep in mind what I’ve already said about affordable and sustainable building (Zero Waste, Proper Planning, et all). We have to establish SOME kind of baseline.

All projects need a starting point.  So, how about this;

(And… also keep in mind that I’m going to talk about “ground Zero MAINSTREAM Baselines”. If you’re lucky enough to have already surpassed this, God Bless You!)

We need to develop plans to allow families to buy lots to provide MAINSTREAM housing.

(I reiterate MAINSTREAM because politicians and bureaucrats are seemingly slow to evolve. In later posts, I’ll talk about my REAL love… Alternative Housing Construction Practices. People out there are doing some things that would just amaze you…)

But I digress…

Look, folks; In Middle-America, when things get hard… the Cavalry probably isn’t coming. IF they do show up, it’ll be to get in your way, or to tax your progress.   Mark my words. If we are to rebuild this Republic, we need it do it one community at at time.

By ourselves. Otherwise… you get FEMA.

I’ve seen how FEMA works.

No Thank You.

So, how do we do this?

Owning your own home is good for the community. It increased local revenues by adding to the tax base. It provides families that will help sustain local economies and it’ll create jobs.

I fully realize that land is getting more and more expensive. after all, they aren’t making any more of it.

So let’s start with Golden Rule #1;

Get what you actually “need” and not necessarily what you “want”.

NEED and WANT are two different animals and they rarely live together in the same pen.

Housing costs should be kept affordable. In my book, that means $150,000 or less. Shopped a home loan recently? A $150k mortgage will cost you about $900 a month.

(Assuming the following:  You have “decent” credit, you put down 10%, you use today’s average rate of about 4.8% – corrected, your property tax will run approx. 1.25% and your PMI will run .5%.)

The lots will be narrow and deep.

That way, land will “go farther” and support more families. New Orleans is a good example of this, as are several other places. Most of us live in cities that have “Row House Districts”. Baltimore, Philly, San Francisco, you name it.

Consider raising houses off the ground for these reasons;

(A) to allow you to actually park and store possessions UNDER them, thus reducing your footprint requirement, and…

(B) Site preparation is MUCH cheaper when you use pilings as your foundation.

(C) to help deal with natural disasters like flooding.

A home set on 8′ pilings made of 2′ diameter concrete and steel will take quite a bashing before it fails.

It’s for this last reason that you should also include some kind of exit point to the roof. I lived thru Hurricane Katrina as did many others. I  cannot tell you how many times I watched the media coverage display people standing on their roofs waiting for rescue.

The less fortunate were trapped inside their attics with no way out… and they drowned.

Consider also that this “escape hatch” could also be used a vent to exhaust hot air from your house to help aid cooling.

(And kindly resist the urge to comment with “hot air” jokes… I get enough of them from my wife. Okay?)

Now let’s factor in “Sustainability”.

An insulated house is a happy house.

A super insulated house is um… well, it’s like the difference between kissing your sister or the Prom Queen.

The kiss is still the same… basically… but one is just more pleasurable than the other.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go kiss your sister… you’ll figure it out. 

A super-insulated house will require less heat and air conditioning to maintain the temperature within it. That means that you’ll spend a little more in the beginning, but for the rest of your life, you’ll spend MUCH less.

You don’t just have to go along with the rest of the sheep. You can use Geothermal energy to create heat, Solar Power to warm water, and Photovoltaic panels (PVs) to produce electricity for your home.

There are PV systems available off the shelf that will lower your homes electricity costs by 75% without you having to be, or employ a rocket scientist to figure it all out. (Yes, you will still need an electrician…)

Don’t believe me? Go to Green-Trust.org. Steve Spence is about as bright as it gets in the PV arena. In fact, I’ve enlisted (strong-armed, arm-twisted, insert your own adjective here) him to assist in the design of the PV system for my own home.

Go a little further with this PV stuff and you’ll produce enough power for your family, plus some extra for the families along the way. After all, you’re probably all gonna be connected to the grid.

But, is it possible to build a “light and airy” row-house that is comfortable and achieves the goals we’ve talked about for $150K?

Yes. Absolutely.

And by using ISBUs, we can build homes that most people just don’t believe possible, for even less.

And we can do it up North, Down South and even… gasp… in the West.

Stay tuned as we explore some of the “way and means” of  how ISBUs can accommodate these goals.

(Did ya get it? Did ya see what  I did there? I started out talking about this big “hot shot committee politician”  and then I close the post with “Ways and Means?”)

Sometimes I just crack myself up!