The first step to preparing your shipping container home is its framing. Similar to how a chest needs ribs, a shipping container requires framing for support. Framing a container home does not require much effort, but you should know which material to use as it can greatly impact your overall house strength.

Types of Framing

You can use two methods to frame your shipping container home. They are known as wood framing or steel framing. They both come with their own pros and cons, which we will discuss in this article to help you decide which is better for your home.

Steel Framing

Steel framing is not as commonly used as wood framing, but its benefits make it worth considering. It provides more strength at a lower cost than wood framing in most cases. The advantages and disadvantages of steel framing are as follows.

Advantages

As mentioned before, steel frames are far stronger than wood frames, which increases the durability and resistance against harsh weather conditions. So it doesn’t matter if your house is hit by heavy rainfall or strong winds; it will stand firm on the ground without damaging its structure. Another benefit of using steel frames is that they are non-combustible, and on top of that, they do not attract fungus either.

Disadvantages

Steel can rust with time and are difficult to insulate, so you need to consider all these factors before opting for a steel frame. The quick movement of heat through steel makes insulation difficult.

Wood Framing

Wood framing is a choice of most people working with shipping container homes. Most construction workers are more familiar with woodwork than steel, so even if it has more problems to deal with, the workers are well aware of those problems. Following are the advantages and disadvantages of wood framing.

Advantages

Wood is a good insulator of heat. It acts as a heat barrier that allows a good stable temperature inside your house. Moreover, woodworkers can easily be found anywhere, so you don’t need to search every nook and corner for the right person to do the job.

Disadvantages

The biggest disadvantage of using wood is that it is susceptible to rot and insects. Any attack from insects can eat the whole wood slowly and gradually without you even noticing when the whole process started. Woods are also combustible, so keep this in mind before choosing them as your house frame.

Steel Vs Wood, Which is better?

We have discussed all the pros and cons of using steel and wood. Woods are heavier than steel but have a better insulating ability at the same time. Steel frames are more durable, but it isn’t easy to find architects or construction workers for them. 

Conclusion

Steel and wood are excellent for framing a shipping container home, so it is up to you how you want to design your house. We recommend using steel framing if you have expert workers. Otherwise, use wood framing.