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"It’s definitely unsafe to use the old ones, they’re really the unknown. I wouldn’t touch them with a ten-foot pole. Used shipping containers can have high levels of chemical residue – they are coated in lead-based paint to withstand ocean spray.”
Jamie van Tongeren (CEO of Container Build Group in Australia) on purchasing old shipping containers for residential use.
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Key Takeaway: Like with any home, there are certain safety precautions you need to take. Used shipping containers are often coated with harmful chemicals, and their wooden floors treated with pesticides. Sandblast the container and take out the wooden floors, and you have nothing to worry about. To ensure your family’s safety once you have moved into your new shipping container home, make sure your container is built on a solid foundation, and fire extinguishers, proper locks and electrical wiring are all in place and function well.
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When considering your new home, it is a must to consider the safety of the location, structure, design, materials, and other components. After all, you will be spending a lot of time within the walls of your home, so it should be able to provide you with a secure and protected space for your personal activities. A home is an investment, so safety is one of the top priorities for any homemaker.
There has been much discussion about the safety and integrity of shipping containers repurposed as living spaces. We already briefly touched upon that earlier in this book. Because it is a fairly new concept, there are still many misconceptions regarding these residential units. If you are seriously considering whether shipping container homes are right for you, you must look into the facts and find out exactly what you are getting yourself into.
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