Installing Foam Board Insulation in the Shipping Container Battery Shed
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- Опубликовано: 4 май 2020
- After debating for quite a while, I ended up deciding to line the inside of the shipping container with 2-inch foam board. I tried my best to make a quality video here, but filming reflective board is a bit difficult.
WARNING: Lithium batteries are dangerous and can result in fire! This video is NOT intended to be instructional or a "how-to" lesson. I am not a professional. Do not attempt anything you see here without first contacting a certified and/or licensed professional.
Thanks to DavidPoz for answering my 500 questions
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Good job with the wood braces to keep it up there while it dries.
Thanks! And also for helping with all of my questions.
There are a lot of comments on putting the insulation outside. When insulating a shipping container you must have the insulation 100% inside OR 100% outside. When installing it inside it's a good idea to cover the foam with drywall or cement board. When installing it outside you need siding, roofing, and foundation that is thermally broken. I can only expect exterior insulation ends up costing at least 10x as much as interior. This approach of the interior insulation is faster, simpler, and less costly.
I was planning to use 1/2" plywood for the walls. Do you think that's a bad idea? I could use drywall but don't think that would provide good enough support to screw things to. I could put 1/4" cement board on top of the plywood for a non-combustible surface where I plan to mount things like the MPPT controllers?
@@LithiumSolar Hi, No, it's not a bad idea. I would use plywood too. I'm mentioning the drywall or cement board because the devices (inverters/chargers) are supposed to be mounted to non-combustible material. But whatever you want to do is cool. You just seemed like a stickler for wire gauge and fuse type, so I was making an assumption you would be a stickler for following the manufacturer installation manual.
why does it have to put either 100 % inside or 100% outside on shipping container? I'm thinking of putting 1 inch rigid foam inside on the ceiling (winter is here, and woodstove needs some insulation to keep me warm in shipping container asap ), and once my saw mill gets going and I saw wood planks for siding (hopefully by spring) - I'll install 2 inch rigid foam on outside walls and 1 inch on the roof from outside, with wood siding protecting the inch rigid foam.
Thermal bridging. The steel of the shipping container will conduct heat out of the building. 100% of the steel container needs to be inside our outside. If even a tiny % of steel can jump from inside to outside, it will conduct the heat away from the interior. @@robertjanez7467
Love the sea can container conversion. Going to do the same in the spring. Please keep the videos coming.
Looks good, glad you uploaded it. Thanks
I have a metal shed and this helps a lot. I used to think only wooden sheds can be insulated due to the structural frame in the interior of wooden sheds. This is way cheaper than buying a 2000+ dollar wooden shed and insulating that after.
I'm glad you uploaded this video because I got a similar idea to put half inch foam board on my wooden shed on the roof rafters 2 by 4 I was just going to use drywall screws to attach and maybe some flashing.
If it goes well I could put it on the inside walls. And thanks for the tip about this special cement that is for foam board. I did not know that!
great job man. I would also shade the container and keep it away from direct sunlight.
Good choice. Polyisocyanurate foam is combustable but self-extinguishing in the absence of an ignition source. Also, 2" has an R-Value of 13!
For anyone considering these in the future (when the cost quadruples again...) look for a "high cube" or high boy mentioned in other comments. They give you 1' higher clearance which makes a big difference. I like the foam board, glad you put out the video. One other point on the aluminum foil wrap.. I found that "radiant barriers" only work when you have a gap.. does not have to be large, and half of your walls will be gapped by the wall shape anyhow. Not sure it would be worth doing in this case but I hear it makes a big difference on roofing. Thanks again!
I’ve heard of gaps being an issue and crating warm air pockets which basically serve no purpose of the insulation. There are companies that makes foam sleeves to fill this void. I’m sure it’s worth looking into but I can imagine is probably pricey too.
Standard containers are 8 feet, 6 inches high on the outside, with a corresponding interior dimension of 7 feet, 10 inches. A high cube container is one foot taller, so it has an exterior height of 9 feet, 6 inches, and an interior dimension of 8 feet, 10 inches.Dec 18, 2021
@@smithbarnes2090 Yeah I was gonna say mine are 8 feet high. That dude must be a GIANT. My vids prove giants to be real also btw.... :-P
So how would you put the foam boards up with a gap?
Would love to see the rest of the insulation being put in and how you do it. :)
Go easy with the dust, it's in my living room. Lol
Great content, like seeing you work, just the dust..
🇭🇲💘
Good idea, thank you. Been several months how is the insulation holding up?
This is great thank you for sharing!
looks good. is height an issue for you? will you be able to glue wood panels to those boards.
Thanks glad you did make the video😊
Do you need an air gap between the foam board and the metal?
I find a manual pull saw work works great on foam board. Just as clean and fast as your saws-all type. I just use a cheap Harbor Freight one.
My saws-all is from Harbor Freight as well ;)
Super job.
Nice Job good info
Good job👍👍
Oh no! You needed a high ceiling container! Thanks for the great video!
Yeah, problem is they're longer too, not just higher.
@@LithiumSolar - I know, but you're a tall one! LOL! As a short woman (5'4"), as soon as I saw you in that container I started to cringe because I knew after you added your insulation to the ceiling and floor, things might get pretty uncomfortable for you. A high ceiling container is taller and longer, but it gives you good space for your height so you can work in the space comfortably! Maybe it might have been too much space for your needs.
Thanks for the the introduction regarding insulation of the Cabin. May I ask, why not do the heavy insulation out side the cabin with wooden lining? What you need is maximum volume inside the Cabin. After the outside insulation is finished, you can have lighter insulation inside the Cabin. This way you don’t crouch , as you enter and for maintenance work. The inner wall then, can be lined with, wooden planks. But in any case the cabin will heat up, if you don’t have ventilators. You MUST have exhaust ventilation. The batteries will produce gas that are inflammable, during charging process, though not as enormous as PbSo4 composition.
I’m curiously watching. Wishing you all the luck. Stay safe.
73s
outside insulation would be more trouble AND would have to have wood or something to protect the insulation from the weather.
if ventilation becomes a problem he probably could use a dryer vent for a house and it should be decently resistant to rain coming in but that could be a problem if it floods frequently where he is but he could also do a solution by using the space below where the fork lifts go but also could be a problem if it floods but i have seen a guy use a rv air conditioner for his batt storage container.
@@flyingdiscproductionsSo you would just leave the outside wall metal exposed? Can you apply foil back foamboard to outside metal, then 1/2" plywood, then vertical vinyl siding?
@@michaelhouy1382 I have seen much metal siding on buildings in my day.
The process of building a shipping container home, studio or storage shed always puzzled me. Here in Florida 1 40 foot high cube used shipping container runs between $2500and $3000. Then there is transportation and set up on its foundation. so maybe a total budget of $5,000 to get a 40foot high cube used shipping container delivered and set up. But now all you have is a steel box that is not the most convenient size and shape. Please comment on a alternative of simply buying the steel and constructing your own container with length height and width in much more accommodating ratios for human activity. Please comment on the logic and cost of buying a container and then building a somewhat awkward structure around it ? Thanks for you excellent videos. Warm regards from Florida.
The pricing all depends on how and where you get it. These containers are on govplanet.com and are actually rather cheap and plentiful in your area (Not Florida, but Georgia). You just need to "know a guy" to help haul it ;) Building your own out of steel plates would work, but you would have to know where to get plates, how to move them as they're hundreds of pounds that I've seen, and know how to weld them (I do not).
tons of videos etc discussion shipping container homes.
Scrap away the extra expansion foam.. and then take a roll of tin tape.. (HVAC Supplies) and seal the seams between segments.. nad you got a great finish and keeps filtration clean, isolating the inside and outside envelopes..
This is awesome. Make the videos longer please. Lol I can watch for hours
I'll try to include more details/content as I get to the electrical steps. It was difficult to film this particular video because of how reflective the insulation is.
Would you please upload the results of this video please ?? Thank you for your time.
I had a similar problem with a large metal cueling .... to hold the foam up I used magnets. .... 5 kg cheap ones .... just and idea
You could have bought a high boy container which would have given you a higher roof. Paint the outside of the container with a fireproof and insulation property which will help the container be cooler.
I have limited space to work with and much larger wouldn't fit where I want to put it. If I was able to go any large easily, I probably would have just gone for a standard 20-footer.
Seems are roof over it to keep the sun from beaming on it would help a lot, could you re-purpose the roof of your old shed for that?
I'm planning to put a few panels on the roof of the container, raised up a bit, to block the sun from hitting it directly.
@@LithiumSolar Excellent idea!
@@LithiumSolar good idea. I prefer NOT punching holes in the top of the container. - the sides are fine to punch holes in.
@@flyingdiscproductions I was thinking of somehow affixing them to the 4 lift points so I don't need to punch any holes. I already have to punch 3 holes in the walls/floor and I REALLY don't want to, but I need to run an AC conduit, DC conduit, and HVAC lines.
@@LithiumSolar side holes are fine - it is the integrity of the roof that i am personally concerned with. - oh, and windows can be installed and sealed around the edges.
Good idea to use the close cell foam for the insulation. However, I think you installed it backwards. The aluminum sheeting is supposed to face outwards because that's what reflects the heat. The way you have it installed means that it would actually help to keep "in", like an oven. But, with that said, how much of a difference will that make in the end with it being in a shipping container added with where you have the container, not sure. For sure though, if this was installed in a wood frame construction, make sure to face the aluminum sheeting outwards to give the most benefit of the sheeting. Otherwise it's there just for looks.
It has the same aluminum foil stuff on both sides :)
@@LithiumSolar Ahhh, I was wondering about that. I didn't notice it on both sides, but that's a good thing then 😉
u are super smart!
Maybe cut the board so it lands halfway on the corrugations to give a good seal and support for the next board just a suggestion great sensible way to insulating well done 😊
FYI, we install a good deal of PolyIIso. We make our own knives for cutting this material. We use a 2" or 3" drywall mudding knife sharpened to a razor edge (just one edge sharpened for safety). This will easily cut across the depth of 2" PolyIso. A little silicone spray will allow the knife to slip through the material. We usually make a light pass and then go deeper for a second, & maybe a third pass (working on plywood). Be careful!! We sharpen our knives RAZOR sharp and keep them in cardboard sheathes that are clearly marked. This way we don't have all that particle created from using a saw. We also tried a hot knife, but I don't like the idea of breathing the vapors created by heating PolyIso with this method. We also tried using a table saw, but the fine powder (lots of it) got into the motor and froze up the berrings. Like your videos
DK,, i have a 14x24 pole parn style pre fab garage with metal siding,, perlings are 2x4's I'm wanting to use siler backed INS. BOARD with the other side being white.. Dont you want to put the Silver/reflective side against the metal ?????
@@hideawayoutdoors611 Fun project. Good question, longer answer. Not sure which foam board you're using. Short answer: the foil should not touch anything. PloyIso has foil on both sides. Overall, if the silver touches anything, it is no longer reflective, but conducts energy. Any time you have open space, there is air churning which diminishes thermal barrier; so if you are keeping a 1.5" space along the plane of the purlins, this could be a "drain-plane". Not huge, but it's a factor, maybe "plus" and "minus". So far, I haven't found a "silver" bullet that will fix hundreds of problems that most homes face, because a house is a "system". In general, you have 3 barriers - water, air & thermal. They should be continuous (as much as as is feasible). Hope this answers your question. Try Joe Lstiburek.
Did it keep the heat cold out ?
Man, are you a giant? Pretty tight space for you! Btw: is this gonna be some sort of electrostation?
I am pretty tall. It's going to be for off-grid solar power storage.
@@LithiumSolar Nice! Btw, your lithium battery + solar generator project is AWESOME!You probably have some sort of home automatisation!? Right ? I'm personally using HA since 2017, and I'm pretty satisfied with it!It becomes more and more easy on the user!No Google, no Amazon BS.
Thanks for sharing. Like #21
Curious... what brand or link to the exact items used? I'm wanting to use this for my home projects
Which item specifically are you asking about? The foam board?
Use fine tooth on circular saw. Foil tape seams.
I am actually working on kind of a similar project and was wondering what kind of temperatures you are expecting inside the container without insulation. And what the expected temperature range will be with insulation. Also, do you recon this insulation will keep the cold out in winter?
I'll be installing a heatpump of some sort to keep it cooled in the summer and warm in the winter. I don't need it at normal living temps, anywhere between 40-80F should be fine... I'm not sure on specifics just yet.
@@LithiumSolar Thanks for your answer! Keep up the good work! Maybe I will post some videos of my project, once it is done.
Do you monitor temperature and humidity within the shed?
I monitor temperature manually right now. I'm still working on the cooling system.
LithiumSolar thanks for the quick response! Do you have any ideas as to what you will use for cooling system? Thanks in advance!
Hi everyone,
There are air between foam and the metal, so the vapor inside is going to turn into water when the plate gets cold.
Spray foam are better for this job.
Not entirely true. I just pulled out this insulation after a full 3 years and there wasn't a single drop of moisture anywhere under or behind the insulation.
wow, right on. How do you think you managed that? @@LithiumSolar
With space being an issue on the inside, why not put the insulation on the outside and put a trim deck sheeting over that.
Hi,good job with the diy you can buy aluminium foil tape to cover the joins
Thanks! Would that be the same foil tape that is used on hvac ducts? Or is there a different kind for insulation/foam board?
@@LithiumSolar Yes, foil tape used on ducts can work. But the foil on the foam board usually has residue on it. Wipe the foam board (seam) down first with mineral spirits or denatured alcohol.
You should be able to buy a roll where you bought the insulation
How come you didn’t put the insulation on the roof?
I could not deal with that close a ceiling...
If you put it on the roof, then you have to build a structure around the entire shipping container...
Looks good. Have you had any problems with condensation on the inside since you installed the insulation?
That's a good question, however still no answer?..
@@JohnSmith-xx1lx NO...just radio silence
@@Huntsville_Living would like to know more about it, as I look at the condensation on my ceiling lol..
Tall person here who only owns one standard height box for storage but four 40' High Cubes. Don't find out the hard way not to buy standard height boxes! HCs have (obviously) far more internal space and that also provides improved air circulation. 20ft HC containers exist but usually require time to source (there are many brokers but not many seaports) if the length is an issue but the expansion room and convenience are worth it.
You need a few inches gap between insulation To get better insulation
Hi there. How are the panels doing? I am considering doing the same project. The loctite foamboard adhesive says that one surface has to be porous suggesting that it might not bind to metal. Are you having any issues? Thanks.
I have not had any problems at all. It's still stuck on there pretty good.
How much of a difference has this made as far as tempature?
None. You have to go on top of the roof and coat it with elastomeric.
@@JohnSmith-xx1lx
Elastomeric is rubber roofing?
2 years later how is this working for you? Any condensation issues? How much did it lower the internal temp on hot days?
Nope, no condensation what so ever. It's hard to tell how much it's actually lowered the temp. It's more important for winter. I just leave the door open in the summer for right now.
@@LithiumSolar Thanks for the quick reply. I'm in Texas and my 20' container gets 120 degrees inside! I plan to install a solar fan to circulate the air, but would like to cool it down in the summer.
Is that insulation fireproof? The whole point of using a shipping container for your batteries is it will not burn.. I would have used rock wool insulation..
The idea is to prevent fire from happening in the first place ;)
And no, the insulation used here is not fireproof.
For exactly the reason of "no gaps", we usually would do 2 X 1" layers & stagger the seams. This is a "percent" that adds up with all the other "percents". With a FLIR you will see exactly where the heat is leaking in/out. The overlapping of seams is better performance. What about air? Containers usually have vents. You could build a large HEPA filtration at the intake. Most everything adds VOCs to the air. Some sort of HRV or ERV is important in such a confined space. You can't always smell VOCs. Carbon Monoxide is odorless & tasteless & lethal. Might not seem apparently important today, but the affects linger into damage in older age. Die early, it doesn't mater. Live longer, it all adds up.
what are VOCs? WHAT IS HRV OR ERV?
could you explain this please?: "For exactly the reason of "no gaps", we usually would do 2 X 1" layers & stagger the seams. This is a "percent" that adds up with all the other "percents". "
@@marissastafford4389 volatile organic compounds, heat recovery ventilator, energy recovery ventilator.
@@marissastafford4389 Did I send a reply already?
Volatile Organic Compounds
Heat Recovery Ventilator
Energy Recovery Ventilator
Seal Tight & Ventilate Right,
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@@StaffAction Heat will work its way around building elements like water does. Instead of having a single layer of 2" Iso where heat can easily pass (leak), having 2-1" layers allows us to stagger as many seams as possible so the heat has to go around and around, trapping more heat. If air can leak, then so can heat and it creates convective loops and may allow water (vapor) to get to bad places and be trapped. Joe Lstiburek made that mistake on one of his early homes where an old-timer warned him before he did it. But he still did it. Check it out. It's interesting.
As you guys cut this stuff be careful when you’re in a closed room U don’t want to be inhaling this stuff I work with the stuff building rooms all the time wear a mask 😷
Did you add timber on top or leave as is?
I left it as-is, though it should probably be covered.
Does this method solve the condensation issue?
No one knows how to solve the condensation issue huh?
Complete 2" spray foam barrier seems to be the solution for condensation.
The Loctite PL300 technical data sheet says “Will not bond to filmed faced foam insulation panels”.
Not sure if there is a better option though 🤷♂️
The better option is to not use this kind of foam board. I've already replaced it.
@@LithiumSolar what did you end up using?
@@sylvainkalache This www.homedepot.com/p/Owens-Corning-FOAMULAR-250-2-in-x-48-in-x-8-ft-R-10-Scored-Squared-Edge-Foam-Board-Insulation-Sheathing-52DD/202085962 with the same adhesive.
Is the air gaps behind the insulation an issue ?
Great project. Please show the while process.
I am told the air gap in the channels behind the insulation should not be a problem, but I am not familiar enough with insulation to be able to comment beyond that.
Actually, static air is a decent insulator in it's own right. If I can make a recommendation, when gluing to channels like this, put the glue on the metal, and use a spatula to spread it so there's a HUGE contact surface for the glue. It's how I glue boxes together (saw this tip on an Adam Savage video) and I must say it works well!
The heat won't separate it?
It hasn't so far...
@@LithiumSolar did you also glue anything over it like finished wood panels?
how did this work out for you and how did you address 1) the seams and 2) deal with the air gaps (if at all?), and 3) deal with corners and potentially leak spots from external?
1) Tape 2) The air gaps are not a problem 3) There are no leaks anywhere on the container
@@LithiumSolar Thank you! I will also be working on building a small, iterative solar system on/in the container so I think I'll be watching your other videos to see what I can learn from you on that!
do you think a particular kind of tape is beneficial for the seams? @@LithiumSolar
So for normal sized humans it's a lot easier lol
Good vid man
The dead air between the metal wall and insulation will allow condensation to build and produce mold. To stop that you need extra vent holes to circulate the air to escape that's the magic trick to prevent mold. Extra money and time now or toxic harmful health issues later. Hope this helps for future projects. Spray foam outside and stuco over it leaving the vent holes for the inside air trapped between the metal walls and sheetrock to escape . 4 years later now and no mold or health problems. Just like your attic in your home needs ventilation.
Is that MF 12’?
Are you going to ventilate the shed in some way?
I don't plan to ventilate it, but will have some sort of hvac put in, yet to be determined.
@@LithiumSolar Have you decided on your heat system?
Thermal cork spray
Are you suggesting I spray it on the surface of the insulation? Or use instead of the foam board?
@@LithiumSolar it would work well on the exterior. I sprayed my garage door. And the heat transfer from outside to inside was drastically reduced
Where is the vent?
It doesn't have one yet
It would be better to get a high cube container.
Yes, that would have been better in terms of inside space but don't really have the room for a 20-footer and not sure they make smaller v lengths?
Where the other part. Come on man let me see
I have the floor in and rust sanded off/primed. I'm hoping to paint it next week, then will have the next video up. Once that's done, the build will move along much faster :)
they invented "duct tape" for those seams
Ah, so duct tape does serve an actual purpose in the world! LOL. I know you're not supposed to use it on HVAC.
Actually, they didn't. Duck Tape (the actual, original name of the product) was invented to do emergency in-combat repairs during WWII. When everyone came home, they started using it for everything else, too. Way too many people used it to seal their HVAC ducts, so the urban legend that it was an onomatopoeia of 'duct' got started. In reality, since it's somewhat waterproof, they called it Duck tape as in water off a ducks back. It actually has nothing to do with the WWII DUKW 'Ducks' either. Although I bet they used it a lot to cover bullet holes in the and keep them waterproof! The correct tape on ducts to use is Aluminum Foil tape. Expanding foam with aluminum tape is exactly the right thing to do. (My son's a WWII historian and I got lectured by him once. :-) ). Great project!
Wow Both of my shipping containers are 9' high and your hitting your head in yours? Either you have a extra small container or your a giant LOL
Yes, this is a small "quadconn" container. The inside height is only 75 inches.
why not just buy a ex refridge container they are fully insulated with stainless steel walls?
hey please finish this project
It's been finished for like 2 years now?
What a pitty, come one inside insulation is mediaval time ;^) outside insulation + weather proof painted plywood sheets would have be way more effective at keeping the container isolated with metal mass to contribute stabilize internal temperature... and you would stand inside with no torticollis ;^)
how tall are you?
I hope will finally arrive the day when US will abandon the imperial system... (and the crazyness of halves, quarters, eights...)
As someone who lives in the US and uses this on a daily basis, I fully agree. I don't know why we have not started working on that yet......
@@LithiumSolar as an European I consider VERY difficult to quickly have an exact idea of lenghts/heights and weights because of the use of the double measures! Feet/inches and pounds/ounces! Omg!
I remember they told us this when i was in grade school. Late 60s, early 70s.
How tall are you?
Tall. Over 6ft.
you bought the wrong container.....should have gotten 9'......................
A 9ft would have been nice!
Uhm, shipping containers are 8'6"-9'6"ft tall? You must be setting a world record?
This one is obviously not of those dimensions. It's a Quadcon Sea Box.
Thats not the best way to install the insulation, without the correct air gap it will introduce thermal conduction,
your 8ft tall?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Thank you ______________good job !!!!!!!!