Why would you want to add a second roof to your shipping container home? The container has four sides one of them being a roof. A second roof has many advantages one of which is insulation.
Shipping containers have four sides one of which is considered a roof and as such is left as a roof. However the unprotected roof is subjected to the elements and more so the heat of the sun. A metal roof will absorb the heat and in turn heat the container. But it does not have to be that way.
Shipping containers are being repurposed as dwellings for the rich, the not so rich and those who want something different. A shipping container home can be luxurious, simplistic or very much a family home. And a family home requires a suitable climate to remain comfortable. Read on…
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Insulation Costs
Metal sitting in the sun will heat up and a metal box in the sun will get extremely hot inside. We can of course apply insulation which will reduce the heat by reflecting it back on to the metal walls and roof.
That is what we generally do to achieve a livable environment within. The downside to insulation is that it is thick and as such tends to reduce the overall space within a shipping container. If you use more than one container and have opened the walls your space is doubled and not such a concern.
A single shipping container dwelling of 8x8x20 or 160sqft can be reduced by up to 2 inches/ft within. It may not sound much but be assured it does make a difference. All because we want to live in our shipping container home come rain, snow, and heat of the sun.
Alternative Cooling Costs
Air conditioning is one solution to resolve climate control within a shipping container home. An air conditioner will cool the container extremely efficiently given a one room concealed environment. The downside being the cost of running an air conditioner not only to the pocket but also the environment.
Electric fans can also be used to move air around the home. They work well with an open window and can reduce inside temperature enough to allow for comfortable living. Again there is a cost involved to the pocket and the environment.
One could try living with just doors and windows open and in some climates this is more than satisfactory. A soft gentle breeze blowing though the room can provide a comfortable environment. This is all well and good until we are hit by a heat wave or tropical storm.
Double Roof
If you lived in a two story house you will find the ground floor is always cooler than the above floor rooms. The above floor rooms add protection to the ground floor by reflecting away the heat.
In the days of canvas tents a term used was double tenting, or double sheeting. What they would do in the dessert to keep cooler was to double sheet the canvas tent. Canvas attracts the heat making tent life unbearable. However by adding a second canvas sheet over the existing tent allowing air to flow between the tent would remain cooler.
Double sheeting was a practice used during the First World War in the dessert campaigns. There was no electric fan or air conditioning, only the harsh hot sun. The practice is not new, merely modified and adapted from other cultures. Even the caravans transversing the ancient tea and horse caravan road of ancient China, the Silk Road used a double sheet over there tents in the hot summer months to protect them from heat stress.
The False Roof
The false roof is the application of adding a second roof that sits on top of the existing roof. In our case on the top of the flat metal roof of our shipping container. What this does is reflect the heat of the sun away from our container using the second or false roof. What lays beneath is climatically cooler.
It works very much the same as a traditional roofing system. Above our ceilings is our roof. That roof reflects the sun heat away keeping what is under the ceiling, cooler. Oddly enough the problem with traditional home roofing is that our ceiling is usually plaster and does a poor job at reflecting heat. Which is why many traditional homes end up insulating the ceiling with foam glass fibre bats inside the roof.
A solid ceiling, like a wooden ceiling//floor would provide a much better insulation option. Our shipping container has a metal roof. It is solid and one piece. When we add a second roof or false roof on top allowing air to flow through we provide a suitable climate control. In effect a second floor to our shipping container home.
False Roofing
Having a false roof above our container home provides us with options. By adding a false roof we can make use of the additional space. An attic is not out of the equation, and just like a second story we can have additional space, and maintain our living space climate.
Allowing air flow between the roof of the container and the false roof provides suitable climate conditions within the container. Basically a shadow is cast between the false roof and the container roof. Now, dependent on your location you may need some additional roofing insulation.
If you are located in the south pole you may find heating is necessary and can be placed on the roof under the false roof. In the dessert you may find it necessary to apply insulation bats on the container roof under the false roof to assist in climate management. In a tropical climate you may find there is no need for more.
Verandah Surround
If you don’t include a verandah surround with your false roof you are missing out. Utilizing your false roof to incorporate a verandah that surrounds you shipping container home is going to provide shade and climate management in one.
A verandah provides shade on every side of your home as we rotate around the sun. The shade provides coolness within the home. Verandah’s were common on the homesteads rearing cattle and sheep. Every outback home would have a verandah surround.
Then along came air conditioning. An expensive way to keep cool while it empties your pockets. With the invent of air conditioning the verandah became almost extinct. Instead of building homes that could cater for the suns heat, we built homes with no shade because we could turn on an air conditioner.
Conclusion
The ultimate goal is to reduce the cost of insulation and electrical appliances in the effort to have climate manageable within your shipping container home. It is achievable before spending a load of money of materials you do not need. Better to have one electric fan than an array of electric fans or an overloaded air conditioning unit.
Using a false roof not only assists with climate management but also offers the opportunity to transform you shipping container box home into something more traditional or unique in appearance. A gable roof upon your shipping container home takes it from box to traditional, a modern home design.
In the Philippines you will find shipping container homes with a false roof made of nipa straw. Nipa is a native traditional material to build huts. Usually made from palm leaves, dried and patting into sheets. A bamboo structure is placed on top of the container and that is then covered in nipa roofing sheets (like tiles) to form the roof. It is enough to keep the suns heat away and shaded underneath. There are many options other than expensive insulation and air conditioning. What will you choose?
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