Lean to shed off a shipping container

[bmxdukie]

Hey folks. I bought a 20' shipping container for storage.
I want to put a lean to off one of the long sides. Then close it in with spaces in the boards for air movement. I plan to store my firewood in this lean to..
Question is... how do I attach to the container?
Any and all ideas are appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Jinks]

Uh, self tapping screws, bolts & nuts, really long pop rivets, welded angle iron? The list is endless. What material are you going to use for the lean too?

 

[bmxdukie]

Jinks, I was thinking of wood with a steel roof.
Maybe I should run a 2x6 the length bolted through the container, then use 2x6 for stringers.
4x4 posts for supports.
I was hoping to have 7' tall on the low edge of the lean to.

 

[Voi]

Not addressing the exact question but I have seen a shipping container with single slope trusses & a decent overhang on one side.

Similar to the picture below. You'd probably want more overhang.

Might be a good choice if you want some slope & have 7' of head room below the beam on the low side of your lean-to.

Doesn't need to be single slope but that's just what I remember seeing.

 

[denis4x4]

I welded 2” angle iron brackets on the side of the container and then bolted 4x4’s to hold Teco brackets.

 

[Bretny]

If it's in the budget just roof over the container also. These things will rust though on the roof.

How far of an over hang are we talking with only 2x6 rafters?

 

[NUTTSGT]

If it's in the budget just roof over the container also. These things will rust though on the roof.

How far of an over hang are we talking with only 2x6 rafters?

I was going to suggest a shed roof over the entire thing myself. Check out Youtube for shop build using shipping containers.

 

[The Cobbler]

I don't know if you would get a weatherproof seal at the connection point unless you went over the entire roof. depends I guess on how tight you need the lean-to

 

[BukitCase]

Above are some of the reasons I went with complete coverage -
Disclaimer - I wouldn't recommend doing this unless you're OK with heights, rigging, welding things you CAN'T break, having patience, and most of the other attributes members of GJ tend to exhibit

I built my roof solo over about a month, with the help of my old Case backhoe and several "helpers" I've fabbed as necessary, multiple comealongs, ladders, mag drill, jack stands, chain falls, etc - in retrospect, if I had it to do over I woulda probably gone with welded on angle and wood framing. Cheaper, faster, but probably NOT as modular/re-usable as the steel.

Mine is in 4 sections, a main one over the container and 3 8x12 modules that bolt together and can be separated and removed one at a time if/when necessary. There is NOTHING welded to the container - I'd do that part the same if done in wood, especially if I ever intended to re-sell the container.

With the exception of a few main framing tubes that're 1/4" wall, 90% or so is 2" square tube with .120" wall. At today's steel prices, the framing alone would run right at $1800. I wouldn't have done it this way EITHER, except future plans call for a different use of that space so everything, INCLUDING the 20' container, will eventually be moved ELSEWHERE so it would either get torn down or (because of the modular build) just "re-assembled" in a different spot.

Anyway, a few pics for the "masochistically inclined"

... Steve

 

[Worsedog]

Above are some of the reasons I went with complete coverage -
Disclaimer - I wouldn't recommend doing this unless you're OK with heights, rigging, welding things you CAN'T break, having patience, and most of the other attributes members of GJ tend to exhibit

I built my roof solo over about a month, with the help of my old Case backhoe and several "helpers" I've fabbed as necessary, multiple comealongs, ladders, mag drill, jack stands, chain falls, etc - in retrospect, if I had it to do over I woulda probably gone with welded on angle and wood framing. Cheaper, faster, but probably NOT as modular/re-usable as the steel.

Mine is in 4 sections, a main one over the container and 3 8x12 modules that bolt together and can be separated and removed one at a time if/when necessary. There is NOTHING welded to the container - I'd do that part the same if done in wood, especially if I ever intended to re-sell the container.

With the exception of a few main framing tubes that're 1/4" wall, 90% or so is 2" square tube with .120" wall. At today's steel prices, the framing alone would run right at $1800. I wouldn't have done it this way EITHER, except future plans call for a different use of that space so everything, INCLUDING the 20' container, will eventually be moved ELSEWHERE so it would either get torn down or (because of the modular build) just "re-assembled" in a different spot.

Anyway, a few pics for the "masochistically inclined"

... Steve

Holy over-engineered. I love it!

 

[SweetD]

Mine is in 4 sections, a main one over the container and 3 8x12 modules that bolt together and can be separated and removed one at a time if/when necessary. There is NOTHING welded to the container - I'd do that part the same if done in wood, especially if I ever intended to re-sell the container.

That's nice, well-engineered.

 

[BukitCase]

Thanks guys; can't take ALL the credit, here's one of my "helpers", lets me move 300# roof modules over to the lift points without a second body (OR a 12' wide path) - wheels on that HF hand truck can go back on the original axle if I need another "normal" hand truck, unlikely tho since I have at least 4 others

My friends don't disagree when I tell 'em I'm living proof that lazy men make the best inventors ... Steve

 

[bmxdukie]

Holy! Sorry I've been AWOL! Nice ideas. Love the steel, but likely will do wood.
Ss for stringers, I meant to have 8 to 10'out from the container.
Maybe I should weld the angle iron to the top and cover the whole thing. Pretty sure the wife will lose her mind on the cost anyway! Lol.
Thank you all for the great ideas!

 

[rayra]

Not addressing the exact question but I have seen a shipping container with single slope trusses & a decent overhang on one side.

Similar to the picture below. You'd probably want more overhang.

Might be a good choice if you want some slope & have 7' of head room below the beam on the low side of your lean-to.

Doesn't need to be single slope but that's just what I remember seeing.

seconding something like this, roof over both the container and the lean-to area.

 

[Bretny]

Holy over-engineered. I love it!

Humm not really. I see a hinge point in that span that enough snow could easily find.

 

[Farmerjonathan]

Have seen some nice barns with 2 storage containers, one on each side, alley down the middle, trusses and metal roof over the entire area.

 

[Farrier]

 

[BukitCase]

" I see a hinge point in that span that enough snow could easily find."

Yup, don't live in snow country; had about 6" back in 2002, normal is anywhere from 0 to maybe 2". typically lasts a few hours, couple days at most.

Hinge points (3 between inner and outer 12' halves) are 1/4x2 FB, full length welded to .120 wall 2" tube, clevis type hinged with 5/8 Gr.8 bolts - each 1/3 of the outer half is a separate module, (each frame section about 220 lbs)also bolted between modules with 5/8 Gr 8.

The slanted outer support poles are "sorta" temporary, splayed out so if/when I do a slab they'll be out of the way - the upper pivot joints are removable, so
once the slab is in they'll be solid bolted joints.

those outer poles have bottom adjusters (about 12" range) with bolt holes on 1" centers, and an acme thread "vernier" between them and the 4" channel feet. (feet are currently "spiked" in place with 24" pieces of 5/8" rebar.

roof covering is overlapped at the joint so the entire outer half can be pivoted back down to ground if necessary. Outer half can also be separated into 3 8'x12' modules, and moved with my backhoe.

Needed the shallow 2/12 pitch for inside height, has about 2" clearance between frame and the hoe (in transport mode) - sheds water fine, collects a fair amount of tree ****. Loader bucket with safety rail combined with 22' extenda wand and pressure washer gets used a couple times a year so I can start over with a fresh crop of tree ****.

All this because we're still waiting on an inheritance that should be settled in the next year; then we'll know if the outer half roof gets "re-purposed" elsewhere and a second (metal/weld/tractor) shop will happen, along with a 3 car garage, partly where the outer roof half is now... Steve