We have a big hole where the pool is going to be. We will be working on the slab for the pool early next week.
We have made very good progress on the stonework for the driveway. The stonework will eventually go around the house and cover the pool area as well.
We have completed the stucco work on the outside of the container home.
We have moved our focus back to the tire wall. With the two loads of tires on their way we should come close to completing the wall. Once the tire wall is finished we will complete the water catchment system.
I have posted the renderings for the kitchen. The work will start on the kitchen in early May.
We have almost finished the exterior on the entire container home. The radiant barrier has been working better than expected. It feels at least 15 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than it did before, even when the sun is directly on the containers.
We had another delivery of tires for the tire retaining wall, and we hope to get another load next week. We currently have enough to get us at least four feet higher on the wall. Along with the tires, the gutters for the water catchment system were delivered today.
We have been working on the layout and cabinet designs for the kitchen. Pictures will be posted soon.
As 2010 comes to a close, we realize just how far we have come towards the completion of the container home. Since September, we have done the following:
Early next year we will pick up the work on the tire retaining wall again, finish the third floor, and start work on the outside covering and insulation for the container portion of the house.
The rooftop terrace is complete
Progress on the screened porch is well underway
All the windows are installed
Making progress on the third floor
Now that the first floor is complete, we’re moving on to the next steps of the project.
We began work on the containers by cutting out the walls where the two 2nd floor containers meet. This floor will be made into two bedrooms and two full bathrooms, with a screened in porch off the Master Bedroom.
We are also building the structure to hold the solar hot water heater on the rooftop.
We are also building a tire wall in front of the house, to act as a dual retaining wall and stairwell to the front yard.
Just wanted to give an update on the progress of our container home.
See the pictures below for the progress:
The tire wall is coming along nicely
Bathroom tile was made in Spain
Lighting installed and painting complete in the main room on the first floor
Fine coat of cement applied to the outside of the first floor, ready for painting
Cool view of the garage, back entrance, and tire wall
Tire Wall Stats:
To date, we have…
The wall is about 50 tires long, and each tire weighs about 300 lbs. when filled with dirt.
We will use about 3,000 tires to build the 30 ft high retaining wall.
The tire wall is now four levels high (the bottom level is buried)
The latest batch of large tires arrives for use in the wall
In keeping with the recycling theme of the shipping container home, we are starting to build a retaining wall out of used tires. It will take about 3,000 tires to build the 30 ft high retaining wall behind our house.
In an effort to eliminate even more waste, we are using cement bags left over from the first level construction (and hundreds that we collected from trash sites all over the area) underneath each tire to hold the dirt.
Here are some photos of the start of the project, and we will post more as the project progresses.
Our first load of about 200 tires from an auto shop in Rivas
The lower levels of the wall are three tires deep, tapering off to one tire deep at the top
Each row has about 50 tires
Each tire is packed with dirt and weighs about 300 pounds when filled
View of the tires from the top of the three-story stairwell
TECH-Nica S.A. is the premier green construction and technology company in Nicaragua.
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