What to Put Under a Steel Container

It’s very important that you choose the right spot to place your shipping container to prevent issues with moisture and leaks – and ensure the container remains in top condition at all times.

Not only that but knowing what to put under your container will also make it easier to use and extend its lifespan. So, check out what you should consider when looking at steel container hire.

Prepare the Ground

The first thing you should do is ensure the ground is ready. This means choosing a level ground so that the container doesn’t warp over time and so that you can continue to easily open and close the doors. It only takes a slight twist for the doors to be misaligned or for the structure to become crooked enough to prevent you from stacking containers, so this is an important step.

Your container must also be easy to access, so place it in a spot you can reach with a lorry or a van. Soft ground can also lead to sinking, so make sure that the surface under your container is hard. You should also consider whether you have enough space to open your doors!

Consider Foundations

If you can’t find dry, hard and even enough ground, then you’ll need to provide a foundation for the steel container so that issues don’t occur. This could be a concrete layer since the material lasts for a very long time, but it could also be a series of concrete blocks if you don’t have the budget to concrete an entire area.

Other types of foundations to consider are railway sleepers since these will keep the container off the ground. Make sure you have enough beams to support the weight of the container and place them at the corners and the middle to provide maximum support.

Blocks or sleepers will help stop moisture from gathering under the container, ensuring its longevity and integrity. Moisture is one of the most dangerous things for containers since it can build up from the flooring, increase the humidity in the container and lead to mould and mildew.

If a container is on blocks and not directly on the ground, it’s also easier for hydraulic jacks to get underneath it or move the container around.

Stack Steel Containers

Looking to get several steel storage units in London? Then it’s crucial that you have enough space to keep them all. Containers can take up a lot of room, which is hard to come by. You don’t have to place your containers in a row, however; instead, why not stack them and save space while you’re ensuring all your items stay safely stored?

From business equipment to makeshift offices and pop-up shops, there are no limits to how you can stack containers – while you can place as many as you want on top of each, it’s still essential to ensure they’re secure and can withstand the weight.

Renovate the Flooring

By making sure that the interior flooring of your shipping container is in good condition, you can also increase the durability of the whole structure, whether you need it for housing, as a portable toilet cabin, as a mobile welfare unit, or as a security guard hut.

Suitable flooring will help prevent moisture from building up and keep pests away, including bugs that might damage the goods you’re storing inside the container. You’ll end up spending more money by not renovating the flooring straight away – after all, if your merchandise or business equipment becomes damaged due to unsuitable flooring, you’ll have to replace it and fix the flooring on top of it anyway.

Of course, when you choose Flintham Cabins, you can rest assured that all our products are of the highest possible quality, so you don’t have to rip out the existing flooring or revamp the whole container to fit your needs.

Prevent Leaks

Another thing to ensure your steel container lasts for a very long time is to make it leakproof – and condensation-free! To achieve this, the container mustn’t sit on moist or soft ground directly. As mentioned above, a good foundation or solid base is required.

You must also ensure that there are no holes on the flooring or anywhere on the walls or ceiling, and you should also re-seal the roof or re-caulk less-than-perfect areas. In addition, if you’re adding windows or wiring in your container, you must check whether there are any gaps – if so, seal them to prevent moisture from seeping in.

We have many site cabins for hire and sale, so we’re confident you’ll find the correct steel container for your needs, where you require long-term storage, mobile units for your construction site, or even a container for your new business or home office.

Get in touch with us for information about our products, their specs and layouts, and how to get them delivered to you. We provide all our clients with a quality assurance, so you know you’re getting a great product no matter what!