It appears from what I've read that a shipping container is harder to get approval.
Saying that though, All my neighbours have them and many have 3 sheds too.
All look like they were build by the 3 little pigs.

Pete

I wouldn't have imagined that council approval would be required for a container, as it is not a permanent structure with footings. This may differ from council to council though.

Knowing what *some* councils are like, it wouldn't surprise me in the least what could happen.

Another unneeded layer of red tape.

You may also need approval from the Dept of Housing although if they see it as adding value I doubt there'd be a problem there.

I could do a 3D render for you to go with your council submission... Just measure the carport slab, some ground levels, distance to the house etc.

You can send them a link and they can rotate it and look at it from all angles. Usually impresses them.

When I was on a holiday trip to Norfolk Island I saw many old wooden buildings that had the exterior walls made from rough sawn timber planks nailed vertically with about a three inch overlap. The timbers were then sealed with a thick mix of paint and sand. They were definitely watertight and had been there a long time standing up to the elements. You might like to try that method for you shed.

I did note somewhere that the biggest issue that causes rot & moisture ingress is not sealing, or covering the end grain.

Relayautomatic
Yes I know , All over the world they Run Rough Sawn Vertical . All The Barns in the States are done that way . I do note though they often line the inside with Ply , but not always .. It looks great . I have seen it here to on very old dwellings ... Pete

Well , Sitting down with a Pen and paper today adding up the 3 options, 1 Build a shed, 2 Buy a shed, 3 get a Container.
The cost between each one in neither here or there,Its very close once you ad deliver etc ,,,so I guess in now boils down to which one I would like to have the most as the cost is no real difference between the 3,
So I'm leaning towards building a wooden one because,Hey I love wood !


one thing that turned me off a container was "" Its past"" There is no way of knowing what was in it during its life ! , What chemicals have been spilt inside it during its past that are still lurking inside it .

Pete...

See interesting link on the Dangers of shipping Containers

https://youtu.be/U2GYL95FL3c

It doesn't have to be a container to explode. Remember the old instantaneous gas hot water systems in bathrooms years and years ago, which had to be manually lit and put out? After 50 years of service the seals in them started to leak and let gas out. If there was a pilot light elsewhere in an uninhabited house and the house was vacant for a few days BoOM!

A lot of people used to turn their gas stoves and HWS off at the cocks before leaving the house for extended periods but many also didn't bother.

There would be nothing wrong with installing a few vents on a container to ensure that pressure couldn't rise inside it when it was locked though at the same time you would do this anyway if you planned on setting it up as a workshop as well as a storage area.

The biggest danger I can see with a container is the door closing (there'd be a chance the latches could be just in the right position to sufficiently lock the door if it slammed hard enough) whilst you are inside it or some bugger coming along and locking you in. If that happens you won't get out and don't expect a mobile phone to work inside in order to call for help. The container would be the ultimate faraday cage.

Getting trapped in a container?

Another reason you'd have it jacked up off the ground. Just pull out the tools and cut an escape hole in the timber floor!

Brad , I think a container is a risk for a couple of reasons, First is I have Children and children will be children so the door is risk I would not take . Second is as I mentioned if the container had any spilt nasty chemicals in its past they are still in there .....But that's ok I can build a shed it will just not be as fast as installing a Container

Pete

You can add your own door and window but the quickest way to do that is wth a gas axe and not everyone has one. An outward=opening timber door is a safe option. Grab the green coloured solid core door from Bunnings, they aren't expensive and just knock together a jamb. There's Youtube videos with suggestions on how to go about it.

Personally, I think a home made shed is the way to go. Rustic look, fairly safe and can be set up the way you want it.

I  have been reading up on the do's and don'ts regarding shed building and I found some interesting things.Like me I'm sure you have walked into an old shed in the country perhaps and noticed everything is rusty? I had a garage like that once where everything went rusty due to condensation.!!!The form of condensation forms on tin or metal sheds, but it can occur in any shed apparently Even my brick garage that I just mentioned.Cold areas get it much worse and in Albury it can be 45c in Summer and in winter minus -4 in the mornings But after reading up about it I found out why this happens and how to stop it and no, A  fan is not the answer. It only helps.It turns out there are a few reasons and I will mention my garage at Dee why one again, Apparently, if the slab is laid for a house it must have a membrane included In the slab to stop the condensation raising from the concrete If no membrane is included then that's when the condensation forms with  the change of temperature and it gets trapped in the room or building and can't get out.So what happens is many guys who lay the slab cut costs and put the membrane on the house slab but not the garage! Which must of been the case in my Dee why garage!!!.It was always wet on the floor and condensation formed on all my tools etc etc . Use to piss me right off !!So according to what I have read the best shed for storage is a wooden shed built off the ground with a wooden floor and leave two open eaves on 2 opposite walls, This way the shed has the best Airflow.If you build a shed out of Tin that is planned to be used for storage than it should be built off the ground on a wooden base with 2 opposite eaves left open for air too, But because its a tin shed intended for storage the walls should be lined with 12mm PlyThey also said that condensation can form on any roof that is either made of tin or suntuff  etc etc .so whether its a woodshed or a Tin shed in areas where Condensation is an issue a product called Sisalation should be laid on top of the battens under the Tin etc.which puts an end to that natural wood feel in the shed though,But you could put a ply lining over that too I guess.So what's the plan?I will dig 9 holes and pour in blue metal and make 9 concrete square blocks and the shed will sit off the ground on a H3 timber deck and floor. It's going to be on the high end of the yard so no water problems either Its not going to be a flash shed, That's not what I'm after, It's going a Hubble shed but without condensation, I hope. Thats how I am even if I won lotto I would still drive around the street throw outs ,,Just a bigger Truck thats all !

As noted previously, with this building which is all metal the walls and roof are sprayed with foam. Shed 1 the old Chaff shed also has its roof sprayed with foam. That stops the condensate. Shed 1 has a Murray pine floor and due to the explosive nature of Chaff dust there is an overlap of the roof to allow a gap for its entire length.

The Girlfriends 20ft container is vented with a rotary vent in the roof and a vent in the door as is my 40ft one, they are therefore not a confined space where you can suffocate. Nothing with, nor fuel is stored in them & neither have electricity.

As before all of the containers are on concrete pads & despite being in an area that can get wet, at the height they are set off the ground, in the situation they are in; It would take a flood of biblical proportions to get into them as its sloping ground for several miles way from them.

If you are going to store flammables like gas the floor is the danger, to maintaining LEL, The vapour that is heavier than air has to be able to escape. & often that is a separate shed & if it has a light it all should be flameproof.

This is the Rough sawn building principals I'm interested in, It's an old traditional way of building . This one is amazing and mine would be a much smaller scale ,but the principal is the same .

https://youtu.be/dkqa_T_JXF0