What can I use a container shelter for?

Most of our customers who purchase a container shelter from us use it as a covered workspace, especially on construction sites. There, a container shelter is also known as a sheltered workspace. When you’re always working outside, it’s very convenient to at least stay dry while cutting parts to size! Other advantages of container shelters include:

• Container shelters are quickly available. At Kroftman, we have various container shelters in stock, and you can pick them up the same day.
• Container shelters are quick and easy to assemble yourself. Depending on the model and whether you have a front and/or rear wall, it will take you half a day to a maximum of 5 days.
• Container shelters are easy to relocate. You can easily dismantle them and rebuild them elsewhere.
• Container shelters are more budget-friendly than storage or warehouse tents. Our smallest container shelter (the TC403) is available for just over €1,200 including VAT.
• Efficient use of space between two containers.
• Container shelters can be used year-round, as they are resistant to wind and snow.
• Container shelters can be placed on surfaces other than containers, such as concrete blocks, walls, or the ground.

In this blog, I’ll tell you about other uses our customers have found for their container canopies:

1. Container shelters as covered workspaces
Many of our customers are companies that carry out outdoor work, almost always at temporary work sites. Think of construction. These companies want to provide their employees with the opportunity to perform certain tasks in dry conditions. Think, for example, of cutting parts to size. Because these tasks are often carried out under a container shelter, ‘saw shed’ is another term for a container shelter. When the work is completed at the location, the great advantage of a container shelter is that you can easily dismantle it and rebuild it elsewhere.

In addition to construction work, you can also think of other outdoor activities such as working on the electricity network. Employees who always work outside and are exposed to the weather will greatly appreciate a container shelter.

2. Container shelters as trench silos or bulk goods storage
All goods that can be stored loose, without packaging, can be stored in a (mobile) silo. Think, for example, of soil, gravel, sand, ore, clay, road salt, granules, pellets, wood chips, cork, coal, but also harvested products such as grain or potatoes. In most cases, bulk goods are not very fragile. A ‘trench silo’ is easy to build yourself. You create 2 long walls (of concrete blocks) with a back wall on one side. You attach several container shelters in a row to the two long walls, with a back wall on the last container shelter if necessary. If necessary, you lay concrete floor slabs on the ground, and your trench silo is ready. Below, you can see a photo of a trench silo and a photo of a back wall mounted on a wall.

*Image trench silo

The space between the two walls is often just wide enough for a truck to reverse into the trench silo and unload or load the bulk material. If you want to build a trench silo, keep in mind that container shelters have a fixed width. Each model has its own width measurement. You cannot deviate from this. We sell container shelters with the following widths: 4 meters, 6 meters, 7.9 meters, and 10 meters. All models also have a certain length measurement. Because trench silos are often so long, you can place as many container shelters in a row as necessary.

You may think of a storage building or a storage/warehouse tent when storing (bulk) goods. This is, of course, also an option. However, a container shelter with a canvas back wall has three clear advantages over other storage solutions:

• A container shelter is cheaper than a storage building or warehouse/storage tent.
• A container shelter is the most flexible solution because it is easy to (dis)assemble.
• A container shelter provides better ventilation.

3. Container shelters as waste storage
We also see many container shelters at recycling companies. It is an inexpensive solution to protect goods in open waste containers from rain and snow. Container shelters have the advantage that they can be set up and dismantled quickly and flexibly and rebuilt elsewhere.

4. Container shelters as sludge storage
Container shelters are also used at water treatment companies for sludge storage. You may wonder why sludge needs to be protected from rain and snow? Dry sludge has less mass and weight compared to wet sludge. By keeping the sludge dry with a container shelter, it can be stored and transported more effectively and cost-efficiently.

5. Container shelters as animal shelter
‘Having your sheep on dry land’ is a saying that has been used in the Netherlands since the sixteenth century and means something like ‘having your affairs in order’. Because those who thought in time to bring their sheep to safety during floods didn’t lose any sheep. They still stood in the rain, though. In those days, there were no container shelters. Farmers or private animal owners no longer have that problem now.

We see that container shelters are used as shelters for sheep, cows, or horses. It provides the animals with a dry and shady shelter or an open stable in the pasture. In these cases, the container shelter is placed on walls or directly on the ground. Our larger models (from TC 800) have a ridge height of 3 meters and can therefore be easily anchored directly to the ground.

6. Container shelters as carports or vehicle storage
By placing your vehicle with an open cargo area under a container shelter, the cargo in the cargo area does not get wet. It saves you time and effort if you don’t have to unload your vehicle after work to store your belongings dry, only to load them back in the next morning. Container shelters are also very suitable for storage. Whether you have a classic car, motorcycles, a boat, a caravan, or a camper: in winter, these vehicles need a covered ‘hibernation’. Container shelters with front and rear walls provide the necessary protection against weather influences. Moreover, they are cheaper than a storage building.

7. Container shelters at events
Perhaps an application you wouldn’t immediately think of, a container shelter as a roof over a stage at performances at festivals. The necessary equipment or instruments can be stored in the containers themselves. The container shelter can also be used as a covered workspace for festival staff. And with a container shelter, you can easily create a covered outdoor bar with seating. At trade fairs, a container shelter is a great way to create an individual booth.

As you can see, a container shelter is affordable, multifunctional, and can be used for a wide variety of purposes, and they can be used all year round!

We hope the above information helps you make an informed decision. If you want to know exactly what the container shelter of your choice costs, please feel free to fill out our quotation tool. In the last question, enter your postcode and, if desired, select the option ‘add assembly’. From this, you will receive a quote by email that shows you at a glance what the assembly and transport costs are for your container shelter. You can create multiple quotes and check various options. This way, you can compare them well.

Do you still have questions? We are happy to help you further.