Not Half-Assed

Spray Foam Magazine – Late Summer 2021 – Stephanie and David Mayer are transforming shipping containers into a colorful and comfortable Annapolis, Missouri getaway. The Spray Foam Magazine team caught up with Stephanie while on the set of the TV show, Building Off the Grid, which will be featuring the containers in an upcoming episode this summer.

The containers will be centered around the Mayer’s donkey rescue, which is the Midwest satellite location for the largest equine/donkey rescue in the world, Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue. Peaceful Valley is headquartered in Texas and they send the Mayers truckloads of adoptable donkeys a few times a year as they adopt them out. The Mayers have a waiting list of people from around the county that visit them to adopt the donkeys. The couple’s goal is to allow them a stay at the shipping containers getaway when they come to spend time and select their forever donkey.

The couple also have a farm sanctuary (#Cocoplumliving) of pigs, goats, and horses along with the donkeys. This business name came from the popular Florida shrub Cocoplum, inspired by one of the first plants the Mayers put in the ground during a Florida remodel project.

Dubbing the containers Key Midwest, the Mayers were influenced by their time spent in Key West, FL. The design of the containers is also very Key West with Stephanie describing the final desired look as, “It’s all happy colors, a key lime pie pub and Hemingway’s hammock/book loft. We’re super excited to see it all come together!” She goes onto say, “Being that we’re building with shipping containers, spray foam is the only viable option for moisture control and thermal barrier, so its key to our build.”

One of the biggest mistakes people make when transforming these big metal containers is not insulating correctly. Shipping containers have very thin walls which in turn lets the heat flow out of them. That’s where spray foam comes into its own. It’s one of the most popular practices of insulation for these shipping containers because it allows the owner to produce a seamless layer of insulation, and as the professionals know, any seams present the potential for heat loss and condensation access. In addition to this, it’s quick to insulate and as long as it is sprayed by a certified professional the desired results are achieved.

The Mayers are keen to point out their design is a hybrid build, “In addition to two shipping containers, we have also built a stick frame on a slab attached to the living area of the shipping containers to expand the room into a more livable space. So, we had both open- and closed-cell spray foam installed. Another unique aspect is a rooftop deck. This deck is insulated from the outside/top in the effort to keep an exposed container ceiling inside,” says Stephanie.

Gonz Insulation was hired to spray the walls, roof deck and the floor of the cantilevered storage containers therefore helping seal the envelope of the building for this unique application. The three-man crew, Nathan Gonz, Chad Parker, and Nick Newsom took their PMC Ph-2 Proportioner w/ 210 feet of hose and Graco Pro-Connect Gun to the site and started prep work. They were careful tocover doors, windows, and any already finished floors.

Spraying roughly 2,500 sq. ft. to 2x6 wall sheet with Zip system and roof deck combined. They applied Gaco’s 052N open-cell and UPC 2.0 lb. closed-cell. With 11. 4 inches of open-cell in the wood framed walls and roof deck section, and 1.5 inches of closed-cell directly to the storage container’s corrugated metal walls in the storage container section, using roughly a set and a half.

The job took the crew three days to complete with Nathan Gonz stating, “It’s always fun spraying storage containers and laying it smooth and the homeowners are always amazed at how you can still see the corrugation of the metal even with 1.5 inches of foam. Performing our everyday job on a TV set was pretty awesome too, it’s not every day that you are provided with this awesome opportunity.”

The Mayers were thrilled with the result and stated, “We couldn’t be happier with the constant temperature throughout this unique build. This is all due to the effectiveness of open- and closed-cell spray foam. Building with shipping containers has its challenges, but in the long run those challenges can become benefits. The spray foam created a necessary barrier between metal and interior living space. All other known insulation installations would not be effective with our shipping container home design,” confirmed Stephanie.

The Mayers were thrilled to work with the Building Off the Grid TV show stating, “It is a once in a lifetime opportunity that will document this experience so we can share it with generations for years to come. We are so grateful for the team we’ve been able to work with and the show and content they work so hard to create.”

Hoping to invite the public to stay and enjoy the fruits of Key Midwest Airbnb this fall, the Mayers concluded, “Where else can you experience Key West in the middle of the country surrounded by donkeys.” The result of all their hard work is a cozy, modern and bright container for the potential donkey adoptees to stay, and the fact that people like the Mayers go out of their way to rescue these animals is commendable. So, shout this worthy cause from the rooftops, even if it makes your voice a little “hoarse.”  

Watch out for the Mayers showing their new containers on Building Off the Grid on Discovery Channel and the new Discovery Plus this summer (2021). If wanting to stay in this unique destination, visit www.visitkeymidwest.com