Container condensation? No problems here!

When we first researched using shipping containers for storage, one thing that kept cropping up was the potential issue of condensation on the ceiling of the units.

 

If items that go into the containers are damp or there are extreme changes in temperature condensation can end up in the ceiling of the container and ultimately drip.

We did a lot of research into this as the last thing we wanted for our lovely brand new site where we want everything to be pristine was to have condensation dripping onto our customers’ things.

 

We spoke to lots of different people, people who sell containers, people who work with containers moving them around yards day in day out as well as other container storage facilities. Everyone we spoke to said something different, some people said as long as everything that goes into the container is dry, you will never have a problem, some people said that it depends where it is placed on the site and the temperatures, some will get issues, some won’t, and some said that it is a very common occurrence.

 

We decided we didn’t want to take the risk. We were doing every other job on the site to a high standard to make it a really nice and safe place for our customers to be, why would we then skimp on the most important part – where our customers’ belongings will live!

 

So we went on the hunt for the best solution to stop condensation becoming a worry at all. There are a few options available including additional vents, damp sticks, dehumidifiers, full container lining but the best and most long term solution that we decided on was grafotherm.

Grafotherm is an insulator which is sprayed onto the ceiling inside the container. There is lots of clever science behind it that we are not clever enough to fully understand (if you are, feel free to read it all here http://www.grafoproducts.co.uk/how.htm) but in laymans terms, it acts as a thermal insulator. It is only sprayed thinly so would not be enough to prevent heat loss (e.g what you might want in a house) but it is effective enough that it delays the time at which dew point occurs which in turn prevents or considerably reduces the time during which condensation can form. The small amount of condensation that may form during the dew time will be absorbed by the grafotherm and it can hold 1 litre per square metre. It is textured so has a greater surface area and so a quicker evaporating time. All you need to do is open your doors once in a while and the grafotherm does the rest!

Many online reviews and youtube videos rate grafotherm as the best solution to condensation in containers. Feel free to do your own research!

 

So now we feel a lot better that condensation will not be a worry to us, but more importantly, it will not be a worry to our customers!

 

Thanks for reading!

 

Tortoise Storage

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