In southern Alberta the container is a farm building as much as an industrial one. Around Lethbridge and out through the irrigation districts they hold equipment, parts, chemical and feed, and they take a beating from sun and wind that containers further north do not. Shipping container spray foam insulation in Lethbridge is bought to stop the box damaging what is kept in it.
Sun on steel is its own problem
A dark steel box in full southern Alberta sun gets extremely hot inside, then dumps that heat overnight. That daily swing is a condensation engine: warm humid air in the afternoon, cold steel by early morning, and moisture on every interior surface. It is the reverse of the winter problem and it does the same damage to stored goods.
Wind, dust and a sealed box
Containers seal reasonably well when the doors are sound, which is part of why they are used here. That also means whatever moisture gets in stays in. Sealing the envelope with foam and removing the cold condensing surface is what stops that trapped moisture ending up on the contents.
Closed cell sprayed to the steel
Two pound closed cell goes directly onto the interior skin with no gap behind it. That removes the surface condensation forms on. Batt cannot do that job here - it leaves a cavity, air moves behind it, and the steel keeps condensing out of sight. Closed cell is also its own vapour retarder at working thickness and adds stiffness to a box that gets moved around a farm.
What it protects out here
- Chemical and fertiliser storage, where damp is a direct loss.
- Equipment and parts that rust, kept through a whole season without inspection.
- Feed and dry goods where mould is the risk rather than rust.
- Shop and workshop conversions on farmyards, heated in winter and occupied.
Interior or exterior, and the sunlight limit
Interior application is the usual choice and the less expensive one, and it costs a little interior width. Exterior is possible and keeps the full internal dimension, but it has to be clad over, because spray foam degrades under ultraviolet light. In the sunniest corner of the province that is not a theoretical concern - bare foam left facing south will chalk and break down, and the cladding is part of the job rather than an optional finish.
Shipping Container Spray Foam Insulation Lethbridge: Common Questions
Mine is worst in summer, not winter - is that still condensation? Very likely. Big daily temperature swings drive it in both directions, and southern Alberta has some of the widest.
Will it keep it cooler in the sun? It substantially reduces the heat coming through the steel, so yes - the interior stops tracking the skin temperature the way it does now.
Does it matter that it gets moved around the farm? Foam is bonded to the steel rather than fitted, so it travels better than board or batt. Mention it and we will spec for it.
Can the covering be added later? It is far cheaper planned in. Retrofitting the thermal barrier into a finished Lethbridge container means working around everything already installed.
Estimate your job, then get a free Lethbridge quote. See closed cell spray foam and spray foam insulation in Lethbridge.